The Wait.

1. Meeting with the strange woman.

I love to walk by the lake every evening . It makes my mind fresh and takes all the tension away from me. I recently got settled in this little town called ' Victoria castle' I know the name is bit fancy.

Like you I was also bit surprised when I heard about this place cause I thought no such place ever existed but here it is and its beautiful. 

Its not related with Victorian era at all it's named after the wife of the first mayor of the town whose name was Victoria . Well it's not a big town and you will almost get country side ViVe's from this town.

I came as a permanent teacher at the only high school in the whole town. It has lakes , roads covered with trees , house with long yard for tea and long windows like you see in the old movies. Their is  some broken buildings which I heard broke during the time of war.

Which war that even they don't know. Forget written ,even oral history are not circulated from generations so how would I know about their war histories ?

Since school didn't started yet after lunch everyday I go for exploring the town and their I saw her for the first time. On the way of the lake their is a broken mental asylum which is closed for years nows, the iron gate is fully covered with red and yellow flower vines and near that gate their is a wooden bench under a cherry tree and their sits a lady who looks like she is in her forties.

The thing that is mystery about her is no one really knows much about her. She lives in the far end of the town and every day near 2 O'clock she sits near the asylum gate with a book in her hand and stays their for three hours , nearly at 5 she leaves . She is not very social and keeps her distance from everyone from the town so people doesn't know much about her. It is rumored that her husband died in the war and since then she turned cold and distant.

She wears long  black gown just like ladies in old movies and sits up straight never bending , she wears gloves but the most beautiful thing about her is her hat. Its a black hat which surrounds her head with a netted veil attached with it which covers maximum part of her face but I beat she is having the most beautiful eyes in the universe.

She reads book or just keep staring towards the asylum. It's a small town but still people are not that familiar with each other and I never saw anyone stop by to chat with her as if she is also part of the scene which was suppose to be their and the gossips of the town died slowly.

But today as I was passing by the asylum to go to the lake I saw her sitting with her book the tree is in full blossom and she is staring towards the asylum her hat is kept near her on the bench. Her fair skin is shinning in the sunshine but her eyes looks tired like she is done waiting for so long and can't do it anymore. She looks so sad , she looks like she wants something but for some reason she can't get it and has no other option than waiting.

She all of a sudden turns towards me and I just froze in one place her eyes are cold her cheeks are pale but she has a little smile on her lips  . Her diamond ear rings are shining like rainbows. She kept staring for good five minutes and it looks like she is trying to read my mind. As if she is trying to say she knows my secret the one I hide from the whole universe. As if she knows what I did and why I came in this village. I felt really uncomfortable . So I started to walk again and at that moment I heard.

" Maya  long time no see" the voice is like little whisper in the ear but it chilled my bones . OK IS She talking to me ? Rubbish she never talks with anyone that's bullshit. Or maybe you are getting scared for nothing ...those are rumors will you stop minding them ? But what if they are true ? Let's not take any chances and just leave.  I started to walk again and I heard her whisper again.  

" wouldn't you wish me good afternoon Maya ? " again the same voice. This time it contained a bit emotion which felt she got hurt by my behavior. So here I don't have any choice. How hard it can be she is just a human right.

As I turned slowly I saw her staring right into my eyes trying to reach my soul. Her smile broaden a little bit but her eyes remained cold. I wanted to reply but my tounge dried at that moment and their was a strange lump in my throat .

Their was something in her which was terrifying. I tried to build my courage how can I get scared easily...after what I did I shouldn't be afraid of death itself , here I am afraid of an little lady.

She wore her hat back and again told  " I waited for so long for you Maya.  " and that's it I got really scared and I ranned towards my home without stopping. I ran like as if she was chasing me and would eat me if I got caught. So I ran like a horse...... Pushing everything on my way to my home.

As I came home my maid Anna saw my shivering and nearly fainting condition and  made tea for me. I sat on my front yard and started thinking what she wanted to tell me ?

Why me? How she knows that I am Maya sharma ?  Did I did the right thing by running? what should I do ? with whom should I talk. God save me I am really confused. Should I talk with her tomorrow? What should I do?.