Chronicle 6

Raksha Sinha pushed Subhadra Hegde while she prepared an injection.

Subhadra said nothing, just moved aside without a word.

Raksha took her place beside Kunal and started chirping. Subhadra knew, the next event would be Kunal Verma changing places to her side. Before any of such cliche acts took place, she walked off with the syringe.

A bunch of doctors were currently in the compound of a missionary, running a free camp for orphans.

Subhadra's eyes rolled everywhere, while she injected tetanus booster to a little boy.

The boy stared at her as if she was some angel. She realised and smiled back.
" What's your name sweetheart? "

" Rishabh. "

She took out a toy car from her pocket.

" Thank you! "

" How did your parents die? " , Subhadra asked. Unperturbed.

The boy lost his smile and kept staring.

" Don't worry. I can tell mine. If you wish to listen. "

The boy stirred.
" You too an orphan? "

" Of course, since twenty. "

" That's a lot of time.  I'm orphan since birth. "

" Good enough. What's in having parents? "

The boy smiled.
" I too don't know. What's so good in having parents? I'm happy in this missionary. Very happy. "

" There's nothing good. Specially selfish parents who love your sibling more. At a point of time you'll feel like murdering them.

Now go and send the next. "

The boy smiled wider and ran away.

Subhadra stood staring at the distant mountains.
Then murmured,
" At another point of time, you might murder them as well......

By the way, he didn't ask how I became an orphan. "

A tap on her back, and she found Kunal standing. He looked anxious.

" Subhadra, I will ask you something today. "

Subhadra stared shrinking her eyes.

" Where is Myra? "

Subhadra tilted her head and examined him from top to bottom.

" Why? "

" I asked first. You answer. "

" Somewhere, safe and fine. "

" She's here. Right? "

Subhadra now cringed her brows 

" Where? "

" In this very orphanage. I saw her. That's why you were so desperate to be in this camp. But I don't understand a thing. Why did you put her in an orphanage??? "

" Take me to where you saw her. "

Kunal stared at her. Trying to judge.

" Take me Kunal! "

Subhadra walked along with Kunal to another side of the camp where eye and ENT checkups were going on.

Kunal looked around.

Desperately trying to find someone.

" The girl was right here. I sat beside Raksha while she checked her. My god, she looked exactly like how Myra would look eight years to what I had seen her! "

Subhadra Hegde began laughing. Hysterically.

" You are too good Kunal Verma. Just too good. Eight years back, when we didn't even know each other, when you were my mere stalker and I was happily married, you had imprinted even my daughter so well in your heart that you know how she looks now? "

Utterly embarrassed, Kunal didn't stop searching though.

Kunal had first seen Subhadra at a conference, when they both were interns, nine years back. Completely smitten. But she was married then. Happily enough? Matter of consideration.

She hadn't seen him ever, till a year back though.

Kunal kept Subhadra standing, and went to Raksha. Mumbling something to her. Checking the register.

He returned with a gourd face.

Subhadra was still smiling.

" Happy? To find Myra Hegde in the register? "

Kunal whispered to himself, " Stop smiling.. You know very well we are not registering names. Only serial numbers. I cannot be so wrong.

Subhadra, you are one mystery to me. Why don't you tell where Myra actually is? "

Subhadra Hegde slowly walked to him, and brought her lips close to his ears.

Then whispered,

"Behind you. "

Kunal spontaneously turned.

To his horror, the girl he was looking for stood at a distance, munching a chocolate. Oblivious to everyone.

He turned again to find Subhadra gone.

He immediately went to the girl.

" What's your name, girl? "

The girl didn't even care to answer, as if no one asked her nothing.

" Are you Myra Hegde? "

The girl now looked into his eyes. And frowned. Then hissed,

" Are you Prabhas Raju Uppalapati? "

Kunal's jaw dropped.

" No. He's a filmstar. "

" But I know him. I don't know you. Will that mean I'll take anyone's name I know and call you that? "

She thumped away, almost disappearing.

Kunal began scratching his head.

Where did Subhadra go by the way? 

---

Subhadra was making dinner.

An utterly tiring day it was. The camp drained her completely.

She switched on the TV and sat with the pasta.

A strange sound happened as the TV kept running. She muted the TV.

The giggles. Once again.

Keeping the pasta on the table, Subhadra slowly walked to the bedroom. And pressed her ear against the wall.

" Stop it Myra. Go to sleep. "

The giggles grew louder.

" Myra, you have been disturbing throughout the day. Go to sleep before mamma begins to...."

The giggles stopped.

Picking up the pasta from the table, she brought it back to the bedroom.

Buzzing up her phone, notifications popped in.

Kunal.

Much to her disinterest, even after ignoring for a while, she had to open his chat window because of the constant flow of messages.

Kunal typing....

Image

Image

Today's camp photos.

The children.

Count the number.

Sister said 70.

Count the number, it's 70.

Come online Subhadra.

But 71 kits are missing.

We took 80 to the camp, remember? 

Good, you're on.

See the image. Do you see Myra? 
I mean the girl who looks like her? 

No, right?

She doesn't belong to the orphanage.
Then who is she?

But she took a kit.
Before my eyes. From Raksha.

Tell me now, why did you tell me that Myra was standing behind me? 

You left the camp early.

Why don't you reply? 

You are reading all the messages.

Don't irritate me Subhadra.

Subhadra Hegde switched off her phone and went to sleep.

" Attraction is only intense, when mystery is involved. "

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