She wandered on the footpath beside the road full of honking vehicles with gleaming lights. Everybody was in a hurry to return home to their family however she wanted to run away from hers. The family which she loved a lot. She was extremely frustrated and annoyed at what was going on in her life.

She angrily kicked the concrete electric pole near the little bus stop on the roadside out of frustration.

"Ouchhh", she shrieked hopping on her one foot cursing herself for being carelessly kicking the pillar forgetting that she was wearing sandals and not her regular sports shoes.

She hopped to the bus shed and sat on the bench inside and massaged her foot softly to subside the pain, while resting it on the bench.

She looked at the faulty and flickering electric hoarding set up behind her on the bus shed which displayed an advertisement. It read "Mittal Lights - Illuminating Your Life Since 1972"

"Bloody Mittals! They couldn't illuminate their own advertising board, but they claim to illuminate other's lives.", She spat in anger.

She noticed the telephone number on it and smirked. She then took out her mobile from her pocket and dialled the number mentioned on the board. She pressed few more keys on the dial pad to get the call answered by a woman on the other end.

"Hello, Mittal Lights - Illuminating Your Life Since 1972, how may I help you today?", The lady spoke.

"I want to talk to your CEO", she said.

"Huh? Sorry ma'am. He can't be reachable like this. You can let us know your problem and will try to sort it out as soon as possible.", The lady said.

"No, you can't. Give him the phone.", she yelled.

"Ma'am, this is a call centre. I can, at the most, ask my manager to speak to you.", The lady said.

"Listen, don't waste my time and test my patience. I only want to speak to your CEO, give him the bloody phone.", She said.

"Just a second Ma'am", the lady put her on hold and an irritating music played in the background.

"Sir, there is a lady who is insisting to talk to the CEO. I tried telling her so many times that she can't but she is very adamant.", The call centre lady said to her boss.

"You know that's not possible. You can ask her to speak to me.", He said.

"No Sir, she very rudely rejected to talk to you. She looks drunk.", The lady said.

"Then no need to entertain her. Just disconnect", he said.

"Okay Sir.", Said the lady. She hung up the call with customer she was talking.

"What the hell!! She cut my call? Huh! But you can't stop me from reaching him.", She said gritting her teeth and stroked her hair.

She googles the address of Mittal house while sipping the alcohol from the mineral water bottle that she carried in her bag. As soon as she found, she waved at the auto which was passing, making it come to halt near her. She took a picture of the number plate and the driver before she occupied the passenger seat behind.

"What's this? And where to Madam?", The Auto driver asked perplexed.

"I want to go to Mittal house, Malabar Hill. I know I am a bit drunk and tipsy but mind you, if you try to letch over me, ill-behave or harrass me, I will post your picture and auto number on social media and report to police.", She threatened him.

"Ma'am, that's too far", he said.

"So? Am I asking you to pick me up and carry me on your shoulder? If it was close, I wouldn't have boarded your bloody rickshaw. I would have instead walked. Now don't act too much. I am going to pay you for the ride. Just drive now", she says.

The auto driver rolls his eyes and nods. He starts the auto and starts driving while she sat behind singing songs.

Jai Jai Shiva Shankar....
Kanta Lage Na Kankar...
Ke Pyaala tere naam ka piyaa..
Ooo main gir jauungi,
Main marr jaaungi..
Jo tune mujhe thaam na liya..
Oh saun rab di..

At first the driver enjoyed her melodious voice but soon it became unbearable when she kept repeating the same lyrics over and over again. The driver pulled out a cotton ball out from the torn cushion on which he was sitting and pushed it into both his ears.

He looked up at the dark sky visible from his front glass remembering God and cursing himself for stopping the auto to give her the ride. He was actually going back home as it was late evening but thought to stop and do one final trip to earn extra money.

After almost 45 minutes of torture, he pulled over the auto to the side.

"Ma'am..", he said

Kanta Lage Na Kankar...
Ke Pyaala tere naam ka piyaa..

"Ma'am..", he called.

"What? She asked irritated.

"We've reached the Mittal house.", He said.

"Oh.. so soon? I mistook your.. your.. bullet train for.. the auto.", She blabbers.

Auto driver virtually facepalms. She sips the bitter liquid in the bottle. She then gets up and lifts her leg to climb the railing bar on the right side.

"Ma'am, the door is on the left side.", He said. She had already got down from that side.

"Really? Who moved it to that side? I will sue that bastard.", She says and got back into the auto by climbing the railing.

The auto driver literally felt like strangulating himself to death. She gets down the auto from the door with her shakey legs holding the front railing as support, trying not to stumble.

Ooo main gir jauungi,
Main marr jaaungi..

She looks at the huge gate which had  Mittal House written on the gate with twisted metal rods. She tries walking towards it holding her bottle and bag while singing.

"Ma'am, my auto fare.", Says the Auto driver.

"Huh? You are a very good passenger. No need to pay me any fare for the auto ride. It's freeeee!!! Enjoy", She said happily raising her hands up in the air.

"What? You travelled in my auto, you are the passenger hence you have to pay me.", He speaks in frustration.

"Hey! Liar!!! Why would I travel in your auto??? when I have my own auto..", she asks.

"Oh hell! How do I tell this drunk lady now?", He facepalms.

"Excuse me!! Please get out of the way from infront of gate, you two. Mittal sir, is about to arrive anytime.", Says the security guard at the shed near the gate.

"Huh? Hey, I had forgotten. I want to talk to Mittal. Call him now.", She says loudly.

"Go away drunk lady, I really don't have any patience to talk with you unnecessarily", says the watchman.

"Hush!!! I will sack you out of the job. Open the bloody gate", she yells.

Just then a luxury car arrives and stops at the gate. A young man rolls down his window glass and looks outside.

"What's happening here? Why is my road blocked Security?", He asks.

"Sir, I am sorry. I am trying to shoo them away. Just give me a moment.", Says the security guard.

"Sir.. Sir.. the passenger lady who asked me to drop her here is so drunk that she isn't ready to pay the fare. Could you please pay me my fare so that I can leave.", The auto driver demands.

"Lady? Where is the lady?", The young man in the car asks.

The driver looks around and finds the lady sitting in the driver's seat of the auto.

"Vroooooommm... Vrrroooommmm.. Peeep peeeeep.. get out my way you rascals.. vroooomm", she screams holding the auto handle.

"Oh my holy God!! She is sitting in my auto's driving seat there. Please Sir, take her with you and kindly pay my metre fare of Rs. 340. I have to go home to my pregnant wife.", Says the driver.

The young man in the car gets down from the car to check who the girl was. He narrows his eyebrows and bends to look at the lady sitting in the auto.

"You?", The man says surprised.

"Get in!! It's a free ride..", she says to him with a smile.

"Arghhh...", He pulls out his wallet and gives the driver Rs. 500 note.

"Sir, I don't have change.", The driver said.

"Just keep it and take your auto.", He says.

"Ma'am?", He asks.

The young man rolls his eyes in frustration and holds her arm and pulls her of the auto. The driver sits on the driving seat and drives away.

"Hey, my auto!!!", She yells

"It's inside the house..", the young man says.

"Really? Oh!! Then take me to my auto.", She said.

"Hmmm.. okay", he says pulling her by her arm. She stumbles and he holds her before she falls.

Ooo main gir jauungi,
Main marr jaaungi..
Jo tune mujhe thaam na liya..
Oh saun rab di..

He shook his head in disbelief and lifts her in bridal style.

"Security open the gate and park the car inside.", He instructs. The guard immediately opens the gate for him.

"My auto!!", She said before passing out in his arm.

____________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️

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