RINA rxed on the couch in the living room all dressed up and ready, two big travel bags stood beside her.


    She couldn’t believe she finally epted the job offered by Zaina because she had actually rejected the previous day she visited.


    Zaina had persuaded her, but she refused. But not until her mother also joined persuading, before she epted.


    The procedures to take in order to secure the job wasn’t as tedious as she thought, since it was Elder Sachin, Zaina’s dad who had single handedly carried out the whole thing.


    She glued her eyes to her phone as she waited patiently for the chauffeur who was gonnae pick her up, so she could resume work.


    Selena walked into the living room with a huge packet of sanitary pads, she walked up to where Rina had dropped her bags and began stuffing the packet into one of them.


    Rina looked at her.


    “Mom?” She stressed.


    “What is it?” Selena asked while still doing what she was doing.


    “Do you want to turn me into the woman with the issue of blood? You have given me a packet of that already”, she said, sitting up.


    Selena ignored her until she was done, then she turned to her.


    “You seem not to get this, being a maid means you will start living in the pce, when you need this, who is gonna give it to you?”


    Rina bursted intoughter, startling her mother. Her eyebrows twitched, why was sheughing? What’s funny?


    “Do I look to you like aedian that youugh?” She asked.


    “Okay, if it gets finished, what should I do then?” Rina rhetorically asked.


    “I actually asked Zaina about this”, Rina said, nodding.


    “Mm?” She stood arms akimbo.


    “Yeah. She said all pce maids are virtually provided with everything they need, practically everything”, she used her hands to demonstrate.


    “Really?”


    “Yeah. Including pads, clothes… everything. I shouldn’t talk about food because for sure that would be provided”.


    Selena was amazed, she didn’t know this.


    “Like seriously?” She asked, looking at her.


    “Can I be lying to you mother?” She asked rhetorically.


    Selena broadly smiled.


    “Alright”, she nced at the big wall clock on the wall.


    “The chauffeur would soon be here Rin, don’t forget everything I told you the previous night, all we discussed”.


    “I won’t mom”, she nodded, “I would never forget”.


    Selena smiled.


    “Good. Remember you are from a humble family and please, don’t try to get into fights or quarrels with other maids, respect whoever is above you, and most especially…”.


    “Respect the royal family”, Rina interrupted, nodding her head with her eyes closed.


    “Huh?”


    She opened them.


    “Mmm, wasn’t this what you told mest night? You are still repeating yourself momma”, she licked her lips.


    Her motherughed.


    “I know, I just want to make sure everything sinks into your head”, she touched her head.


    Rinaughed and stood up, facing her.


    “I’m so gonna miss you mom”, she said.


    “Me too, you can call, I can call”, she said.


    Rina nodded and embraced her and they held themselves in tight embrace.


    The loud ring of the horn of a car outside the building jolted them back to reality, Rina flinched.


    “Jeez! That must be the chauffeur from the pce”, she said and ran out. Selena followed behind.


    Rina got outside to meet an orange Range Rover, sparkling new. Hmm, she licked her lips.


    The chauffeur alighted and confidently walked towards them.


    He was a fine looking young man of middle age. He was muscr and hefty, his dark goggles gave him another look.


    Rina studied him as he walked up to them, by now her mother had joined her at the balcony.


    The chauffeur suddenly stopped, looked round and surveyed the environs, and then walked up to them.


    “Good afternoon ma’am, afternoon miss”, he greeted, removing his goggles and bowing slightly.


    Woah, was that how the people from the pce always bow, even outside the pce? Rina thought.


    “Afternoon”, they replied.


    “I am Zosar, from the pce, the chauffeur”, he said looking at the building.


    “I hope I am in the right ce?” He added, asking.


    “Oh yes you are”, Selena nodded.


    “Alright, can you show me your card, just to confirm?” He asked.


    “Oh!” Rina mouthed and rushed inside the house, she had totally forgotten.


    After the sess of the interview, Elder Sachin had given her a small stic card, it was just for her to prove to the chauffeur who was gonnae pick her up, that she was the right person.


    It was a way of preventing impersonation as they have had cases of such things in the past.


    Secondster Rina was out with the card, she handed it to him.


    He took it and nced at it, seeing her passport on it, and the royal signature, he nodded and gave the card back to her.


    “Any bags to carry?” He asked.


    “Um, do you minding in to have lunch, or just to take a little refreshment?” Selena asked and Rina smiled, staring at him.


    The chauffeur shook his head.


    “Oh no thank you, I really do not have the time”, he smiled.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    “Alright if you say so, though I insist”, she persuaded.


