Page 43 of Empowered

The snake charmer continued playing his song, swaying his instrument in front of the reptile. Its hood fully expanded in attack-mode. It stood erect, sizing up its opponent, calculating when to strike. The entire crowd was silent, watching and waiting for the animal to make its first move. The charmer played on, oblivious to the threat before him. The snake began to sway along, matching the movements of the charmer. The man had not only the animal in a trance but the swarm of people standing around him, too.

Suddenly, he stopped playing, removing the music that lightened the spirit of the beast. The snake stopped moving and seemed to remember his need to kill. However, before the cobra could act, the man placed the lid of the basket over the top of the snake’s head, gently guiding him back into his basket. The crowd clapped and offered money into a basket next to the man.

Amelia glanced at me, still awestruck at what she had just witnessed.

“Imagine what would have happened if this was a mongoose-snake fight,” I said.

She smirked. “The mongoose always wins.”

She’d proven that. “Yes, she does.”

Chapter XXV

Amelia

Isat in the courtyard enjoying the early morning sunshine on a patch of grass with a book I had found in the library.Rikki-Tikki-Taviby Rudyard Kipling. It was about a mongoose taken in as a pet by a British family living in India, and the mongoose protected them from cobras.

The sun seemed to be getting hotter earlier every day, so I was only able to get out shortly after breakfast to enjoy the fresh air. My skin was naturally sensitive to sun, burning easily anytime I was out for too long, so I was always sure to be armed with lots of sunscreen and a hat.

I wasn’t alone this morning. A couple of women from the kitchen staff sat on a blanket a bit away from me busy preparing food while chatting in Hindi. The kitchen staff consisted of both older and younger women who prepared all our meals. This morning, the younger women were present, which was also probably why there was more talking than working going on.

I abandoned my book and walked over to them. One of the ladies looked up at me, startled that I was hovering over them. “Hi, there. Mind if I help you?” I asked.

The ladies looked at each other. “Miss, I don’t think that would be appropriate,” she answered looking anxious, as if she were about to get in trouble for talking to me.

I didn’t understand the reason for formalities, but I knew that there was some sort of line that house staff weren’t supposed to cross in this culture. However, I was screwing their boss, so I would make sure no one would get in trouble.

I sat down on the blanket. They had dishes of various grains and lentils in the middle. They continued with their work in silence. I watched their nimble fingers weed through the contents of the dishes, picking out pebbles, husks, and anything else that was inedible. I grabbed one of the large dishes and followed suit. Quiet gasps came from them as I copied them and plucked out impurities.

I ignored their surprise and worked through my dish of rice. “I’ve never done this before,” I admitted.

“Let me know if I’m doing this properly.”

The older of the girls, the one closest to me, reluctantly passed me a small dish to deposit my pebbles. “Thanks,” I said gratefully. She was beautiful, with dark, shiny hair and smooth skin. She wore minimal makeup and had a small, jeweled stud on the side of her nose. I noticed that most of the women here had their noses pierced.

The amount of food before me was unbelievable. “Will all of this be prepared for tonight’s dinner?” I asked incredulously.

The older woman, who was about my age, answered, “No, we prepare all of this in advance so it’s ready when we need it for cooking.”

The younger girl, no more than sixteen years old, added, “Although, at the rate Master Jai has been having guests over, we’ll burn through this supply in a week.” The older one gasped in shock at her boldness. The girl seemed embarrassed of her own honesty and diverted her gaze to the dish of yellow lentils in front of her.

I ignored their reactions and continued cleaning out my dish of rice. “I believe it! Jai is a party animal. The other night, we had a dinner party, and he had an afterparty at his place with lord knows who else.”

They both giggled. “I’m Nadia, by the way,” said the outspoken girl.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Amelia.” I was sure they knew all about me since I was familiar with the staff’s affinity for gossip. I couldn’t understand most of what they said since they mostly spoke in another language, but I could make out a few random words Shyam had uttered before and my name.

She nodded and smiled. “This is my sister Nalini.” She motioned to the woman next to her. “She is madly in love with Master Jai.”

Nalini dropped her mouth open and smacked her sister on the arm for telling her secrets. “Chup!” Shut up!Nalini’s cheeks were bright red from the shame of being outed.

I laughed. “It’s okay. I understand. He’s got a charm about him.”

Nadia ducked her head shyly. She looked on either side of her to make sure no one else was around and leaned in toward me. “I see lots of women in his apartment really late at night,” she whispered.

“Nadia, be quiet!” Nalini admonished her sister. She seemed panicked that I would get upset. “I’m so sorry about my sister. She talks too much.”

“I won’t say anything. I promise.”

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