Flower of a Killer

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After drying myself and changing the clothes, I went straight towards the old lady to ask and clear my doubts. I don't know if the lady will co-operate or not but I have so many questions right now in my mind and I can't stay calm until I get the answer to my questions.

Right when I reached to where the lady was, she gave a glass of fresh made tea in my hand and suggested that I sit down as she could by my face that I am clearly confused.

Is my face so open that everyone understands my emotions?

So I sat on the mattress that was near the stove and looked at the window of the cottage. Is Cedric still outside? He is not acting like himself for some time. I wonder what happened?

When the lady saw me looking at the window, she smiled saying that he never stays inside this cottage more than necessary. Then I saw getting gloomy kind of, when she said that he has some memories of this cottage. Then my eyes fell on some toys kept nearby the water pot, when I asked about the toys from the lady, she looked sad all of a sudden and said that it belonged to her little daughter and son.

Where are they then? I didn't have the guts to ask her that but when she told that it was there's until they died. I am now speechless, I don't know what to say but I tried to console her by changing the topic but she said nothing afterwards and then I, don't know why, but asked her who killed them. And her reply really had me, confused and angry, she said that Britishers killed them.

And I couldn't hold it back anymore, I asked her, how does she know him and isn't he a British Officer, so why does she not shoo him away or even hate him? And if her children were killed by them then why?

She looked shocked hearing my questions but then said that she knows him better than I do and then if I am his wife then how can I say that I should be hating Cedric?

How can I tell the truth? It might break her heart but if I don't, it will break mine. What should I do?

I just shook my head saying that I did marry him but I never liked him, not even now. He punished, killed my village member's for absolutely no reason.

She then kept her glass on one spot while I had one slurp on the tea, when she looked at the ground and asked me whether I want to know the story of this cottage and his past related to this cottage in detail.

I nodded my head and said I will, but then I am scared also because her expression doesn't say anything good happened here.

Then she began, "Then listen, it was, I think sixteen years ago......."

Year 1882

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"Oww"

My shirt's sleeve again got stuck in the branch of the tree. It hurts so much. I have been walking for around so much time.

I never imagined that this part of father's working area will be this rough. Even my horse ran off to God knows where and I am stranded here in this forest for so long.

Huh? Its raining? On no, I don't know the way to father's camp. Where should I go? How should I tell my father about my location? This is why mother told me not to come here with father but my curiosity got the best of me.

Let's just find a shelter nearby and the moment the rain will stop I will again go back to my father's camp. And so, I moved further to search for something but couldn't find and so, leaning against a tree, I slid down and sat, hiding my face in my knees.

Right then, I felt someone's gaze on me. When I lifted my head, I saw a little boy my age who was looking at me with, pity, I think. Then he offered me his hand and asked if I am alright.

Though I can't understand their language completely but I can understand enough that I know what he is trying to ask me. I nodded my head that I need a shelter currently, to escape this rain.

He tilted his head and said, that I don't look Indian and why is my accent so wierd? I, don't people usually talk like this? I said that I am a British. I expected him to run away just like other children did, when they saw me but he didn't.

Instead he took my hand and pulled me into the standing posture and then asked if I would like to go to their house. I said I would love to and then he started guiding me.

And all the way, he asked me several questions about what I am doing here and how I got lost? Do I know the way back? And almost everything.

When I him about the horse, he started laughing loudly, making me laugh at myself too. Never ever did I laugh this much from the time I came here.

And walking like that, we reached a small cottage which was not even half of my camp, in the field, but it sure was more warm than my camp. It felt a family lived there.

As we reached the door of the cottage, he knocked the door and a lady in her late 30s, opened the door, smiling. But when she saw, her smile dropped a bit and then she asked the boy about me.

When he told her how he found me, she looked at me with pity and then caressing my head with her hand, she lead me in. This warm feeling is so much better than that chilly cold rain feeling.

She then went inside and came back with a blanket to wrap myself up and sit near the fire in the backyard while the boy put a chain on the door.

Do they plan to kidnap me or something? When the boy found me looking at him, he said that it's to protect themselves from the wild animals at night.

Wild animals? Why wasn't I informed about it?

And then from one corner, I sensed a gaze from a door frame. When I looked over there, I saw a cute little girl who was looking wonderly at me but was quite scared to come infront of me.

I know this feeling so much well because when I first entered this place, I found people scary too and especially when they don't look like my people.

And then the boy looked at the girl too, saying,"Gauri, tum wahan kya kar rhi ho? Namste to bol sakti ho na tum?" (Gauri what are you doing over there? You can atleast greet him.)

And the girl came infront of me, she looks four years younger than me and joining her hands, she cutely said namaste. She is so cute and so frail looking. Then I asked her, bending down at her level, if she agrees with me staying with them and she cutely said yes and then smiled.

Her smile is so pretty that my heart is beating so fast for the first time ever. What is this feeling? Its definitely something which I never experienced in England. No one in England is this friendly to let a stranger stay in their home, like this.

And especially this girl, her smile gave me a new source of hope about this place and the fact that I knew nothing about this country or its people at all.

And then the lady called us for dinner. And so we all went to the room to have dinner from the backyard.

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