Chapter 3: The fat merchant.

Anaaya was walking around the town aimlessly trying to find a way back to her home. The crowd was overwhelming her. She had never been out in crowds all alone before.

Anaaya walked to a secluded place, a little away from the crowd as she took out her mobile to call Mr. Dev.

"Why is there no network? What the hell is happening here? And what's up with this watch? Why is it showing 9 am in the morning?" She had many questions which she could find no answers for.

Not far from the place where she was hiding, the pleas and cries of people were heard. Out of curiosity, Anaaya decided to take a look.

"Welcome to the Slave Market. We found a batch of new slaves for you to use, my masters. Choose the one that you like and it will be yours." A well toned man wearing nothing but a simple looking dhoti and a turban on his head spoke as loudly as he could to attract customers.

The people whom he was trying to sell were mostly young women and children. Anaaya knew clearly that if she did something it will bring unnecessary attention to her which could be dangerous. She decided to ignore them.

The street was bustling with crowd, it was when she spotted 2 beautiful and elegant looking ladies wearing dark green and light pink dyed cotton saris, covered in jewels from head to toe. For some reason, It looked like the people were making way for them until they passed. Anaaya was looking at them as she hid behind a bundle of hay, still unable to grasp what was happening there.

After wandering around the whole place which looked like a market, Anaaya became a little tired. "This painful sensation on my stomach and this state of weakness caused by need of food... Gosh! I am so hungry!" She looked around the market and finally found a fruit stall.

"Aunt. How much are these bananas?" The woman eyed her up and down as she threw a question back at her.

"Do you even have the money to buy it?"

"Well excuse me! If I want, I can even buy your whole fruit stall! How much is it? Name the price!" Anaaya was fuming mad being judged like this for the first time in her entire life. She took out a bunch of cash and even waved her credit cards at the woman in front of her. The woman looked at her as if she was in need of some immediate medical attention and shooed her away from her stall.

"What the hell was that!?" Anaaya felt very offended by how that woman treated her. Their little fight even brought attention to her. She decided to leave that place immediately before the crowd gathered around her and looked at her like a weird piece of specimen.

"Excuse me. Do you happen to know a place where I can sell some items?"

"Follow this road, 5th store from this place is a store of a merchant." She quickly thanked the man and walked away. The merchant store seemed to be the biggest one as far as she had seen. Anaaya was greeted with wonderful looking artworks at the entrance. The inside of the store looked clean. Many decorative artworks were being hung on the ceiling.

A woman on her late twenties approached Anaaya with a bright smile on her face.

"Greetings Miss. Is there anything in particular you are looking for?" From the moment she landed on this place, she was looked upon like a monkey, a beggar and a specimen, this woman was the first one to greet her with a smile which moved a little.

"I want to sell something. Could you guide me?"

"Sure Miss. Please follow me." A fat merchant in colorful shirt and a dhoti welcomed her with a big nasty smile.

"I want to sell this pendant. How much do you think you can give me?" She showed him a lovely looking platinum pendant. He took it from her as he assessed it.

Moments later, the fat merchant smashed his fist onto the table, the hairs on his neck standing straight, "How dare you bring this piece of shit to me? Someone drag her out of our store." Anaaya was so alarmed as she decided to make a run.

She fell flat on the floor being tripped by the very woman who greeted her with a big smile. Her backpack came undone as her things scattered on the floor. She hissed in pain and breathed unsteadily.

The fat merchant spotted a shiny little rod which rolled out of her bag. "What is this thing?"

"It's a pen, pen. It's a pen!" Anaaya who was still on the floor answered him obediently. He looked carefully at that object, unable to comprehend what she meant, signalled his men to help her up.

She fidgeted nervously as she collected the scattered things back into her bag. "You can take it. Just let me go."

"I am a merchant. Not a thief. Sell it to me." His words astounded her as she blinked at him blankly.

"If you are not willing to sell it to me, get out of my place."

"No, no, no. Wait. Let's talk!"

Anaaya explained to him how to use a pen. The fat merchant was astonished to see words written on a paper without ink or brush. He offered her 100 gold coins to buy it from her. She bargained to add a 1000 copper and 500 silver coins together with the gold.

"Thank you. Visit again!" They sent her off with a huge smile on their faces like they have achieved something. Anaaya felt like she scammed them big time as she walked away with her backpack full of money.

"Let me go!" A woman screamed as she bit the hand of the man who was pulling her, resulting on a hard slap across her face. Instead of helping that woman, the people were gossiping.

"What is happening here?"

"That slave got sold. She should understand that resistance will only make them want her more. Poor her..."

Utilising the ruckus created by that woman, the other captured slaves tried to escape which resulted in a big commotion. Anaaya took shelter inside an inn as she watched them dragging those women by their hair and the helpless children crying their eyes out. Her heart hurt a little seeing people being treated so brutally.

Among this commotion, a girl who roughly looked her age, stood silently with her hands and feet tied in a rope. She was barely clothed. Her eyes looked dead and devoid of any hope. In the spur of the moment, Anaaya decided to help that girl by blending in with the commotion.