Fiction
The river girl
She sat looking forlornly at the river. Its murky grey water spreading out in ripples beckoned her to unburden herself. The water's ugly appearance reflected the dark sins of mankind. What was one more added to the infinite stretch of the water?
A breeze seemed to mock her hesitation. She brushed her hair back and looked at her reflection on the water. The ripples made her look older than her fifty years spent among men. Every wrinkle on her face hid a story within. So much she would carry with herself to the grave. So much she could have given to the world.
The river saw it all. Knew it all. From her first tiny steps upon the village ground to the night her innocence was taken to the days when she hid herself from the sun and till now on this winter morning. Her story could be found on this once beautiful river, which cruelty gradually destroyed along with her smile.
She could hear voices carried by the wind. Perhaps they were calling for her? She could not be sure. All she knew was that she would not go back. The once clear river was her lifelong companion and now in its murky depths she would breathe her last.
It began five years after her actual birth, her life that is. With large smooth pebbles clutched in her tiny hands, she followed her nana down the muddy rough track that led to the riverbank. Her nana walked a couple of steps ahead of her, the beauty of the world already lost in her aged eyes. But to the young five-year-old, who had never been away from the village, every leaf and stone captivated her mind.
The road was narrow with thick shrubs fencing it from the fields and gardens on either side. It was a rocky path and the young barefooted girl already suffered the wrath of the hard solid ground beneath her. But she paid no heed. Small cuts and bruises were of little consequence when the rush of the river could be heard in the near distance.
There was the river in all its glory. In her meagre five years of life it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The river was calm; its water seemed a canopy of jewels glittering in the midmorning sun. She looked up at her nana, who nodded with a smile on her face and the little girl was off to throw pebbles in her friend.
The days were no longer dreary for her in the secluded village where privacy was a precious rock that was rare and inconceivable. She would spend hours by the fire late at night carving and building boats and even longer playing with them in her haven. Years passed by and she still felt like a stranger in her birthplace. But she escaped through the flow of the water.
She felt the eyes of the village girls. She could sense their mutters and giggles that were directed at her. River Girl they called her. They thought her abnormal with her unnatural obsession with the village river. But they did not understand. Nobody did. People were bound by their own selfishness and they could never be enough for her. But the river, the river soothed her always giving but never asking for anything in return. The river did not expect anything from her. She never felt caged when gazing upon its water. It never taunted her for her different ways. Never looked at her with disdain for her disfigured face. Never pitied her for being her father's daughter. Never counted when a new mark appeared on her face. Never feigned ignorance when her screams pierced the silent night. Never refused to help when her battered legs could not support her any more.
Soon she would be away from her pain. She heard whispers late in the night. She would be given away to the village guard, they said. She smiled. It was strained but there was a smidgen of hope there if you looked closely enough. She rushed to the river the day she would leave her cage. There was a slight smile fighting to stay on her face as if she felt that if she were happier it would turn out to be another dream. But the river that day was fierce. It was angry and violent.
It was a silent night. Her eyes were hollow. She cried but no tears came out. There was a storm brewing and far in the distance the river moaned as if feeling her pain. Her captor rose above her with a malevolent smile. She did not scream that night.
They say if you are subjected to torture long enough it becomes bearable. She felt free. She had nothing left that they could take from her anymore. They had taken it all, her dreams, her reasoning, her body, and her soul. But her river still flowed even though man had tried his best to destroy it.
After fifty years, she felt she had lived beyond her age. What did she leave behind? Children were akin to strangers. Grandchildren she never laid eyes on. And the village, that gave her life and took it from her. She gently waded through the water. The breeze was stronger now, her hair whipping around her face. She felt calm and the river was silent. Slowly she felt herself sink beneath its merciful water. The sun seemed farther away, but there was no need for it anymore. She smiled and became one with her river.
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