Nannare's POV
Beads jingled on my ankles.
Beads on my wrists.
Beads around my waist.
Beads around my pretty, long neck.
But alas, the fear was still deeply rooted in me.
"Nare, I don't think I can survive any longer! It's really scary! How long are we going to be captives of these slave traders?"
Nanara — my twin sister — cried as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"Nara, I don't know either..." I whispered. "My only wish is that we could go back to our local village in Delhi... but it seems that dream is far away now. My prayer is that we shouldn't get separated!" I squeezed her hand.
"No one is more scared than I am!" she mumbled.
"Me too," I replied, clutching her inhaler tightly inside my pocket.
"Is there really any difference between this place and our village?" Nara asked shakily.
"Yes... it's obvious," I said, glancing quickly at the other girls we were locked up with.
"I think we're in Mumbai," Nanara whispered, startled.
"This is the worst thing humans can do! How can someone kidnap us... for money or what?" she cried.
Just then, one of the slave traders appeared at the entrance of the glass room, standing beside a very fat man.
I wondered what the two of them were plotting.
"Make your choice. Each of them is worth 9.8 billion," the trader said coldly.
All the girls shifted backward and hid their faces, trying desperately not to be picked.
Nanara and I closed our eyes tightly and buried our heads between our knees.
"I want her!" the fat man grinned, pointing his thick index finger forward.
Everyone opened their eyes.
His hand... was pointed at me.
"Nannare... why you???" Nara sobbed.
"Shhh, this isn't what I wished for!" I cried, as she clutched my arm tightly.
"Why did you choose her?" the slave trader asked.
"Nothing... I just love her natural red lips. I can't wait to make her my personal sex toy," the fat man replied, licking his lips disgustingly.
A wave of terror exploded in my mind.
"No! Don't take her away! She's my twin — she's all I have!!" Nara protested, wrapping her hands tighter around mine.
"Are they twins?" the fat man asked.
"Are you blind? Can't you see the resemblance??" one of the other captured girls snapped.
"Then... I'll buy you instead," the fat man pointed at another girl.
Relief flooded through me.
At least, I wouldn't be separated from Nara.
I opened my eyes just as another set of four young women entered the room.
They wore expensive taffeta dresses decorated with sparkling slavery stones.
"Are we going to stay here forever, Twinnie? I hope we won't be separated," Nara whispered, clinging to me.
"You!
You!
You!
You!"
One of the women with creamy hair pointed at four different girls.
"Four is enough?" the slave trader asked.
"Nah. I need two more," another woman said, her red artificial hair gleaming. Her tiny voice sounded cold as she pointed directly at Nara and me.
We were dragged out like trash.
Still, I held Nara's inhaler tightly.
"Mhesha, you sure you can handle this trash?" the slave trader asked harshly, yanking our hair until we cried.
"Why?" the woman with creamy hair asked.
"They're just villagers from Delhi. They can barely read or write — only know a little English!" he said with a sneer.
"Villagers..." the red-haired woman rolled her eyes.
"Alisha, what do you think?" she asked another girl quickly.
"Not bad," the shortest one — Alisha — shrugged.
"Sheesha, pay him. Let's get outta here... it's disgusting," Alisha said coldly.
We were forced to follow them to where their cars were parked.
"Hey, hey, stop! You're dirty! Don't stain my car!" Alisha snapped.
"She's too harsh..." I mumbled under my breath.
"Alish, you're too harsh on them," the short girl scolded.
"I'm not harsh!" Alisha tossed her purple hair arrogantly.
"Not again, Alisha!" their leader said firmly, motioning us to enter the last car.
Would life ever be fair to us?
I smirked sadly and held Nanara's hand tighter.
---
8 PM — Seeha Seesha's POV
"Mhesha, I think I'm starting to like one of the twins," I said, trying to start a friendly conversation.
"So? What's my business?" she cut in rudely.
My jaw dropped.
No matter how much I tried to change her and Alisha's stony hearts, it never worked.
They had been different... before Twinkle died.
Twinkle was the fifth girl in our crew.
After Mhesha, she was the most beautiful.
