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.
His head trembled in negative. "Nothing..continue."
Bhavani hesitated but resumed his stroll, so did Rudra. "Twenty seven generations later, here I'm, the first male descendant of this blessing."
"First male descendant?" He was impressed however not shocked, considering how Bhavani was a woman in his latest past life.
"Yeah." Bhavani had a conflicted look on his face. "I remember how when I was a child, people assumed Devi's disgrace had befallen on us...that my parents angered her somehow. After all a male in the bloodline wasn't a promising harbourer for manifestation." He waved a hand, dismissing it and smiled. "It was lot of family drama, better leave it."
Something dropped in him. The forlorn misery was unbearable, especially when far more was offered than Rudra put forward.
"When was your first manifestation then?"
Bhavani looked up from his leisurely steps. "When I was eleven, months before.." He trailed off, afraid of recalling a mournful moment. "I'm sorry," He snorted, "I must be eating your brain by my woeful tale."
He sharply exhaled through his nose, upset at the accusation. "I can see past lives."
Bhavani froze, wide eyes full of pleasant surprise. "Wow.."
He smirked at the awed reaction before he mentally shook his head, about to enlighten a bitter fact. "It's ugly, disturbing. Twisted lives fuelled by greed," A retrospective gaze was set where highway lights began to lit up, "by deception and ironically enough," He turned to Bhavani who was keenly observing his every move, "we destroy the ones we love the most."
Bhavani shuddered, goosebumps on his skin. "C-can you tell me..a-about my past life then?"
He regarded him for one agonising long minute, wondering who could Bhavani be to Bhairav, to possess such mystical hold on him.
He looked away knowing well he was itching to embrace Bhavani. "That is..the exact problem. I can't," He murmured, lost.
"Why not?"
His nostrils flared in anger. It reminded him how much his life was changing for unknown. If only he hadn't met Bhavani, he would had been estimating business now, not behaving like a love sick boy! He saw red.
"I'm not Shiv who's aware of three times! Hell that's why I'm discussing it with you, in hopes of getting a lead!" His voice boomed on the shunned beach.
Bhavani stepped back, timid. "..calm down," He murmured, chin tucked in.
Gritting his teeth, he diverted his glare at the sandy floor. The outlines of sand grains sparkled in dim halo, a broken seashell sprawled there. Seagulls squawked over waves, salty winds flowing. He exhaled through his nose, arms akimbo as he pushed back his head. "I want answers...who you were to me," He mumbled, a secret shared between them.
He turned to Bhavani. Their gazes locked.
The atmosphere was intimate, weight of confession breathing on his neck. By the time Rudra regained some of his senses, he was inching closer to Bhavani. His attention was stolen by a curved bow of lips. He gulped. "For," He looked back in his radiant brown eyes. "I want to know what's special about you," It was whispered like essence of forbidden romance.
The horn of an ice cream cart broke the romantic tension.
Rudra stepped back and breathed as deeply as he could.
Bhavani inhaled air in quietude, prominent rise of chest displaying how strangled he too felt in the moment, as he stared at the lit cart.
"Ice cream?"
"No."
Bhavani shrugged and galloped to the pink cart. Dusk had settled across the dark sky with scattered twinkling stars. The rush of waves were drowning his own thoughts as he followed the nervous man.
"One chocolate ice cream cup for me and," He turned to Rudra, hopeful eyes beaming. "Which flavour?"
His lips pursed. "I don't like ice cream."
"Oh come one." The single bulb of ice cream cart casted a delicate light on his desired male.
"Its your golden hour." The lyrics began to echo.
He always wanted him to smile and be hopeful. "Vanilla."
Bhavani turned to the skinny young adult. A tattered mushy brown vest did not hinder his mischievous and opportunistic approach.
An arguement sparked off.
"Twenty per piece. Take it or leave it, blame GST."
Hands on hips, Bhavani narrowed his eyes. "Aye kiddo, the GST will a single digit tax on ice cream, not 33%. Either you charge it for fifteen or," He pointed at a distant vendor on their left, "I'll buy the same from your rival there. Choice is yours."
Clueless, Rudra observed the comical scene. He and his siblings never had to bargain for simplest of things. However if he had to compare the scene, these skills were sembling to corporate negotiations.
The guy grinned playfully. "Arre bhaiya don't take it personally." He placed the cups on counter top. "Fifteen per piece, good now?"
They had literally left behind the vendor after the bargaining test was over. Bhavani began to nibble on spoonfuls while Rudra broke the comfy silence.
"You are such a miser," He noted.
Bhavani glared at him half-heartedly. "I'm not."
"You are." Rudra handed the freezing vanilla cup in bony hands, and put his own hands in hoodie's sidepockets. It was about time for the rendezvous to end.
"Pagol na mathakharap?! Why are you giving me your ice cream?!" Are you crazy?
Bhavani attempted to push back the cup however Rudra glared at him. "I don't like it."
Bhavani gaped at the incredulous comment. "You must be an alien then." Then he huffed and launched himself to devour both cups.
Rudra stared at the excited adult who was enthusiastically wiping out remnants around the edges of white and brown cup. He looked away to pause his creepiness.
Bhavani shrugged after throwing away the cups in bin behind a bench. "Bargaining is an art," He dusted off his hands, "You should learn it too."
He almost rolled his eyes, almost. "Not interested. I'm past 'lets learn new skills' age."
Bhavani stared at him creepily to an extent where Rudra had to tilt his head in both amusement and worry.
"S-she's here." It was spoken like a tranced murmur, fleeting away in cool salty winds as incense and jasmine intensified.
His eyes began to widen at glowing orbs of gold and crimson around irises. They were shimmering in the darkness as Rudra gulped.
"Bh-bhavani?" There was no answer. A divine serenity washed over his senses. "Devi?"
"Take me to the west."
It was dual echo of feminine and masculine voice. The feminine one resembled to temple bells, its echo reverberating in Rudra's conscience while the masculine one was of Bhavani.
He frowned.
An orange seeped in his vision from periphery along with a searing pain. He could feel the fervour of penance, its essence burning the one who practised it.
Devi was a looming presence, appearing as huge as mountains before him, her outline ending as rough swirls of red form. She was like a scorching sun up close.
She moved her trident.
"If you dare to cherish the truth,
be fierce enough to confront the shadows.
O Kala, Bhadra, Bhairav, Rudra, Shiva, Shivansh, Om, take me from the east to west, like the time for a sun to rise and set!"
He was pushed.
He staggered back in reality, eyes gawked open in shock.