The Girl in the Gym

Howdy Partner

Inaya made a couple of friends on her daily circuit. There was the fruit seller from whom she always bought apples and bananas, and sometimes he would slip in a few pieces of an orange or guava as well, free of charge. Then there was a bookshop owner at the station who let her read books while waiting sometimes.

Life caught her in its spin, and one day, she was ten years old. She didn't remember her birthday, and in all honesty, she didn't have much cause to celebrate. But one day, during the monsoons, she was returning home when she decided to take a different route which was closer to the beach. She loved watching the water turn grey under the storm clouds. This route took her past some very fancy shops and restaurant. Beautiful men, women and children were sitting daintily on tables and plucking at the delicacies set in front of them. Inaya walked closer to one of these restaurants and pressed her nose up against the glass. Her mouth watered at the sight of the dishes being served. Outside in the cold, under the rain, she could almost feel the warmth from these dishes and the scent that was surely making its way out to her. A family of three was having lunch there, and they had a little girl about her age. The father said something and patted her head, her mother fed her a bite from her own plate. The little girl smiled at her parents and dug into her food.

A single tear rolled down Inaya's face. Suddenly, her arm was jerked violently backwards. A uniformed guard was yelling at her. "Get away from here you urchin! This is not a place for people like you."

Inaya stifled her cries and tried to walk away when a voice called out. "Wait, send her in. Let her have some food from our table."