“I told you. You should be careful what you wish for. HA! HA! HA!”. Those were the last words Shaina heard as she fell into an endless abyss. No light, no sound, just the breeze of fresh air twirling her lustrous black hair and the constant feeling of falling without actually touching the ground.
‘Not again.’ She closed her eyes only to find herself wrapped in a warm cozy blanket in a room she did not recognize. She had no recollection of coming to this place. Her last memory was of giving the last piece of pizza to the beggar across the street from the discotheque she had gone to.
It was a cozy room with high walls and made entirely of wood. A king-size bed covered with a mosquito net lay in the center of the room. A large sliding door to the right led to a balcony overlooking the green mountains with a backdrop of a clear blue sky. The sun shone a bright yellow, yet she could sense it was cold outside. An unlit fireplace with a large mirror hanging on top of it was to the left. Left to the fireplace was a shut door connected to the wall behind the bed. The wall behind the bed was a plain wooden wall with nothing on it and the bed covering more than half of it. Right in front of the bed was another shut door. There were no paintings on the walls and the ceiling, maple-colored like the rest of the room, had a centralized heating vent.
She looked around the room skeptically, trying to remember how she had reached here. Her insides were screaming in fear. Her senses were going berserk. Mentally she had checked herself multiple times for pain or injury of any kind on her body. She felt absolutely fine. On the outside, she was calm as a sleeping baby. It was a strange emotion she was experiencing. She knew she was safe yet was perplexed about how she had reached here.
Having looked around the room enough times to have remembered it by heart, Shaina stepped out of the blanket. She hadn’t noticed, but the floor was covered with a beige rug. It felt expensive to her anklet-laden soft feet. She realized she wasn’t wearing anything except a jeweled cummerbund and a gold necklace with a red heart-shaped ruby pendant as she stood up. The pendant glowed, as if it had a pulse of its own, against her firm, rounded breasts. She looked around as if she had a decision to make. Which door to choose from? She opened the balcony sliding door to find out where she was. She looked around for her clothes but could not find any. There was no wardrobe either. And yet she decided to make her way to the balcony.
She was right. It was cold. Not the kind of cold that would want you to run inside to the embrace of the warm blanket. But a cold that welcomes you like an old lost friend, with a warmth to it, a cold that emanates from the amalgamation of the cold breeze and the warm sun. Her body could sense it. The gust of wind gave her Goosebumps, and every pore of her body opened up as if to welcome this new experience. Her light brown nipples mast high atop the round, firm breasts on her chest came alive to cheer the new sensation. She crossed her legs, her firm thighs touching each other, maybe because she was shy and unsure how to react or because the presence of such an intense sensation made her want to cover herself up.
On the other hand, the warm sunlight provided the warmth she required to stay on the balcony. The light reflected against her cream-colored skin and made it glow even more. Her ample chest, with a slender waist and proportionate derriere, completed the triad of an hourglass figure. This hourglass figure, combined with her toned thighs and arms, created a silhouette against the sunlight, which men would praise by writing paeans and poems for generations to come.
The view she saw was even more astounding. Green hills rose so high that she had to crane her neck to see the top. The mountain seemed to be so far away and yet so close that it seemed she could just stretch out her hands and hold them. The sound of the river flowing next to the hut she was in was music to her ears. It was green wherever her eyes turned. A pair of eagles flying in the sky broke her gaze, and she returned to reality. She was naked and in a place that did not exist until she opened her eyes about an hour ago. She had to try the other doors.
She went inside while closing the sliding door behind her. Inside she covered herself with the blanket and took the exit in the front. The door opened to a stairway that led down to the ground floor. The stairs’ walls were adorned with pictures of her past. Moments in life that she cherished the most. The one with her grandparents last summer. The one where she was dancing at her cousin’s wedding. The one where she was serving food to the eldest cousin at one of the potluck parties. The one with the chocolate she received upon scoring 20 on 20 on the test. Watching these pictures while climbing down the stairs made her smile. And then a loud shriek. She falls. Looks up and shrieks again. Runs to the exit directly opposite the stairs.
“Madam, you may want to eat some food and wear warm clothes before going for a stroll. The breakfast is ready.” It was a very handsome-looking man, probably in his late thirties. He was standing next to the dining table, dressed in a black waistcoat and trousers with a white Windsor cut shirt matched with a grey tie, gesturing towards the open wardrobe. She paused.
‘Who are you? Where is this? How did I come here? And, are there warm clothes in the closet?”
