AN INCOMPLETE DREAM (Part 2)

"Ella, Ella wake up" i heard. Someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw Cindrella standing in front of me.

I got up from the bed and wore my headphones.

"Are your sisters and your mother back?" i asked.

"No not yet" replied Cindrella. "Why?"

"No just asking" i said. "Common letz go to the kitchen."

"Why to the kitchen?" she asked.

"Because i want to make something to eat" i replied. "Where is Danny?"

"In my pocket" replied Cindrella. "Ok common letz go."

We headed to the kitchen.

"Ok then letz make few sandwhitches now" i said.

"Sand what?" asked Cindrella.

"Sandwhitch" replied Danny.

"Whatz that?" she asked.

"Dont you know what is Sandwhitch?" i asked.

"No" replied Cindrella.

Yeah right. I forgot that we were in 10th century and so how will those people know about this modern food but i decided to introduce it here.

"Well ok i will show you how to make it" i said. "Get some bread."

"Yeah brown bread is there here" said Cindrella. She handed the bread to me.

I cut it into few slices. "Now get some cucumber, tomatoes, beetroot and boiled potatoes" i ordered.

Cindrella handed me tomatoes, cucumber and beetroot and she started boiling the potaoes in some metal like vessel.

I quickly cut them into slices and placed them on one slice of the bread.

"Is this some new recipie?" asked Cindrella.

"Well yeah" i lied. "It tastes good."

After a while when potaoes got boiled i cut them in to slices too and placed them on top of the other vegetables. I knew very well that we will not get butter and so i covered it by placing the other slice and made the sandwhitch ready.

"Here you go Cindrella" i said. "Its for you."

"Thanks a lot Ella" she said.

She took a bite and said, "Yeah its delicious."

"Thanks a lot" i replied. I made one for myself.

"And what about me?" asked Danny who was standing on the dining table. "I am hungry too."

"Well how will he eat this?" asked Cindrella. "He is so tiny and so is his jaw and so how can he put these things inside his mouth?"

"Well thatz what i am wondering" i replied.

"Well i dont want the sandwhitch" said Danny. "Get me some milk in a tiny vessel and a slice of fruit."

"Yeah ok fine i will get you a slice of apple and some milk" said Cindrella.

After eating sandwhitches Cindrella insisted to go to the garden and i said yes.

She kept Danny in her pocket and we were about to leave when we heard some noise.

"My mother and sisters are back" said Cindrella.

She took out Danny from her pocket and handed over to me.

"You both go downstairs and hide in my room" she ordered. "Please orelse you will be in trouble. Common hurry up."

"Yeah ok" i said and hurried downstairs and entered Cindrella's room. I dont know what happend then but i and Danny were able to hear the screaming voices to her sisters and mother.

"Did you clean up my bedroom?" asked one of them by raising her voice. "And what about my closet?" asked the other one.

"And who will wash all the clothes now? Go and clean them up, we are sending all of them" ordered one of them.

I was very much sure that Cindrella was in trouble and she had to clean up all the clothes by herself and so i decided to go out and help.

"Now what?" asked Danny.

"Letz go and help her" i replied.

"No" he said. "Dont you know that her mother and sisters are here and we will be in trouble."

"Yeah but we cant leave Cindrella alone there cleaning up large number of clothes" i said. "We have to help her in any condition."

"Ok fine then letz go from the other door so that they dont see us" Danny suggested.

"Fine" i said and tucked Danny in my pocket and hurried outside.

"Towards left" said Danny.

I went to the door located on the left side and opened it. As i went ahead i saw stairs leading upstairs. i quickly climbed them and went up. There i saw Cindrella's cruel and ugly sisters coming towards the dinning table in their night suits with their mom.

"Get the dinner" they ordered Cindrella. "And go down then to clean up the clothes."

We saw Cindrella going downstairs after serving them dinner.

While they were busy with their dinners i decided to run away from there and so i did and they didnt even notice me. I went towards the backside of the castle where Cindrella was sitiing with the huge number of clothes.

"Cindrella" i whispered.

She saw me and got stunned.

"Ella, what are you doing here?" she asked in low voice.

"Just came to help you out" i answered. "Why are you washing these clothes here and why not in the bathroom in castle?"

"Well i am not allowed to do that" she answered. "I am not allowed to enter of the places in my house without the permission of my mother."

"How rude is that" i said angrily. "Ok let me help you out."

"No Ella please" said Cindrella. "You will be in much trouble if someone sees you here."

"I dont care Cindrella" i said. "I cant leave you here struggling alone here."

