Episode 2: Worlds Apart
Dimple hopped on one leg to get her foot in the shoe while changing station on the radio.
“…that a leopard has been sighted near the park and…”
Just then the telephone rang. She picked it up, “Sorry, Riya! I’m running late. I’ll call you later?”
‘No, Dimpie. It’s urgent. I need your help.’
Dimple knew she’ll regret that, “Tell me.”
‘Listen, I have to go to an urgent meeting and I can’t leave Sunder alone. So, if you could…’
“But you know I took a leave.” Dimple leaned against the shoe cabinet.
‘Please, Dimpie, Please? Last time.’ Riya said.
“You always say that.” She thought for a while and said, “All right. One last time. Only for you. Okay.”
‘Thanx a lot. I knew you’d come around. You love hanging out with Sunder.’
“Yes, but the kid needs a spanking now and then. Nevertheless, you just have a safe journey.”
‘Thanx,’ Riya hung up and Dimple put down the receiver. She picked it up again, dialled a number and bit her lips.
“Oh hii, Shyam. Thank God, you’re home. Sorry, we have to postpone our date. Uh…yeah…Sorry again. Family problems. I’ll call you later. Yeah, sure.”
Dimple changed her clothes and locked her house. She took her bicycle, but the tyre was flat. She knew whose doing it was. The group of boys was snickering at the corner shop. Dimple went back up and brought the hand pump. She pumped until sweat trickled down her brow. But the tyre stayed flat. She checked it to find that the valve was missing. A laughter broke out at the corner shop.
Dimple gritted her teeth just to stop at the sight of her pendant. A pink sparkling crystal. She let go and decided to take a bus.
“I’m late! If only they hadn’t sabotaged my cycle.” Dimple rang the doorbell and waited. The sun had started to set. Before she could ring the bell for the fourth time, someone called her from behind. “Didi! Didi!” Dimple knew him.
“Goldie?” She turned to the frightened kid who was out of breath. Goldie and Sunder both took tuition from her.
“Di…di…”
“Calm down, Goldie and take a deep breath. What happened? Do you know where Sunder is? He’s not answering the door.”
Goldie nodded quickly and said, “I know where he is. Come with me.” He grabbed her hand almost dragging her.
“Where is he?” Dimple asked brisking up her pace.
“Uhh…at the temple near the park.” Goldie couldn’t make eye contact with her.
She stopped him in his tracks, “The old park?”
Goldie nodded.
“Don’t you know there’s a leopard?”
“Yes. Sunder wanted to see the leopard.”
“What? See it? And…and you knew about it?” Dimple almost slapped him. They ran towards the park.
Dimple stood dumbstruck at the scene. When they reached behind the park at the temple, Sunder was clinging to a weak, crumbling ledge. Below him, a fierce leopard, paced impatiently, ready to strike.
“We have to save him. We should kill the animal,” Goldie uttered
Dimple shook her head. She clutched on her pendant. But then, everything happened so fast.
Just as the leopard poised to leap, a brilliant flash of light erupted in thin air. A man jumped out of it and cried a name, “Basu!” He turned to the leopard, looked at the boy, cried “Basu” and grabbed the leopard.
The leopard, startled by Man’s sudden appearance, growled and lunged at him. The stranger met the attack head-on, grappling with the beast in a fierce struggle. But the clash pushed them dangerously close to the base of the ledge. The ledge gave away, burying both the stranger and the kid beneath. The leopard ran away, and Dimple ran to them, shrieking. She clutched her pendant and looked at Goldie, “It’s heavy. Go get help!”
She waited for him to leave and then crouched. Sunder was covered by the stranger’s body. Both were unconscious.
Dimple put her pendant in her pocket. She adjusted her fingers on the ledge and lifted it with one hand.
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