Murmurs begun to fill the air.
While fewer of them sympathized with me,, majority of them stood against me…..
I expected the least...
In this village they didn't take jokes lightly,, putting me on the hook..
Then heard them whispering.
Some murmured curses beneath their breath while others said secret prayers,,, as if I was a calamity
I watched as they dragged me hastily into the iron cage.
The slightest encounter with my body and I felt the burn deep down in my spine…
They firmly and tightly binded all chains together,, leaving no room for escape
I lifted my head, slightly scanning through the crowds,my eyes met hers..
She had this confused look in her eyes, her petite body stood in the crowd, almost invisible…
Then I turn away,,,it was a brief gesture
The thought of her and what she might be thinking of me made something inside me snapped…..
My dahani was fighting to break through,, but I maintained my sanity ….
I was angry,,, but whom was I kidding ???
It wasn't her fault she was fated to me,, but I couldn't see reason..
I lay there,,, barely holding on,,,my whole body was numb…
My chest heaved in pain…..
I wanted to scream all my sorrows out,, but my throat felt sour
The heat from the sun burned my skin,, as if the almighty self was mocking me…
I was thorn apart inside.
As hard as it was, I knew better, not to fight…
I simply gave in,, yearned for death,,,one thing that I could attain right now with no shame...
The day quickly passed by,,, silently and it was night fall….
I slumbered in the cold,unforgiving grasp of the cage,lost in a fitful sleep. The shadows themselves seemed to coalesce into a dark silhouette , and a mysterious figure materialized before me. The creak of the rusty hinges jolted me awake, my senses was on high alert.
My heart pounded against the metal bars as I struggled to focus.
In a split seconds our eyes locked, whirling mist of sweet,clinging smoke danced from the figure's cupped hands. The scent of Jasmine and something darker, more primal, wafted through the air, shrouding my senses.
Dizziness swirled, like the smoke itself had wrapped around my brain. I fought to stay conscious , but it was a losing battle. The world blurred,and my eyelids drooped, plunging me into the velvet darkness.
I woke up to this eerie scratching sound…..
I heard faint sounds from a distance,, people yelling and footsteps thudding heavily on the floor…
I pried my eyes open to the unfamiliar dark surroundings...
I thought I was already dead, resting peacefully with my ancestors. I tried moving my arms,,,but I felt this immense pain that I started doubting my sanity.. I frantically tapped on what seems to be this laced wall….
The wall was smelling??
What on earth will make a wall smell like rotten peaches? Then it dawned on me…
This wasn't my graveyard or any wall at all
I was inside a sack,, firmly gripped around my already aching muscles
I Saw figures moving around ….
I barely made sense of what was happening …..
Who the heck were these people and where was I???
I heard them speak in this foreign dialect that I couldn't understand.
The sack was ripped opened with this force,,, I curled up, preparing for what was about to happen,,, only to be met with a fresh air.
finally, I was breathing normal air.