Devi Lakshmi: The Legacy of Wealth

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞 𝕿𝖜𝖔

Lakshmi hurried to Kailash, running up the staircase carved into the side of the mountain. Reaching the top, she saw a small blur speed towards her, burying his small face in the folds of her sari.

"Mami!" Ganesh cried happily. "Gift?"

"Don't bother her already, Ganesh, she just got here." Parvati reprimanded.

"It's alright, Parvati." Lakshmi assured, holding out the crown to Ganesh, who grabbed it eagerly,

He turned it over in his hands, before placing it on his head, happily clapping and giggling.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

He responded by hugging her leg tightly, rapidly exclaiming how much he loved it in a muffled voice.

"Do you want to see the picture book Athai (Father's sister) Saraswati gave me?" he asked shyly. "It's really colorful, and Amma's teaching me to read the words."

When Lakshmi accepted, he grabbed her dainty hand in his pudgy one, dragging her to a section of the area where a few books lay on the ground, all flipped open to different pages. Ganesh began to blabber about what each of them were about, and the moral they taught. Lakshmi listened intently through the whole thing, noticing his enthusiasm about the world, and how he explored everything with keen interest. Although she'd only known him for a while, she felt so attached to him.

"Do you have any children?" Ganesh asked innocently.

"Do I? No, not yet."

His face fell.

"Oh. I was hoping you did. I like talking with you, Athai, and Amma, but I wish I had some kids my own age to play with." he said sadly. "Athai has kids, but they're all too old to want to spend time with me."

Lakshmi patted his head sympathetically.

"Well maybe soon you'll have a cousin to play with, alright?"

"Really?!" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Really." Lakshmi confirmed.

"I hate to interrupt this." Parvati said, causing them both to look up. "But word has it that Shiva will be coming soon and I wish to look my best for him, so I'm going to take a bath. I'm sorry Lakshmi, but do you mind leaving?"

She shook her head, getting up.

"Not at all. It would be awkward anyway to have me here when your husband comes home." she said, before turning to her nephew. "I'll see you later, Ganesh?"

He vigorously nodded.

"With cousin!" he insisted.

Lakshmi smiled.

"Maybe."

"Ganesh, I need you to guard my door. Make sure no one enters. No one at all. Until I return from the bath, you are not permitted to let anyone in." Parvati instructed, to which Ganesh dutifully obeyed.

Returning to Vaikuntham, she found Vishnu standing with his arms crossed on the threshold, mouth pulled into a frown.

"I thought you said you were in Brahmaloka." he said. "Then how come when I came to get you, you weren't there?"

Lakshmi's ears turned red, realizing how genuinely worried he must have been.

"I-I went to Kailash. I'm sorry, I should have told you-"

"Yes, you should have." he said sharply, as she hunched her shoulders. He sighed and massaged his temples. "I'm sorry, I was just worried. I thought something awful happened to you, we all did. Adiseshan was this close to having a panic attack."

She hung her head as he pursed his lips.

"Now, come on in. Don't worry about telling Nritti the auspicious news, I already informed her myself." he said, leading her in. "Did Saraswati manage to help you in whatever you needed?"

"Yes." she answered, still feeling slightly guilty.

He laughed.

"Don't worry, Lakshmi. It was a single mistake. As long as you don't repeat it next time, all is forgiven."

Lakshmi gave him a grateful look.

All of a sudden, water spilled from the ceiling, washing away to reveal a relieved Ksheera.

"Akka! I was so scared! Don't ever do that to us again!" she said, wrapping her arms around Lakshmi, the watery material of Ksheera's dress getting her own wet.

"I'll leave you two to catch up." Vishnu said, walking off.

The foaming water wrapped around Ksheera was flowing rapidly.

"Do you see what you did to my dress?" she asked. "It happens when I get agitated, and then the cosmos get a little bit shaky, because no one likes raging water, it's very strong and it can pull you under! You're lucky I'm not an actual river or else someone could have died." she huffed.

"I apologize for causing you troubles." Lakshmi said, trying to contain a smile. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"I suppose..." Ksheera sniffed, attempting to stay mad and failing.

Lakshmi was about to laugh, when she felt a sharp pain in her chest. A feeling of utter despair and loss.

"What is it?" Ksheera asked, alarmed upon hearing her gasp.

"I-I don't know. But there's something wrong with Parvati."

Ksheera paled. "I'll go get Vishnu.

---

Ten minutes later, Vishnu and Lakshmi appeared at Kailash, running into Saraswati and Brahma on the stairs.

"Did you feel it too?" Saraswati asked.

Lakshmi nodded, and the two rushed up the stairs to see Shiva standing shell-shocked, a sobbing Parvati in front of him. She seemed to be lying over something... Or over someone...

Saraswati inhaled sharply, as Lakshmi took a closer look. The body had no head, but the clothing looked familiar. Suddenly, it dawned on Lakshmi.

"Is that... Ganesh?" she questioned, fear enveloping every inch of her body.

Every tear that fell from Parvati's eyes looked like crystal knives. Her sadness like a blunt sword, waiting to be sharpened into anger. Her eyes were red from crying.

"How could someone do this?!" she screamed. "How could someone do that to my son?!"

Shiva remained silent, scared to reach out to his wife.

Lakshmi remembered the bumbling boy who had talked to her today, his love for the world evident in his voice. How could the universe repay him in such a way?

She saw realization enter Vishnu's eyes.

"That hypothetical child you were talking about earlier," he muttered in her ear. "Was that him?"

Lakshmi swallowed and gave a slight shake of her head, confirming his thoughts. A scream of horror had lodged itself firmly in her throat, refusing to come out, instead torturing her from the inside. It was as if her mind wanted to torture and taunt her with her pain and agony rather than relieve her of it.

"Who did this?!" Parvati shouted, as more and more devas appeared at the cries of one of the most powerful goddesses. "Tell me now!"

"I did." a voice said, as Lakshmi whipped her head to see it was Shiva who had spoken. "I killed your son."

A/N 2K READS! WE'RE AT 2K READS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

On a different note, what did you guys think? Our poor Ganesh 😢. Now excuse me, while I go cry in a corner.