"Well its ok Ella" said Cindrella. "I do this everyday and so nothing is new about it."

"Well ok but she wants to help you out" said Danny. "So please dont tell us to go."

"Well but . . . "

"Sssshhhhh, nothing will happen" i interrupted. "Danny will keep a watch and will tell us if someone comes."

I took out Danny from my pocket and told him to go and stand near the door.

"Well yeah ok fine" said Cindrella.

I helped her out in washing clothes and within an hour we finished cleaning them.

"See how soon your work got over" i said.

"Thanks a lot Ella" replied Cindrella. "You have helped me a lot in 1 day itself."

"Ella?" shouted Danny. "Her mother is coming, go away from there."

"Go Ella and hide behind that opposite wall" ordered Cindrella. "Hurry up."

I quickly got up and went behind that wall. From there i peeped out to see what was her mother telling her.

"Finished cleaning up the clothes?" she asked rudely.

"Well aaaa yeah" replied Cindrella.

"And now who will wash all the utensiles?" she asked. "Clean them up right now."

"Yeah ok" said Cindrella and she started washing them.

Her mother left then.

As quickly came forward and so did Danny.

"What is this?" i asked Cindrella. "Why are you been treated so badly?"

"Well this is what my life is" she replied.

"Let me help you out again" i said and sat besides her.

I started cleaning utensils with Cindrella and really got very tired after cleaning few of them. I wondered how Cindrella worked up daily alone with all this stuff.

"You go now" said Cindrella. "I will manage it now. You will be tired."

"No its ok" i said.

"No Ella please" requested Cindrella. "You must be tired. You and Danny go to the room and take rest meanwhile i will finish this work and come there."

"But...?"

"No questions now" said Cindrella. "Go and take rest."

"Well ok" i said and kept Danny in my pocket and went to the room.

After going to the room i switched on the headphones.

"Hi Peter uncle" i said slowly.

"What are you doing Ella?" he asked. "What if her mother and sisters find you out?"

"Then what to do uncle?" i asked. "Cant you see how poorely Cindrella is treated here?"

"Well i can but thatz the only truth, dont you know?" he asked. "And thatz why her fairy tale is been written."

"Yeah i know" i replied. "But i cant see her in this condition. She is my most favourite character from fairy tale and she is really good uncle. Cant you see how sweet and innocent she is?"

"I can" he replied.

"I have to help out Cindrella uncle" i said. "I have to improve her life."

"Dont you know how dangerous it is?" he asked.

"Yes i know" i replied. "But i am ready to take the risk for her sake."

"Ella?"

"No uncle please" i said. "There wont be any problem, i assure you."

"Ok as you say" he said. "Now go to sleep. Good night."

"Yeah good night uncle" i said and switched off the headphone.

I took out Danny from my pocket and kept him on the table."

"What a big trouble you are Danny" i said. "I always have to keep you inside my pockek and i just dont get that how you manage being so small."

"Well i can" he replied. "See i can help you out in many ways by being so small, right?"

"Well yeah" i agreed. "But . . " i stopped as Cindrella entered the room.

"So is the work over?" i asked.

"Yeah its done" she replied. "Common letz go to sleep. I am very much tired."

"Yeah ok fine" i replied.

"And how will Danny sleep?" she asked. "Where should we tuck him up?"

"Well i always sleep on the floor itself" he replied. "Just put a bedsheet on me so that i dont feel cold and please light the fire."

"Yeah i am lighting the fire but i am sorry Danny, you wont be able to get the bedsheet here" said Cindrella.

"But why?" he asked.

"Because i dont have any" replied Cindrella. "And even i have to sleep shivering in the cold everyday."

"No problem" he replied. "But it be there in your sisters room, right?"

"Well yeah maybe" replied Cindrella.

"Ok then i will go and get it" replied Danny. "Will be back in 5 minutes."

"But how will you carry it?'" asked Cindrella. "You are so tiny."

"Well i think, i should go with him" i said.

"Well no Ella" said Cindrella. "Its not as safe as you think."

We kept thinking for sometime.

"Hey Danny is so tiny" said Cindrella. "Then he doesnt require such a huge bedsheet. I think handkerchief will be fine to cover him up."

"Well yeah its a good idea" i agreed. "Thanks for suggesting."

"Yeah just hold on you little one" said Cindrella. "I will cover you up with this handkerchief."

Cindrella covered up Danny with the piece of her handerchief.

"Thanks a lot" replied Danny.

"Its absolutely no problem" said Cindrella and kissed him up.

