PROMPT : INCENSE
Parvati swept her hair up over one shoulder, surveying the result in the clouded mirror at the back of the market stall. She’d left it free and flowing that morning as they rushed around, readying for market day.
It had been damp and curling, turning into the now barely manageable mass that swarmed about her head. Skipping the oil treatment really had been a bad idea.
Biting back the sigh, Parvati dug out the jar of coconut oil from her personal satchel and scooped out a handful of the thick creamy oil. It was already thin and fluid in her fingers, the heat having melted it hours ago.
Smoothing it through her frizzy tresses, she breathed easier as her long, dark locks became instantly more manageable. It was easy to slick it back into a tight, sensible braid, finishing it off with a bit of thin gold chain, looped over the ends for style.
It was the way that every young woman wore her hair on this side of Ermescape. Parvati looped her colorful shawl more securely around her shoulders and midriff. The day would be hot, almost to the point of unbearable, but she was in the shade and would make do.
From the battered cardboard boxes stashed beneath the slanted wooden counter, she began to unpack the sticks of incense.
Sweetly smelling with each new box, she started in alphabetical order, refilling the colorful containers that held the different scents. This was her favorite part, choosing how to arrange the display and putting complimentary scents together.
There were scraps of ribbon to tie up the customer’s orders, for they could pick how much or little they preferred—or could afford—and she would wrap it in a sheet of brown paper.
When the bell sounded out on main street, she darted out from the little cloth-walled stall and tied up the curtains to the side, so her wares could be seen.
A vaguely cool breeze wafted by. Parvati took a deep breath, finally allowing her smile to surface.
Sandalwood Musk. That had always been her favorite scent.
(c) S. Harricharan