It was 10 a.m in Mumbai when Anjali rushed towards the fishermen’s bridge, Most fishermen have left the shore by this time making the place quiet and solitary. In haste, she lost track of her brown leather bag clinging to her right hand. Her eyes held more moisture than the sea, she couldn’t stop thinking about Nick.

‘How can he do this to me? How can he kill—’, she screamed to herself at the end of the bridge.

She couldn’t stop blaming herself for what her eyes had transpired a few moments ago. Her legs were not in her control as she kept walking from one end to the other of the bridge.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice, ‘Hello, Can you hear me?’ She turned back and saw an old man waving at her. He was having her bag in his hand. At that moment, the bag was aught to Anjali, her thoughts continued and she started running in the direction of the sea.

The old man was confused and tried to approach her. His doddering legs couldn’t match the motion of her. After running a few blocks his legs trembled and he fell on his knees. The crashing sound reached Anjali for her to look back. She had always been a person who liked to help others. She reached out to the old man and acknowledged his name to be Shantilal. He was a local fisherman who had come to the sea with his fishing hook to catch a fish. Anjali assisted him in getting back to his feet.

‘Are you ok kaka?’, she asked.

‘I am fine, beta but how are you? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?’, Shantilal inquired as he saw her moist eyes.

‘No, No, I am fine kaka—’ Her eyes could no longer hold her tears. Weeping she only muttered two names- Nick and Rajesh.

Shantilal sensed the distress and stayed back with her. He tried to calm her down and ask her whereabouts but her weeps only got vulnerable with every question. He feared the worst that might occur if he left her but he also had no idea of how to console her and decided to summon his wife. He stepped a few steps away from the weeping woman and dialled his landline number from his Nokia 3310 to describe the situation to his wife, Meenakshi.

Meenakshi reached the spot in a rickshaw and paid the amount shown on the meter. She saw Shantilal and walked towards him.

‘Kai Zala? (What happened?)’, She asked Shantilal. Shantilal pointed towards Anjali. She recognized her as the daughter-in-law of Sharma’s where she used to work as a maid. She rushed towards her and hugged her to calm her down. Seeing a familiar face Anjali’s emotion had no control but to flow out. After getting Anjali back to her senses, Meenakshi asked, ‘What’s the matter bibiji, why are you crying? Rajesh baba did something? Sharma Aunty said something to you? Tell me please….’

‘Sab khatam ho Gaya maushi— (Everything is over, Aunty)’, Anjali continued after catching her breath ‘Rajesh destroyed it all’ Meenakshi started assuming the extra-marital affair Rajesh might be having which was breaking Anjali.

There was a sound of a ship sailing which got the attention of Anjali who was calm now. After looking at it for some time, Anjali asked Meenakshi to get her bag. Meenakshi asked for the bag from Shantilal who was standing there trying to understand the situation. Shantilal took the bag and handed it over to Meenakshi.

Anjali opened the bag and took out a picture of herself with a man, ‘I loved him so much, I don’t know how will I survive in this world without him.’ Meenakshi and Shantilal were shocked. Meenakshi found herself thinking if her Rajesh Baba has left them all and felt a moment of guilt for assuming him having an affair. Less did they know a larger shock awaited them.

Consoling Anjali for her loss Meenakshi said, ‘I’m so sorry to hear about this. God is examining you. Just have faith everything will be fine.’ Saying this Meenakshi took the photograph from Anjali’s hand and hugged her again. Meenakshi always admired how good Anjali and Rajesh looked together and glanced at the picture only to find out it wasn’t Rajesh in the picture. It was Nick, Anjali’s colleague.