The light of the second floor peered through the trees at the girl sitting on the bench in the courtyard. Every few seconds a gentle sob rang through the garden. She was crying. Her dark hair was rather long‚ down to the middle of her back‚ and her brown skin soft and gorgeous. She had her feet up on the bench and her head resting between her knees as she watched every tear fall over her veil and hit the ground below. She started to think of all the ants she was killing‚ she cried harder. Tomorrow she would give herself‚ unwillingly; to the most pompous and unattractive man India had to offer. Think of the family her mother would say‚ you’ll learn to love him. The man is Prince Dhurjati. The boy is Prince Dhurjati. A prince all his life‚ and he acted like it. She had acted as a nun in a cloister all her life for this—for him. More sobs‚ nothing but bad thoughts. Before this‚ about an hour ago‚ she had to meet with his parents‚ the king and queen‚ and they had done nothing but argue about her‚ and insult her. He wants this one? They would ask each other. What is wrong with me? She thought‚ letting the tears flow. As much as she didn’t want to be accepted here‚ she wanted to be accepted.
She felt a warm hand touch her back‚ the hand could have been cold but it still would have been warm to her. It was her hand maid‚ Chaya. Chaya was put into her service when she was small‚ they had grown up together. Chaya was very poor and lived with her family in their hut in the city until she was five. Her mother‚ while weeping under her veil‚ gave the dirty young child to a man who sold children. From the age’s five to ten she was a gypsy‚ traveling all around India and dancing for the men; the men would holler and yell for her‚ but they weren’t allowed to touch her. They could throw money‚ and they did. And Chaya got to keep however much her little hands could hold‚ not much‚ but enough to stay alive. When she came to this city she was taken into a room after she finished her dance. A man had bought her‚ and wanted her to travel with him from now on. This was scary‚ other girls told her about men like this…but he wasn’t the kind of man her friends had told her about. He was a servant for the then princess‚ Indrani. Indrani wanted someone for her precious daughter to play with. Chaya was the only person besides her parents that had ever seen the face of the shy little girl sobbing on the bench.
This girl is Sanjna. She has lived a comfortable life in a large palace. She had never been hungry‚ but has never left a meal feeling satisfied. It wasn’t the portion of food‚ it was her family. They would never talk or ask her how she was. She never got to talk to any one. She was a sad little girl who played with only paper and colors. She never drew anything in particular‚ but she colored. Until she was 10‚ when she got someone to talk to and color with. Sanjna wasn’t expecting this present from her mother but was happy it happened. Chaya was two inches tall her than her and the sun shined red through her hair. That’s all that Sanjna remembers thinking about when she first looked at Chaya. After a minute of hesitation Sanjna took the little girl’s hand and they ran until they couldn’t see the palace anymore. Breathless they looked at each other and Sanjna started crying. One of the happiest days of her life…finally‚ a girl she could play with. Someone she could tell everything. Chaya also started crying‚ but she didn’t know why‚ she just knew that it felt good and right.
Times were happier for Sanjna after that. She would grow up and learn from Chaya. Chaya would tell her stories about what happened in the city‚ and would show her how she danced for the men. When she danced Sanjna threw tiny pebbles at her feet and they would both laugh. Sanjna refused to go anywhere without Chaya and whenever Sanjna would get in trouble her father would threaten to take Chaya away. Sanjna would cry and wrap her arms around Chaya‚ and it would always happen the same way. Indra‚ her father‚ was a kind hearted man and Sanjna knew it. Chaya was never taken away from her.
Now‚ on the bench‚ Chaya ran her hands along Sanjna’s back and tried to comfort her. Chaya slid into the seat right beside Sanjna. “San‚ what’s wrong‚ you have no need to cry‚ tomorrow is a very happy day and you will be a very happy woman.” Chaya tried to smile‚ but she knew what was hurting inside Sanjna.
“I will not be a happy woman. No one can be a happy woman near that… that... I can’t even think of an insult.” Sanjna cried harder and hugged her knees tightly. Her sobs echoed through the empty courtyard. They sat in silence for several minutes. Chaya thought of how lovely the flowers smelled at the beginning of spring‚ and how every year she was sick of the smell by the end of spring. Chaya looked longingly at her best friend. She was so beautiful‚ her hair so long and so pretty. Chaya knew what would cheer San up.
