Maya woke up as the drops from the leaking roof dripped on her face. Her world of dreams was disrupted as she came back to reality in the shanty town. She lay on the thin straw floor mat in the one room shanty house next to her mother. The walls around them were nothing but cardboard, metal and sheets of plastic. Occasionally, strong winds or heavy rain would weaken the foundation but at least it was a roof other their heads. The smell of the nearby sewage filled the room. She reached out to turn on the small lamp. It flickered then slowly became dim, just like her mother’s chances of survival.

Maya laid down and thought how life would have been so different if her father was still alive. He had passed away 5 years ago on her 18th birthday. There was nobody to take on the business so Maya and her mother were left to fend for themselves on the streets of Mumbai. She left her education in between to take care of her ill mother who suffered from asthma and heart disease. With nowhere to go, they ended up in Dharvi, the biggest slum area in Mumbai. Every day Maya went to a local orphanage to give tuitions to young children there so she could earn enough money for food and medical expenses. Doctors continuously told her that nothing could be done to help her mother, but Maya didn’t lose hope.

Her mother began to cough as Maya got up to get her some water from the earthen pot. She carefully picked up her mother’s head, placed it on her lap and helped her swallow the water. Maya looked at her mother closely. The illness had given her shriveled skin and dark bags under her eyes. She looked older and older every day.

“Mother, are you okay? Can I get you anything?”

“How long are you going to take care of me Maya? This old body does not have life left in it anymore. I will be gone soon.”

“Mother, how many times have I told you not to say such things.”

“My dear child, I say the truth.”

Maya got up and went to sit on the little stool in the corner. They had a little stove where they cooked meals. Maya went to the orphanage around noon every day so she would finish cooking first. She looked in the container and it was empty. There was nothing but a three pieces of break and some left over curry. I’ll get some vegetable on my way home today. She poured it in a small bowl and went to go feed her mother. The doctors had said it was important for her to have a good diet.

“Here mother, eat before I leave,” Maya said.

“What are you going to eat?” her mother asked.

Maya fed her the bread and curry with her hands.

“I already ate while I was cooking,” She lied.

Maya went to the orphanage and decided to come home early. She came home and sat down next to her mother’s mat. Usually her mother would try to sit up every day whenever Maya came home. Today there was no reaction.

“Mother, get up I brought your new medicines.”

Complete silence filled the room as she placed her hand on her mother’s shoulder and shook her. There was no reaction.

“Mother!”

She screamed and some neighbors came inside after hearing the ruckus. Someone called an ambulance. Sirens got louder and louder as they got closer to the shanty.

Maya held her mother’s hand as her stretcher was being pushed towards the emergency room. A nurse placed a clipboard into Maya’s hands and told her to fill out the forms and wait outside. A man in a white coat walked outside.

“Doctor is she alright?”

“No, I am sorry she has only two days if we do not operate on her immediately. It will cost 50,000 rupees”

Maya’s knees felt weak as she sat down on the bench. The doctor placed his hand out in case she fell. Where am I going to get all that money from?

“Doctor, you will have the money by tomorrow.”

Maya remembered she had a friend who worked in a bank. She could help her get a loan. For now, saving her mother was all that mattered. She called the friend who told her to go see the bank manager.

She knocked on the door.

“May I come in Sir?”

“Yes.”

As Maya walked inside, the man looked up at her. He was wearing a three piece black suit. He had a light brown skin tone, his hair was parted to the side and he looked like he was in his 30’s. His eyes gazed over her from top to bottom as she walked towards the desk. Maya became self-conscious about the hole in her jeans that showed a bit of too much skin. She put her bag over as he asked her to sit down. He came over and pulled the chair for her as his hand accidently touched her lower back.

“Hello, I’m Mr. Kapur I was told you would be coming in. How can I help you?”

‘Sir, my mother needs an operation. Can you please loan be 50,000 rupees. I will pay it back.”

“Relax beautiful, we can work something out.”

He stared towards her neckline and then her chest. Maya pulled down her brown shawl.

“Thank you so much Mr. Kapur. You don’t know what this means to me.”

“You can come collect the check later. I will be in the company’s guesthouse. Come there around 7 tonight.”

Maya could see some hope. The doctors had put her mother in the ICU and once she deposits the money, the operation would begin. Her mother would be well in just a few more hours. She reached the guesthouse where Mr. Kapur would be waiting for her. She rang the bell and waited patiently at the doorstep. After a few minutes, Mr. Kapur finally opened the door. He held a glass of wine in his left hand and the door with the other. She walked inside. Two hands reached grabbed her waist from behind as she was pushed towards a wall.

“What are you doing Mr.Kapur!”

“Well you have to pay the price for the 50,000. Your choices are to either cooperate or curse yourself for letting your mother die.”

He loosened his grip on Maya’s hands.

“That room has everything you need to get ready. You give me what I want and I give you what you came for.”

He reached into his pocket and showed her the check then left the room. Maya leaned on the wall and her knees gave in. She sat down as tears streamed down her face in confusion. I needed to save her. I promised dad I would do anything to take care of her.

She walked to the room Mr. Kapur had mentioned to her. On the edge of the bed, there was a dark red lingerie waiting to drape her body. She stood in front of the mirror and turned on the faucet. She splashed water on her face. Maya went to the bathroom and changed out of her dirty tattered clothes. She began to adorn herself for her predator as she put on a dark red lipstick and black earrings. Her dark brown hair had been braided so she opened it to let her hair slide down her shoulders freely.

Maya walked to the next room. Mr. Kapur looked at her lustfully as he sat on the bed. A bottle of wine was half was finished. There was no light, just a few candles lit up to brighten the room. He got up closed the door and came towards her. He carried her and slowly placed her on the bed as he began to gradually kiss her making his way from the throat down. Maya had no reaction to this. She lay there like a living corpse. No motion just waiting for it to be over. I needed to save mother. Mr. Kapur stopped to blow out the candles until there was complete darkness.

It was morning and a few hours were left until the operation. Maya got up and her hand touched Mr. Kapur’s sleeping face. She jolted it back and hurried out of the silk covers. What have I done? She ran to the other room and dressed into her old shabby clothes as she looked around for her belongings. Maya went back to the room where Mr. Kapur was sleeping and found the check in his shirt’s pocket. I have to get to the hospital.

She stood outside the guesthouse trying to stop a rickshaw. Someone finally stopped and she told him to get to the hospital fast. Maya got to the reception and asked for the doctor.

“The doctor…where is he?

“Just go straight and make a right.”

“Thank you.”

Maya went where she was told and found the doctor. He just walked out of her mother’s room. She hoped there would be good news.

“Hello, I brought the money. You can start the operation now.”

“There will be no need for that now.”

“Thank god she’s alright. Can I see her?”

“Well.she is…”

Before he could finish, Maya walked inside and looked for her mother. In a corner there was a figure lying on a stretched with a white sheet over the face.

“Doctor, where is my mother? Is she in another room?”

The doctor put one hand on her shoulder and another he pointed towards the figure in the corner. Maya walked slowly and grabbed the white cloth to unveil the face. As the cloth came off, Maya dropped to her knees. The check left Maya’s hand and flew out the nearby window. Everything was over.