12-07-2025, 02:58 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-07-2025, 02:59 PM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 13: Babu (Act 2)
The wind howled outside, clawing at the thin fabric of Babu’s makeshift tent like a feral beast. Rain spat through the gaps, leaving cold, wet streaks on the dirt floor. The air inside was damp, heavy with the scent of mildew and earth. Lina sat wrapped in Babu’s blanket, her knees pulled close to her chest.
Her eyes darted around the cramped space...cans of food stacked haphazardly, a makeshift stove, and a small pile of tattered clothes. Babu sat across from her, shivering, his ragged clothes clinging to his thin frame. His hair was a wild tangle, and his face bore the deep lines of a life spent outdoors.
“This weather,” Lina muttered, her voice trembling slightly. “It’s... relentless.”
Babu nodded, rubbing his arms to ward off the chill. “The storm won’t ease anytime soon. Best to stay here until it passes.” Lina glanced at her phone, now dead in her hands. “Do you have a charger? Or... anything I could use?”
Babu shook his head, his eyes downcast. “No, I don’t use those things. Never needed one.”
Lina sighed, her fingers tightening around the blanket. She could feel the cold seeping through the fabric, biting at her skin. “You’re freezing,” she said, noticing how Babu’s teeth chattered.
He gave her a small, sheepish smile. “I’ll be fine. Used to worse.”
Lina hesitated, her gaze softening. “No, you’re shaking. Isn’t there anything we can do?”
Babu paused, his eyes flickering to her briefly before looking away. His voice was hesitant, almost timid. “Well... if you don’t mind, we could... share the blanket. Lie down together. It’d warm us both up.”
Lina’s breath caught for a moment, her cheeks flushing despite the cold. She stared at him, her mind racing. He’s just trying to help, she reminded herself. He’s not like Uncle Lim or Alan. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “Okay.”
Babu’s eyes widened slightly, surprised by her agreement. He moved slowly, carefully, as though afraid to startle her. Lina lay down on her side, the blanket dbangd over her like a cocoon. Babu hesitated for a moment before lying down beside her, his body close but not touching. He pulled the other end of the blanket over himself, and the warmth immediately began to seep between them.
“Thank you,” Babu said softly, his voice barely audible over the storm. “I’ve... never been this close to someone as beautiful as you.”
Lina laughed softly, the sound tinged with bitterness. “I’ve been in worse situations. Trust me, this is... almost comforting.” She paused, her voice lowering. “You saved me tonight. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”
Babu’s face softened, his eyes glimmering with something unspoken. “You don’t have to thank me. Anyone would’ve done the same.”
Lina shook her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Not anyone. Most people wouldn’t have cared.” She shifted slightly, her gaze locked on his. “Why... why do you live like this? Alone, out here?”
Babu’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening as if fighting back a flood of memories. “It’s a long story,” he said finally, his voice heavy. “I had a family once. A good childhood. My mum... she was kind. My dad, too. But when she died, everything changed. My dad turned to drink. He didn’t last long after that.” His voice cracked, and he looked away, his hands clenching into fists. “No one wanted me after he was gone. No relatives, no friends. I ended up on the streets. Learned to beg, to survive. Forty years... I’ve been doing this for forty years.”
Lina’s heart ached as she listened, her stomach twisting into knots. She reached out instinctively, her hand brushing his arm. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “That’s... unimaginable.”
Babu shrugged, though his eyes betrayed the pain he tried to hide. “It’s life. I don’t blame anyone anymore. Fate’s cruel, but it’s... it is what it is.”
The silence between them was thick, broken only by the sound of the rain hammering against the tent. Lina shivered again, the cold creeping deeper into her bones. Babu noticed, his brow furrowing with concern.
“You’re still cold,” he murmured. “Let me... let me hold you. Just to keep us warm.”
Lina’s breath hitched, her pulse quickening. She stared at him, searching his face for any hint of ulterior motive. But all she saw was sincerity, a raw kindness that demanded trust. Slowly, she nodded. “Okay.”
Babu moved closer, his arm sliding gently beneath her as he pulled her towards him. His other arm wrapped around her waist, his body pressing lightly against hers. The warmth between them intensified, a comforting heat that chased away the chill of the storm.
“Is this... okay?” Babu asked, his voice soft, almost tentative.
Lina nodded, her cheeks flushed. “It’s... better.” She hesitated, her voice trembling slightly. “Why are you so kind to me? After everything I’ve been through tonight, I... don’t deserve it.”
Babu’s grip tightened slightly, his breath warm against her ear. “Everyone deserves kindness,” he murmured. “Especially someone like you.”
Lina’s chest tightened, tears welling in her eyes. She buried her face in his chest, her body shaking with suppressed sobs. Babu held her, his touch gentle, his silence speaking volumes.
“What’s bothering you?” he asked after a moment, his voice low. “You seem... troubled.”
Lina swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. “Tonight... it was... horrible.”
Babu didn’t press further, his hand stroking her back in a slow, soothing motion. He didn’t need to ask. The way she trembled, the way she clung to him...it told him everything he needed to know.
“You’re safe here,” he murmured. “No one’s going to hurt you.” Lina nodded, her breath shaky against his chest. For now, in the warmth of his arms, she felt a fleeting sense of peace, a fragile escape from the storm raging both outside and within her.