Chaya got up and started wiggling her hips slowly back and fourth‚ singing a rhythmic song under her breath. San looked up and lightly smiled‚ it worked every time… San was a sucker for the dance. Chaya smiled and sang louder‚ dancing a little faster‚ fueled by the crying girl’s smile. San let her legs down and watched her beautiful childhood friend dance in the moonlight and started to giggle. She would always have Chaya. San leaned down and picked a handful of pebbled and tossed them at her feet‚ occasionally wiping the still flowing tears off her cheeks. She started throwing them a little harder and Chaya squeaked a little and started running towards the moon. San followed. They continued to run until San’s face was completely dry. In the process both of them ripped the cloth covering their faces off and threw it into the night’s cool breeze. The stopped where they had stopped 8 years ago and they sat.
“I don’t want this to happen.” Sanjna said after several moment of silence. She leaned back and let her self lay on the freshly collected dew on the grass. It was cold but it felt good on her bare back.
“I wouldn’t either; it’s probably really really small.” Chaya pinched the air‚ stopping just before her thumb and forefinger touched. Sanjna sat up and pushed her friend over‚ giggling and tickling her‚ stopping only for a second to agree.
“Have you seen him‚ he’s disgusting‚ I can’t stand him. I want to die.” Sanjna stopped tormenting Chaya and took a spot beside her on a fresh patch of grass. They both leaned up on their sides to face each other. “What do you think happens…you know… when you die?” Sanjna calmly asked. An animal of some sort made a sound in the distance and the breeze dried the dew off their backs.
“I think I will become a tree.” Chaya stated. She knew that is what happens. Chaya heard this from an old woman who knew everything (at least that’s what she was told). This old woman traveled with her until the day she was taken to the palace. They both looked up at the leaves encircling their heads and each turned to lie on their backs‚ while taking a deep breath.
“Let’s turn into trees tonight.” Sanjna sobbed. She started crying again. She shuddered when she felt the warm tears run into her ears. Chaya leaned up on her shoulder to look at her friend. Chaya knew right then that she would follow Sanjna and do whatever would make her happy. “I love you.” Sanjna choked out‚ over sobs.
Chaya could feel a lump in her throat. She slid beside Sanjna and laid her arm over the trembling stomach of the princess. “I love you” she whispered into her ear. “Let’s be trees forever.” They looked each other in the eye and Chaya covered Sanjna’s body with hers‚ holding her and comforting her. They both realized as they looked in each other’s eyes what they were going to have to do. They stood up and held hand as they walked towards the south‚ further from the palace‚ closer to the end of the earth. They walked for hours not talking at all‚ only holding hands and breathing. The sun started to come up and there were undoubtedly people looking for Sanjna. They could hear the ocean before they saw it over the enormous hill surrounding the Cliffside. They moved together as one element in the world. Chaya wrapped her arms around Sanjna and whispered in her ear how she never knew the world was so big‚ and they were so small. “We are not small‚ we are big. We are bigger than this whole world and bigger than anything that happens here.” Sanjna replied‚ looking out onto the ocean. She pressed her cheek against Chaya’s. The embrace ended and they looked into each others eyes.
The wind played a mournful symphony over the rocks and the motionless bodies. The long grass swayed in the sunlight‚ the only sounds were the symphony and the waves. The salt water brushed up against the cheeks of the beautiful women lying lifeless and still bleeding. Both of their bodies bent‚ cracked‚ and fit to form the shape of the bed of boulders they had landed on. The men that had found them were on their way back to the palace with the grim news.
