Empowered

Empowered- The New Life (Part 2)

Tara woke up hastily. It took a few seconds for her brain to process what was happening and to adjust to the surrounding. She was moving, in a train. There was a luggage right beside her. She was perplexed, how did she end up here? Then memories came back flooding in her mind. Her parents were dead and her aunt had sent her away with the supposed ''guests'' to Kathmandu so that she would have a better life. At least that's what she thought. Tara was so exhausted these days although she hadn't done a thing and neither had she wanted to. With all this tragic stuff going around, she rarely had the mood to even lift a finger.

Tara wanted to shout, cry, even kill herself but the rain outside managed to sooth her a little. The blissful sight of rain tapping in her train window somehow calmed the anxious Tara. Her mental health had really got the best of her those days. She just sighed and rested her head in her knees, mutedly enjoying the rain. Tara felt like the rain was her best friend; crying with her and unknowingly comforting her. Silent tears dropped from Tara's face, blurring her vision but she didn't care—she just wanted to escape this cruel reality, she was not ready to face the truth just then.

"Papa, look here! I wrote a story. Read it and tell me how is it, oh whatever—I'll tell you!" Tara came up to her father and started jumping, "It's about a girl who fell into a tunnel and found monsters, whom she befriended. Isn't that so cool?!"

Her father simply laughed and said, "Oh sweet Tara, if you spoil the story for me already, how am I suppose to enjoy the story to the fullest?"

Tara had been 9 at the time. She had always loved writing her own stories and her parents were her biggest fans. She always dreamt about becoming a politician, a famous writer or a lawyer someday.

"Oi, that's actually cool—where did you learn this sick stuff?" Tara's best friend and only friend, Rahul had once said. They had now moved to another town since his father found a better job in the cities. Tara often missed him since they had friends for a long time and all the other kids used to talk about Tara behind her back. "I heard that freak Tara's dad was a drunkard and spent all his money on gambling." "That girl, yes over there, I think her name is Mira—she's so weird, always so quiet and randomly stares into space." "Really? And I heard she was adopted!"

All of these comments never really bothered Tara but they were partly true—she was a little different from other kids. Her parents even told her that she used to scream at the ground when she was young. She mostly preferred to stay by herself and weave a story out of something; one thing she was actually good at. That was all until she met Rahul and started sharing her stories with him and became a little outgoing. His family was especially nice and helpful to Tara's parents.

Tara drifted off a little while later but still the bad dreams about her parents death, olden times and non-existent horrifying things that her subconscious mind made up kept following her even when she was asleep.

After some hours, there was a sudden knock on the compartment door and a girl around the age of 14 or 15 walked in. She was wearing a ragged blue shirt and old brown pants. Her hair was tied back with a bandana and her face was hollow and unclean. The girl introduced herself as Jamuna, who was also going to Kathmandu with her for a good life. She sat next to Tara and handed her some biscuits accompanied with a glass of water and some tissue papers saying the ''Kathmandu baddies" who came to pick them up sent it for Tara. Tara gladly accepted the snack and thanked Jamuna. After a few minutes of silence, Tara decided to interact a little more with the silent girl and asked her, "So, Jamuna? Why did they take you with them here?"

Suddenly the blood drained from the girl's face and she looked down at her feet, she stuttered. "I... um... my..."

Tara immediately regretted asking her that stupid question. Obviously something bad must have happened. right? Tara thought, I mean, who in their right mind if not forced would agree to a bunch of strangers taking you to who knows where?

Jamuna looked up at Tara and said, "My parents... they used to work for the Adhikari family in our town. They were extremely strict, spoiled and a bunch of rotten people who didn't care about anyone's happiness but their own. Their daughter, Sheila and me used to be Jamuna paused, looking hesitantly at her hands. Tara could've sworn she saw tears in her eyes but they were gone the second Jamuna blinked.

Tara patted Jamuna's back, "I am extremely sorry for your loss. Something similar happened to me too, at least that's what I think had happened."

The two continued their conversation until the train stopped and after reaching Kathmandu. The people from Kathamndu, whom Jamuna and Tara now referred to as 'Kathmandu Baddies' took them out of the train station and ushered them into a taxi and left for the next destination. Tara was feeling a little nervous and uneasy now and she thought Jamuna was feeling the same. Where are they taking them now?

After 40 long minutes, the taxi came to a stop in front of a huge hotel. All of them came out and were welcomed by a fat and rich looking business person. Ugh... These people and their smiles, Tara thought, why can't they just act normal?

The hotel owner then shook hands with the group leader named Rajbanshi and thanked him. He then looked at the perplexed faces of Jamuna and Tara and said,

"Welcome to your new home, kiddos."

He ushered the two girls inside and showed them the kitchen. "One of you will be working over here and other will be taking care of the customers, you got me? And if I hear a complaint..." The hotel owner gave them a warning look, "Oh... just wait and watch. Alright Chop, chop! I hope you scumbags learnt something back home now put it to a good use!" The hotel owner then stormed off and left the two girls speechless and without any choices. This was not the 'good life' they were expecting at all.

------