"I am really sorry Ella" said Cindrella. "Even you will have to sleep on the floor itself."

"Its ok dear" i replied. "Even you sleep on the floor everyday, right?"

"Well yeah but you. . . "

"Then dont say anything" i interrupted. "Now letz go to sleep."

"Well yeah ok fine" said Cindrella and we both slept.

Next day i felt something on my right hand. When i opened my eyes i saw Danny jumping on my right hand.

"Whatz there Danny?" i asked in a sleepy tone.

"Get up" he said.

"Whatz the time?" i asked giving a big yaurn.

"There arent any watches here" he replied.

"Oh yeah right" i said and got up. I didnt see Cindrella anywhere in the room.

"Where is Cindrella?" i asked.

"She is on her work" replied Danny.

"Then why didnt she wake me up?" i asked.

"Well yeah i told her but she said that you must be tired working yesterday and so she didnt wake you up" explained Danny.

"Oh my god!" i said. "She must be doing all the work alone. Then why didnt you wake me up?"

"I was calling you since maybe last 2 hours but you didnt seem to wake up and so i started jumping on your hand" explained Danny.

"Ok fine now letz go and help her out" i suggested.

I quickly got up and got dressed up and put Danny in my pocket and went upstairs to help Cindrella.

"Wait Ella" said Danny. "Just make sure that no one sees us."

"Is her mother and sisters at home?" i asked.

"Well i dont know anything about it" replied Danny. "But be careful."

"Yeah sure" i said and started taking small and slow steps.

"Caught you" i heard someone saying from behind. I was very much sure that it was one of the Cindrella's sisters or her mother and i knew that i was busted now and so i made myself ready to press the red button but before that i decided to turn back and see who was there and so i did.

After turning back i saw a familiar face. Yes that was Cindrella.

"You scared me" i said.

"Ella please dont rome around the house" she said. "My mother and sisters are at home today."

"They are?" asked Danny.

"Yes they are" she replied. "So please you two go back to the room."

"Well but we have come out to help you" i replied.

"Well you cant do that today" said Cindrella.

"Well but they are inside their rooms and so no one will come to know if i help you out" i explained.

"Well they can come out any moment" replied Cindrella. "Please dont take any risk."

"Well ok fine then you continue with cleaning work till that time i will do the kitchen work" i suggested.

"Ella please" pleaded Cindrella. "You cant do that. My sisters will surely tie you on the stake if they come to know about you."

"Well how if Ella wears same dress as yours" suggested Danny.

"What?" asked Cindrella.

"Yeah if Ella wears same dress as yours and works in the kitchen then no one will be able to find out" he explained.

"Well good idea, what do you think?" i asked.

"Well no please let it be i will manage" said Cindrella.

"Oh my god!" i said. "Why do you get so scared?"

"Well thatz becoz i know how dangerous they are" replied Cindrella.

"Well you dont worry, nothing will happen" i assured. "Just give me one of your dress to wear."

"Well you will get it in the room" replied Cindrella. "Till that time i will continue with this work."

"Yeah ok fine. Take care of Danny" i said and handed Danny to Cindrella and went back to the room. I got dressed up in Cindrella's clothes and then went upstairs.

I headed to the kitchen by making sure that no one was there around. I reached there and started working.

"Hey you" i heard someone saying from behind. "Have you cleaned the whole house?"

Well here i was very much sure that it was Cindrella's sister or mother.

"Yes" i said without looking behind.

"Keep the lunch ready till we return orelse you wont get anything to eat for next three days" she ordered.

"Ok" i said and then i think she left. After few moments i turned behind. No one was standing there and then i heard the noise of the door which told me that her mother and sisters left.

"Thank god!" i said to myself.

"Ella, Ella" i heard Cindrella calling.

"Yeah i am coming" i replied and went out of the kitchen. "Yeah what happened?"

"You are safe now" she replied. "My mother and sisters have left just now."

"Yeah i know" i replied.

"How you know?" she asked.

"Well i was about to get caught now" i replied. "I think your sister or mother came here and was asking abut your work."

"Did they see you?" she asked.

"No they didnt" i replied.

"Thank god!" she replied. "Orelse we all would have been in big trouble."

"Nothing will happen dear" i replied. "You dont worry."

"Ok what about the lunch?" asked Cindrella.

"Yeah will be getting ready in a short while" i replied. "Anyways, which dish do you like the most?"

"Me?" asked Cindrella. "Well but i hardly get any food to eat and so i dont have any favourite dish to eat."

"Ok fine then how about chicken?" i asked.

