Shalini's POV

I could feel the cloth at the bottom of my feet thinning and my skin burning, but even still I didn't dare stop running until I knew I had put enough distance between me and that weapon. Turning the corner and into an alleyway, away from the bustling crowds and sounds of the festival, I finally slowed to a stop, coughing from the dust that had collected in my throat. But even after several minutes had passed, my pulse wouldn't stop echoing in my ears. ‘Was that what it feels like to almost die?’ I thought, clenching my cloak to try and stop the shaking of my hand. It was absolutely terrifying, I admitted, images of the sharp sword aimed at my neck flashing through my mind. But then thoughts of the festival, the boy, and the game all flooded through me, overwhelming me more than the fear ever could. If I had the chance to go back in time and change my choices, would I? ‘No...’, I thought, ‘...even if I would have ended up dead, I will never regret this’. The rush of learning the new rules under a limited time, finding a strategy, creating backup plans, predicting the opponent's moves, and seeing it all played out... it was all so exhilarating. Slowly, I began to walk home, events of the day replaying over and over again. That boy, he was the best opponent I had ever come to face. None of my previous games had ever kept me at the edge as much as this one did. None the games made me doubt my victory as much as this one did. And as I felt the skin under my feet burn against the hot ground, I doubted I was ever going to play a game like that ever again.

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When the sun had just begun to reach out into the horizon, I gathered my woven basket of dry reeds and headed out towards the market. The festive aura from last night still hung in the air as gold and silver banners were still fluttering above. I could see the faces of people whom I've known my whole life, usually tired and withered, now had a light glow to them. ‘I wish we could have an eclipse every year’ I thought, not for the first time since yesterday. Huddling in between bodies of women, I began to sort through bags of rice, looking for one that weighed just right (not too light or else there was less rice but not too heavy or else there are more pebbles than actual rice). Finally getting a hold onto a nice bag, the whispers of the older woman entered my ears. “Did you hear, they’re still looking for him...” one woman said. “And they probably won't stop till they found him!” another one exclaimed. I wasn't one for gossip but the fact that someone was being searched for is usually the sign of a thief out on the loose. I turned my attention to the group of huddled women around the fish area and asked, “What's going on?”. I barely even got the chance to bat an eyelash before the talkative women spilled everything they knew about the news that had spread across the empire. “Didn't you hear? General Shuja is looking for the man that beat Prince Sulman at the festival yesterday!”. I felt a faint feeling of dread trinkle into my gut but brushed it aside. “P-prince Sulman was beaten?” I asked, cringing when I heard my voice crack. “Unbelievable right! I didn't think it was true at first!” one of the women said, draping her shawl over her shoulder. Even I couldn't believe it, after all the Prince was known as one of the strongest (and youngest) players of the game in the entire kingdom. The fact that he was beaten would shock anyone. “ The man was wearing a brown cloak so it would be difficult to find him.” another woman said. My eyes widened and I barely realized I had dropped the bag of rice onto the floor as my head snapped away from the group. “A brown cloak....” I whispered, the feeling of dread returning ten fold. 'There were many people wearing cloaks yesterday so that doesn't mean it could be me…’. But the more I tried to convince myself, the harder it got. Images of the heavy jewels and quality silk garments her opponent wore kept reappearing in her mind. Then the image of the high ranking general not being fazed by his defeat and how he listened to her opponents command without any hesitancy. It felt like there were keys slowly unlocking the doors to her death and the final lock was opened when the eyes of her opponent that had been burned into her mind since yesterday flashed in her mind. Who in this empire would have eyes that brimmed with such confidence and power other than the future ruler himself? My hands began to shake involuntarily and for the first time in my life, I felt like I had lost sight of my future. But there was one thing I was certain of, and that was that if any of the guards found out I was the one that beat the Prince, I would be imprisoned or even killed. For not only was I a girl, but also a Sudra. My victory over the Prince would only be looked at as a stain to the royal name. And I knew it was a stain that they would be glad to get rid. Swallowing the imaginary lump in my throat, I gathered the rice bag in my hands and rushed to the mechant. I didn't even have the mind to bargain with him as I slapped down five copper coins and rushed out of the suffocating crowd of the gossiping women, their words echoing in my ears.

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Grabbing the brown cloak from the corner of where it sat, I watched as a few grains of sand that had stuck on to the hems fall down to the ground. But all I could think of was ‘evidence’. This was all evidence of what had happened that day. Proof of where I was and what I had done. Now the entire empire was looking for this one brown cloak… and its owner. I could die because of this cloak; my family could all be slaughtered because of this cloak. I was ready to face death when I had sat down in front of that board, and I still am, but I wasn't ready to sacrifice my parents for my selfishness. Gathering a few piles of paper and other rubbish that was meant to be burned the next day, I went to a charred pile outside our house. Throwing the cloak along with the trash, I flicked a burning piece of wood into the pile and watched the fire slowly spread. A few minutes was all it took for the smoke to rise and the smell of burning cloth to hang in the air. As my cloak turned to ash and scattered from the wind, I only hoped the memories of that day would disappear just as quickly. 

Otherwise, it could soon be three bodies that would instead be reduced to ash. 

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Glossary:

*The Caste System Of India

                  Higher Class Emperor and Royal Family

                 Brahmins- Priests

                 Kshatriyas- Warriors and Rulers

                 Vaisyas- Skilled Traders, Merchants, and Officials

                 Sudras- Unskilled Workers

                 Lower Class Untouchables

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