Broken

Outside

Sweat irritated her brow, as it slid down in perfect orbs to the ground below. She raised her free arm to wipe it away while simultaneously, correcting the dupatta that had begun to expose her hair. At the tender age of twelve, she was stripped off a normal childhood. Made manifest to her duties, Shillan never apprehended the life she should have had. Never did she think that children her age could do anything else until she was allowed on the roads.

The scorching heat did not help matters as Shillan groped for dear life. The baby securely straddled against her chest, peacefully slept. Carrying the dead weight was growing arduous but what choice did she have?
"Sir, please give me something. My brother is sick and we have no one to look after us. Please sir!", she pleaded in a tiny voice her throat now parched and her hand outstretched. Words rolled of her tongue, leaving a bitter taste behind. She hated lying. As her eyes dilated into globes of innocence, garnering pity from the man who'd fallen prey to her act; a single note found its way onto her palm from the man's wallet. Twisting the corners of her lips, she looked up at him and smiled showing him a set of brown teeth coated heavily with plaque. The man smiled back though, his look did not betray bliss rather empathy.

Back and forth, Shillan went; pocketing as much as she could. The baby in her arms did much to help her. Slowly, her task was becoming a child's play. Her job was simple. However, with every bit of money she pocketed, her heart grew heavier. Her character stopped lower. There was nothing she could do, though. Battling with her conscience she continued forth. As the sun began to set, she knew her time was up. Darkness enveloped the sky, and she squinted her eyes to make out stars that she'd heard her mother speak so fondly of but to no avail. The city lights sparkled in the glistening night and the loud noise of traffic ricocheted on the walls of the cascading buildings.

She trained her eyes to not wander off to the little kids who laughed beside their parents. She prevented herself from envying children her age, licking the ice creams their hands held or smiling at the balloons their parents had gotten them. Instead, she maintained her focus on the baby straddled across her. The baby that could be dead. The first one had been the hardest. A very vivid recollection beheld her mind as she sought for the memory of the baby she had been given the very first time. The child was around a month old and a healthy one at that. The tanned skin and rounded features added to the beauty of its smile. She had marvelled at the little treasure. Little had she known what was to come.