MY ORPHAN BRIDE

I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE

ALICE

I am a final year student at St. Marcus College. I sometimes wonder what on earth I was thinking when I took geography as my major subject. I can't cry my heart out even when I am at my worst. I don’t have anyone to look up to. I am my own mother, I am my own father. I have to do everything by myself, even the grocery shopping.

Raymond Hill in the winter season is chilling. It turns hostile just like the people residing in this place. I am off to the market wearing my knee-high boots. Yet I can feel the coldness seep through my feet. Maybe it is time for me to invest in a good pair of shoes next time.

-----

I live in a small rented apartment away from the main town in the sub-urb. The building is old and haggard but it's liveable. In fact, it is much more than I can ask from my life.

The doorbell rang when I was in the middle of something. I tried thinking about the possible visitor even when I knew that nobody had visited me except my land-lord ever. I continued washing the dishes until the person on the other side of the door started to ring the bell once again. Upon opening the door, I found a tall man wearing a gray three-piece suit under a black overcoat. There were two other men behind him. He was standing before me and I could not take my eyes off him. He was way taller than me and his face looked as if he had just come out of a fashion magazine. He was that attractive. His black hair was neatly done and looked shiny. He had little stubbles along his face. His eyes were the darkest brown, capable of entrapping me within them forever. Who was he and what was he doing there in my apartment?

"May I ask you who you are here for, Sir?" I managed to ask even when I felt trapped in those beautiful eyes.

‘Can I come in?’ He asked like a gentleman. And I nodded vigorously for which I should have slapped myself a thousand times. Stupid me and damn my stupidity!

I couldn't help but turn insecure as his footsteps started to enter my household. The other two stood outside the door and I let the door open, not knowing what else to do. In the meantime, I began to follow that handsome stranger who started toiling around my living room as if he owned my very place. He made me feel like an outsider in my own apartment. No matter how much I wanted to ask who he was, I chose to remain silent.

After satisfying himself by having a good look at my little living room, he sat on the sofa and gestured me to sit across him. He seemed to have hypnotized me with his handsome face and dangerous aura. I did exactly what he dictated me to do.

-----

‘Miss Alice Nembang?’ He called my name in an uncertain manner. It was more of a question.

“Y…Yes.” I gulped hard, trying to keep my hesitation at bay. I just hoped that he didn't notice my awkward behavior.

‘I am Priyam Fezong, Managing Director of Shree Tea Industries.’ He forwarded his hand towards me, but I just kept staring at him.

He inhaled deeply before taking back his hand. My wrist watch was ticking every second and I only realized what he had just said to me.

[Wow, did he just tell me that he is an M.D. from some industry? Oh my god! He is the Managing Director of some industries. Wait, what industry was that actually? Oh my damned ears. I missed the main information.]

“I am sorry…” I wanted to ask him again about his introduction but he stopped me midway.

‘Look, Miss Nembang, I don’t want to waste your time and let me just come directly to the main point. You have to come with me. My grandfather Mr. Fezong wants to meet you in person.’ His face had turned gloomy just because I failed to meet his gesture.

"Goofy character!" I made a mental note to myself regarding the handsome man in front of me. I thought that his anger was directed towards my absent-mindedness. I opened my mouth to ask something but he stopped me midway.

‘Miss Nembang, you might be a bit surprised right now, but I will make everything clear once we reach our home. My grandfather needs to see you this instant. I hope you can understand.’ He furrowed his thick brows while looking my way. It seemed as if he wanted to read my mind. And god knows what he saw in my face, because he got mad when I said nothing for sometime.

“Mr. Fezong or whoever you are, I don’t think there is any hard and fast rule that I have to buy whatever you are telling me right now. I don’t even know you and, as far as I remember, there is no person in this world that is waiting for me.” I sighed aloud, “Look, firstly, I know I am not going anywhere with you. And secondly, even human traffickers come up with smart ideas nowadays. Who knows whether you are genuine or not?” I finished in one breath. He narrowed his gaze and furrowed his brows. His eyes started to run from my head to toe. He then finally pursed his lips and looked the other way for some time. Clasping both his hands and placing them on the small tea table in front of the sofa, he looked back at me for a while.

‘Miss Nembang, you have to come with me please.’

“I said I was not coming anywhere with a stranger.” I stressed the term STRANGER so that it got to his head, but he kept on insisting.

‘Miss, please try to understand. I don’t have much time on my hands. My grandfather is fighting for his life in the hospital. Please, he needs to see you at the earliest. I will bring you back, I promise.' I kind of slipped at the vow he made. Or maybe I slipped at the thought of my sponsor. Somebody sponsored my studies until I was 18. I couldn't work because working under somebody apart from social services is child labour. I couldn't support myself financially as such. Maybe his grandfather was the person I wanted to meet one day. I couldn't deny the Managing Director's pleas any further.