"Pain isn't it weird. I can understand if it was discomfort, doubt, curiosity even anger too but the pain is something not relatable." The little girl asked in confusion.

"I felt the same confusion dear. At that, I didn't understand why he was looking at me with so much pain but his gaze made a weird feeling of fear creep in me. I was so much indulging in assessing my feeling that I missed watching the upcoming danger. All of a sudden I was pulled through my elbow by the big man. I looked at him in confusion only to hear him shouting""Are you blind or what. Can't you see that big hole? We aren't here to babysit you. Huh on this you were giving a lecture on taking care of yourself and being the daughter of the jungle."

"Sorry to say grandma that was rude. I don't like this at all."

I felt that same anger back then little one and trust me he got a perfect reply for this."Well unlike you I am not a fragile doll who will break by falling in a small hole. I know the way to come out of it. And who asked you to babysit me? As much as I remember I never did so. Yes, I am a daughter of the jungle and I am a survivor. Things like this are a part of our daily life. I am not a princess who depends on her knight in shining armor to protect her. I am my knight who can fight a war and win too. So next time remember that I do not need you to protect me. I am very much capable of handling myself. There is no need to babysit and shout on me."

Heck for one minute I thought that you are sweet but thank god you open your mouth and I came out of this illusion. You are a completely alive walking mountain made up of ego. Listening to this his elder brother and mother chuckled with humor while younger laughed out loudly. "You" he started while glaring me"

"Let's keep moving to a cave it's started getting evening and soon the sun will set. After sunset, this jungle is not safe to walk. On the way, we will collect some woods for fire, fresh fruit, and big leaves for bedding." I continued walking toward his mother. This man is full of himself I will never marry a man like him in my life. I made a mental note while walking only to forget it at the right time in the future.

Okk little one it's evening now soon the night befalls we should return now. I will carry the baskets with me.

"No grandma I am your granddaughter I am not weak I will carry one with me. Ok grandmother you want to hand over to them to your demon brother but won't you thought once what if due to your anger they would have left alone then. Your whole plan was at stake at that point you have to act innocent fragile woman who is in dire need of help.

Yes, you are right to trap them I need to stick to them and act all fragile and innocent. This would have helped me to achieve my destination but then I have to be dependent on them. Dependency always brings compromise with self-respect. If you depend or rely on someone too much at a point you have to compromise your self-respect whether you want it or not. I am a warrior I can die but I can never compromise with my self-respect in any condition. Plus too much sweet also tastes bitter.

"Sweet tastes bitter what are you saying grandma I didn't get you? Kindly elaborate this as I am not smart like you and she said innocently."

She chuckled lightly at her innocent reaction and continued "Little one if you will add too much sweet into something it will start tasting bitter. Whether they were in the attire of the sages but they were warriors, that too not ordinary ones but highly skilled, knowledgeable, and sharp warriors. If I would have tried acting too sweet and too nice with them they would have doubted me. They were able to see through a façade and catch someone's lie. The much you try to be real the less would be the chance of you to get caught. Plus the big man was so annoying that I wasn't able to control my anger and irritation.

The little girl laughed at her grandmother's annoyed face. The woman who always used to be so calm composed and tough is irritated by someone's stupid talks. In her whole life with her, she hardly saw her getting affected or better say expressing any emotions. She was like a closed bottle who never gave away a peek about what is going inside her. No one can ever predict and calculate her mind by looking at her. She is called a glaze queen for a reason.

"Though legends are true the reason which gives you immense happiness dares to give you pain for the lifetime. We let our hearts choose things for momentary happiness only to drown in an ocean of sorrow letter. Who knows it better than us? Though the reason of your ocean of sorrow is mine momentarily happiness." Hidimba finishes stroking her cheeks affectionately eyes glistening with tears. Her loneliness and pain don't matter for her what matters is the loneliness and pain of the life her little one is going to face. She almost spent her whole life but her little one she has her whole life in front of her. How she is going to survive? Who will take care of her little one after her death? She will die one day no one is immortal then.

It's well said that "we are free for the choices but we are never free from the consequences of our choices".