The Village Girl

Chapter Twenty One - [Seetha]

In the time that Aaryan was gone, I did not sit at home doing nothing. With the help of the Warriors of the Western Fort, the village had been repaired faster than imagined. It helped to have many fit, strong men working by our sides.

However, now that things were returning to normal, I decided to continue on with my own life. My best friend Saratha had had a baby. I had received a letter from her before the commotion in the village and now that things had settled down, I had decided it was time for me to go visit her.

I remembered Aaryan seeming uncomfortable about the thought of me going alone when I had mentioned this to him well before the attack. I was slightly concerned now, though I dismissed his worries a months and a half ago. But when one of my uncles told me that he was going to deliver some goods to his family, and he would be passing the village of my best friend, I couldn't not ask him to take me with him.

Within a few days, I found myself sitting on the back of his bullock cart.

We talked for the whole trip as my uncle was a kind man and since he had no kids and his wife passed away from an illness many years ago, he was a lonely man. He always had much to say when he spent time with my family. Of course, he wasn't actually my uncle. He was a close friend of my father and I grew up calling him uncle. Thankfully, I enjoyed spending time with this man, making my trips with him something I looked forward to.

The trip took about a day, including the time it took to stop by for a small meal, but when we reached the crossroad that lead to my best friends village, I jumped off the cart and waved goodbye while he continued on.

"Remember to be back here in two days by noon!" He shouted as he rode off.

"Yes, I will!" I shouted back as I waved. "Stay safe!"

After watching him ride off, I lifted my light back over my shoulder and half ran towards the village, excited to see my best friend.

When I arrived in the busy village, I was greeted by some villagers who recognized my face, including some of my best friends husband, Mayuran's, family. Many people had heard about the news of my village being attacked and had plenty of questions to ask. Of course, they seemed quite happy to see me safe, even though we barely knew each other.

By the time I reached my best friends home, the sun was setting, but she saw me at the gate and almost instantly, her face lit up.

Saratha jumped up from the porch of her home and ran over to me as fast as she could. She pounced into my arms and hugged me with tears in her eyes. "Seetha!"

I laughed, hugging her back just as tightly.

"I was so worried!" She cried as she pulled away. "I thought... I heard about the village..."

"We are fine, Saratha," I said.

"Amma and Appa?" She asked, referring to her parents who had chosen to cut their ties with her because of her choice to marry a man they found to be less than adequate. I had informed them that I was coming to see her before I left, wondering if maybe one of them would join me, but they did not seem to care. For the most part, they ignored me, but I chose to not tell Saratha about that.

"They are fine too," I said.

She seemed relieved.

"Well?" I asked, grinning widely. "The baby? We can talk after you introduce him to me!"

Saratha looked surprised before she let out a laugh.

Saratha's baby boy was absolutely precious. He looked healthy and happy and I fell in love almost instantly. I held the little boy in my arms as her three other children were fast asleep by my side. Saratha had had her first child at sixteen. She was very young but it was almost like she was always meant to be a mother. I always thought that every woman was meant to be a mother, but as I grew older I came to realize that that was not often the case. Being a mother came so easily to her. So easily that a year later, she gave birth to twins, and though she had three very young children, she raised them with ease and without a complaint.