Finding Arun by Marisha Pink Page A

thankful for his encounter
with Manoj, acknowledging that he would never have found the
building on his own.
    When they drew closer, a uniformed security guard
swung open the heavy gate and tipped his hat cordially at Manoj
allowing them to pass through to the courtyard beyond. Briefly
easing the motorcycle to a standstill so that Aaron could jump off,
Manoj continued on past the house to park at the rear, momentarily
leaving Aaron alone. The house was a magnificent sight to behold
and quite an upgrade from the old refuge. A short flight of steps
rose to meet the double-fronted entrance where two brilliant white
storeys, constructed of intricately laid brick with large arched
windows and faux balconies, were crowned by a delicate stone
balustrade. Aaron stood silently, gazing up at the building in awe
and he couldn’t help but wonder who might be crazy enough to give
such a house away.
    Manoj reappeared bearing two glasses of lime soda.
He handed one to Aaron and, mopping the sweat from his brow with
his free hand, ushered the young man inside the house. It was dark
and cool, and as they passed through the wide corridors, the
occasional open door revealed glimpses of small children and babies
being tended to by predominantly foreign workers. Save for a few
muffled infantile cries, the house was surprisingly quiet and Aaron
found himself wondering where all the women were.
    Seeming to read his mind, Manoj quietly began to
educate Aaron on the inner workings of the refuge as they leisurely
ascended a sweeping staircase to the upper floors of the house.
    ‘Rachna Hari has been around since the mid-fifties.
It was originally set up by a Christian missionary, but we have
long since dispensed with any religious affiliations. The women in
our care come from all over Orissa state, although it is not
unusual for us to receive those who have travelled from much
farther away. Back when we were in the old building, the women
would usually find their way to us and we were able to reach out to
the others that we happened upon. Now, I fear, being up here in
this house we shall have to be much more proactive in our approach,
else no-one will know of our existence.’
    ‘Why didn’t you stay in the old building then? Or at
least keep an office there?’
    ‘You saw what the surroundings were like, Aaron.
Anybody with any sense had already gone; there was nothing to stay
for. Why stay in a place as downtrodden and destitute as the very
lives that these women are trying to escape from?’
    Aaron immediately regretted the question, realising
how foolish it was, but then another occurred to him. He had never
given much thought to the circumstances that might have brought
Kalpana to Rachna Hari in the first place, thinking only about why
she had been unable to keep him.
    ‘What sort of things are they trying to escape
from?’
    ‘Well, some have been abandoned by their families
for one reason or another, many have lost their husbands or their
homes, and unfortunately many of the women that find their way to
us are victims of untold physical and mental abuses.’
    Aaron’s jaw dropped open and his mind went into
overdrive imagining the events that could have lead Kalpana to seek
refuge at Rachna Hari. Had she been abandoned, or worse, abused?
Where were her family and husband? His parents had always made out
that Aaron’s biological father was never in the picture, but what
if this too had been a lie? Obviously unaware of Aaron’s mental
wrestle with his thoughts, Manoj continued on.
    ‘We provide a safe haven, a place for these women to
rebuild their lives and regain their dignity. Our staff work
tirelessly to ensure that they are physically and mentally fit
first, and then we help them to build up basic skills so that they
can support themselves when they return to the outside world. In
addition, we provide basic schooling for the children, so that they
do not fall behind in their lessons, and we teach everyone who
passes through our