Her look and dress had nothing princess like about them. Her dresses were elegant but not showy. In a flared long skirt in wine red and a body hugging black blouse with a scoop neck, a red rose in her loose hair, Nia looked like a witch surrounded by that mystery about her even in this business party.
The long sleeves of her blouse were of embroidered black lace. Her arms visible through the thin fabric added to the alluring charm of the woman. The only jewelry she wore was a gold chain with a diamond pendant and that red rose on her hair. Nia looked perfect and beautiful.
Her aloof face added to the intrigue that seemed inscrutable and fascinating. Despite the sphinx-like enigma oozed out of her persona, there was a certain fragility about Nia. Like the butterfly, she seemed to be vulnerable. Yougal Lucas was surprised to see it. He thought a witch was someone for whom the very word fragile had an alien meaning.
Witches were strong women, fortified with the magic powers they had at their disposal. They were proud women with their unworldly capabilities. 'Maybe her vulnerability arises from her goodness. She is an enchantress without any malevolent intent.' Lucas thought with a sigh.
Then he remembered that even Achilles had a point of great weakness in him. Great power had its own limit too. Every source of power and immense strength might suffer depletion at certain point. And Nia did not look ruthless. If only he knew why she hated him.
The truth was, Nia was not the fragile butterfly that she once had been. The apparently fragile young woman that she was five years ago was like a princess with a protected life. The present Nia was one who was tasked with the responsibility of protecting others under her care.
She was now someone to whom a protected life was something akin to the luxury she could not afford. Sometimes even the princesses had to live amidst conspiracy and deception. Behind the mask of a well guarded life, their lives were more in precarious position.
Nia was glad to shield others from harms rather than live a shielded life. She did not want the fallacy of protection. By protecting her family she felt fortified. She enjoyed being responsible for not only her mother and grandma but also for all the inhabitants living in the Shelter.
The shadow of fragility in her face now at this moment was actually an illusion. It was more truly the tinge of hesitation on her face that gave her the look of a delicate butterfly. While she talked about business confidence oozed out of her. Hesitation clouded her always whenever she had to attend a party where people drank, ate and gossiped.
Since she was less sociable, never drank alcohol and avoided bantering and flirtation with men, Nia saw no point in being in parties to which Rhianna dragged her. Besides the wine, flirtation, schemings to catch the potential girlfriends or boyfriends, there were the endless gossiping and bitching which Nia religiously avoided. She had to attend the party tonight as she now worked for the Adam's and had to meet the investors.
In the present party the business related part was over. What remained now was to watch the entertainment show that would continue till late hours, while drinking, eating and talking.
Pasting an apathetic appearance on the face, she would now have to hide the kindness in her heart and that easy going way of her in the remaining part of the party, among the rich, vain socialites and rich playboys. As for the employees in the company, she was introduced only to a handful of them who were related to her work.
After the investors at her table left she stood up to leave too. Her apparent apathy and ambiguous fragility might provoke some people to take advantage of her. Especially a few arrogant women like Monica Singh and her girlfriends, all from rich family who liked to show off their splendour, took Nia's indifference and lack of excitement as her awkwardness.
They were blissfully unaware that the woman under the mask of a delicate butterfly could easily slip into a malevolent witch. Monica Singh was with three rich looking men and two of her friends who acted as her lackey. Since they were sitting at a table reserved for VIP guests, the three men with those women must be important persons.
Nia's apathy towards their high fashion, to their talks of extravagance gave women like Monica and her haughty entourage the feeling that she ridiculed them. Their mistaken perception led them to believe that she was jealous of them. They liked to imagine that she was like that as she could not afford such a life style.
Monica Singh worked at the university where Nia was a professor. Monica Singh taught economics to undergraduate students. She often came to the faculty common room of the business school to talk with one of her friend who taught undergraduate business students.
The moment Nia stood up to leave, one of Monica Singh's girlfriend said in a voice loud enough to be heard by Nia,
"Hey Monica, what's this ascetic doing in a big business party? I guess she followed Rhianna."
One of the three men with them exclaimed with surprise, "Ascetic, where did you see ascetic here?" Then he followed the gaze of the three women. "You call that beautiful woman ascetic. What part of her looked like ascetic to you?" He sneered at his partner. He brought Monica's friend Natasha as his partner because she had a beautiful face.
"She is the chief consultant of the Adam Investments." Replied Monica's partner who was going to invest in the Adam Real Estate Investment company.