"Would you like to have something? Coffee? Tea? Anything you like?"
Again, no reply came.
Mrs Walter was not even expecting the reply in all honesty. Her motive was to pull the young lady into a relaxed and comfortable zone. It would be helpful in the long run.
"I am going to leave you for a few minutes."
When the woman was out of the room, the layer of forged trust was shattered, and the girl looked around the room in urgency.
There was agitation in her eyes.
She would not trust humankind.
She put her feet on the floor, trying to shift her entire weight onto the legs that shivered uncontrollably. The girl was apprehensive about her legs. Would they be able to hold her body? Holding the bedside table for strength, she stood up.
It took her entire strength not to fall back on the bed. Her breath became raspy as she extended her wobbly leg forward and took unstable steps to the mirror.
It went without saying that she had been unconscious for some time. The way she found it hard to dictate, even with her fingers, to touch the surface of the mirror was enough proof.
Yet her face looked fresh.
Her hair was not dishelveled but braided. Even the clothes she wore were clean. There was nothing strange about her body. Apart from the slight itching in her legs, nothing felt amiss.
It was as if she was well looked after.
The young girl went in a daze and stared absentmindedly at her figure.
When Mrs Walter entered, it was this sight that welcomed her.
The young girl appeared to be in deep thought.
Mrs Walter could tell that she was not living in the present moment; she was lost in a one that had already occurred.
A light knock at the door, and the lady was pulled out of the state. Mrs Walter stood there with clothes in her hand, "I have brought a fresh pair of clothes for you."
Mrs Walter went to the other wall of the room and opened the door. "Here is the washroom." Saying that, she went inside and within a few seconds, the sound of running water came from inside.
The young lady's breath hitched.
It was a response to familiarity.
Unknowingly, her steps took her to the sound.
Step by step, she reached the wooden door.
Her heart was shouting for something, a thing or a feeling that she would want to embrace at this point. But before she could have passed the threshold, the lady stopped.
The trance broke.
The reality dawned on her, and her breath shivered.
She can't.
She took a moment to calm herself. She must not let herself get affected, especially not when she has a purpose to fulfil, an aim to get.
Inside, Mrs Walter arranged the towels and put the bottles of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and body oil on the slab beside the bathtub.
The vapours were roaming freely around as the hot water poured into the bathtub.
Mrs Walter turned around to take a jar full of sea salts when she found the girl standing at the door. "You are here." The girl stepped inside. Her eyes roamed the interior of the washroom. "There is everything that you need here. If you want something else, just let me know without hesitating."
The young lady observed as Mrs Walter's hand pressed the tap, and she turned off the running water.
"The temperature of water is not that much, but if you find it too hot, press the other tap." Mrs Walter showed her by pressing the tap.
The water poured out, and she removed her hand right away, causing the water to stop pouring.
The girl did not say anything, simply observed as she watched the elder woman grab the jar and put its contents in the water. It was sea salt. "The salt has a healing property. It will help in erasing the scars."
When Mrs Walter was done, she got up to go. "I'll be right outside. Take your time." Mrs Walter closed the door behind her.
Now it was her, all alone.
The young lady cautiously put the tip of her index finger into the water.
It was not only the temperature that she was checking. More than anything, it was the feel of it against her skin.
She stood up and removed the gown. With the support of the wall, she placed one foot in the water and then the next one. Slowly, she sat in the water and let the water cover every inch of her body except for her face.
It was as if she was letting the water kiss her each scar and all the pain away.
A vulnerability washed over her face.
A switch turned in her mind, and she opened her eyes. For once since she got the consciousness, she let her real emotions crawl to the surface. She did not resist them anymore.
And the very next moment, she dipped her body lower to the point that her face was completely in the water.
That was it.
The world never stopped for anyone.
It kept on rolling, going on and on. The only time there came a pause was when the breath of a person stopped, the heart did not beat anymore, and the soul left the body.
But before that, a person was driven by countless dreams, untouched desires and a search for a lifetime of comfort.
However, not everyone followed the same guidelines. Sometimes there was an aim that was bigger than any desire, any dream and any comfort.