Beyond the Gates
Mira’s POV
I stood inside the huge compound wall, my tiny hands resting on the cold iron fence.
Butterflies danced around the garden, landing on colorful flowers before fluttering away again. Some stayed inside the walls.
Some flew beyond them.
I watched one little yellow butterfly disappear through the tall black gates.
I wonder...
What does the world look like beyond those gates?
The thought had been in my heart for as long as I could remember.
Our garden was beautiful. There were roses, lilies, jasmine vines climbing the walls, tall mango trees, and colorful flowers blooming everywhere. The gardener uncle watered them every morning with a gentle smile.
But no matter how beautiful it was...
My eyes always wandered beyond the gates.
I quietly walked toward him.
“Uncle...”
He looked up and smiled.
“Yes, little Madam?”
“Do you know what the world looks like beyond those gates?” I asked, pointing toward the entrance.
He paused.
Then he bent down to my height.
“I’ve seen it,” he said with a smile.
“It’s a beautiful world out there.”
My little heart fluttered with excitement.
“Really?”
He nodded.
“So many people... so many places... rivers, parks, festivals... it’s beautiful.”
My eyes sparkled.
“I want to go outside.”
He chuckled softly.
“Uncle, can you take me out?” I asked hopefully.
His smile slowly faded.
“I’m sorry, little madam... I can’t do that.”
I lowered my head.
I already knew the answer.
Everyone always gave me the same one.
I turned around and ran toward the kitchen.
“Mom!”
She was helping the workers prepare lunch, rolling dough while talking to the cooks.
She looked at me immediately.
“What happened, Mira?”
I tugged on her hand.
“Mom... can I go outside?”
The workers laughed gently at my question.
“Please...”
I continued shaking her arm.
She smiled helplessly.
“Mira, you’re still a little girl.”
“When you grow up, you can go wherever you want.”
“Now stop asking the same question again and again.”
She softly pinched my cheek.
One of the ladies working beside her laughed.
“Little madam is eager to see the world.”
“Yes,” another woman smiled.
“But the world is cruel... especially for someone as innocent as you.”
I quickly folded my tiny arms.
“No!”
“You’re lying.”
“I know it’s beautiful.”
“One day I’ll go.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Just then...
A familiar black car entered through the gates.
“Daddy!”
I forgot everything and ran as fast as my little legs could carry me.
The car had barely stopped before I reached it.
The door opened.
Daddy stepped out.
He smiled the moment he saw me.
“There goes my little baby.”
He lifted me into his arms effortlessly.
“Have you eaten?”
I nodded happily.
Then I remembered.
“Daddy... can you take me outside?”
“I want to see the world.”
“Gardener uncle said it’s beautiful.”
He smiled and gently sat down on the garden bench, placing me on his lap.
“Of course.”
“When my little girl grows up...”
“You can travel the whole world.”
Again.
The same answer.
I pouted.
“But I want to see it now.”
“Can I go now?”
For a second...
Hope filled my little heart.
Ring...
Ring...
His phone started ringing.
Daddy sighed.
“Daddy needs to take this call, okay?”
He kissed my forehead before gently placing me back on the ground.
I nodded.
Then.
Someone shoved me.
I stumbled and fell onto the stone path.
“Ouch...”
I looked up.
Naina.
My sister.
I never understood why...
But she never liked me.
“Don’t call him Dad.”
“He’s not your dad.”
Her words hurt much more than my scraped knees.
Tears immediately filled my eyes.
“Stop it, Naina.”
A familiar voice interrupted.
Aravind.
My brother.
He hurried over, helping me back onto my feet.
“Stop bullying her.”
He carefully brushed the dirt from my dress.
“It’s okay, Mira.”
“Don’t cry.”
He gently wiped away my tears with his thumb.
Naina folded her arms.
“Aravind.”
“Tell her not to call our dad hers.”
Her voice was sharp.
Almost angry.
Aravind frowned.
“Naina.”
“Stop this.”
“Even if you don’t agree...”
“She’s our family now.”
That was enough.
Naina glared at both of us before walking away without another word.
I watched her disappear.
“Brother...”
“Why does she hate me?”
He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“She doesn’t hate you.”
“She just needs some time to accept everything.”
I didn’t really understand what he meant.
But...
If Brother said it...
It must be true.
So I simply nodded.
After a few moments, I looked back at him.
“Brother...”
