The Unventured Passions

Forgiven, not Forgotten

The room was dark, with moonlight pouring in, giving him the partial visibility that he needed. The crimson carpet reeked of formaldehyde from the morgue, and the stuffed carcass of a tiger's head mounted to the wall stared back at him with angry eyes. It was the governor's drawing room, Batakrishna realised, but it smelled like the hospital he studied at.

"Mira..."
He let out a suppressed scream, as a pair of soft hands embraced him from behind.
Batuk shivered.
"Let's go from here Mira... This isn't a nice place."
Batakrishna urged, but Mira came infront of him slowly, her eyes fixated on his lips, her eyes piercing deep in his. Mira looked different, paler, and her orbs had a hint of blue that matched the hue of the sky.
"Mira... " Batuk held her chin and brought her face closer to take a good look at her, and she smiled.
There was something a miss, and Batuk narrowed his eyes, but before he could fathom anything else, Mira spoke up... Her voice alluring, and strong.

"I love you... Roy... I love you so much!"

"Nooo...." Batuk screamed, and with all his might be tried to move her away from him, for she wasn't Mira anymore but the woman he despised.

"Why no...?" Candice was approaching him, but to his utter surprise she wore the same saree as Raimoti Mukherjee, her forehead was bleeding, and she was smiling cruelly at him.

"Nooo..." Batuk whimpered, but nothing came out from his throat, his limbs felt glued to the air too.

"Why no, Daktar Babu?" Raimoti asked, but it wasn't her voice anymore, but a distorted version of Mahamaya's tone, laughing, giggling, and slowly she stretched her hands infront, her head bent to the side in a fearful visual aversion, inching closer to his neck every moment, trying to choke him to death...
The hands were white, gloved!
Batuk closed his eyes at once.

"Nooo...." He breathed.

"Choto Zamindar Babu?"

The sweet voice broke Batakrishna's trance in a second, waking him up from the unholy nightmare. He stirred, and opened his eyes to look around, internalising the existence of the reality he currently dwelled in.

"Mira?" His lips let out a concerned murmured in response.

It was night, rather the prelude to it, and sitting by the skinny campfire, against the trunk of the neem tree, Batakrishna had dozed off for a moment, letting his mind slip into the deep dark scarry secrets of his life.
Mira, however, was lying down, her head in his lap, and the rest of her on the dry grass bed facing the fire. That touch was their only physical contact, and none attempted to explore any further, each lost in their own minds, battling their own demons.

"Was it a nightmare?" Mira asked, slowly trying around, and Batuk noticed the gloss in her dark orbs, the golden fire burning in her eyes.

"Hm." He hummed, and very tenderly touched her forehead to tuck away a few stands of stray hair.
"How are you feeling now?" He asked her .

"My head hurts."

"The wild berries." He murmured and leaned against the trunk once again, a naughty smile curved on his lips.
"And, do you still want babies with me?"

"Issh!"
Mira moved her face to bury in his lap, hiding the scarlet hue of shame on her cheeks.

"My conditions were very clear though..." Batuk decided to pull her leg a little. "You'll have to marry me to have my babies."

"Dhaatt!" Mira bit her tongue, and Batakrishna laughed.
"No seriously, I'm not a man who'd have babies outside wedlock."
Batuk chortled and Mira buried her face further.
"Did you get any sleep?" He finally asked.