Entangled

Part 14

It was another day of volunteering at the orphanage. A little girl was asking everyone if they could read a story for her, but most of them said they were busy and sent her away. The little girl felt sad and was going away. Nandini who saw that, called the girl.

        Nandini : "Come here, I will read it to you."

        The little girl gave Nandini the story book she was holding.

        Nandini : "Which story do you want me to read?"

        The little girl showed the story she wanted to be read and Nandini began reading it for her.

        Nandini : "The Princess Who Never Laughed - Once upon a time there was a king and a queen, and they had only one daughter. The princess never smiled or laughed. The king and the queen were worried for their daughter. The king called clowns and magicians to the palace and tried to get the princess to laugh, but she didn't smile or laugh. Finally, the king sent out a message that whoever can get the princess to laugh would get to marry the princess. People from everywhere came to the palace and tried to make the princess laugh, but no one succeeded.... (the story went on) .. then one fine day a person came their and his antics made the princess laugh so much that she couldn't control herself. The king and the queen rewarded him and got him married to the princess."

        The little girl heard the story and looked at Nandini thoughtfully.

        Nandini : "What happened? Didn't you like the story?"

        Little girl : "Are you like the princess too?"

        Nandini : "Why are you asking like that?"

        Little girl : "I see you here everyday, but I have never seen you smile or laugh, like the princess."

        Nandini didn't know what or how to explain to the little girl. She thought for a while and tried to explain in a way that would make sense to the little girl.

        Nandini : "Doesn't your smile disappear when you lose something and reappear when you get it back?"

        The little girl nodded her head indicating an yes.

        Nandini : "Similarly I have lost something too and haven't found it yet. I will get my smile back when I manage to find it."

        Nandini's thoughts : "Will I ever be able to get it back? It seems impossible even in my dreams."

        Little girl : "Are you waiting for someone like the princess to make you laugh?"

        Nandini nodded her head indicating a no.

        Little girl : "Are the king and queen helping you find it?"

        Nandini : "I don't have a king and queen like the princess has."

        Little girl : "Who is helping you find it then?"

        Nandini : "Who helps you find when you lose something?"

        Little girl : "My friends"

        Nandini : "My friends are helping me find it too."

        The little girl showed Manik whom she had seen with Nandini most of the time.

        Little girl : "This friend."

        Nandini : "Not him.. my friends are not here."

        They didn't know that Manik was there with the intention of taking her smile away, and not bringing it back or helping her find it. Manik was so busy hating Nandini and thinking of how to make progress with their plan that he hadn't realized that he had never seen Nandini smile or laugh until he heard the little girl talking about it. He also didn't know until now that Nandini visited the orphan more often than the rest of the volunteers.