“I am Gerald, your butler. You are in a village in Belgium. You arrived here four months back, on horseback, accompanied by travelers who visit once a year. And you very well know that there are warm clothes in the closet. Now would you like to have tea or coffee along with your toast? This time Anthony gestured towards the food on the dining table.”
“Gerald, who?” Shaina retorted and walked carefully past Anthony towards the cupboard. She chose the warmest-looking clothes, signaled Gerald to look the other way, and dressed up.
“I am in Belgium and came here four months back?” She asked Gerald with a fork in one hand and a buttered bread in the other. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, madam, I am sure.”
“And, you are my butler. Is that right?”
“Yes, madam.”
“Hmmm. Interesting. May I have a cup of coffee, latte, please?”
“Sure” Gerald answered while fetching the requested coffee.
Clothed and fed, Shaina finally decided to step out and explore the area.
The view outside was a vision from her dreams. The green everywhere mixed with the quiet hit her as she stepped out. Apart from the river flowing right next to her doorstep, the wind was the only thing making any sound. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms as if to embrace the quiet as a friend.
It was almost noon, and the sun was right on top of her when she opened her eyes after 15 minutes. She had lost sense of time and the space around her. Once back to reality, she decided to explore the place around her. She dipped her feet in the cold water. She lay on the fresh grass. She walked around the house to absorb the greenery around her. It seemed she was in a dream. Travelling had always made her happy, mountains and greenery even more so. She could not have been more joyful. It was only when Gerald called her that she realized she had spent 6 hours there.
“Dinner is ready, Madam” Gerald announced, standing at the house entrance.
“What? Already? What time is it, Gerald.”
“It’s almost 6 o clock.”
“You eat dinner early?” She asked
“We sleep early too. There is nothing much to do here once the sun sets, and the sun is just about to set.” Gerald pointed at the mountains gobbling the sun for dinner.
“Alright. We shall have dinner. Do you cook well, Gerald?” She asked as she elbowed Gerald on his ribs frivolously.
“We shall find out.” Gerald replied with a grin and a hand on his ribs.
The dinner was nothing short of exquisite. A seven-course meal inspired by cuisines from all over the world. Shaina had never had any of the food before, but she could have another round of everything again. Contented and well-fed, she decided to call it a day, wished Gerald good night, and went to bed.
Lying on the neat and well-made bed, staring at the maple-colored wooden ceiling, she could not resist a smile. Her mind was still wandering around the green pastures thinking about the mountains, the rivers, the birds, flowers of every color, the delicious food, Gerald and how good-looking he was, the enchanting place she found herself in today, and the weirdness of the entire day today. Thinking about how she had found herself in this bed in the morning today, she went to sleep only to find herself falling into an endless abyss. No light, no sound, just the breeze of fresh air twirling her lustrous black hair and the constant feeling of falling without actually touching the ground.
‘Not again,’ she thought as she closed her eyes only to open them to find herself wrapped in a warm cozy blanket in a room she did not recognize. The bed felt different, and the A/C was turned on. She wasn’t in the same place where she had slept. The room she was in had the same layout, except that the walls were bricks instead of wood. They were cream in color, and there was no fireplace or mirror. The door to the right of the bed led to a private swimming pool. A beach beyond was visible through the partially see-through curtains.
A knock on the door startled her. The room gave a sense of familiarity, yet she was near a beach and not in the mountains. There was a knock again. This time she decided she would answer the door. She got up from her bed only to realize that she wasnt wearing anything except a jeweled cummerbund and a gold necklace with a red heart-shaped ruby pendant that glowed against her firm, round breasts as if it had pulse of its own. She looked and there was no closet. There was a knock on the door again. She wrapped herself in the blanket and with trepidition in her heart she opened the door.
“Bloody hell, what were you up to? It took you centuries to open the door.” It was Gerald, only this time he was wearing a red printed hawaiian shirt with khaki bermuda’s matched with a Hawaiian sandal. He smelled great and looked as handsome as ever. “Why are you still sleeping? Aren’t you supposed to go and get your surfing lessons today?”
“Surfing?” She responded with a quizzical look on her face. “Weren’t we in the mountains?”
Gerald laughed so loud that he could not control passing gas. Hearing this even Shaina joined Gerald in laughing out loud. They laughed so hard that tears started rolling down their cheeks. When the bout of laughter ended, Gerald tapped her shoulders indicating her to come outside. “Breakfast is ready” he said. She followed him and the room she saw was the exact replica of the room she had breakfast in, in Belgium. She went to the closet and chose a bikini with a pair of shorts and a see-through top. Gestured Gerald to look the other way and changed quickly.
