The girls filed into their seats at the back of the bustling restaurant they selected for dinner. As usual, Mrunali preferred the corner spot where she could observe others while feeling comfortably inconspicuous.
As her companions studied menus and sipped mango lassis, Mrunali let her mind wander to easier times - specifically her first taste of sweet vindication back in secondary school.
She was only fourteen then. A scrawny, awkward thing tripping over her own feet, books always clutched to her chest like a shield. It was the first week of ninth standard when Mrunali endured her worst humiliation yet.
She still recalled the contemptuous sneers from a clique of popular girls after red flowered across Mrunali's crisp white salwar in a vivid arc. In the deafening silence of the hallway, someone snickered the nickname "Bloodhound" before the roar of laughter resumed.
Mrunali squared her trembling shoulders and marched on, ignoring the burning tears as she prayed for the ground to swallow her whole. She begged the sky for justice...for someone to teach those wretched girls a lesson.
And then it happened.
The fire sprinklers erupted without warning that Friday afternoon, sending torrents of rust-coloured water gushing onto those same shrieking girls during peak social hour. As they fled the bloody downpour, Mrunali hid a satisfied smile. The heavenly justice she prayed for had finally arrived...even if by her own hands.
"Mrunali!"
She jolted back to the present moment, blinking at her sister's bemused face across the table. "Sorry, what?" Mrunali mumbled, shaking off the vivid memories. She didn't realize she had drifted so deep in thought.
Meera laughed, giving her twin a playful nudge under the table. "What faraway dream world are you visiting lately? I was asking if you wanted to split the gulab jamun for dessert!"
Mrunali quickly agreed, hiding her racing pulse behind a hasty sip of water. She had to be more careful about wandering too far down memory lane, especially with company in tow! Smoothing her features, she rejoined the lively dinner chatter, the ghosts of past vindication fading away...for now.
YOU ARE READING
Uncaged
Mystery / Thriller"Uncaged" follows the tumultuous journey of Mrunali, an 18-year-old girl battling deep insecurities and societal pressures. She starts as an underconfident teenager constantly belittled by her peers, but through a series of harrowing experiences, Mr...
