It was a quiet morning, the kind of morning when the whole colony seemed to be asleep.
The sun had barely begun to rise when the sound of a police jeep's siren slowly broke the silence.
Ravi, a twenty-three-year-old young man, was fast asleep in his room. The siren reached his ears, but he barely noticed it. He pulled the blanket closer, turned to the other side, and tried to go back to sleep.
A few moments later, the siren sounded again.
This time, Ravi opened one eye.
“Who is making so much noise this early in the morning?” he murmured sleepily.
He closed his eyes again, hoping the noise would disappear.
It didn't.
Curious and slightly irritated, Ravi finally got out of bed and walked toward the window. He pushed the curtain aside and looked outside.
What he saw made him forget about sleep completely.
Almost everyone in the colony had gathered near the entrance. Some were still in their night clothes. A few elderly people stood together, whispering among themselves, while children watched the police jeep with innocent curiosity.
Two police officers were talking to the residents and asking questions.
Ravi stood there for a moment, trying to understand what was happening.
A strange feeling passed through him.
Something had happened.
But nobody seemed willing to tell him what it was.
Ravi quickly washed his face, slipped on his sandals, and hurried outside.
As he approached the crowd, his neighbour noticed him.
“Ravi, where were you? We've been waiting for you.”
Ravi looked at him with confusion.
“Waiting for me? Why?”
The man didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the police officer standing a few steps away.
Then he quietly said,
“They're asking about you.”