11 Fury

Inaya got accustomed with the work at coffee shop. She was happy. "I don't think I have ever seen a pretty morning like this," she talked to herself. Standing outside the Sauna looking at orange sunrise sky. She smiled and walked down the road, as usual for work. Two weeks had passed already. And things appeared to be going smooth.

As per Jiya's advice, Inaya shifted to another Sauna to stay for another week.

"Aunty, a bowl of soup please," Inaya ordered from the street vendor Jiya introduced her to. This was the only place that remained under her budget until she gets her salary.

"Inaya, eat this corn too, I know you like them, it's on me today," the lady said and gave wholeheartedly.

"Ommoo.. thank you, thank you so much," Inaya kept thanking the lady and had her fill.

"Excuse me," Someone interrupted. Inaya turned around.

"Yes,' she looked at the person. "Oh it's you," Inaya recognised her reular customer instantly. "What are you doing here at this hour?" She was surprised.

"I just got down from the bus and saw you standing here, eating, I was starving. I thought I woukd ask you," he was smiling. Inaya looked at the vendor and back at him.

"I'm not sure.. I.. would you eat food from..." Inaya did not want to say it out loud.

"It's food right, and looks pretty decent here," Ryan assured her. "Hello, can I get a plate of steamed momo and the corn yes," he ordered exactly what Inaya ordered the first time.

"That was her first order when she came here the first day," Vendor told Rayn.

"Is it?" Rayn smiled and paid for the food. "I guess you also chose the safest ones with no oil," he told Inaya. They settled down, sitting opposite to each other.

"This is good," he said. Meanwhile Inaya continued eating her corn.

"So you go to work every day at this hour?" Ryan wanted to know.

"Yes," Inaya replied.

"Where do you stay?" He asked next.

"At a Sauna," Inaya did not hide.

"I stay in the university hostel, " he replied. "I am doing engineering. I was visiting my parents this weekend and came back today," Inaya did not even had to ask his details. "My parents run a school back in the town," he said. "What about yours? Are you yet to find a place to stay? Are you looking for colleges?" He asked. Inaya smiled.

"We live in two different worlds," Inaya said instead. There was a long pause between them. Inaya took a deep breath.

"My parents are no more, and we had nothing on our name. So I left the village, hoping to start fresh. So here I am. I'm going to work hard and earn money," she said. She looked very calm as she spoke.

"I'm sorry," he apologised.

"No. It's okay. Don't be," Inaya replied. "Have. It's getting colder," she reminded him.

A few minutes later, they both finished their plates. "I guess I will see you around," he said, not taking his eyes off her. Her cheeks were pink. It was cold and she was wearing only a top and a jogger that wasn't thick enough to protect her from the morning chill.

"Try to dress warmer" he said and walked away, waving bye at her.

Inaya stood watching him, till he disappeared.

"Who is he?" Ajhumma asked Inaya with a smile.

"He is a customer in the place I work," Inaya spoke frankly.

"Hmmm do I sense anything more than a customer here?" She teased Inaya who did not get what she meant.

"Ok bye," Inaya said and left.

Inaya clocked in for work and walked into the dressing room. She saw something she should not have.

"Inaya wait," the manager hurried put, calling for her, leaving her colleague behind in the room. Then it struck her. She turned around. She picked up a vase in the hand from one of the coffee tables.

"Did he touch you without your consent," she asked the girl looking uncomfortable in the dressing room. "Did he lay his hands on you with or without your consent?" She raised her voice.

"Inaya," Jiya showed up. "What happened?" She hurried. The manager Jerry stood prepared to attack Inaya any time. "What is going on?"

"I'm asking you, did he touch you with or without your consent?" The girl got scared looking at how angry Inaya looked. No one had seen this version of Inaya before. Joya could not digest what she was witnessing.

"Without my consent," the girl uttered.

Inaya looked at Jerry. She did not think twice. She hit him with the vase in her hand and shattered into pieces.

"Stop, stop," the manager begged.

"Inaya wait," Jiya tired to pull Inaya back from attacking the man and end up killing him.

"Will you touch again? Will you? Inaya twisted the manager's hand whike he cried. "You should not dare raise your hand against another woman again. Are you not married? Look how you are cheating a woman who trusts you," Inaya could not forgive what he was doing.

"Inaya stop," Jiya shouted. Two customers who walked in at that time, recorded a video of this hungama.

Inaya came back to her senses immediately and let go of the man. She looked at Jiya. She was shivering. Her eyes filled with tears. "Inaya, breath, relax," Jiya said and moved her away from the man. "Call the ambulance," she ordered the girl who was looking frightened. They all settled down while the man lay on the floor.

"I did not know he is such a pervert," Jiya admitted. "There were lots of times where he had walked into the dressing room while we change, but we never saw his intentions, he was always polite to us. I cannot believe this," Jiya expressed.

"No man like him should be let free, you don't know..." Inaya said and began to cry.

"Her own past came into her mind. Then the cold corpses of her parents and Mia. Inaya could not stop crying.

The police walked in. "We received a call," they started to speak and saw the man lying on the floor, wiggling like a worm, in pain.

"She tried to kill me," Jerry mumbled.

"He molested her," Jiya pointed at the girl. The girl began to cry afraid it woukd affect her future.

The police called for help from the lady officers. And then looked at Inaya. Then he walked towards her.

"Officer Yan," he introduced himself. "Are you the one who beat the man to death?" Inaya looked up with her tear stained face. She immediately felt a pulse in her. Her eyes flickered with a golden brown ring and she saw the same in Officer Yan's eyes. She jumped up.

"No," she gasped.