#AltEnd: Cinderella, An Unshackled Soul

*chirp chirp*

It was yet another beautiful day. The serene red hue of the rising sun stared in the lovely faces of all men, women, and children alike in the town. Birds, humming a heart-warming melody, put smiles on the lips of those waking up from their deep slumber. The gentle drizzling, tapping the window sills of the well-built traditional brick homes made all the hearts filled with love. Leaves, dancing gracefully on the rhythm of the tender winds, delicately touched the souls of all those who only knew to give and to love. She, who wakes up every day in her own father’s house, to be exploited by her stepmother and stepsisters, greeted them all, again that morning, with her usual kind smile. Despite being treated miserably by her sisters, she never gave up on hoping for a good life.

But something was different that day. Cinderella was more cheerful than ever. Her face was glowing like the white moon in a solitary winter’s landscape. She stood beautifully upright in the corner of the kitchen, lost in her thoughts of the wonderful last night with the prince, while her sisters and mother were still bickering about petty stuff. She quickly rushed out to the market, hiding her blushing face. The entire town was lively as always with busy streets filled with happy faces. Cinderella knew no bounds to her happiness when she saw the royal decree about the prince trying to find the mysterious girl in the ballroom. All the maidens were called to gather at one place on one fine morning. Cinderella along with her sisters reached there and became part of the herd of countless young girls. She kept hopping ahead in the line like a little child with the hope of having her dream come true of finding true love in her life. She was remembering her father, about how he always wanted her to be happy, but the glass palace of her dreams shattered suddenly with a thud when the slippers fit in the leg of one of her stepsisters. The prince seemed satisfied and his eyes hinted at a genuine glint. Cinderella felt heartbroken and disgusted at the same time. Even though her sister looked nothing like her, the prince proposed to her for marriage because the shoe fitted in her leg. Cinderella kept quiet even when she had the other pair of shoes in her cupboard. She knew she deserved so much better than someone who couldn’t recognize her without makeup or a beautiful gown. After reaching back home, she saw her stepmother glaring at her while holding the other pair of glass slippers. Cinderella responded to her with an uninterested stare and went up to her room. The next day, Cinderella went to the wedding putting on her best clothes. After stopping at the center of the hall, grabbing everyone’s attention, she raised her right hand in the air holding the glass slipper, and threw it on the floor in front of the couple. The prince stood there speechless with his jaw dropped, looking at the shattered pieces of the slipper. He knew at that time that he made a huge mistake. “I wished I had stopped and looked back at that night, to see how you would have reacted to the feelings of true love of a girl who was a poor orphan wearing torn clothes. I wanted to see how hollow a man’s love could be”, said Cinderella before turning. She kept walking forward without looking back. 

After that day, she left her house and decided to start a new life for herself. With little to no penny in her hands, she struggled a lot for the next few months. Desiring independence, Cinderella resolved to become famous by choosing the field of modeling. She took all the challenges that came her way head-on. However, obstacles continued to test her patience. She got exposed to workplace bullying and hatred which broke her heart. Being paid minimally, it was getting harder for her to keep her body and soul together. One night she sat on a bench, shivering from the chilly winds and something miraculous happened in her life. A lady walked to her and gave her a shawl. The lady’s kindness moved Cinderella to tears. Cinderella thanked the lady whose face was barely visible in the dark moonless night. Cinderella met the lady again the next day. She saw the lady crying for being laughed at for her half-burned face. Cinderella helped her, wiping her tears, and properly thanked her for her help last night. Both of them, ridiculed by the world, found solace in each other’s beautiful company. They continued to be each other’s strength and never ceased to be kind and courageous for the rest of their lives. Finally, Cinderella found the family that she never had. 

Featured Image: Screen Rant

Written by: Kritika Aggarwal