I went near, and I went far.
I went wherever the wind took me.
I went to the city. I went to the town.
I went as I was free.
Sometimes I ended up in an alley.
Sometimes on the main street.
Sometimes used to tally.
Sometimes to wrap up meat.
None kept me for long.
Getting rid of me on the first chance.
No one knew my hidden powers.
A relief, like the windy dance.
I crossed fields, forests, and fjords.
I crossed the open seas.
I flew around with the birds.
I flew with the bumblebees.
For I went wherever the wind took me.
I went as I was free.
By now, I had seen all but the whole world and had seen all that was there to be seen.
Or so I thought.
The beauty of Nature's creations always gives me hope for good in my own creation, but when I see the greed, the green devil of envy, the red monster of anger, and the dark overload of Evil, all together dancing in Man's eyes, I shiver, wishing to not end up in his hands.
It so happened one morning during my wanderings, when the sun rose behind the fields, that I found myself in a great kingdom.
I saw people getting out of their homes and setting out for work, the shops opening up, children rushing to school, and herders taking their cattle to the fields.
I was so engrossed in these everyday happenings that before I knew it, I had flown straight through a window and found myself in a huge, beautiful room.
Here, the wind stopped blowing, and I fell straight onto an open journal. After being certain escape was impossible for now, I took a good look at my surroundings.
It was a big room with a big bed in the middle, surrounded by soft and fragile curtains. The walls and the pillars all looked beautiful with their engravings. It was a room fit for a princess.
Just then, the doors opened up, and a young girl, dressed simply yet beautifully, entered the room. She went around, 'setting things right' for the day. Once satisfied with her job, she turned towards the bed.
Someone was breathing softly behind those curtains.
The girl crept slowly towards the bed.
Then, going down on her knees and putting her mouth near the head of the bed, she whispered softly, "Good morning, Princess Sleep-a-lot. You have a big day ahead! Are you sure the sun won't rise ahead of you?"
"Just five minutes more ", a voice replied sleepily.
"Nope, no more minutes", the girl declared, standing back up with her hands on her hips. "Do you want me to pour a bucket of cold water on your face?"
"Do what you can", the voice challenged her.
"All right", the girl said, nodding her head. "If you want to go the hard way, then..."
The girl sneaked onto the bed, and, raising her clawed hands, she shouted, "Brace yourself!"
And the assault began.
"Hahahahahaha – stop – hahaha – please stop tickling ", and another girl leaped out of the bed, chased by her attacker around the room.
She too was a young girl, about the same age as her friend, but dressed in more 'royal tastes', even though she just got out of bed.
"Come back here, Deepshikha!", the princess' friend called her as she chased her around the room. "You need to get ready for today's ceremony!"
"Catch me if you can, Asha!", Deepshikha taunted her. "I am the fastest princess in the world!"
"And I am the most annoyed lady-in-waiting right now", Asha replied, very annoyed by Deepshikha's antics by now. "Your parents and all the guests will be waiting for you. You can't be late. Being a princess, you must set an example for punctuality."
"But I hate ceremonies!", Deepshikha whined.
Exhausted from her run, she collapsed onto a sofa.
"Do I really have to go?"
"Yes, you have to. You can't spend all your day cooped up in a corner of your room, can you?"
"Well, I guess I can?"
"Oh no, you can't!"
"You are no fun, Asha. Sigh. Well, I suppose I have to get ready after all."
Asha led Deepshikha to the nearby section of the room, which was separated by thick, heavily embroidered curtains.
After some time, they returned. The Princess looked gorgeous in her pink saree, embroidered with delicate white flowers. She wore light but beautiful jewelry, richly adorned with the costliest of gems. She looked magical.
But Deepshikha thought that she looked like a mannequin.
"Enough with that face, Deepshikha", Asha told her. "Come. Let's go"
"Wait", Deepshikha said, holding her back, and, crossing the room, she came to her open journal and, with me inside, closed it and tucked it under her arm.
"Why do you need your journal today?", asked Asha.
"Just like that", Deepshikha replied, and, with me in tow and Asha leading the way, we left the room for the grand day ahead.