“Here is your breakfast.” Gerald motioned her towards the table. It was a sumptuous breakfast spread with dishes from all across the world. She had her fill. Picked up the surfboard and went for the lesson in the sea. The sign on the beach told her that she was in Hawaii. When the surfing lesson finished she started exploring the place. She lost track of time, and Gerald brought her back to her senses.
“ It has been four months now. You should be aware by now that we have dinner by 7 pm. It is almost 7 pm.”
She came in, had her dinner, and went to bed. Closed her eyes, and she fell again. Eyes open. Bed. Room. Now she is in a crowded city. Gets up. Cummerbund and pendant and no clothes. Blanket around her, she steps outside the room. Gerald. Handsome. Cupboard. Breakfast. Outside. Lost sense of time in the city of Rome. Call Gerald. Dinner. Back to bed. Eyes Shut.
Falling Down. Bed. Pendant. Naked. Gerald. Cupboard. Breakfast. Oh, by the way. Gerald is handsome. Outside. Amsterdam. Dinner. Bed. Sleep.
Falling. Bed. Pendant. Naked. Handsome Gerald. Cupboard. Breakfast. Outside. Netherlands, Russia, Nigeria, Kenya, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and many more countries. And she is falling again.
She opened her eyes and was welcomed with a loud noise as somebody had opened the gates of the discotheque she was dancing in five minutes back. Her little black dress still had the wine stain. It was her favorite dress gifted to her by her boyfriend. The douchebag who was trying to dance with her in the club spilled the wine on her dress. This got her worked up so much that she had to get out of the disco to take a breather and calm herself down.
She came out of the door and looked around and there was no one except for the bouncers standing at the disco gate and a group of drunk young men and women talking loudly and laughing as all drunk people do. She checked out the dress, and the stain infuriated her. The feeling of happiness and being loved that she felt when her boyfriend gave her the dress came rushing back to her. The stain was a blot on that happy moment of her life. A sudden surge of vicious rage rose within her. She wanted to hit that douchebag. She wanted to throw things at him. She wanted to scream, and that’s what she did. She opened her mouth and managed to let a blood-curdling scream out. And then she stopped. Panting, she looked around, and the street was empty. No bouncers. No drunk dancing people. Just an old beggar sitting on the opposite side of the road.
“Are you OK?” He yelled at her.
“You talking to me?” She replied.
“Do you see anybody else?”
“I am OK. Thank you for asking.”
He smiled and nodded.”Got any change for an old beggar?” He shouted out loud.
The words acted as a spell, and she felt all her anger draining away from her body. Her face and body loosened, and she felt herself walking towards the beggar. She crossed the road and stood right before him, trying to see his face, which wasn’t visible clearly due to the lack of lighting around. He stretched his arms to ask for the money. She reached for her purse and realized she had gotten the wrong bag. The one with the money was in the house. What she had was the purse where she kept her jeweled cummerbund and a gold necklace with a red heart-shaped ruby pendant, a gift given by her boyfriend on her last birthday. These two things were the closest to her heart, yet an unknown force within her led her to give those precious things away to that old beggar. She felt a strong sympathy towards him. How he lay on the ground with absolutely nothing with him, and she, on the other hand, had all the wealth she needed and much more. This wasn’t right. He needed it more than her.
As she let go of her prized possessions, her hands touched his. She froze. The world around her froze except for the beggar. He spoke again. This time his voice boomed and reverberated across the street.
“You are good at heart. People like you are rare in this world. You are ready to let go of your most precious possessions for someone you don’t know, someone who is of no use to you, a beggar. Tell me, what do you want the most in life?“
She could not comprehend what was happening around her; responding was out of the question.
“Ahh!! You want to travel the world and live in every country for months at a stretch without having to worry about anything.” He sensed her thoughts through the connection of their hands.
“Hmmmm. So be it. You shall roam around the world and visit all the countries of the world. You will stay in each country for four months and experience all the world’s luxuries. You will see the world you want to see and the one no one has ever seen. I, the saint from the Himalayas, grant you this wish. With this, I would have lifted off the long curse upon me. I shall have served humanity and helped millions of human beings for thousands of years. Now I shall attain salvation. But I must finish this first. I shall ensure that your wish is granted, and for that, I need to be with you at every step of your journey.” He finished speaking as the lighting around him grew brighter, and she could see his face.
“GERALD” She shouted.
“You should be careful what you wish for. HA! HA! HA!”