"Well i dont have any problem" replied Cindrella. "The thing is that it should taste good orelse i will get the beatings from my mother."

"Well i am not asking for your mother and sisters" i replied. "I am asking for you so that i can make it now and serve you."

"Serve me?" asked Cindrella in confused tone. "Well its not possible. If my mother and . . . ."

"Your mother and sisters wont come to know anything" i interrupted. "You are getting a chance to have a good food and so why to loose it?"

"Ok you make whatever you want to" answered Cindrella. "I dont mind. Till that time i will go and stitch my sisters clothes."

"You know stitching?" i asked.

"Well yeah why?" asked Cindrella.

"Well thatz becoz i dont know and so i cant help you out in that" i replied. "I am sorry."

"Well yeah its ok" said Cindrella giving a smile. "I can manage it as i always did."

AFTER THE LUNCH

"Thanks Ella" said Cindrella. "This is a very first time when i had sufficient food."

"Well its absolutely no problem" i replied. "I had come here to help you out only."

"Well but from where do you actually belong?" asked Cindrella.

"Well from Los Angles" i replied.

"Where is it exactly situated?" asked Cindrella.

"Well very near to California itself" i replied. "Why, you want to come to my place or what?"

"Well yeah i would like to but i know its impossible" said Cindrella.

"Why impossible?" asked Danny.

"Well becoz if my mother and my sisters come to know about this, they will surely hang me up" explained Cindrella.

"Well how will they come to know?" i asked.

"Well someday or the other i will be back here and so at that time they will surely ask me where i have been" explained Cindrella.

"Well but why you will be back here again?" i asked. "You can stay at my place with me forever."

"Nooooooo" said Danny.

"But why?" i asked.

He came to me and started climbing on my shoulders.

"What are you doing?" i asked.

"Dont move" he said. "Orelse i will fall."

He climbed on my left shoulder and started saying something in my ears.

"How can Cindrella come with us?" he asked. "Dont you know that one day she will be getting married to a prince?"

"Oh yeah thatz right" i replied.

"What?" asked Cindrella.

"Well aaaa nothing" said Danny. "What do you do for timepass?"

"Timepass?" asked Cindrella.

"Yeah i mean whenever you are free how do you spend your time?" he asked climbing down from my shoulders.

"Well i never get free time" replied Cindrella. "Just becoz you two helped me out i am free today orelse i never even get a time to sit for a second."

"Well ok" said Danny. "But like dont you listen music or watch television?"

"Watch what?" asked Cindrella confusingly.

"Television" i replied. "Its a device where you can see different programmes, movies, dramas and so on."

"Where do we get that?" asked Cindrella.

"Well would you like to see it?" i asked.

"Sure " she replied.

"Ok letz clean up all this stuff and then i will show you" i said.

"Fine" said Cindrella.

We quickly cleaned up all the dishes and placed them right back in their place so that her mother and sisters dont come to know anything. Till that time Danny cleaned up the dining table.

"Well Ella" said Cindrella. "I am not free now."

"Why?" i asked.

"Becoz i havent yet completed stitching Jane's and Margert's dresses" she explained. "And if i dont complete my mother will hit me up."

"Oh i see" i said. "Ok how much is remaining?"

"Well just a little" she replied. "I am much fast in stitching."

"Well fine then you carry out with your stitching" i said. "Is there any other work pending up which i can do?"

"Well i dont think so" replied Cindrella.

"Hold on Cindrella" said Danny. "What kind of clothes are you stitching for your sisters?"

"Well kind of party dresses" she replied. "With heavy laces and all."

"Ok fine then you will not need to stitch that up" he replied.

"Why?" asked Cindrella.

Danny looked at me a gave a glance and there i got what has to be done.

"Aaaa Cindrella" i started. "You just wait here with Danny, i will be back."

"But where are you going?" she asked.

"Well will be back" i said. "You just wait here."

"Ok" she said.

I went back to the room and connected myself to Peter uncle.

"Yeah i know what are you looking for" he said. "I can hear you all very well."

"Yeah ok" i said. "Can you please get two of my party wear dresses from my room so that i can help Cindrella?"

"Well yeah fine" he said. "Just hold on i will get them and send you there."

"Yeah sure" i said.

After a few moments i heard Peter uncle's voice.

"Yeah Ella" he said. "Be ready i am sending them both but dont forget to press the white button of those belts which will be tied around your dresses."

"Yeah i know uncle" i said.

Just within few seconds i saw two of my dresses lying on the floor. I quickly picked them up.

"Yeah i got them uncle" i said. "And uncle please can you send one of your watches here?"