“I want to go outside.”
His smile faded a little.
“Mira...”
“I can’t take you outside.”
My shoulders dropped.
I really thought...
Brother would help me.
“But...”
He suddenly smiled.
“I can show you what it looks like.”
My eyes grew wide.
“Really?”
He laughed.
“Come.”
He held my tiny hand and led me upstairs to his room.
From a cupboard, he took out a pair of binoculars.
He adjusted them carefully before placing them in my hands.
“Look.”
I lifted them to my eyes.
The world suddenly became bigger.
“So many trees...”
“So many houses...”
“Brother! Look!”
“There are children running!”
“And... and...”
“Is that a little lake?”
Aravind stood beside me, smiling as he pointed into the distance.
“See that road?”
“It goes all the way to the city.”
“And those colorful lights?”
“That’s a market.”
“Oh...”
“And over there...”
“That’s a playground.”
I listened to every word with wonder shining in my eyes.
For the first time...
Even without stepping outside...
I felt like I had seen a tiny piece of the world.
One day...
I promised myself...
I would walk beyond those gates.
Not through a pair of binoculars.
But with my own feet.
I kept looking through the binoculars again and again, afraid the beautiful world outside would disappear if I blinked.
“Brother... look!”
“There are so many butterflies outside too!”
“There are,” he laughed.
“And one day, you’ll see them without these.”
I smiled so brightly that my cheeks hurt.
“I’ll wait.”
“I’ll definitely wait.”
Brother gently ruffled my hair.
“I know you will.”
I hugged him tightly before running downstairs again.
As I stepped into the garden, I noticed something moving beneath the rose bushes.
A tiny butterfly.
Its colorful wing was bent.
It tried to fly...
But fell back onto the grass.
“Oh no...”
I carefully picked it up with both my hands.
“Uncle!”
The gardener hurried over.
“What happened, little madam?”
“It can’t fly.”
I looked at the butterfly sadly.
“Will it get better?”
He smiled kindly.
“It will... if we give it a little time.”
I nodded seriously.
“Then let’s not disturb it.”
I gently placed it on top of a blooming flower.
“You can fly tomorrow, okay?”
For a moment...
It moved its tiny wings.
That was enough to make me smile.
I skipped happily through the garden again.
Everyone smiled whenever I passed them.
“There goes our little madam.”
One of the housemaids stopped me.
“Mira!”
“I made your favorite ladoos.”
“Really?”
She placed one in my tiny hand.
I happily took a bite.
“So sweet!”
Another maid laughed as she wiped the flour from my cheek.
“Slowly, little madam.”
“You’ll finish the whole kitchen one day.”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll leave one for everyone.”
The ladies burst into laughter.
I laughed with them even though I didn’t know what was so funny.
I giggled but slowed my little steps just enough to keep the ladoos from falling.
The first person I saw was one of the security guards standing near the entrance.
I stretched my tiny hand toward him.
“For you.”
He looked surprised.
“For me?”
I nodded.
“You’ve been standing here since morning.”
He smiled warmly before taking one.
“Thank you, little madam.”
I beamed.
“You’re welcome.”
Then I ran to the gardener.
“Uncle!”
“One for you too.”
He laughed softly.
“Thank you, Mira mam.”
I continued around the estate, offering a ladoo to every servant I met.
The gardeners.
The maids.
The cooks.
Even the drivers.
Every single one of them smiled at me.
“Thank you, little madam.”
“Thank you.”
“So kind.”
I didn’t understand why everyone kept thanking me.
Weren’t sweets meant to be shared?
By the time I looked inside the box...
Only one ladoo was left.
I smiled happily.
Everyone got one.
That made me happier than eating them all by myself.
I looked around.
Everyone was smiling.
The gardeners.
The maids.
The guards.
The cooks.
My home always felt warm.
Safe.
I smiled.
Maybe...
The world outside looked just like this.
After running through almost every corner of the house, I finally climbed the stairs to my room.
The evening breeze gently pushed my curtains aside.
I walked toward the window.
From here...
I could see the huge black gates.
Beyond them...
The road.
Beyond the road...
The world.
I rested my chin on the window sill.
“I’ll come one day.”
I whispered softly to myself.
“I want to see how beautiful the world really is.”
A gentle breeze brushed against my face.
I smiled.
One day...
I knew those gates would open for me.
And when they did...
I wanted to see everything.
