3. The Morning After

Maya Suri stirred in her sleep as sunlight streamed in through an open window and fell upon her face. She lay on the cold, hardwood floor, just beneath the window from where she had watched Liam last night. The harsh light was disturbing. It finally got her to open her eyes and cast her weary gaze around the room.

It took a moment for her to come to her senses and figure out where she was. She quickly sat up in a state of panic. Last night’s cringe-worthy events and the close shave she had come flooding back.

Still in panic, she quickly checked the bolt of the door just to make sure it was locked. That it had indeed been locked all night. When she found it securely bolted, she leaned onto the door with her back, sighed in relief, and sank to the floor.

Safe. Yes. For now. What worried her was this - she couldn’t hide in here forever.

“Maya…”

Dread washed over Maya’s pale face. It was her mother’s call from downstairs. She fidgeted a bit and wondered what to do. If only she could wait it out until he left…

“Maya…”

It was her mother’s call again. A call that she couldn’t ignore. She got to her feet, opened the door, and stepped out a little. “I’ll be in a minute!” she announced and recoiled into the room, latched up the door, and headed to the bathroom. She turned on the tap and allowed a jet of water to squirt out before splashing a handful over her face.

She straightened up and watched her reflection in the mirror. The way she looked this morning was dreadful. Fatigue and depression were all over her face. As if she hadn’t slept or smiled in years.

Moments later, she was out of the bathroom, looking considerably fresher but still groggy. She wiped her face with a towel as she took baby steps towards the window.

The morning sun, the early birds, and the fresh air gave her a renewed sense of hope and the spirit to fight through. It drove away the fear. Fear of the unknown. It gave more clarity. And it gave an unbreakable promise – that no matter what happened today, tomorrow was not the end. Life went on.

Her absent-minded gaze and thoughts drifted to the opposite house.

And then… out of the blue, something came to her mind – last night’s events. No. Not just her terrifying ordeal with Manoj. But the one that happened later.

Her curious gaze searched the room where she found Liam last night – first… emotionless, then, furious, and then… broken.

But the windows that he slammed shut on her face last night remained shut.

"I wonder if he’s okay," she thought to herself. She couldn't help but be concerned. Never ever had she witnessed a scene like that – a scene where an older guy smashes the life out of a younger one? In this case, father-son.

Her cell phone rang. It startled her. She picked up her phone. On the screen, flashed a name. “ABBY”.

“Hello?” Maya answered.

“Where were you yesterday?” came Abby's slap. No good mornings or hellos.

“Shifting, told you the other day.” Maya sighed and leaned onto the wall.

“I know that! But you should have answered your phone!”

“I know, I’m sorry. Had a rather busy day…” Maya’s words faded away at busy.

“Hmm. Forgiven,” Abby states. “But don’t you dare make it a habit.”

“No. I won’t,” Maya chuckles.

“Fine. Tell me. How’s your new neighborhood? Met anyone yet?”

“No. But hey. There’s something…”

“What?” Abby grows curious.

“Liam. He’s my neighbor.”

“Liam who?”

“Parker.”

Abby doesn’t get it. Then… “Wait! Liam Parker? You mean, your classmate? That weirdo?” she exclaimed in a shrill voice.

“Yes. Him. He lives opposite to me.” Contrary to Abby’s scream, Maya’s voice grew quieter.

“You got to be f**king kidding me!”

Maya shrugged and swallowed her comment with a smile.

“So… did he see you?” she asked curiously.

“Yes…”

“And did he talk?” Abby enquired further, sounding expectant.

Maya pondered the question. Once again, she recollected how he slammed the window on her face. “Not really…” she replied.

Abby let out a deep, massive sigh. “Tell me why I’m not surprised! You know… I’ve started to believe that he’s dumb.”

Maya laughed at Abby’s statement. “I don’t think so,” she stated and immediately regretted saying so.

“Really? And why, may I ask?”

Maya regretted making that statement. Now she must discuss that uncomfortable incident she witnessed. But maybe not.

“Mm… I saw him having a chat with his friends,” she lied. Kind of.

“He has friends?” asked Abby, as if having friends was such a strange thing. “Oh boy. I think I’ve got enough surprises for a day. Sorry darling. I think that this guy is a jerk. And so does everyone else. I mean, look at the guy’s attitude. And the way he carries himself, as if he’s too good for the rest of the world.”

