The Politician's Girl

31. Painful Reminders

-Time is powerful-

Naina

The sweaty afternoons of Clifton. Preparing for the exquisite female politicians' party, my mother decided to take Subhan and me on a shopping spree. She wanted to buy some formal clothes for the function. Impression and hospitality were vital keys to forming an image. 

The party's success would be a sheer power show and be seen as a vital move against the opposition. So many female workers were invited today. It was going to be an evening function, with the reporters welcomed to gather outside our house. The hype and excitement would form enough noise and attention. 

I was nervous for the day...nervous for the verdict to be given next week. 

Now standing inside an infamous designer shop, beside my mother who was sitting on a couch, carrying a sleeping Subhan in her arms and bargaining with the female shopkeepers over some chiffon dresses, I sighed and looked out of the shop's wall-length window that was situated on the right side of the clothing counter. 

This designer shop was situated in the strangest places. It was acting like a division between the rich and the poor. On one side of this shop were so many other brand shops, and on the other side of this shop was an alley that led straight to the Friday sales market meant for the poor. Old buildings, flats...they lined that market. It was strange...so peculiar, and willed my need to chase after equality...fairness.

Lost deep in the thought, I noticed a man holding a little girl's hand tightly, guiding her to the alley. He looked like he belonged to the labour class, and the girl...she was carrying a bag of candies in her hands and happily swinging the hand that had been held by the man. She was wearing a rather nice dress and seemed to hold no resemblance with the man. 

Something gripped me.

Memories of how this had once been me. How I had been happy with the treats while not realizing the dangers I was going pulled towards. A strange horror hit me. This girl...I had to make sure that she knew this man. 

"I am coming back in just a second!" I hurriedly announced, rushing towards the door of the shop. My mother simply muttered a distracted 'okay', as I rushed out to the open road. My attire was to assure no one was able to recognize me. 

Frantic, I turned towards the alley in which the girl and the man were now walking. The girl was skipping in a giddy manner. I rushed behind them, eyeing the smelly alley road filled with randomly spilt trash. There were families, children and men walking to and fro the street. 

Avoiding the crowd, subtly jumping to keep an eye on the man and girl, I rushed through the mass of people and saw the man now stopping before a flat building. The marketplace was only a few feet away from that building. 

Smiling down at the girl, the man then went inside that building. My anxiety and tension grew. Horrified, I managed to reach the flat building in time and stopped in a motion of pain, as I saw the man now guide the little girl up some dirty stairs. A woman was waiting there to meet the duo. My heart clenched. The memories were hauntingly clear. 

This girl...I didn't know her history, her reality...but the thought that she might be heading towards becoming a victim like me was daunting. I watched silently, as the woman warmly picked the girl up and, together, the family began moving upstairs. 

The momentary pain, tension and fear, which had grasped me, now turned into an emotion of self-pity. With my shoulders slumped, feeling slightly relieved yet depressed, I turned around and began walking back out of the alley. 

My thoughts were gripping. The momentary dread that I had felt...had reminded me how broken I really was, how traumatized I still was. My head hung low, as I wondered if I had just stayed with my mother that day, if I hadn't run away, my childhood would have turned out to be different. I would have been loved, cherish...