The bus driver was contemplating if he should cut diagonally across the grass patch to get onto the main road when he heard the siren. From the far end of Serangoon Road, the flashing lights of a police patrol car could be seen advancing in their direction. Overcome with panic, the bus driver went into reverse gear and jammed on the accelerator. The bus jerked back abruptly and smashed into the stationary bus behind. The migrant workers seated at the back suddenly began to shriek, some of them banging on the windowpane to get his attention. Through the rear view mirror, the bus driver saw several of them pushing their way to the front, gesticulating wildly and yelling in indecipherable Tamil. He could not understand them but he could sense their irascibility. He could also tell that things had somehow gotten out of hand.

Hashwini could not hear herself screaming amidst the uproar. The buses were honking, the migrant workers were shouting and the ear-piercing police siren was advancing towards the car park. A moment ago, when the bunkmate hopped in front of the bus to stop it from exiting, she had moved in to grab Sanmugan by his sleeves. Determined to hold on to him till the police arrived, Hashwini found herself in a tug of war as her quarry strained to get away. At one point, he tilted his head and bit into her arm. Hashwini yelped and let go, more out of surprise than actual pain. Sanmugan stumbled away towards the second bus as though he wanted to take the alternative transport. When Hashwini caught up and tried to grab him again, Sanmugan swung his arm at her and sidestepped. And then it happened, right in front of her eyes. The first bus suddenly jerked backwards, ramming into the second bus and pinning Sanmugan in between. That was the moment Hashwini started screaming.

As the second bus reversed out of the way, the flaccid body of her quarry slumped onto the tarmac. The eyes protruded out of their sockets with a wild glint, registering his final moment of pain and shock. Blood streamed out of his nostrils and his gaping mouth. Even as Hashwini continued to scream in horror, she noticed that the fallen body was neither convulsing nor choking for air.

The bedlam unfolded quickly. The migrant workers descending from the bus to investigate stood stunned at the spectacle. The gathering crowd swelled as word spread and the curious came forward to find out more. They identified witnesses from the bus and pried them for details. What actually happened? Several accusatory fingers pointed at the reckless bus driver, who had been dragged down from the bus by a handful of angry migrant workers. He was the one who had literally kicked the victim out of the vehicle and then rammed into him. He was the murderer!