The wind howled outside, clawing at the thin fabric of Babu’s makeshift tent like a feral beast. Rain spat through the gaps, leaving cold, wet streaks on the dirt floor. The air inside was damp, heavy with the scent of mildew and earth. Lina sat wrapped in Babu’s blanket, her knees pulled close to her chest.
Her eyes darted around the cramped space...cans of food stacked haphazardly, a makeshift stove, and a small pile of tattered clothes. Babu sat across from her, shivering, his ragged clothes clinging to his thin frame. His hair was a wild tangle, and his face bore the deep lines of a life spent outdoors.
“This weather,” Lina muttered, her voice trembling slightly. “It’s... relentless.”
Babu nodded, rubbing his arms to ward off the chill. “The storm won’t ease anytime soon. Best to stay here until it passes.” Lina glanced at her phone, now dead in her hands. “Do you have a charger? Or... anything I could use?”
Babu shook his head, his eyes downcast. “No, I don’t use those things. Never needed one.”
Lina sighed, her fingers tightening around the blanket. She could feel the cold seeping through the fabric, biting at her skin. “You’re freezing,” she said, noticing how Babu’s teeth chattered.
He gave her a small, sheepish smile. “I’ll be fine. Used to worse.”
Lina hesitated, her gaze softening. “No, you’re shaking. Isn’t there anything we can do?”
Babu paused, his eyes flickering to her briefly before looking away. His voice was hesitant, almost timid. “Well... if you don’t mind, we could... share the blanket. Lie down together. It’d warm us both up.”
Lina’s breath caught for a moment, her cheeks flushing despite the cold. She stared at him, her mind racing. He’s just trying to help, she reminded herself. He’s not like Uncle Lim or Alan. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “Okay.”
Babu’s eyes widened slightly, surprised by her agreement. He moved slowly, carefully, as though afraid to startle her. Lina lay down on her side, the blanket dbangd over her like a cocoon. Babu hesitated for a moment before lying down beside her, his body close but not touching. He pulled the other end of the blanket over himself, and the warmth immediately began to seep between them.
“Thank you,” Babu said softly, his voice barely audible over the storm. “I’ve... never been this close to someone as beautiful as you.”
Lina laughed softly, the sound tinged with bitterness. “I’ve been in worse situations. Trust me, this is... almost comforting.” She paused, her voice lowering. “You saved me tonight. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”
Babu’s face softened, his eyes glimmering with something unspoken. “You don’t have to thank me. Anyone would’ve done the same.”
Lina shook her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Not anyone. Most people wouldn’t have cared.” She shifted slightly, her gaze locked on his. “Why... why do you live like this? Alone, out here?”
Babu’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening as if fighting back a flood of memories. “It’s a long story,” he said finally, his voice heavy. “I had a family once. A good childhood. My mum... she was kind. My dad, too. But when she died, everything changed. My dad turned to drink. He didn’t last long after that.” His voice cracked, and he looked away, his hands clenching into fists. “No one wanted me after he was gone. No relatives, no friends. I ended up on the streets. Learned to beg, to survive. Forty years... I’ve been doing this for forty years.”
Lina’s heart ached as she listened, her stomach twisting into knots. She reached out instinctively, her hand brushing his arm. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “That’s... unimaginable.”
Babu shrugged, though his eyes betrayed the pain he tried to hide. “It’s life. I don’t blame anyone anymore. Fate’s cruel, but it’s... it is what it is.”
The silence between them was thick, broken only by the sound of the rain hammering against the tent. Lina shivered again, the cold creeping deeper into her bones. Babu noticed, his brow furrowing with concern.
“You’re still cold,” he murmured. “Let me... let me hold you. Just to keep us warm.”
Lina’s breath hitched, her pulse quickening. She stared at him, searching his face for any hint of ulterior motive. But all she saw was sincerity, a raw kindness that demanded trust. Slowly, she nodded. “Okay.”
Babu moved closer, his arm sliding gently beneath her as he pulled her towards him. His other arm wrapped around her waist, his body pressing lightly against hers. The warmth between them intensified, a comforting heat that chased away the chill of the storm.
“Is this... okay?” Babu asked, his voice soft, almost tentative.
Lina nodded, her cheeks flushed. “It’s... better.” She hesitated, her voice trembling slightly. “Why are you so kind to me? After everything I’ve been through tonight, I... don’t deserve it.”
Babu’s grip tightened slightly, his breath warm against her ear. “Everyone deserves kindness,” he murmured. “Especially someone like you.”
Lina’s chest tightened, tears welling in her eyes. She buried her face in his chest, her body shaking with suppressed sobs. Babu held her, his touch gentle, his silence speaking volumes.
“What’s bothering you?” he asked after a moment, his voice low. “You seem... troubled.”
Lina swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. “Tonight... it was... horrible.”
Babu didn’t press further, his hand stroking her back in a slow, soothing motion. He didn’t need to ask. The way she trembled, the way she clung to him...it told him everything he needed to know.
“You’re safe here,” he murmured. “No one’s going to hurt you.” Lina nodded, her breath shaky against his chest. For now, in the warmth of his arms, she felt a fleeting sense of peace, a fragile escape from the storm raging both outside and within her.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)