Ruhi - The Essence Of His Soul.

Chapter 44

The door creaked open, jolting Ruhi awake from where she had fallen asleep on the bed.

"Easy, I didn't mean to scare you but your presence is required down stairs."

Fear snaked in Ruhi's heart hearing the words, she didn't want to move. After all whom did she know here?

No one.

And trusting anyone here would be a complete idiocy.

She sat up gazing at the woman. Draped a sliver saree, with long earrings, that looked pretty but the weight of  them had Ruhi wincing. Must be pretty painful for the ears.

She was gorgeous. Like one of those glass dolls, all so pretty and perfect. Chestnut brown waves that cascaded down her back, perfect bow shaped lips stained with ruby red colour.

Her skin was smooth and a beautiful glowing tan.

"I am Isha."

The soothing timber of her words, calmed the anxiety clawing in Ruhi's heart.

She seemed kind and calm.

"My name is Ruhi."

She found herself answering even before she could think about it. There was just something about Isha that was so grounding and beautiful.

An innate beauty.

"Well that's a beautiful name. How did you end up coming here? Did your family sell you here?"

Concern tinged her words with sadness, and hearing it made Ruhi's heart thump.

"Families sold their daughters here?"

She couldn't veil the horror in her words, completely forgetting about the conversation from earlier.

Isha gave her a sad heartbreaking smile, her gloomy curve of lips was just so soul shattering that it hit like a punch in Ruhi's chest.

She watched in a transce as Isha walked around the room, with a grace that was so natural that it seemed like she was gliding across the place.

She pulled the heavy silk curtains apart, allowing the morning golden rays bath the dark room.

Washing away the gloom that tinted the air, with its warm touch.

She pushed open the windows. A breeze blew in, unbidden and free.

She was quite for so long, Ruhi didn't expect her to speak, but she did.

"More often than not. You'll be surprised just so many of us are brought here by our own families. "

Despair wafted off her words, she moved about cleaning the room. Straightening the cushions, dusting the windows.

Emotions etched in her words but her face was the same smooth mask of perfection.

"I came here when I was just seventeen. I was a child widow, married to a man who almost could be my grandfather. He died of sickness, and I became a burden that no one wanted. They needed money, and I became the commodity to be sold."

Her words were so matter of fact, resigned that all Ruhi could do was stare.

"That's horrible. How could someone do that? Didn't you try to run away?"

She whispered looking at the woman. Who turned towards her, halting in between all the work that she was doing.

She smiled at Ruhi, like she was a naive child.

"No one escapes this place. Remember the missing queens of Kung Jarasandh? Each and everyone of them were forced sent here to slave. Till they opted to end their life. That's the only escape."