ADISHRI

Adishri gave a small nod once she got my permission to speak and began.

She stated that one of the most basic problems was the discrepancy between the amount of work they were asked to perform and the amount of rest they received.

The next major problem was of food.

Food for those who were actively working was in itself divided into two, with the major portion going to the male workers and the minor portion to the female workers.

Food for the children and the elderly was even less.

The quality of food was a secondary major problem in itself.

The workers were given rations in the form of low-quality wheat bhakri and onions. this was provided twice a day.

The children and elderly were given the same but in far lesser quantity.

The evening food preparations were done in a group setting and the quantity provided was, most of the time, not enough for a whole family.

The next major issue that she felt the need to be raised was the care given to them in the form of basic medical treatments.

Workers, like their group were usually tasked with heavy and dirty work that most other would rather not do. In completing the set work, they were more prone to general illnesses and bodily harm. The noble or their wealthy employers did not seem them human enough to care for them enough. In most of the cases, access to basic healthcare could prevent most of their injuries or illnesses from escalating, but they were denied the hope.

The children and elderly who are not able to work, are totally dismissed by the employers every time and they are shown the least possible concern.

If a worker is disabled or fallen ill due the job that they had undertaken they are not even provided basic remuneration for their troubles. They are directly cut from the job and replaced by others.

Most of the people that form this workforce and many like it, were peasants or workers who used to previously work under some master and were discarded for a bit of coin to the supervisors or their seniors.

Due to their identities, most if not all, have become used to living a life of submission. This mentality has made them unable to resist against everyone.

After completing her little speech as hurriedly as possible she became quiet and went back to stand in the que. It was almost as if she felt that if she did not list out them as fast as she could I would not let her finish and she will miss this golden opportunity of finally being heard. I could see the visible relaxation on her face as she went back to stand in the que.

After hearing her, I was impressed that she was accurately able to pinpoint the major issues that this worker group, and most similar groups faced on a day-to-day basis.

It is true that almost every experienced worker had thought of these unfair treatments that they and their fellow workers and families faced. But if placed on the spot in front of a senior noble they would mostly not able to form their thoughts well enough to be presented at a moment's notice. The fact that she had not only the courage but also the awareness to optimally utilize the opportunity presented to her.

I knew that she, like everyone else in the hall, understood that the possibility of actual changes regarding their problems was marginal at best. She, unlike most, who would have found themselves in her position, would lose hope after working for three to five years. But the woman in front of me had not lost hope. It was visible in her eyes.

After listening to her, I gave a small nod as if I understood her concerns and then asked them to return to their camp and await further instructions that they will have received by evening. They bowed once again and began to leave the hall.

My sudden voice halted their steps. I clarified that I intended for Bhima and Adishri to stay, while the rest went back to the camp to wait for them to return with further instructions.

Bhima and Adishri came back into their previous positions while the rest left.

After witnessing their behaviour and attitude, I had decided that I would entrust the workers under the supervision of Bhima.

Bhima was my selection for this position, because I could see that he had a somewhat acceptable moral compass and the right attitude so that he could handle both the workers and the others without creating major friction.

Sadly, Bhima would always remain that. A worker.

He did not have the necessary qualities to stand with me while I enact the necessary changes while growing. He would be helpful in shaping a better workforce on the grassroot level and have a high prestige among the workers of not just this group but all over the kingdom, as my plans progressed, but he would not progress and tackle any issues other than these.

Adishri, on the other hand was someone that I now have decided to keep by my side.

She was someone with so much potential on things that would be important to the progress of the kingdom not only financially but also emotionally and morally.

The blatant discrimination and limited thinking of people of this and the upcoming era against women was something that I as a modern man could not fathom. From my experiences and upbringing in the twenty first century, I knew better than most in this era on the massive power that women brought into empowering of the society if provided a platform and promise of equality.

The drive and passion that was visible in Adishri would make an almost perfect buffer in my plans to embolden and empower the women and girls in the kingdom.

She will be the strongest shield and the sharpest sword for the women of the kingdom.

This shield will provide enough safety and cover for the women to have time to accept the changes and the same sword will be a deterrence to all those who wish to harm this initiative.

This will still take a long time to implement and hence for now I had decided on a gradual transition of both into their respective roles.

I told them of my decision to strip the supervisor of his powers but keep him on as a symbolic gesture and the real power over the decisions about workers will be divided between the both of them.

Bhima was to be the supervisor for the males and Adishri was to care for the women, children and elderly.