Loving You Through Lifetimes

Caught

A Week Later

Perhaps, our biggest mistake was believing that our human disguises kept us safe. Our disguises kept us safe from the Rakshasas but we underestimated the humans. 

Having stayed here for a week, we built a good friendship with our neighbours who were overseas merchants. They told us that they would be planning a trip to Suvarnabhumi[1] by next weekend. This worked in our favour too as we were exhausted from being on the run till now. 

We pretended to be a newly wed human couple. We were given a semi-furnished house by one of the merchant families. Since it would not be right to stay there for free, Pauruseya offered to work in their trade guild. I offered to babysit the children and assisted the women in household chores. 

"Alright" Pauruseya said, "I will be going out to do my daily work" 

"Doesn't it feel like we are a real couple at times like this?" I whispered, with a smile. 

"A real couple is cozy in bed but my wife doesn't let me touch her at nights" he grinned down at me. 

I smacked his arm, laughing and he left the house, while whistling a tune. I knew he said it for fun but I wondered if I could repay my life debt to him with my body. 

Evening arrived and he came home, I welcomed him with a warm meal. While he ate with enthusiasm, I gazed longingly at him. 

"Don't" he suddenly said. 

"What?" I asked, puzzled.

He sighed, "You don't owe me a debt, Manovega. Please don't ever think you need to repay me. I did what I did because it was the morally right thing to do. Come on to me, if you feel the need and not because you want to repay me" 

I was touched by his words, he made me wish I could fling myself into his arms. I murmured, "I sometimes think I haven't yet healed from Suketu's death" 

"How could you possibly?" he asked, "He was your lover, you knew him since childhood. I can only imagine your grief at losing him. We knew each other for a few weeks. Take as long as you wish, there is no rush" 

I held back tears at the warmth in his voice, "Thank you" I mumbled. I served him another scoop of curry to distract him from noticing my teary eyes. 

"Let the tears flow, Manovega. Why do you hide them? You don't need to hide anything from me" Pauruseya whispered. I let the tears flow and for the last time in my life, I mourned my previous lover's death. 

After that night, I bid farewell to my past. I opened my heart again and gladly welcomed Pauruseya into my body. 

Next Week

Time flew by quickly and before we knew it, the next week had begun. We finished packing whatever little provisions we acquired. All of us began to travel in bullock carts. Before long, we reached the port. During this time, we finished all the potion vials to keep up our disguise. 

The checking of each bullock cart by the Rakshasa security was over. We alighted from the bullock carts and formed a queue. 

One by one, people were being allowed to board the ship, after a security frisk. Pauruseya squeezed my hand reassuringly and I smiled at him.

Just as our turn came, we suddenly transformed into our real forms, how did this happen?!

The head of the merchant family who sheltered us, said, "I had my suspicions when I first saw those two. I am glad that my suspicions have been proven right" 

Pauruseya glared at him, "What did you do?" 

"When you stayed in my house on the first day that you arrived, you both were busy assisting the men and women of my family. During this time, I asked my teenage daughter to mix water to dilute the potion vials." he said, with a broad grin. 

"How did you know?" I asked.

The man laughed, "You may have cleverly concealed your weapons in cloth bags. However, I had them checked while you were both busy. You were new faces in our town, carrying hidden weapons and with recently healed wounds on your bodies. Did you take me for a fool? I did not initially think you were a Yaksha and Rakshasa. I first thought you were human bandits and I alerted the local Rakshasa police to keep an eye on you."

"Well done" interrupted the Head of Rakshasa Port Security, "How did you guess who they were and realize that they were not bandits?"

 "I realized this after I complained to the local Rakshasa policemen. They told me to keep an eye out for little vials with translucent green liquid. Those were the vials this couple was always carrying on their person" said the man.

"Excellent!" said the Head, with a cruel smile, "Men, reward this man with a sack of gold. Let his family board the ship without a hassle. He has done us a great favour with his sharp mind" 

The man and his merchant family were escorted as if they were royalty onto the ship. I seethed in rage and prayed that they should drown in the middle of the sea. 

"Now, time to take you to the magistrate's court to be dealt with" the Head said, he gestured and we were surrounded by his men on all sides. 

"Don't try to fight back, you are overnumbered. Be quiet and follow my orders" the Head barked at us. 

We were bound with chains and dragged like animals for slaughter. The humiliating part was the jeering of Rakshasa soldiers and the laughter of the human onlookers. We were flung at the feet of the magistrate. 

"For the grievous crimes of having committed insubordination by killing your superior officer and for committing treason by fleeing with a Yaksha woman while abandoning your post. I hereby sentence you and your Yaksha mistress to death by beheading" 

"You call this justice?!" Pauruseya roared, "I killed my superior officer because he tried to rape this woman and because he had ordered all Rakshasa men in the camp to commit rape upon the Yaksha female captives" 

GLOSSARY:

[1] Suvarnabhumi: Southeast Asia