“Maybe there’s more to it than one can see,” Maya defended.

“And how can you be so sure?”

“I don’t know. I can just feel it.” Maya paused as she heard her mother’s call once again. “Uh… Abby… I need to hang up. Mom’s calling.”

“No problem honey. Coming to college today?”

“Yeah sure,” she replied. She’d rather be anywhere else than home.

***

As Maya stepped into the dimly lit room, the smell of urine and sweat invaded her senses. She cringed at the sight of her mother lying helplessly in her soiled diapers and clothes. The room felt suffocating, and she scanned it frantically for any sign of Manoj's presence.

She heard loud splashes from the bathroom, and her heart sank. She knew she had to hurry. "Ma," her mother's weak call pulled her back. She rushed to her side and helped her sit up.

"Let's get you cleaned up. Then I'll go and get the milk from the parlor," Maya said quickly, trying to finish the task as fast as possible. As she went about cleaning her mother, there was complete silence in the room. The only sound was the splashing from the bathroom, which gradually faded away as Manoj finished his shower.

Maya's anxiety spiked. She needed to get out of there before Manoj emerged from the bathroom. She wanted to go to the parlor and stay there until he left for work. But for how long can she run? How much can she hide? She knew that by evening, it would be the same old story.

Maya's mother watched her with a pained expression. She knew the hell her daughter went through every day with Manoj. She felt guilty and frustrated that she couldn't do anything to help her. Slowly, she reached out for Maya's hand, and held it gently.

Maya looked up at her mother, and their eyes met. Her mother didn't say anything, but her eyes spoke volumes of sadness and apology. Maya felt a lump in her throat, and the tears threatened to spill over, but she managed to suppress them with a small smile. "I'll be right back," she assured her mother before rising to her feet.

As she hurried out of the room, Maya's mind raced with thoughts of how she could escape from this life. She knew she couldn't keep living like this, but she didn't know what to do.

She headed to the kitchen and groped the counters as if searching for something. But it is just a weak attempt to pull herself together. To stop herself from crying. The helplessness and rage she fought each day was one thing, but to find that same emotion in her mother’s eyes was unbearable.

The eerie silence from the bathroom gave her another reason to stop. Any minute, Manoj would be out. So, she quickly pulled herself together, picked up a small shopping bag and hurried to the gate.

As she stepped out of the gate, she nearly collided with Liam, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. They locked their eyes for a moment, and Maya could feel the weight of the previous night's events lingering between them like a thick fog.

Without a word, Liam brushed past her and continued down the street, his broad shoulders tense and his jaw clenched tight. Maya couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment as she watched him go.

Just then, she heard the telltale sound of the bathroom door opening behind her. Panicking, she quickened her pace, only to find that Liam was heading in the same direction she was headed to.

She tried to stay a few steps behind him, but it seemed like Liam sensed her presence and deliberately slowed his pace. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and whipped around to face her.

"That’s enough," He snapped, his voice low and menacing.

Her heart sank. She knew she was in trouble now.

“Stop following me,” he warned.

"I-I'm not, I just need to get to the parlor," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Liam's eyes narrowed, and Maya could see the anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Stop. Following. Me." Liam's words hung heavy in the air, his menacing tone sending shivers down Maya's spine. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as he turned to leave. His broad shoulders were tense with anger, and his footsteps crunched loudly on the gravel path. Maya couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over her as she watched him go.

But then something inside her snapped. She wasn't going to let him bully her into submission. She raised her chin and called out after him, her voice surprisingly firm.

"I'm not afraid of you," she said, her eyes flashing with determination. "You can't just bully me into where I can and can’t go."

Liam stopped in his tracks, his back rigid as he slowly turned to face her. Maya stood her ground, her heart racing as he approached her until their faces were inches apart.

"You should be," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Maya felt her pulse quicken as she searched his eyes for any hint of what he meant. Was he going to hurt her? She couldn't be sure. But she refused to back down, even if it meant facing her fears.

Her lips parted slightly and quivered, the blood hammering through her veins.

Liam's eyes flickered with something unreadable before he turned and walked away, leaving Maya feeling dazed and confused. She didn't know what had just happened, but one thing was for sure: Liam was not someone to mess with.