Radha didn't know what was happening when her mother knocked and entered her room with a plate that had a green saree with matching bangles and jewelry.

Unlike her two siblings, Radha's room had nothing special. Just a small room plain white walls, a small mattress at right corner of the room (according to her parents, she was lucky she wasn't sleeping on the floor with her mattress), a table and a small stool. The table had a few needed cosmetics and a mirror with a few accessories for hair and body. Then her washroom at the end of the right side of the room.

"Beta, good morning, how are you doing, did you sleep well?" Kavya smiled at her daughter. (Dear).

Radha blinked, once, twice, then pinched herself. Hissing, she realized that she was not dreaming. Her mother was smiling at her for the first time in her life.

"Mom?" Radha asked in disbelief. "Yes, darling." Kavya responded while keeping the things on the bed.

Walking to her daughter, she kept her hands on the young lady's shoulders. They both sat on the bed, mother and daughter, staring at each other, not a single resemblance yet completely ignored. Deep brown eyes meeting hazel eyes. Each telling a completely different story

"My dear, I cannot apologize for everything I have done to you because I know that I don't deserve you at all. Your father and I, we taught we didn't need you, that you were an extra child who just going to spend our money but can I surprise you? We never wanted to admit this but you were the one who actually brought the meaning of love and devotion into this house.

You portrayed the meaning of your name so well, we thought that you were Goddess Radha's incarnate.

All that we have done, it was just to make you tough for the outside world.

In the world out there, we are like sheep in the midst of wolves therefore we will have to be as cunning as the serpent yet meek as the sheep and my baby, you need to be tough in order to stay that way.

Then no matter what life throws at you, you will be able remain firm in your faith and stand your ground against all odds.

Be a master of your own self and that is why we have made you see pain so that nothing will surprise you."

Radha was by now crying. So all the insults, the slaps, the beatings, they were all just to make her tough?

So not making her attend school was to make her tough, not giving her enough food, not getting her the things she wanted was to make her tough?

Kavya wasn't done. She needed full corporation from her daughter and that is why she was manipulating her daughter. If she had been a good mother to her from beginning, all she would have to do was to ask.

"I need you to take a decision for this family and your future as well. Normally, Krishna, your elder brother, should have been the one to take this decision but he is not done with his work yet. Radha dear, I want you to get married. What we couldn't do, the man has promised to do that. That is, to take you to school and help you open a big company that will manage your five star restaurants." Radha's eyes widened.

Happily, she agreed without thinking twice about who she was to get married to. After all, she was more interested in finding a place in the bigger society than loving her husband.

"Yes, mom. I will marry him."

Kavya sighed in relief. This had been more easier than she had anticipated.

Foolish ambitious girl. She just didn't know what she was signing up for, agreeing to the married just like that. Mr. Patel was a seventy year old man.

"That's a wise decision, my love. Okay so, here is your saree. Mommy picked your favorite green colour. Wear it, look beautiful and I will come for you in thirty minutes, okay dear?" Kavya spoke, gave her daughter a gentle part on the head then stood up and walked out of the room.

Nandini, who had been listening to her mother's manipulative words, stood there, stunned, disappointed, angry, upset, disgusted. She couldn't blame her little sister because Radha had always yearned for her mother's love but her mother. As old and matured as she was, how could she sell her own daughter for five hundred thousand US dollars then have the audacity to come and coax her with soft loving words? She had been outside her parents room when they were discussing Radha's price the previous night. She was not going to sit back and watch her only sister get destroyed. If fighting for her sister meant loosing her career then her career was not hers to pursue or this wasn't the right time to leave the country in the first place.

The moment Nandini was sure that Kavya had stepped out of Radha's room, Nandini entered the room. Radha was happily trying on her sparkling green bangles.

"Radha." Nandini whispered, close to tears. This was the first time in her twenty seven years of life, seeing her little sister this genuinely happy.

Radha looked up at her sister, got up from her stool behind the dressing table and skipped towards Nandini.

"Nandu didi, look at me. Mom gave me these. Do I look good in the saree? Mom actually knows my favorite colour. She apologized to me. I have forgiven her because everything she and papa did, was to make me tough for my future. Do you know something? My would be husband has promised to make my dream come true. I'm going to own a restaurant - no, I will have restaurants scattered over the world. Radha's Food Haven? No, Pure Flames Restaurant? No, give me a name, didi."

Radha ranted excitedly.

Nandini burst into tears at the innocent display of happiness. Because of the eighteenth years of ill treatment and neglected love, Radha had become naive. Going out was going to be a dangerous step to take because anyone who smiled at her would become her friend in a matter of seconds and the world she had discovered knew nothing but to blacken every white virgin flower with its cruelty and evil ways.

"Nandu didi, why are you crying?" Radha asked, feeling sad already. One thing about Radha was that, she could cry with a total stranger without even knowing the problem just after seeing their tears.

Unable to speak, Nandini took her sister to her bed and sat down with her.

"Radha, I don't know how to put it but all that mom did minutes ago was just a lie." Nandini revealed while crying.

Radha's smile slowly faded as she whispered, "what?"

"I overheard them last night, Radha, those two evil people, they sold you to Mr. Patel for five hundred thousand US dollars. They said he comes from Jaipur but he travelled to the U. S. He came back yesterday. Apparently, you were sold the moment after you were born." Nandini sobbed.

Radha didn't want to believe it. When Nandini realized that, she quietly took out her phone and played the audio.

And yet another chapter done and dusted. Oh, let me do this before I forget.

Thank you for reading up to this chapter.

How did this one go?

At this point, I'm starting to wonder why Radha's parents didn't take her to the orphanage instead?

The world we see with our naked eye is not what we know.

It's full of evil! These things actually happen all over the world at large that's why they are displayed in movies and stories but for entertainment purposes, most of them have happy endings.

However, in reality, people end up committing suicide or running mad or being mentally affected when they find out that their own trusted people did such a cruel thing to them.

Please do not sell your child, it's better to abstain from sexual relations instead or give up your child for adoption than to keep the child and sell the child. Children are gifts to us, no matter the circumstances under which they came.

Remember, this story is just for entertainment and purely out of imagination even though some of the scenes might look realistic to you.

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Your favorite author,

Julie Cooper.