But she died...
She died of cancer.
And rumor had it — she was also murdered by an unknown person.
Since then, Mhesha and Alisha had completely changed.
They weren't always this cruel...
"Mhesha, did you—"
Before I could finish, she snapped again.
"Sheesha, I have a headache. Stop talking!" she groaned.
I frowned but said nothing.
Suddenly, Natasha came running down the stairs, wearing a skimpy pink bumper short and a black top.
"Guess what???" she squealed excitedly.
Tasha was the most dangerous among us.
She always got whatever she wanted — her father was a top politician in Mumbai.
"I thought you had something serious to say!" I said, annoyed.
"I do! Richie Diamonds is coming to India!" she grinned, rushing to turn on the projector.
She connected her laptop and started showing us pictures of Richie Diamonds.
"He's welcome," Alisha said, crossing her legs.
"Why are you telling us about him?" Mhesha hissed.
"Because he's coming to shoot the live stage play of Enchanted here in India!" Tasha clapped happily.
"So? What's so special about Enchanted?" Alisha smirked.
"Ugh! Listen! Enchanted is a short play written by Richie when he was just 18. Surprisingly, it became super popular and made him even more famous. Although he usually writes songs, this one shocked everyone."
Tasha smiled proudly and clicked on a picture.
It showed Richie smiling adorably, clutching something close to his chest.
Beneath it were seven words written in italics:
"All of me is for my ENCHANTED."
Tasha continued, "It's a three-cast play:
A lover boy,
A poor girl,
A stranger acting as the villain."
"And that's why he's coming to India. He said 70% of the world's beautiful girls are here!"
"Wooow... I think I'm falling for the mini play already," Alisha said seductively.
"The pay for whoever acts as the poor girl is 100 million!! Plus, it's a chance to meet Richie!!"
"But..." Tasha sighed. "Richie wrote that whoever plays the poor girl must have natural red lips!"
"Why red lips??" Mhesha gasped. "It's so rare to find that!"
"Natasha, why red lips?" Alisha asked curiously.
"I have no idea!" Tasha shrugged, scribbling in her notepad.
Mhesha was still drooling over Richie's picture.
"I feel sleepy. I have exams tomorrow," Alisha said, picking up the landline.
"Badra, I need wine! Tell one of the twins to bring it!" she ordered and hung up.
A few minutes later,
Nare appeared at the glass door, carrying a tray with wine, a glass, and a cloth.
"Ma'am Alisha, it's here," she bowed respectfully, placing the tray gently on a glass table.
"Can you make me tea?" I asked nicely.
"Yes, ma'am," she nodded and turned to leave.
But then Mhesha called her back.
"Get me juice now!" she barked.
"Okay, ma'am," Nare said softly and rushed off.
She returned quickly with a juice pack and a glass on a tray.
She poured apple juice carefully into the glass.
"My juice!!" Mhesha shouted.
"Yes ma'am," Nare said, bowing again as she tried to hand it over.
Suddenly, Mhesha pushed the glass, making it crash to the floor.
"Aaah, I'm sorry!" Nare gasped, her eyes wide with fear.
It wasn't even her fault.
"What nonsense!"
Tasha grabbed the juice pack and poured it all over Nare's head, drenching her in sticky liquid.
"When next you want to serve me, wash your hands first!" Mhesha sneered.
"Rubbish! I'm calling Bliss to punish you!" she roared.
"I can handle it," Alisha said smugly, grabbing the landline.
"Badra, make sure Nare stays outside the mansion for 10 whole nights!" she commanded.
"Okay, ma'am," Badra answered.
"Next time, try acting like an educated girl!" Tasha said mockingly.
Mhesha hissed and stomped up the stairs.
"Why are you still standing there? Go sleep outside! Your punishment starts tonight!" Mhesha barked without even turning back.
"Huh?" Nare mumbled, not understanding at first.
"Go and sleep outside!!" I demonstrated, pointing out the window.
"Okay," she sniffled and left quickly.
She sat on the cold floor outside the mansion gates.
I wished I could help her.
But Mhesha's orders were law around here...