    “I’m fine, thanks ma’am”, he greeted.


    “Any bags?” He asked again, turning to Rina.


    “Oh yes, let me get them”, and she ran inside to get them.


    Hmm, Zosar sighed within himself.


    “You have a great girl for a daughter ma’am”, heplimented, nodding.


    Selena smiled.


    “Thank you, everyone says that”.


    “Her future is going to be bright… and great”, he added.


    Selena shrugged, saying nothing. Just then, Rina rolled out the boxes, one in each hand.


    Zosar stepped forward to help her with it.


    “Don’t bother yourself sir, I can do this”, Rina said.


    He was taken aback and thrown off bnce by her calm and respectful behavior.


    ‘She really took after her mom’, he thought to himself.


    “This is my job girl, let me do it”, he said and took hold of the boxes, then rolled them towards the car.


    Rina shrugged and turned to her mother.


    “It’s time to go mom”, she said.


    Selena smiled.


    “Is that tears I see in your eyes, mother?” Rina asked.


    She shook her head.


    “No dear, no. Come here”, and she pulled her to herself, embracing her.


    “Be fine Rina, never forget where you areing from, never forget where you are going to, and never forget the fingers that fed and that are feeding you”, she said, disengaging from the hug.


    Rina smiled.


    “I will never forget”, she replied.


    “Alright, don’t forget to call once you settle down”.


    “Sure”, she nodded.


    “Oh, my purse”, she said and ran into the house.


    The car horn red again and that was when Rina came out of the house.


    “I will always keep in touch mother”, she pecked her and ran out.


    “Get along girl”, she waved her left hand, trying to keep the tears running from her eyes.


    She watched as the chauffeur held the car door open and her daughter hopped in.


    Zosar then closed the door and walked to the driver’s side, he waved at Selena and entered.


    He revved the engine and they zoomed away. Selena kept waving at the car till it was out of sight.


    The drive to the pce was like a hell of torment and anxiety to Rina. She couldn’t just wait to get there. It was her first time being there.


    THE BHAGYA PALACE


    They got to the pce about thirty minutester. Their car horn red and the silver gates slid open instantly.


    Wow, Rina was mesmerized. She had never seen gates that slide either left or right, she was more than amazed.


    And the speed with which it had opened was another surprising thing. Who had opened it and when? How? Her mind was filled with questions.


    The car slowly drove in, she turned back to see who had opened it, but she saw no one, and as slowly as the gate had slid open, it slid close.


    “Wow!” She mouthed.


    “What’s that?” Zosar asked and she flinched, she had just spoken out without knowing.


    “Um, it’s the gate sir, who opened it?” She asked.


    “It’s aputerized gate, the people controlling it are up there in that building by the left”, he said, negotiating a bend towards the garage.


    “Oh, thank you”, she said and looked towards the building. It was a small upstairs building by the gate, much like a tower.


    “Here we are”, he announced and Rina sighed. She tried opening the door to alight but couldn’t.


    “That’s my job”, Zosar said and went to open it.


    She alighted and for the first time, looked round thepound. Wow, it was a very big and vastpound, the ground was interlocked, and flowers of different kinds formed pavements and demarcations.


    She looked round the ce they call garage, she was mesmerized. It looked more like a showroom, all the cars of different models and sizes glittered and looked ever new, she wondered if they were ever used.


    Few distances away, about three men were washing some cars. She looked away from them.


    Thepound was filled up with a lot of maids, going about their various duties.


    Some attending to the flowers, either watering or trimming them, some weeding the base of the flowers. They were all busy.


    And she noticed one thing, they were all dressed in the same uniforms, looking beautiful and well taken care of.


    Guards at different spots patrolled about as well, they were all looking hefty and their faces devoid of emotion.


    Two of the guards immediately approached their car as soon as it pulled up at the garage. They opened the booth and dragged out her boxes, then began rolling it inside the building.


    Rina just stood with mouth agape, she wasn’t even of the royal family and yet she was being treated like this.


    Was this how all maids are being treated? Hmm, she might end up being an obese if such treatment continued, she wondered within herself.


    “Let’s go in”, Zosar said to her and they began walking towards the pce.


    They walked further and Rina noticed, in the middle of thepound, a very big fountain.


    It was a sculpture of the lion king of the jungle, it stood with its two hind legs up roaring, and from its open mouth, the water ran up flowing down to the little pool built around it.


    It was a very beautiful sculpture to behold.


    “Wow!” She mouthed, admiring it.


    At the far end of thepound, stood a small bush bar, and arge tent. They were tables and chairs scattered around, that must be a sit-out, she thought.