"Well yeah ok fine" he said and i got the watch in few seconds. After recieving them i pressed the white button which was located on the center. Those belts quickly dissappeared.

"Yeah i got the belts" said Peter uncle.

"Ok thanks a lot uncle, bye" i said and disconnected the headphone.

I quickly went upstairs where Cindrella and Danny were waiting for me.

"Yeah i am back" i said.

"Hey whtz this?" asked Cindrella when she saw those dresses in my hand.

"Well these are the dresses which you have stitched for your sisters" i explained.

"But i didnt stitch them up" said Cindrella.

"Yeah i know but this is what you are going to tell them" i replied. "These are my dresses and you are going to give them to your sisters."

"Well but. . . ?"

"Now dont say anything" i replied. "Take them and dont let anyone know all about this. Anyways how are they?"

"Thanks once again. They are much better than the ones which i stitch" said Cindrella and hugged me.

"And take this watch" i said giving her my table clock.

"What is this?" she asked.

"A clock which tells us the time" i explained.

"Well it has got numbers written on it" said Cindrella.

"Well Cindrella, i will explain you how it works" said Danny. "Letz go to your room."

"Ok fine" said Cindrella and we were about to go to her room when her mother and sisters entered the house.

"Oh no" said Cindrella. She handed Danny to me and ordered us to go to the room and she went in the living room.

But i decided not to go the room today. I wanted to see her mother and her ugly and cruel sisters and so i slowly went to the living room and decided to see the whole episode by hiding behind the wall.

"Are our dresses ready?" asked one of the sisters.

"Well aaa yeah" replied Cindrella. "Here they are."

She handed those dresses to them. They opened them and started seeing.

"How dirty" said one of them. "Didnt i tell you to stitch some nice ones?"

"Well yeah they are good" said Cindrella.

"Appreciating your own stitching" said the another one. "These dresses are not as good as the ones which we wanted."

"Cant you do even a single work properly?" asked her mother. "You are good for nothing."

She came forward and slapped Cindrella and so followed her daughters.

Here i couldnt stop myself and so i decided to come forward and help Cindrella. I put a step forward to go there when Danny stopped me.

"No Ella, dont" he said. "You will be in trouble."

"Yeah but i cant see this conditon of Cindrella" i replied. "See how badly her mother and her sisters are hitting her."

"Yeah i know" said Danny. "But i will go and help her out as im unnoticiable but you are not gonna move from here."

"Yeah ok fine do something fast" i ordered.

Danny ran towards Cindrella sisters and entered in one of them's slippers.

"Ooouch!" screamed one of them.

"Whatz the matter darling?" asked her mother and stopped hitting Cindrella.

"Mumma, something is hurting me inside the slippers" she replied.

I saw Danny coming out of the slippers from the other side and entering the other one's slipper.

"You, take them out" she ordered Cindrella.

Cindrella took out the slipper from her sisters leg. Her sister raised her leg. There was a small red coloured wound which told me that Danny had surely bit her up.

"Something is hurting me too" said the other one.

Cindrella took out her slipper too and even on her feet there was a small red coloured wound.

"Yeah something has just hurt me too" said her mother and even on her leg there was the same wound. "God knows what has gone wrong with our slippers."

"Well mumma, i think Cindrella must have done something" said one of her sisters.

"No trust me , i didnt do anything" said Cindrella.

"You are the cause of all the trouble" said her mother. "Just get lost from here now and serve the food orelse i will hit you again."

"Yeah ok fine" said Cindrella and went directly to the kitchen.

"Ella" whispered Danny pulling my frock.

"Yeah whatz there?" i asked picking him up.

"Did you see how i hurt them?" he asked.

"Yeah i did" i said. "But you shouldnt have given me the idea of getting my dresses here."

"Why?" asked Danny.

"Didnt you see, just becoz of that Cindrella had to suffer?" i asked. "I should go and apologise to her."

"Well that wasnt your fault, nor mine and neither of Cindrella too" he explained. "It was her sisters who always criticise her even for her good work."

"Well but. . .?"

"But i think we should go and say sorry to her once" Danny interrupted. "Letz go to the kitchen, not you, just me. Anyone can see you here and so you go to the room. You can talk to her later."

"You are a lucky guy" i said. "I wished if i could have been shrunked myself just as you. Then i could have also helped out Cindrella."

"So you agree now that i did a right thing by shrunking myself?" he asked.

"Well i guess yes" i replied. "Now go fast."

Danny headed to the kitchen and i was about to go to the room when i came to know that someone was standing behind me.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3