As the auto sped down the road, Tarunika and Payal were engrossed in their conversation about the morning's chaos. Their talk was abruptly interrupted when two boys burst into the auto. One of them, stumbling clumsily, stepped directly on Tarunika's foot.
"Ow! Watch where you're stepping!" Tarunika exclaimed, a curse escaping her slightly chapped lips as she winced in pain. Her face contorted, and she tried to shift her foot, but the boy remained oblivious to her discomfort.
Payal's eyes widened in recognition."Those are the guys from the metro!" she whispered urgently.
Tarunika, her patience fraying, was about to grab the collar of the boy who had stepped on her foot when a strong hand reached in from outside. The man from the train, the one whose glasses Tarunika now held, grabbed her wrist firmly.
Before she could react further, he yanked her hand, pulling himself into the moving auto. With surprising agility, he climbed inside, squeezing between the two boys.
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Before Tarunika could even comprehend what had just happened, the man was in the auto, wedging himself between the two boys. His face was flushed, his breath heavy and reeking of alcohol.
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