A husband's regret

Episode 16

Mumbai

India

Refreshing ocean waves crashed against the shore, a single coconut tree intensifying the deserted aura.

Rudra approached the one in a pastel blue shacket and dark trousers, back to him. He was animatedly waving at a young woman in the distance. She waved back one last time before she exited the scene, disappearing in the distance.

A prodding jealousy striked Rudra. He stepped forward. "Hey," It ended as a strained murmur.

An adorable Bhavani turned around. "Hi," He replied back, an obvious eagerness in his voice.

The amber sun was setting in the horizon, gentle winds picking up in intensity. As frail gold, red and blue rays illuminated on Bhavani, it was an ethereal reflection of changes around them while his shacket and hair fluttered.

Uncomfortable, Rudra cleared his throat and looked away, scratching his chin. His security men were in shadows at a decent distance from them. He glanced back at Bhavani whose gaze was stuck on oceanic beauty by their side.

"Who was she?"

Bhavani looked to him, shrugging. "I dunno, merely up for a small talk."

He nodded, absorbing the information. "Right."

An awkward silence settled between them. No more words were exchanged as he gazed at the enchanting male. The more he saw of him, the more captivating he became. Absentminded, they were strolling towards an ice cream vendor in front. Rudra had pulled over a dark hoodie over his head to prevent anyone from recognizing him.

Bhavani fell into step as he leisurely glanced around, shoulders relaxed. If Rudra was apt at literature, he would had penned down a saga of romantic poetry all dedicated to this man, whose eyes shone like nectar of honey and ends of hair shimmered in gold brown.

Dismissing lovey dovey thoughts, Rudra regained his stoic expressions. "Tell me about Devi."

Bhavani looked him slowly. His eyes had lost a bit of their shine, as if something Rudra had uttered wounded his spirit.

"Devi..she is a mysterious..manifestation in our bodies. The first woman to achieve it, was addressed Devi, in honour of it and, moreover because we didn't know her identity. She came from west, from where?—We don't know. She had tantra powers whose nature is adaptable in itself, like," Bhavani put his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, "she passed her powers down to a merchant's daughter..the power since then has turned paranormal but not strictly restricted to tantra. We do nothing to reinstate its force. For example..my great grandmother practised tantra which aided her..but even if we don't follow rituals, the energy is as rigorous as it was when achieved." Bhavani looked in his eyes.

He hummed before his brows furrowed in concentration. "How did Devi pass away then?"

Bhavani looked away in the distance, a thoughtful expression. "A jal samadhi in Hooghly. It happened," His fingers moved in open air like he was counting something, "in mid sixteenth century, somewhere five hundred years ago."

He frowned. It couldn't be a coincidence. The duration of 1520's to 1560's was Bhairav's reign in west extending as far as to central India. If someone had arrived from west India, they had to be under rule of Marwar.

The battle of Dhondia—

"Are you okay?" Bhavani asked in concern, face morphed to furrowed eyebrows and pressed lips as he observed him.