AN UNFAIR FAIR

As the midafternoon summer sun started waving his leash on the people forcing them inside in the mighty kingdom of Neoon, one place was particulary crowded. A small pathway indeed, but people voluntarily squeezed themselves into the crowd and others letting the new ones join as if a pious procession will be passing soon. A man dressed in the unlikely colours of the town passing by the crowd, stopped and tried to make sense of this enormous insanity of the people in the scorching heat. A towel wraped around his ears to save himself from the heatwaves and dressed in layers of silk but wrapped around by a cotton robe, he looked like he hailed from a good family not royal enough by the dressing but enough to be one from his looks and stature. He moved close to the crowd and tried to ask a couple of people what was happening.

But as he looked around he realised everone around him were in very bad mood, some even going as far as tears. Some women were shaking heads as if they don't agree with what was going on while the others just stood crying calmly trying to hold their children to stand in one place. Some men dressed in an orderly fashion stood beside a stage like thing and they were nodding their heads as if they were going through their plan. The stage is empty but workers were running around and the man understood whatever is going to happen is gonna happen there. Some men in the crowd stared at the stage without any expression and some just didn't lift their heads.

Gagansahu approached a man and asked him "Hmmm…its very hot today..dont u think.." he tried to make a conversation but the man turned to him and said in a gloomy voice "does It matter..now?" and there ended the conversation Gagansahu didn't know how to ask without looking sheepish. So he moved on to the otherside of the pathway and said to an old man "That stage though.." he said as he sighed.. and looked at the old man to say something

"Are you kidding, if it were me, I would have done it on the mountains there..so that the entire world could see it…" he said as he let out a big hmm..

"WOW…" Gagansahu said to himself as he tried to make a third attempt. A girl was observing him from the time he came here. She came close to him and tried to tap him but he moved as quick as the wind and in a moment to the girls untter shock he was behind her. He was looking straight at her as she turned around and asked her

"Why are you following me?"

"Why are you being a fool" she shot back

"Wat did you just say" he squinted his eyes and stared at her

"Well..you could have just gone to anyone and asked then what was happening if you really wanted to know..its not like people don't realize you don't belong here" she explained..

"Am I that obvuious?" he said putting back his small knife he took out from a pocket.

"Look at you..you are dressed as if you are attending some kind of a drama or a puppet show and you are alone..and not with a crew..you obviously are well..i would go as far as to say from out of this kingdom" she remarked as she flew her hair back haughityl

He smiled at her and said "So whats going on here" he asked her at which a sad feeling shadowed her face which he observed. Her big round eyes filled tears

"Here you ask?" she said as he turned around and wiped her tears and turnd back and continued "Here is what u call…The Unfair fair...the real puppet show...… the puppet danced to the whims of the masters and now the masters is done with it" she said and looked at the stage angrily. Gagansahu didn't understand what she meant. He looked at the stage confusingly and glanced back at her but by then she disappeared. He looked around but in vain.

Suddenly there were huge drum beats heard and a huge carriage arrived. Out stepped a woman in the decent dress possible. Her face covered with a silk cloth and she walked slowly towards the stage as the drum beats started following her walking rythm. Then a short man stepped out of the carriage and he looked intense as he followed her.

Then came an old lady followed by a tall man. Both of them just stood beside the stage while the orderly men who had previously been there bowed to them and kneeled on the ground until the lady signalled to get up.

The crowd became so silent that one could hear a near by tap leaking drop by drop on to the ground. The woman in the decent dress has not lifted her head since she came. The old woman looked at the tall man and nodded. The tall man nodded too and stepped forward to the lady as she lifted her head. The tall man walked past her and on to the stage and the lady followed.

He turned over to the crowd and announced "It is going to start now. And anyone who is interested to stop it can step forward." He said scanning the crowd.

"You sure are taking your sweet time. Looks like you want to stop this huh Chend?" a lady dressed in white said as she walked to the old lady and bowed to her. The old lady looked at Chend. He looked displeased. The lady on the stage slowly lifted her eyes and looked at Chend

"Nothing of that sort. The orders are clear and it will be done. Now" he said trying to hide whatever he was feeling.

"It will be done? Wats it?" Gagansahu was getting curious.

"Gagansahu turned back and looked at the lady on stage. She slowly kneeled on the ground. And there came a big wosh. It's a leash. She was beaten on and on until she fell on the ground unconscious.The crowd let out a big gasp as she fell on the ground.

"Hey!! Stop!!" Gagansahu couldn't help himself but shout. That's when he realised what he had done. The entire crowd was staring at him. He took a big gulp and stepped forward.

"Stop this now" he demanded.

"The man on this aisle ran towards him and pushed him back whispering in his ear "don't you try anything foolish..go away…its dangerous"

Gagansahu stared at him in surprise when the guards stepped forward and pointed their weapons against him looking back at the old lady as if waiting for orders.

She didn't speak a word. She just continuously stared at him and finally looked at the girl. The girl could barely open her eyes but as she closed them only one face imprinted on her mind.