Too Far From Home

I shivered as his cold hand caressed my cheek, all warmth leaving me at once. I had not chosen to be here.
My name is Rati, and I am 13 years old. I used to live in India, but was sold to a rich white man so that my family could make ends meet. My sisters went to other families and I have been told that I shall never see them again. The only part of India I have seen since I have been here is 5 other Indian girls close to my age who are also living in this horrible place.
The man who owns us is not nice. He makes us do things we do not want to do and do not really understand. He also does not let us speak Indian, and tells us we must learn a language called ‘English’. It is very hard and we are punished if we get it wrong. He feeds us well though, and not once have I had any of the hunger pains I used to have at home.

But I still miss my family. Every night I dream of them and imagine myself back at home with them all; playing with my sisters and helping my mother make dinner. I tell the other girls about my home, and the stories my mother used to read to me and my sisters from the Pancha Tantra. They know these stories, and sometimes add some of their own. These girls are nice, and are good friends. Their names are Hema, Anushri, Dayita, Teja and Mallika. Mallika is in the bed next to me and we comfort each other when our master comes in to our room in the night time and picks one of us to stay with him. We fear this time and pray to Vishnu to protect us.

I am afraid. The master tells me that I am his favourite, and picks me to stay with him the most. I do not like this and want to escape this evil place, but I know that I cannot. I have nowhere to go, and my family is far away over the ocean.
The other girls want to escape too, and dream of finding their way back home, but every one of us knows in our hearts that we are stuck here. Forever.

There is nothing to do but pray to the Gods, and hope that one day they will grace me with a death that will free me from this living hell.

Until then, all I can do is wait.