The sun shone through the windshield and heated the pale girl’s face. Her hair was dyed black and cut to almost nothing. She sighed and ejected the CD in the cheap CD player she had installed the first week she had her car. The purple light blinked once and the CD came out. She looked up to make sure the SUV that hadn’t moved in 10 minutes hadn’t decided to take off and leave her stationary in the middle of the road. While flipping through her CD collection she acquired from a random unlocked car parked on the street a week ago. The meter was up‚ the owner of the car deserved to loose the accumulation of music. She gave up‚ they weren’t worth the pillage‚ these CD’s weren’t her taste. Perhaps she could get some money out of them at half priced books. She leaned to the passenger side floor board and picked up a CD titled “Julia to Daphne”. She took a quick glance at the blue underside of the disc and decided that it would play moderately well with only a few scratches on the bottom. She slid it into the CD player and leaned back. She took a look over at the clipboard on the passenger seat. Her name was written in red ink in the red corner‚ Daphne Stockton. She remembered a childhood spend getting taunted about her name. She reminisced on how wonderful it would be not to be named after a Scooby Doo character.
The SUV in front of her moved a little‚ but unlike 20 times before it kept going. It felt good to have the breeze run through her car again. Daphne had always liked the feeling of being alone; she was always uncomfortable around people. This was the reason for her soon to be profession. She was currently attending school so she could be shipped somewhere far off and study plants and trees. She peaked at the clipboard once again and looked at the first line under her name. “Be there at noon‚ if you are late you will get half credit.” Daphne started yelling profanity at the clock (which said 12:05) and the steering wheel and whatever inanimate object was there to listen.
In Cincinnati‚ not to far from the University‚ is a conservatory. It has been used as a study tool for elementary children and College “young-adults” for years and today was Daphne’s turn to use the enormous green house. Her purple car charged its way up the hill leading to the conservatory. When she got to the parking lot she started running towards the dome‚ only to remember the clip board lying in the passenger side seat. She ran back yelling profanities towards the sky and tarnishing the ears of the school children eating lunch on the grassy median near by. She grabbed the board and ran towards the entrance. She could see Julia waiting near the entrance for her. Julia was her only friend in the world and she knew it. Julia had many other friends but spent the most time with Daphne because Daphne needed it the most.
They smiled at each other and walked side by side into the building. As soon as they entered they looked up at the leaves and the birds. “It’s so humid in here; someone should turn on the air.” Julia said‚ not caring how stupid she sounded. Daphne smiled and they looked at each other giggling. Daphne ran her fingers up the back of her own head and rejuvenated the hair-do she found hard to keep in humidity. They reached their group that was just beginning a tour. The teacher smiled at Daphne which probably meant “don’t worry about being late.”
As they walked through the enormous dome and looked up and down and sideways at all the colorful trees and flowers surrounding beautiful trees. The birds cheerfully chirped a song that resembled a cellular phone ring (at least that’s what Julia whispered to Daphne).
The group stopped to look at a tree and Daphne decided that this was the time she would catch up on some of the paperwork that she had to deal with for this trip. She flipped through a few pages‚ writing down the name of the plants she saw‚ and what their purpose was in the rainforest. When the group started moving she decided to peek up at the tree.
Daphne stopped. She couldn’t look away. The tree didn’t look any different than any other tree in there‚ but something happened. The only thing she could hear was the rushing of waves and a mournful symphony orchestrated just for her. She didn’t understand and wouldn’t understand for a long time. She started to remember the way the flowers smelled in the beginning of spring‚ and how her best friend got sick of the way the smelled by the end of the season. Daphne started crying and slumped down to a crouch on the ground. She held her knees close to her chest rested her head between them.
She remembered how the feeling of her tears felt running over her cheeks and into her ears laying on the dewy grass of India. She remembered the morning she was one with her friend. Daphne remembered hearing the waves before she could see them over the cliff.
Daphne felt the sting of missing her friend for countless centuries. No‚ no‚ no… I’m supposed to be there she thought‚ looking at the tree to the right of the one right in front her.
“Hey‚ Daph lets go!” Julia yelled‚ breaking Daphne’s trance. Daphne blinked four or five times and felt a warm tear leave a steak of salt on her right cheek. She wiped it off.
“I’m coming.” She whispered back. Daphne took one more look up at the tree’s leaves. The sun shined through the clear glass of the conservatory. The sun shined red through the leaves and onto on Daphne’s face and the tears flowed like the breeze over boulders at the bottom of a cliff in India.