Chasing Death

Chapter 13

"You can live a lie, but you can't carry it to the house of Death. Death knows"

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"So, you've been here since long?" I asked, to break the silence.

Mani was leading me through a deserted street we had landed in through a door from the Gardens of the Night. Little one-storied structures dotted the sides of the roads, which I presumed to be the residences of the employees of the underworld. Some windows were lit up, while others were dark.

"Since the beginning of time, but after Mr Kuber obviously," he informed.

"I genuinely am sorry for how they treated you earlier," I said.

"I'm used to the sniggers and the comments." He shrugged. "I have to hear them till eternity. Doesn't help with being immortal."

"How do you even be so casual about it?"

"Well, once you know there's no escape from your history, you learn to ignore a lot of things people might say. At a point you just get bored, and it seems funny. Yes, a single comment somewhere thrown casually, hurts..."

"You're more than your past," I insisted.

"That's the motto we all should follow, little Tora. Here is your residence."

He gestured to a tiny box-shaped house in front of us. Drawing out a small golden card from his pocket, he slid it through a slot in the door, as if swiping an ATM card. The edge of the gate gleamed as it slid open like the exit of a lift.

The lights switched on immediately, flooding the room with silver. I looked around for switches but then realised there are no light bulbs. The edges of the ceiling glowed with a beautiful violet light which turned bright white as it hit the floor. The decor was simple and exquisitely extravagant.

I settled on the single recliner, feeling my body sink down into the soft cushion. The furniture was a greyish white matted material which I later identified to be ivory. A bed, with the same grey duvet, lay there, welcoming me to its comfy lap. I practically didn't realise how tired I was until I saw the bed.

"Switch on night mode," Mani said suddenly. The sound was so loud in my ear that I virtually jumped back in fright.

"Sorry. I have a habit of moving like a cat," he laughed. The lights dimmed automatically to a soothing cerulean. The room seemed inviting. I could sink down into the sea of fluff and never get up again.

But I had things to do.

"Since I'm new, I don't want to be caught off-guard with stuff. Could you please take me around this place?" I threw my most alluring smile.

"Oh, wow...yeah..." He looked confused and flustered for a second.

"That one thinks you're exquisitely exotic," Mrithun chuckled in my head.

"Save your ideas," I hissed as I followed Mani out of my allotted flat.

"What do you do around here?" I asked.

"I keep accounts of the properties and wealth of the underworld. The payment of the employees and everything related to their allowances and incentives is my concern," he replied.

"So, you are a manager?"

"Ya. At least the Queens say so."

"So you answer to the Fates?"

"Who else would I answer to? They're the heads of the entire Underworld." He squinted at me.

"Like the Lord of the Underworld, maybe?" I pushed further. I had to know if there was some authority above the Fates.

"He is an honorary head, almost like the president of many countries. He isn't good enough for anything other than signing and approving already passed bills," Mani chortled.

Few more men passed us as we loitered the streets. A lot of them turned to look at me. All their eyes were dark and dangerous. They were like a pack of predator wolves. I shivered involuntarily.

"Hey, are you okay?" Mani asked. Of all the males I had met, including Mrithun, Mani was by far the person with the most beautiful eyes. His eyes looked kind, rather than the usual mysterious and frightening.

"Are there no women in the place?" I asked out of sheer curiosity."

"No, the Fates prefer to hire only males."

"Why?" I asked like an idiot.

"Because they like to have control over the menfolk. They like to have them wrapped around their little fingers. They want men that bow down to them and satisfy them in a lot of other ways too," he said in a matter-of-fact manner.

There was no contempt or judgement in his voice. If anything, there was fear.

That was the secret of the Fates. They ruled by manipulating the fear already present.

For a moment, I couldn't help marvel at the capacity of three women controlling the entire menfolk of the underworld. They surely were queens in the true sense of the word. They bowed to no one and took shit from no one.

Mani was stealing occasional glances at me for a long time. I wanted to know what was going on in his mind.

"There's something weird about you," he confessed finally.

I stiffened.

"The creatures of the underworld don't glow so much in the dark. There is a different kind of aura to your presence." His eyes twinkled. "There's almost an earthly scent around you. Almost as if..."

My heart skipped a beat.

"As if?" I whispered.

"As if you don't belong here."

"Tell him you are human born," Mrithun supplied urgently.

"I was born of human parents," I lied. My heart was galloping. I was afraid everyone in the vicinity could hear it thudding. It was a matter of seconds before they would sense that I was not really a Yakshini.

"Possible. You do seem like you belong above the ground," he mused. "Must be hard coming here."

"I wasn't welcome in the world above," I spilled, "so, this is my home now."

"I'm sorry to hear that." His eyes shone softly. "And here is the control room, or the office for us all."

He pointed to a large black building in front of us. It had hundreds of little square windows lit up. Everyone was busy, everything was moving in this world. Time was flowing fast, too fast.

I knew I needed to speed up my original plan without getting distracted.

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