"Sheela Didi, why are you not sending her to school?" I asked her.
"She doesn't need school. After four-five years I'll send her back to the village and marry her off. Then she'll become busy with her family."
"Don't you know it is illegal to marry an underage child?"
"There is nothing illegal in my village," she said.
I feel bad for Tina but I decided not to meddle in their life. Neither do I have the power nor desire to fight for her.
"Madam, are you married?" She asked.
I am tired of answering this question, "I'm a widow", I said.
"God is very unfair to you," she said and went to the bathroom to do laundry.
I had food and took medicine afterwards. I went to my bedroom and slept, I don't remember when Sheela and her daughter left my house.
In dreams~
"Auntie Ji, the dress you selected for my sister is very pretty," I said to my sister's mother-in-law. She gave me a warm smile and patted my head.
"You can go shopping, the market is the largest," she said to my mother. We took our leave and went to the market. Almost three hours passed and I said to my mother that I am feeling hungry. She gave me money to buy peanuts and come back. I left the shop and she occupied herself with shopping.
I saw a man who was selling peanuts and he was at the corner of the road. There was no one on that street except that seller. When I reached there, I saw three men who were forcing a girl of my age. I panicked and screamed for help. The peanut seller punched me and my head hit the pole and I blackout.
When I gained consciousness, I was tied to a chair. Like a stupid person, I screamed for help and my kidnapper got the idea that I'm awake.
"Please let me go, my mother is waiting for me," I said, crying my eyes out. "Please... Let me go, I'll not tell anyone about you."
"Shut her mouth, the boss is about to come," one kidnapper said to another.
"No, don't..." I tried to protest but my efforts went in vain. I was trembling
with fear. Well, what else could you expect from a teenage girl? I had no idea how I could rescue myself. I was never trained in how to tackle such circumstances.
Their boss came. A man who was probably in his early forties. He looked scary in all black. He asked his men where they found me.
"We went to bring Mahender's daughter, as he promised to give her because he can't give our money back. This girl saw us taking her and Mahender punched her and she passed away, so we took her here," he explained.
"It means that the peanut seller sold her daughter to them. How low could he be?" I thought.
Boss came near me and removed the cloth from my mouth. He politely asked me, "Who is your father?"
"Krishna Kumar," I replied.
"What does he do?"
"He is a farmer," I said, " Please let me go.... I'll not tell anyone about your man kidnapping that girl... I promise," I said and broke out.
"You are not going anywhere," he said, tugging my hair behind my ear. "You are beautiful." "Send her to my office," he said to his men.
I got what was about to happen, "No," I screamed but no one listened to me. Two men held me, I tried to run, I tried to kick them but nothing worked. I was too weak to protect myself. They sent me in and locked the door.
"Please... I beg you," I said, joining my hands. He came closer to me and I grabbed his leg, "Sir, please let me go. I'll do anything that you tell me to do. I'll never show my face to you. I beg you, please let me go."
"Anything?" he asked and I nodded my head tearing down. "Remove your clothes," he grinned.
"No," I woke up, soaked in sweat. I cried my eyes out, "I want to sleep peacefully," I spoke in a low voice so that no one except my inner self could hear.