    She spotted some maids there as well, doing some jobs. She didn’t know what exactly they were doing because it was a very far end from where she stood.


    They got to the front of the pce and Rina studied it instantly. It was a huge beautiful gigantic four storey building, everywhere in it was lit. They were about four C curved steps leading to the entrance.


    Two guards stood on thest step, and beside them, stood the sculptures of the king of the jungle, the lion.


    This time they weren’t roaring, they just stood with their hind legs up, she admired the sculpture.


    They walked passed and the guards slightly bowed.


    On the second step stood sculptures of men at both sides, beating the chenda, the famous Indian drum used during festivities.


    They were vases of beautiful flowers at the far end of each step. Smaller sculptures of different kinds stood at various ces.


    They finally got to the door, two guards also stood. Instantly the guards bowed and the one on the right, instantly turned on the door knob, opening the door for them, and they entered.


    Rina looked at the door and gasped, it was a long door, from the ceiling down to the floor. She had never seen such doors before.


    The first ce they entered was a vast room, sorge and big. A particr inviting scent hit her nostrils at the instant and she breathed in, she felt her skin chilled up and prayed she wouldn’t catch cold, that was the air-conditions.


    Differentrge executive couches and royal chairs embedded in a tiger skin casing scattered around.


    “Sit while I go in to call the chief maid”, Zosar said to her. The guards rolling her bags, turned and left.


    She watched Zosar take the stairs opposite her by the right.


    Rina sighed and looked around, so she was finally in the pce? Like, herself was in the pce? Sheughed, she couldn’t believe it.


    She looked up and gasped, the ceiling was still far up, beautiful golden chandeliers glittered everywhere on it, sparkling out golden brown illuminations.


    Therge room was well lit and ventted. There was a big wall sma at the center and it was on, a program was going on.


    The floor was covered in golden 3D flooring, she looked into it and saw her reflection.


    “Hmm, if you aren’t careful on this you are gonna fall,” she said,ughing.


    She looked round the room where she sat again and wondered where she was. There was no dining room for her to conclude it was a living room, justrge couches, the side tables and the television.


    On the walls were beautiful paintings,rge pictures of eventful activities and on various positions stood some sculptures as well. Hmm, royalty!


    She slowly sat on the edge of the couch, looking around. She nced at her wristwatch and jeez, the time was really far spent.


    She had sat there for like thirty minutes without being attended to, not even Zosaring to talk to her or something, nothing.


    She was only just entertained by the television and the beautiful things in the room.


    Ten minutester, she heard footstepsing down the stairs, and she got up instantly, putting her arms behind her.


    She continued hearing the footsteps until the owner emerged. Wow, it was a beautiful youngdy, she was also wearing a uniform like that of the maids, but hers had a slight difference.


    Thedy was holding a jotter and she walked up to her. Her mouth moved like it was busy with something.


    Thedy got to where she stood and looked her over, her mouth still busy. Rina instantly felt uneasy.


    “Namaste”, Rina greeted, putting her palms together and slightly bowing.


    Thedy nodded, bowing as well in reply, and putting her palms together.


    “I see you are the new maid”, she said and a nice scent greeted Rina’s nostrils, oh, she must be chewing on a candy.


    “Yes Miss, I am”, she replied sharply. Thedy nodded.


    “I am Prag, and you are?”


    “Rina”, she bowed slightly.


    “Beautiful name”, she nodded.


    Rina smiled.


    “Thank you”.


    “Um okay, now to business”, she cleared her throat as she looked into the jotter in her hands.


    “Rina you came here to work as a maid, as a maid to the pce, the royalties, the royal family. You don’t need to disrespect”, she said looking at her and Rina nodded.


    “The maid which created the vacancy for you to step in here was a personal maid to Her Grace, the Princess. She was lousy, stubborn and disobedient to her, because she felt she was older, and so felt somehow intimidated being bossed around by a little girl, but you see one thing we need to know in life is that status matters, ignore age.


    “Even if you are employed today to serve a five year old girl please do it, she’s royalty, of the royal blood and that is what matters. I hope you get me?” She asked.


    Rina nodded.


    “Sure Miss”.


    “The name is Prag please”, she winked.


    Rina smiled, she wasn’t used to calling people she was damn sure are older than her by their names, she was gonna try though.


    “Alright, you will be working as a personal maid… let me see”, she looked into her jotter.


    Rina exhaled deeply, her heartbeat increasing, who would she be working for?


    “The Princess, because of what previously happened, wants no personal maid for now. Also, the Prince requested a maid, so, you are gonna be the personal maid to the Prince”, she smiled.


    “What!” Rina gasped.