#1- RagsNOOK

I used to live with my parents. Everything was going right, until that night; which changed everything in our lives. I was sitting inside my room. As a tall man about 6'5", with a long heavy beard and dark piercing eyes came from the dusky front yard inside our tiny molded cottage. He sat beside my father, as he was greeted with all the respect he could ever get. They talked for about an hour. In between their conversation he was laughing like a maniac.

My mother offered the man some tea and snacks; she was sweating and shivering as if, she was doing something wrong. The man smiled at her making her more nervous around him. He asked her to sit near him. He patted on a stool beside him. She was staring on the floor and politely denied to sit but, he insisted again. My father commanded her to go inside the kitchen. She made no effort to deny him and rushed as if her kitchen will no longer be there.

A few hours later, the man shakes his hand with my father and exchanged a smile with a briefcase. They exchanged a stiff glare with each other but, it looked as if, the man was dominating on my father.

   

"Come outside, Padmini", my father called out to me and sighed.

I was really scared to go outside, but I grabbed my scarf and dragged my feet outside to that room.

The man smirked while looking at me. I felt a tingling sensation that went down my spine. He bent a little to reach my height and whispered two words in my ears, "be ready".