The Village Girl

Chapter Seven - [Seetha]

I pretended to sleep while I stared out of the open balcony, waiting for the moon to rise all the away up, and when it did, I sat up from my spot on the floor and looked around. The other girls were sleeping, so I quietly stood up. Walking over to the door, I slowly opened it, just a little, and peeked out.

To my dismay, the two guards were standing there, wide awake.

I frowned, closing the door softly before sighing.

Aaryan had told me not to worry about the guards, but I couldn't help it.

Last night had been such a big deal, and I didn't want Aaryan to get in trouble again. And of course, I didn't want to get in trouble either.

I began pacing back and forth in the room, wondering how I was going to slip out without being seen.

Don't those guards take a break?

Do they just stand there all day?

I frowned, biting my nail as I tried to convince myself to just listen to Aaryan and not care. But to be honest, I was a little scared... part of me wished that Aaryan would just come and get me.

But as I paced, I suddenly noticed someone watching me.

I turned around, looking at Maha with embarrassment as she sat up on her mat. "Why on earth are you up so late?" She asked me.

I felt my cheeks warm. "I... uh... I'm just stretching my legs."

Maha chuckled. "Oh really?" She asked, standing up.

I cleared my throat. "I'll go back to bed, now."

"Oh, trust me," she said. "I know what you're up to, and you can't expect to leave wearing that." She pointed at my sari.

I looked down and frowned, remembering what Lady Suhanya said to me. "I don't understand what's wrong with this."

Maha gave me a silly smile. "Everyone will know you're important if you wear something so pretty, even if it's so simple. Here," she started to slip her simple red shawl off of her body. "Wear this one."

I hesitated, but then smiled.

After wrapping her shawl around my body, Maha pulled the shawl over my head. "Cover your face like that, and no one will know you are the bride of the Crown Prince," she winked at me as she folded my sari shawl for me.

"Thank you," I said, "you're not going to... tell... Lady Suhanya, are you?"

Maha laughed softly. "This is our little secret," she said. "Just promise you'll be back before sunrise."

I grinned at her, before adjusting the shawl over my head. "Thank you, Maha."

"Have fun," she grinned back.

I walked over to the door then, opening it up and slipping out rather quickly. The guards did look in my direction, but I kept my head down and pulled the shawl down so they could not see my face.

However, as I walked off, one of the guards spoke up. "Having fun sleeping next to all those women, you pervert?" He said.

I stopped walking, surprised by the comment. But then I realized that they must have thought I was Maha, seeing as I was wearing her shawl.

"I can't believe they let a Hijra in there with the woman the Prince is going to marry," the other said. "Disgusting."

I frowned, narrowing my eyes. But then I walked off, deciding that maybe Aaryan would be happy to deal with these rude men.

When I got close to the spot that Aaryan told me to meet him at, I was happy to see him waiting there already. He smiled when he saw me.

I rushed over to him, and the first thing he asked me was what took me so long.