The Only Heir

Broken Truths

Our footsteps echo off the marble floor of the vast corridor, as I follow the elderly woman.

Sunita. She had asked me to call her.

Sunita aunty, I had corrected.

After my brave little attempt at escaping this place (turns out I misread the situation), Sunita aunty had broken out of the horrified trance when The Old Man( what else can I call him) asked her to get me freshened up and brought to the hall for breakfast.

The woman had looked at him pleadingly but he only shrugged and turned to the battle-injured warriors, some of which were wailing and ordered someone outside to get help.

Sunita aunty approached me gingerly and asked me to accompany her to another room. The Greeneyed Devil must be contemplating following us but thought better of it and turned his attention to the injured.

Sunita aunty took me to another room and gave me a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt which surprisingly enough, did fit me.

And now I walk after her and before long we reach another set of double doors. A dining hall, probably bigger than my house with a high ceiling and a chandelier. The morning light was filtering inside through the large windows. A long table dressed lavishly stood in the middle of the room, big enough to sit fifteen people and on its head sat The Old Man patiently waiting for me.

I was ushered next to him when through the door came another elderly lady and sat on his other side. 

She didn't work here, I could tell from the way she carried herself and the way her white and green saree became her. She was regal and in sync with this place. Making her appear more in charge than the one sitting at the table.

" Good morning, Vikram."

This was the moment my brain woke up to remind me of my situation.

"Look I must tell you something. My family isn't rich and they can't pay the ransom. And from what I've seen so far you don't seem to be in terrible need of it-"

I got cut off when the man, Vikram, started to laugh with vigour and the woman stared at me with quizzical brows.

" We don't want any ransom Meera," Vikram said still chuckling. I opened my mouth again to speak but he raised a hand to stop me, " before you say anything else, I assure you that you're completely safe here and nobody's trying to hurt you. I'll tell you everything you need to know but only after you eat, you look sickly."

" Oh, it's not the effect of hunger but that of being kidnapped."

"We didn't kidnap you-"

"Oh really? So this is how rich people invite guests for breakfast? Ah, who could have thought."

He chuckles and shakes his head, waving forward a server behind me.

" what would you like to have  ma'am?"

Until then I hadn't realised just how famished I was and my stomach agreed with a grumble of its own. I looked at the spread in front of me. It included all the breakfast one would have. From cereals to parathas. But hunger hadn't made me stupid yet.

I pointed towards the dish of cut fruits. Least likely to be poisoned.

As I ate my fill the old couple observed me while slurping up their old people's food. Vikram looked at me with calm content but the way the woman squinted at me, reminded me distinctly of Geeta ma'am.

When we were done the woman stood up and said, "I have some important foundation work to look into. Let me know what she decides," and with that, she turned to warmly squeeze his shoulder and left us.