SHIVANI: THE PRICE OF SURVIVAL

The journey to Mumbai felt endless.

Shiva watched unfamiliar towns disappear beyond the train window. He had never travelled alone for such a distance, and every passing station reminded him that he was moving farther away from the life he knew.

When he finally arrived, the city seemed impossibly large. Crowds rushed through the station, taxis sounded their horns, and strangers moved past him without noticing his fear.

He searched for an inexpensive room but discovered that even the smallest accommodation required more money than he could comfortably spend.

With his suitcase beside him, he sat near the station and examined the number his mother had given him.

He hesitated before calling.

A woman's voice answered.

“Hello?”

“My name is Shiva,” he said nervously. “Your friend gave me this number. She told me to find you.”

There was a brief silence.

“Who is your mother?” the woman asked.

When he explained, the woman's tone changed. She recognized the family immediately.

“My name is Saroja. Come to Priya Lodge tomorrow morning. I will meet you there.”

Shiva wanted to ask more questions, but the call ended before he could gather his thoughts.

That night, he found a modest place to sit and kept his suitcase close. Every unfamiliar sound made him anxious.

He thought about his mother and wondered whether she had regretted throwing him out.

He received no call from home.

The next morning, Shiva followed the directions Saroja had given him.

He was frightened, hungry, and exhausted, but he walked toward Priya Lodge because it was the only place in the entire city where someone knew his name.