The Midnight Salon

Tara meticulously arranged the last set of beauty products on the shelves, signaling the end of another busy day at Claudia’s beauty salon. The soft hum of hairdryers and the lingering scent of various cosmetics filled the air as she prepared to close up for the night.

Just as she was about to turn off the "Open" sign, the entrance bell chimed, and a woman rushed into the salon. She was draped in a block-printed saree and a messy hair bun. Tara raised an eyebrow, noticing the clock ticking past the closing hours. The woman, visibly distressed, explained that she had a wedding the next day and desperately needed beauty services but couldn't make it during regular hours due to her unconventional work schedule.

"I'll pay extra, just please help me," the woman pleaded, desperation evident in her eyes. Tara, empathetic to the urgency, agreed to keep the salon open for her. The cashier bid them farewell, leaving Tara alone with Simran, as she introduced herself, in the dimly lit salon.

As they delved into the extensive beauty procedures – manicure, pedicure, haircut, and facial – the salon became a haven for candid conversation. Simran, who worked at a call center with ungodly hours, shared snippets of her challenging life, including being a single mother with a husband working abroad who visited only once a year.

The conversation flowed, with the rhythm of the snipping scissors and the soothing background music. Tara, while focusing on the meticulous facial, couldn't help but notice bruises on Simran’s hands & neck. Concerned, she inquired, and Simran casually attributed them to a recent accident, seemingly unfazed.

Amidst their discussion, a loud truck rumbled outside, carrying the stench of the day's garbage. Tara excused herself to close the windows, revealing it to be the garbage truck headed for the landfill.  “Claudia ma'am has found a place in Sector 3, we’ll soon be moving there,” said Tara. “It’s been a while since our business has been down, we believe it to be caused by the garbage trucks nearby, the stench here is unbearable sometimes” she added. Simran, relieved, joked about escaping the unpleasant odor as the truck rolled away blaring the horn at the street dogs. 

With the facial nearing completion, Simran inquired about the remaining time. “Another 30-40 minutes ma'am,” said Tara. 

"Can we skip the pedicure? It's late, and I didn't expect it to take this much time" Simran requested, “my husband leaves early for work, he’s a bit of a hot head and wouldn’t want me to wake him up at this hour” Simran laughed meekly, willing to pay extra for the inconvenience. Tara agreed, swiftly concluding the beauty session.

As Simran bid her farewell, leaving a generous tip, Tara couldn't shake the lingering strange feeling. Simran’s parting words about her husband conflicting with an earlier statement played on Tara's mind. Nonetheless, she dismissed the thought and prepared to head home. 

“Enna Tara, Saptiya?” (had breakfast Tara?) asked her downstairs neighbor as she drew Kolam by her front door the next morning. “illai Maami, ipa thaan pore” (not yet maami, just leaving) said Tara as her gaze fell on the newspaper lying on the floor. She freezes as she reads the headline.

An unidentified body of a male has been found near the Mavallipura village landfill site in the wee hours of the morning

Her mind races back to the previous night and the woman named Simran. The connection between the foul smell of the garbage truck and the news about an unidentified body sends shivers down Tara's spine.

Fear gnaws at Tara as she contemplates whether she should report her suspicions to the authorities. The image of Simran’s bruised hands, the strange explanation about her husband's temperament, and the lie about him being abroad sends alarm bells in Tara's mind.

What if she was abused by her husband, and something went terribly wrong that night? she pondered. 

A day passes, and Tara can't shake the anxiety that has settled within her. The next afternoon, Claudia shows up at the salon unexpectedly. As Tara finishes her client’s waxing procedure, Claudia swings a newspaper clipping on the reception desk, visibly disturbed. As soon as the client walked out the door, Claudia hushed to Tara. “Remember her Tara?” showing her a torn piece of newspaper clipping. It was Simran. 

Woman and her two children found dead in a car near the Mavallipura landfill

“It says she poisoned them and killed herself. They had been dead for over a day” adds Claudia. her voice shaking now, she adds “Do you think you’re the last person who saw her?”