After Midnight- [I Lost Everything]

Drapetomania

[Aparajita]

“Why does everything feel so artificial?”

—❀—

As I expected my day was full of public appearances. I was exhausted deadly from faking smiles to maintaining my prestige of a princess.

I actually deserved a degree in faking smiles. Of course I did! Everything was so fake and I was also a part of it. How ironic!

Could I just deactivate myself from the status of a princess?
Beyond the bounds of possibility!

But the most important and beautiful segment of my whole day was I saw people with genuine and lively smiles. Indian villages are so vivid and vibrant. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, people are enjoying their life to the fullest. Most importantly they are relishing the grandeur of life without any luxuries. And ‘Nunga’ was one of those beautiful villages of India, snuggled into the heart of greenary, dotted with picturesque landscapes and wrapped with the tranquility of life. I wanted to have a little glimpse of their life that’s why I was desperate to talk to those farmers who were sowing new seeds in their fields and play with those carefree little kids but all I could do was stare at them through my car window. There were many women who were busy doing embroidery on plane white sheets. Among them an old woman almost of my grandmother’s age who was making baskets out of thin bamboo sheets. And when my convoy stopped in the middle of the village, in no time all the people of the village were standing at a certain distance from me with folded hands leaving their respective works.

Suraj Singh was engaged in making a security cordon around me. I was surrounded by fifteen guards as if I were a criminal in need of protection.

“Princess! Don’t do any ludicrous act here. Keep proper distance from these people. I request you to follow my instructions, else you know your father’s anger.” Suraj Singh informed me as he came near me after making the security cordon around me.

“Step-father’s anger.” I corrected him immediately. I didn’t want to live with his surname even for a second. But the mere mention of him hindered my access to speak further.

“I am aware of this. Touch these things with your hands and I will distribute them to these people. And please do not repeat that you want to give these things to them with your hands. You and I both know very well that it’s impossible. So please touch these things. At least not for me, but for these people.” He said with a stern face. The most essential qualification to become a bodyguard is the seriousness of your face and Suraj Singh was definitely winner of this criteria. I wanted to show my reluctance but there was no harm in acceding to his request. Directly it will help those people and indirectly it will fulfill my desire to help them.

After distributing those things to them; my convoy left from there and I heard some voices where people were hailing for their princess. This process continued throughout the day, and left me exhausted without doing anything.

As soon as I reached the palace, I immediately scurried towards my chamber. I stepped into my chamber to find some maids busy arranging my bed. They was so engrossed in their work that they did not even notice my presence. So I cleared my throat to get their attention. As soon as they realised my presence in the room, they bowed their heads in front of me in their usual greeting procedure. And their heads were still down as if they were busy counting the dust particles on the floor.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that you guys have done a splendid work cleaning my room. Now I feel you all need reward for your splendid work.” I said sitting on the bed which was made few minutes ago.