He’s not here!

Rita leapt out of bed and rushed frantically through the rooms. She couldn’t believe it – that bastard Max was nowhere to be seen.

Please…

Tell me I’m dreaming.

But in the long seconds that followed there was no sweet reprieve. Max was gone, all gone – even his toothbrush, gone – leaving her with only her reflection in the mirror.

“The dirty rotten bastard,” she said aloud.

The beautiful face looked back at her with big, questioning eyes –

How could he do that to you?

9.9

The longer Max sat there that morning, the more enticing the idea became. He felt like a child who’d stumbled on a fantastic hiding spot – a secret place where you could see everything, but not be seen yourself. If life was a battle, and Max sometimes thought it was, this would have been a very good General’s bunker, with a clean floor, shade, access to everything and a commanding view over the whole scene.

Come on mate – do it.

Embrace it – don’t think about it.

Just – do it.

He felt like an actor on opening night, suddenly thrust onto a magnificent stage, all set up just for him. He had to admit – it was perfect.

Then he noticed the queue building outside the ablution block, and people washing outside, in the open, using buckets of water and a single long cloth.

Wait a second, Max thought.

What in the hell was he trying to prove here?

Why was he even thinking about doing this?

Do it.

What if his mates found out he’d spent his first night in India sleeping out in the street like this?

What an idiot they’d think he was!

Don’t worry about them.

Your mates are in the past.

Forget the past.