The driver dropped me at an old- looking hotel. I walked in with my luggage and requested for an empty room to the half awake manager. "Empty room? Are you new in India?" he asked in astonishment.

"Somehow yes.." I replied, baffled.

He burst into laughter. "Then your driver scammed you. Because this hotel is out of business and the building is going to be demolished tonight for a mall. If you still want to stay the evening here, be my guest."

I was speechless. My phone is dead, I lost my escort and now the only place I could stay at is about to be demolished tonight. I don't know a single road in this country and now I have to somehow survive here till I reach my sister's home. Ofcourse dumb people like me are easily scammed. I should be happy that he didn't take all my money by bluffing about taxi fares. I checked my wallet for how much money I have left.

A note of 2000 Rs stare at me. The only note left in my wallet.

I have done it. I hear the manager laughing at me as I search for more money in my pockets but find nothing. 

"Don't worry. You must be hungry from your travel. You can atleast stay for a brunch." said the manager as he took me to a shabby guestroom he had. 

"You won't scam me right?"  

"I am rich enough to sustain a living without scamming, y'know."

I sat in the guestroom, looking at the corners with spider nets and reddish splatter marks on the walls. 

"Was someone killed here, manager?" 

The manager giggled as he looked for food in the kitchen, attached to the guestroom, "No, that's not blood. Its Pan."

"You don't know Pan? You only look Indian, huh? Well... its a mixture made of Betel leaf, Areca catetchu and slaked lime that a lot of people here enjoy chewing and spitting. It becomes blood red in your mouth as you chew." He explains while carefully sprinkling onion to the heated pan while covering half of his eyes.

"They take in slaked lime?"

"Well.. they spit it later instead of swallowing so its fine. Its delicious too but if you get addicted to it your teeth will look like that of a zombie who just had his 50th prey" 

"That's a creepy analogy but I got the gist." I say while I stare at the walls wondering if its necessary to spit on the walls instead of a sink.

 As I turned my head to judge another corner, manager came with a tray and placed the bowl and plates on the table. He joined his hands to pray and then distributed the food. I pounced on the fish, biting off every last piece of meat on it like a stranded desert traveller who finally recieved water. The manager watched in awe.

"Will you be able to take care of yourself on your own?"he asked.

"I will make out some way.."

"You can get kidnapped if you stay on your own,you know."

I coughed. I didn't think of that possibility.The manager rubbed my back, "Take care anyways."he said with a sinister smile.

After finishing my food, I took my leave while waving a goodbye to the manager as he wished me 'happy journey'. The last time someone wished me 'happy journey' I ended up like this. I wonder what it will be this time. Anyways, I started my journey with my heavy luggage and Rs 2000 note in my wallet. 

I walked with my luggage as the scorching heat kept stealing the energy I gained from the food at the hotel. After walking, for what felt like miles, I found myself in a street with kiosks lined on both the sides. Crowds of women in their forties gathered around  kiosks that pleased their budgets while owners yelled out prices. I would have loved to buy something but I don't have enough money. The noise was giving me a headache so I hurriedly tried escaping.  After running for half a minute, I felt a cool breeze brush my face. I turned to see the direction of its origin and turns out there was a river. I was too tired to make sense of why their was a river here so I did what my instint told me. 

"JUMP OFF AND DRINK IT ALL" I yelled as I ran towards the river until I felt the ground below me disappear. 

I fall towards my head and roll downwards while hugging my luggage, waiting for my head to bash on a wall, so that my fall stops but instead I recieve a pair of arms around me grabbing me from my head while my fall finally stops. I lift my head and find myself on a man, wincing. I hurriedly take my luggage, while accidentally smacking his head in the process. 

"I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!" I yell as he slowly gets up while rubbing his head.

"Are you a foreigner? Your accent is weird." 

"Somehow.. yes." 

"Do they show up like this there too?" 

"No I'm just dumb." 

He bursts into laughter. 

"I mean I was tired and I saw a river in front of me so I thought  I would.... drink it all.. to quench my thirst." I reason hoping he stops laughing, but his laugh just got louder. He gestures a kid to come towards him, controlling his giggles, and grabs a bottle off his hand.

"Here." he extends the bottle towards me. I bow, showing gratitude, take the bottle and chug it down. 

"Where are you staying?" he asks.

"I don't know." 

He opens his mouth to ask but gets called by someone. "FIROZ! HELP ME WITH THIS!!" says a voice of a woman.

He runs towards the voice while gesturing me to wait, which I unfortunately can't do since its growing dark and I need to hurry and search for a place to stay. I thank the kid and leave.

I trudge with my luggage as my legs grow number and number from exhaustion. I watch the street light flutter and look for my sister in the trams, cars, buses and rickshaws passing by... but she was nowhere. I feel the ray of hope drifting farther away the closer I get to it. My eyes are flooded with tears as I walk the unknown roads. I pull out my phone in the hope of it, magically turning on but its futile too. 

My legs give up as I fall on the road, clinging onto my luggage. 

I watch the street getting quieter as I fall into slumber. 

                                                                              --------------------

I feel another cold breeze brushing my face. Is it a river again? 

"Did the kidnappers sell my organs? Am I in heaven?" I blurt out.

"No you are at my house." replies a man's voice.

I hurriedly wake up to which a hand blocks me and pushes me to the bed again. "Just lie down for a while." says a middle- aged man sitting beside me. He walks towards the air conditioner, "Good. Its cooling." 

"Its an A/C ofcourse it won't heat." I reply unconciously. "No.. I mean-"

The man laughs. "Yes you are right it won't heat. What's your name smart man?"

"Shau...rya...?" I reply hesitantly.

"Hello Shaurya, my name is Abdul." says the man.

"Did you pick me up from the pedestrian?" 

"No not m-"

"I did"

I turn towards the familiar voice. It was the stranger I met by the river.