The walk up to the palace was exerting but Ajiona did not mind. She decided at the most she had time for one last fun before reality sets back in. People she met on the way blessed her, she responded with a respectful bow and smile and went on her way. She hummed a little ditty on her way up the hill, dancing a little jig and twirling. The gates to the palace were wide open, there was no light on save for a paraffin lamp on a post. She took it and slipped in; her hair had come loose from the knot and flowed in curls to her waist.
She made her way to the square. Blessed or cursed with an eidetic memory, she could find her way back there. It was silent in the palace complex, save for the chirrup of crickets and the steady thread of her shoes. She wasn't scared of the silence or the darkness, she felt okay with it.
Ajiona found the square; she gave a respectful nod in the direction of the Shiva lingam and headed for the banyan tree. Sitting on the sandstone bench she set the paraffin lantern to her side and again took of her shoes staring into the pool. It reflected the starry sky above and the luminous full moon. Sighing, she whispered: 'true love, are you there?' Then the absurdity of it struck her and she giggled into the night. 'True love!' She said loudly. 'I'm waiting. Come out come out wherever you are!' She said in a sing song voice.
No one answered her; no one stepped out of the shadows. She felt oddly left out.
'Peek-a-boo,' someone said and Ajiona started a yelping escaping from her mouth.
She turned. There was someone sitting right beside her on the bench, he wore a traditional dhoti, bare chested, his riotous hair in a loose top knot. He sat in the lotus style, his elbow planted on his thigh, his chin propped on his open palm and he scrutinized her.
'Who are you?' Ajiona challenged a bit miffed.
'Call me Rudra,' he said softly, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. 'And you are Bhavani Devi.'
'I'm Ajiona, not Bhavani.'
'One can be some many things, one can have so many names,' Rudra said.
'And one of yours will be Lord Shiva wouldn't it?' She said with a small mocking smile.
'Ha! How would you know that?'
Ajiona rolled her eyes, they were really doing this. 'My Uncle Henry's best friend is from India and my uncle has been here several times, he brings back a lot of stories.'
'Any about me?' Rudra asked hopefully.
Ajiona sighed, the allure of the night was fast fading, and she now wanted to go back to the hotel. 'Look let's end this. You are not Lord Shiva and I am not Bhavani. It was nice meeting you Rudra but I have to go.' She started to stand.
'Your prayers, they were about your parents weren't they? Bring my father back; set me free from this burden.'
Ajiona sat down heavily, her throat worked but she did not ask the obvious question. Instead, she sighed and faced him squarely. 'Okay, let us play this game. Let's assume you are who you imply you are what do you want?'
'You admit you are Bhavani?'
'I admit I'm Ajiona not Bhavani.'
'Not yet.'
Ajiona winced. The voices were back, clamouring, words tumbling over each other mingling with laughter and harsh words.
'You hear it. Pity you'll forget once you are there.' He stood in one fluid movement and held out his hand.
Ajiona eyed it suspiciously.
'Child,' he suddenly sounded eons old. 'I will not hurt you; I will simply guide you to where you need to be. You are going to mean so much to a great many people.'
Suddenly everything became crystal clear; she understood and admitted it to herself. So she slipped her hands into his. It was cold and it burned. Rudra stepped into the pool drawing her along with him.
'Oh that reminds me, ' he snapped his fingers in a series of sharp clicks and her backpack appeared, hovering over both of them. 'It has all your gadgets in it and things you might miss.'
Ajiona nodded and put it on.
'Hold your breath and close your eyes child,' Rudra instructed.
Ajiona closed her eyes and took a deep lungful of air. She knew what was coming but the suddenness and the coldness took her by surprise that she almost exhaled. She sank and sank like a stone for what seemed like forever. Then she was free falling in the air.
'Breath,' Rudra's voice instructed, through the air in her mind. She ignored him, terror rising in her. She was going to die. Her lungs burned and she let go, inhaling dusty air but air nonetheless. Then, she stopped falling and dropped and slipped into darkness.