In spite of pushing the lift button several times, it did not descend. "Oh bother, someone must not have closed it properly," Ira grumbled. Climbing up to the 4th floor was exhausting these days, particularly with the packages in tow. However, she began the upward mount without much ado.

"May I help you, Ma'am?" The question almost startled her. Turning slightly backward she saw gentle eyes in a friendly face, a stranger. Uncharacteristically, she smiled back and demurred. But, the gracious young man insisted on carrying her packages. "What a well-mannered boy!" Ira thought.

After all the effort, it was but natural that she would invite him in for a cup of tea or would he prefer coffee, she asked him. She chatted merrily with Sunil (he had introduced himself).

Alarm bells rang in her mind, heartbeats raced and her mouth turned dry when she overheard him talking softly to somebody over the phone, when she wanted to know if he took sugar and milk with his tea, "Seems to stay alone, arthritic, can't move quickly. Will be perfect, this one."

.     .    .