Agni Snaan

Holika had just finished offering her morning prayers to Lord Brahma when the arrival of her brother's messenger was announced. She still grieved for the dead sibling, feeling pain every time she had to address her brother (and not brothers). 

The message was short, Hiranyakashipu wanted her to try and knock some sense into her nephew, who wouldn't stop declining the orders of worshiping him. She sighed as soon as the messenger left, searching for her dushala. It was the one she had received from Lord Brahma, the only possession no one else was allowed to even touch. 

She still remembered the first time she had held her nephew, Prahlad, an assortment of flesh and blood, lighter than the weight of her bangles. Prahlad, who somehow had gotten the courage to openly stand up to his father and disobey his orders of not worshiping Lord Narayan. 

When she reached her brother's place, it seemed like every ounce of patience had left the mortal body of the king. She understood and even shared (to some extent) his hatred towards Vishnu, the deity who had killed their brother. She somewhat understood that he wanted Prahlad to either chant his name or live no more. But he wanted her to help him kill his own son, she wasn't so sure about that. 

She got a glimpse of the state Kayadhu was in, paths of her tears still visible on the face which depicted helplessness in its true form. She tried to imagine herself in the place of her sister-in-law, torn between the duties of a wife and a mother. She understood the loyalty of Prahlad towards his Aradhya, but what about his own mother. Wise men would say that worldly relations only hindered the growth of the individual, but they also preached the duties one had towards their own parents. If not for his father's ego, the child should have submitted for the sake of his mother's calmness. With this logic in her mind, she agreed to her brother's proposal. 

It was supposed to be just a bath, a fire bath to be precise. She had done it many times, but this time, she wouldn't be alone. Her nephew would be made to accompany her. The nephew whose death will be on her head. Any other time it would have horrified her, now she didn't even care. If Prahlad prioritized his deity over his mother, he was second to her brother in her list. 

Yet, the other part, the aunt in her, memorized his features to the best of her ability. The part which was reminded of the numerous times Prahlad had claimed her lap, and received kisses for the act. The part that may have wanted to give a last kiss on his forehead, the aunt that wanted to protect him. The aunt that lost to the sister in her, as Holika made sure that the devotee of Vishnu couldn't access even a thread of her dushala. 

Prahlad kept chanting Narayan's name as he walked with her to his pyre. Continued his chanting as she said her own prayers to both Lord Brahma and Agni. Even as Holika felt the familiar warmth of the flames, the sound of Vishnu's name could still be heard over the cackles of fire. The chants never stopped, even as Holika felt the fire fighting to consume them. 

Holika knew something was wrong the moment she felt fire taste her skin. Somehow, Brahma's boon lost against the hunger of Agni. The last sounds she heard were her own screams accompanied by the chants of Narayan's name. She never knew that her dushala was protecting her nephew, that Brahma's boon still had its powers, that her brother would soon be joining her.

A N : Happy Holi. This was supposed to be published on Holika Dahan, but got delayed a bit