Clear sky above my head. Empty road with beautiful blue flowered trees on both sides, in front. Complete silence, letting the sound of my heartbeat and ticking needle in my watch amplify to a degree where I can hear them clearly even without trying.
"How many times has it been, since I've been here?" I asked the air.
The air won't reply nor it can, yet, I want to talk with it.
"Why you look more beautiful every time I come here?" I asked the nature.
Neither the nature replied nor could it.
"If the girls see me like this, they would probably think I'm mad," I sighed to the air.
Taking a walk under these beautiful trees lets my mind at ease. I can forget about the girls, the customers, the kingdom's administration pressures and the most, the nasty nobles.
I can now walk like a normal woman who has nothing do with the world and just feed on her husband's income.
"Something like that is impossible for me, right?" I again asked the air or the nature.
A gust of dry wind blew to my face as if the nature is against my words.
"You think otherwise, miss?"
The flowers from the trees showered down as if the nature is nodding for my question.
"But you don't know what I do, how I live, how many am I suffering along with me. You just think I'm a normal lady seeing me in this dignified outfit. But, I'm anything but dignified. I am shameless. I am not even a lady."
Talking to the nature, am I?
"I think I'm really going insane now" pressing my temples, I said.
'Let's leave for now' I said to myself and started walking.
"wha..whaa..whaaa!" a small shriek made me stop and turn to the trees on my right.
"sh..shh.." , "whaaa..whaa...whaaa" two overlapping sounds came from behind the tree I was looking at.
Without making much noise, I slowly walked to the tree.
"whaaa…whaaa" the cry grew louder every step I took but it was still like a whisper.
Walking while keeping my eyes glued to the tree, I accidently stepped on the twigs, letting them make a small crunch sound.
Immediately, the faint cry stopped and the world returned to still.
I didn't stop nor reduce my pace until I was beside the tree.
A woman in her twenties, pale skin and light torn clothes. Just watching her cuddle on the ground and shiver from the harsh cold winds, my whole body felt a chill under my warm clothes.
She had small bruises on the nape and I could see the dark ones on the back under her torn dress.
Apart from the sorry state she was in, there was something in her hands that picked my interest.
She was hiding it with her hands under a small woollen blanket. Even when she was so cold and was shivering, she was using the thick blanket to hide the thing under it, instead of using it to warm herself.
I stood on my toes to get a look of that thing and as I pressed my toes harder on the ground, I saw a tiny hand popping out of the blanket.
"It's a baby", the words escaped my lips, making the women who didn't realize my presence until now, turn to me at once. Her thin body began trembling.
I was sure that this time the cold wind passing by my face is not the reason for her trembling heavily. Instead, it was the immeasurable fear beaming from her eyes, the fear she had imagining I would do something to the baby she was hugging so firmly in her thin hands.
"Are you the baby's mother?" I asked in the most polite and kind voice I could muster.
I'm not sure whether my intention went into her or not but, as the baby's face slid out from the blanket, the baby smiled brightly making the woman stop trembling.
Hugging the smiling baby in her hands, the woman cried loudly.
I just stayed still, watching the helpless mother cry her eyes out and the baby wail louder and louder not knowing why her mother was crying like that.
I waited for a long time, until the mother and the baby stopped crying and were in a state to understand me.
"When did you eat miss?" I asked.
She stayed still but looking into her dead eyes, the answer was clear. She didn't eat anything in the near past.
I removed my breakfast from my handbag and gave it to her. She hesitated for a moment, but soon, she took it and ate it, like a hungry beast, without shame.
I examined her with my eyes. She was paler than she first looked, her eyes were dead, her lips dry, but she her face looked beautiful, and I couldn't imagine how beautiful she would be when she is healthy and have makeup on. Also her legs are slim and tall, making them look sexy.
Furthermore, also the most important, she has the mother charm; kind, gentle yet firm.
I made my voice bold, commanding yet kind, and said, "I will take you home. You can eat everyday, feed your baby three meals a day. Live all the luxuries. Sleep in decent bedroom with a cosy bed. Wear warm clothes. And more importantly, no one will ever harm you or either your baby. You can live safe and your baby will grow healthier, beautiful and dignified, than you can even imagine. But-" I stopped, waiting to understand her.
Her eyes glowed as I spoke and I could see the light in her face. I placed my hand on the baby's tiny face. She was cold and her smiling bright face was adorable.
I continued my final words, "But, you need to sell your body for me."
I woke up from my sleep as soon as Katherine's experience ended.
Now, I am in my class, the ma'am from before left and also the engineering math sir who came after her class, was leaving now.
"Ajin, you slept again" Akash said while walking to me.
Rishi continued, "You are sleeping a lot these days Ajin. Are you sick"
"I don't know" I replied. Rishi worriedly said, "Maybe you need to see a doctor."
"It's not that serious. It is just I'm getting less sleep at home because of the president works."
"Then why are you burdening yourself with that mess" Rishi said, his concern evident in his voice.
I turned to Akash, "I don't want to, but what can I do when I got some worthless vice president."
Akash tried to complain but immediately stopped and in a low voice, he replied, "I want to help, but I'm not as good as you."
…