Alisha is truly wicked; she has no human emotions at all. How could she tell Sir Badrah to throw me out of their mansion? Living with them is sure to be pure hell.
I glanced around. Darkness surrounded me, only the golden stones on the expensive mansion gates casting a beautiful glow in the night.
"Hey, I told you to sleep on the floor beside the gate, not to touch the gates!" Alisha grumbled from her window. She had already changed into a yellow towel jacket that perfectly complemented her skin.
"Sorry, Alisha!" I mumbled, wondering how she knew I was touching the gates. "How is she able to speak so loudly?" I thought. "Is Alisha a witch?"
I looked back toward the mansion, then suddenly knelt with my arms wrapped around my chest.
"If you don't use your brain, this won't end well for you. This is a city, not some backward village you came from!" Alisha roared.
"Ah... she's using a speaker," I realized. That's why her voice was so loud.
She slammed her window shut, and all the lights went off.
"Ugh!" I slammed my forehead against the ground, closing my eyes in frustration. I ended up sleeping on the floor outside the mansion gates.
(22 hours passed)
When I opened my eyes, it was morning. Slowly, I stood up and weakly knocked on the mansion gates. Sir Badrah opened them.
"Namaste!" I greeted.
"Namaste," he replied.
"Nanare, I advise you to join the other maids now, or you'll end up in trouble with the idols," he warned.
"Okay!" I replied, rushing to the maid's quarters.
"Nanare, you're not on cooking duty today!" Gangaa, the head maid, smiled at me.
"Okay," I blinked and headed to the bathroom before changing into my white maid dress. I tied an apron around my waist, put on a white cap, and covered my nose and mouth with a white mask.
I returned to the kitchen and stood at the entrance.
"I'm done. Now, we just need to serve them their food!" Gangaa winked.
"What?!" Elenore burst out. "I'm not serving Alisha's food—she's too wicked and harsh!"
"I pity you," Gangaa said, carrying Tasha's food on a tray.
"If you can't serve Alisha's food, then serve Mhesha!" Nara suggested.
"Nope. I don't want to die young!" Elenore cried. "Alisha and Mhesha are the worst!"
"Okay, let's do it like this," Gangaa retorted with her hands on her waist. "Nanare, you'll serve Alisha's food."
"What? You don't like me at all!" I grumbled. "I can't serve Alisha's food!"
"Then you'll have to choose between Mhesha and Alisha," Gangaa snapped.
"Nanare, you're going to serve Seesha's food, and Elenore, you'll serve Tasha's!" Gangaa passed her judgment.
"I think I'll serve Mhesha's food instead of Alisha's!" I said, washing my hands at the nearby sink before carrying Mhesha's breakfast on a silver tray.
"Wait, we'll go one after the other," Gangaa said, picking up Alisha's food.
"Okay, follow me!" she commanded, leading us to the dining table in a straight line.
We placed the food: Seesha's, Tasha's, and Mhesha's, and it was Gangaa's turn.
With trembling legs and shaking hands, she dropped Alisha's food in front of her.
Alisha opened it, smirking. She took a spoonful, then dropped it back into the bowl nonchalantly.
"It's too salty!" she sneered. "And the meat is tough!" Tasha remarked.
Mhesha and Seesha remained silent, continuing to eat their food.
"Seesha, is the food too salty?" Alisha asked.
"Salty as in how? The food is fine!" Seesha replied.
"Who cooked this?" Alisha asked, her eyes narrowing. Tasha smiled—she knew it was time for punishment.
"It was Gangaa!" Elenore pouted.
"Ah! Why are you lying?" Alisha snapped. "Don't listen to her—Nanare cooked it!"
"Tasha, I'm not the one!" I placed my hands over my face, feeling a surge of frustration.
Alisha stood up and wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"So, you cooked this garbage? Is this what you eat in your village?" she asked, her tone venomous.
Tasha burst out laughing.
"Alisha, what's your problem? Why do you always have to pick on them?" Seesha stopped eating and sipped her juice.
Mhesha dropped her spoon and faced me.
"Next time, don't try this nonsense with me. I might not spare you!" she warned, speaking quickly as she stood up from the table. "Get my bag and car keys!"
I rushed to her room and returned with her beautiful pink bag and car keys in my hands.
"You're accompanying me to school today. Don't forget to use your brain!" she said.
"Okay!" I replied, though I didn't quite understand what she meant. She spoke so fast, it was hard to catch everything.
I followed her to a white car, where the other idols were getting into theirs. Two guards sat in the front seats, and Mhesha and I sat in the back.
I pressed my face against the window, daring not to look at her as she fiddled with her expensive phone.
"What's your wish?" she asked suddenly, her gaze piercing. My heart skipped 36 beats.
Was she... interested in me?
"What's your wish?" she asked again.
"I have only one wish!" I raised my tiny finger.
"What is it?" she softened her gaze toward me.
"To go back to my village in Delhi!" I slammed my forehead in embarrassment.
She curved a smile and returned to her phone. Her indifference made me feel foolish.
"Do you have a wish too?" I asked, bowing my head.
"Yes," she replied.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I wish your wish will never come true," she said. A chill ran down my spine.
Mhesha is heartless.
---
Mhesha's Perspective
I glanced at her. Age wasn't making her cry... but I wanted her to.
"Are you happy to be sold into slavery?" I asked, desperate to see her cry.
"No, Mhesha," she answered softly, her lashes resting gently on her cheekbone.
"Then why aren't you crying?" I asked, watching her carefully.
"I don't know how to cry. I only know how to accept fate," she said with a sad smile, her beauty undeniable.
The car entered the school compound. The door opened, and I stepped out. Nanare followed, carrying my bags.
I ignored the piercing stares as I walked toward my class, my headphones plugged into my neck.
"You're lucky to be her new maid," Jenny said to Nanare.
"Yes, I'm her slave," Nanare mumbled, running after me.
All eyes turned toward me. Almost every female in the class envied me, but I only wished I could have natural red lips.
Nanare dropped my bag at my locker and stood beside me.
I smiled, walking up to the electronic smartboard. I needed to make a scene.
"Nanare, come here!" I whistled.
She walked to my side and bowed her head like a loyal servant.
"Mhesha..." the class bully smiled. "I trust you. You're going to create a good scene for us to watch."
"Amber, you know what to do?" I winked wickedly.
"Mhesha, what are you doing?" Nanare asked, nervous.
"Just keep quiet and watch what I'm going to do to you!" I growled, my voice filled with dark intent.