Soup
Alisha got startled, she looked at Maya, who didn't seem shocked at all.
‘Did I make any mistakes by following her?’ she thought to herself.
"She is the girl who got lost in the woods, needs treatment, and some place to spend her night today," Maya answered, as a girl and a boy approached.
"Levi? Rish?" Alisha gasped, remembering them as the salespeople from the jewellery shop where Alice caused a stir over the wedding ring.
"You?" Both Levi and Rish asked in shock.
"Three of you know each other?" Maya asked, looking at them with a confused expression.
"Of course, she's the same girl who literally made us lose months of salary by replacing the ring, and we were on the verge of losing our jobs too. Didn't we tell you, Mom?" Rish explained, his expression hostile.
"Replaced?" Alisha repeated their words.
"Yes, how dumb does anyone need to be to think they can get normal silver rings in a diamond or prestigious stones store? And your fiancé even made sure to spread bad words about us to our boss," Levi answered, her voice not as hostile as Rish's. "Though I'm glad you took him away that day, or else we would be dead."
"You mean those rings weren't just silver and some fake stones?" Alisha's eyes were ready to pop out as she tried to make sense of Levi's words.
"Hundred percent true. But what are you doing here? And in this condition?" Rish looked at his mother, then back at Alisha.
"I found her in the forest. She seems lost and I didn't know she was the same girl you were talking about before. But that doesn't matter when she's in this situation," Maya shrugged.
"I'm sorry for what happened that day. I wasn't in a position to do anything myself, so I couldn't help either. But please don't hate me," Alisha's voice filled with regret as she pleaded.
Levi and Rish looked at each other.
"We don't hold any hate for you, but what happened? Where is Alice? Do you want us to call him?" Levi approached Alisha, scanning her.
Alisha was filled with wounds and cuts, looking totally shocked and tired.
"Please don't. I'm begging you. I ran away from my marriage, that's why I'm here, in this condition. Don't hand me over to him," Alisha begged, trembling. She was ready to die in the forest rather than meet Alice or face him.
"What?!" Rish gasped. Levi looked at Alisha with shock, and Maya too was startled by the news.
"I think we can talk about all this after Alisha gets a bit better. For now, she needs treatment. Let me show her the bathroom so she can bathe, and bring me the medicines and stuff so I can treat her wounds," Maya declared, not wanting to discuss the topic further. She could see how bad Alisha's condition was, and it was better not to ask for more details.
“But mom..”
“Stop it, we can talk it afterwards,” Maya cut off Rish in middle .
She led Alisha to the bathroom, gave her some clothes, and showed her where everything was.
Alisha took a long, hot shower, letting the water soothe her aching muscles and wash away the grime of the forest. Afterward, she wrapped herself in a towel and returned to the living room where Maya, Levi and Rish were waiting.
Maya had gathered some medical supplies and was preparing to treat Alisha's wounds. Levi and Rish were sitting on the couch, deep in thought. Alisha could sense the tension in the air.
As Maya started to clean and dress Alisha's wounds, Alisha couldn't help but feel grateful for her kindness. Despite not knowing her well, Maya was going out of her way to help her.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused," Alisha said quietly, looking down at her hands.
Maya paused for a moment, then smiled gently. "Don't worry about it, dear. What matters now is that you're safe and getting the help you need."
Alisha felt a wave of relief wash over her. Maybe things weren't as bad as she thought they were.
Once Maya had finished treating her wounds, she said, "You should rest in the room there. I will cook something warm so you can feel better," pointing towards the room.
Alisha nodded and limped inside the room, which looked old but beautiful, filled with the freshness of the forest scent.
She comfortably sat on the bed and leaned against the headboard, feeling the soothing effect on her sore muscles as soon as her body touched the bed.
‘I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, but I've already run away, so I can't go back no matter what. This place seems safest; even Alice won't be able to find me. Who would think about a cabin-like house in the middle of the forest?’ she mumbled to herself, closing her eyes.
But she couldn't shake off the guilt she felt about Mary and the kids, and the broken trust with Daisy. She trusted her enough to let her go to the washroom alone.
To be honest, it wasn't something she wanted to feel guilty about because leaving Alice was the right thing to do. Still, she couldn't help but feel guilty about Daisy.
Alisha didn't know what she would do tomorrow. For today, she had a place to stay, but she couldn't stay here forever, especially knowing how badly Alice had treated Levi and Rish before, and yet their mother was helping her.
She sighed, realizing the complexity of her situation. Tomorrow seemed like a distant worry, overshadowed by the immediate relief of being safe for the night.
"Are you awake, dear?"
Alisha opened her eyes, hearing a soft voice and saw Maya standing there with a bowl. She slowly sat up, feeling the pain in her fresh wounds.
"I am," Alisha smiled, reaching out for the bowl as Maya handed it to her.
"I only have warm soup for now. I hope it suits your taste. It's veggie soup, good and warm for health," Maya said.
"I'm already very thankful for the meal. You're already doing so much for me."
"It's nothing. Just eat and sleep. Leave other things for tomorrow," Maya reassured her, as she walked out of the room.
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