Daughters of Kalika

২২. the liar and the lover

When one-sided, it may be an illusion,

But on the same boat, it is a secret, love weaving a connection

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Maya had never before felt the exceptional fear that clawed at her lion-hearted spirit. The fact that she was the next target of Lucifer, or that he was still running free made her stomach twist into a knot– either or both hampered the harmony.

Yes, he. She sniffed it. It was a man. And she could be killed. There was a chance that she wouldn't meet her parents again.

She was still unable to come to terms with what her heart whispered as the suspect. The latest signal came last day when she ran away from the library. But her mind also asked her to be cautious– there was another too, equally capable of committing cold-blooded murder.

She wished sometimes she had never come here in the first place. She could have fought against fate. She could have–

"But it was predestined. It was inevitable. I cannot escape this quicksand."

After having her breakfast despite not having any appetite, she went out to get some fresh air. Sometimes she wondered if she should just buy a ticket and run back to Calcutta.

"But the paranormal will pull me back. It will find a way to get to me."

Maybe it already has. Maybe I have been bewitched. Yet, an illusion is not ever-lasting.

She saw the market was bubbling with the chitter-chatter of the crowd and the devoted trade of merchants. This was where she actually had the very first date of her life with Hrishav. It would now remain as an unforgettable memory.

The sweat gliding down her forehead fell into her eyes, the salty prick igniting a burning sensation. She rubbed her eyes, wiping the little tear too that trickled along.

"Maya!"

She bumped into an unexpected acquaintance. The fatigue of her soul made smiling a hard struggle, but Maya tried to put up a good front to mask her withering strength. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to get to the root of this.

"Nice to see you, Shashi. Out for marketing?"

"Yes! Choto Babu is in the temple and Sundar Babu has gone out for a stroll. So I am out to get the necessities."

Maya gave her company. Shashi, as Maya had concluded after their two meetings from before, was very talkative and easy to extract information from. She also gossiped as cheerfully as a child would lick candy.

"From what I heard, Hrishav lost his mother at a young age. It must have been very difficult for him. Sundar was even more younger then right?"

"Yes memsaheb. You are right. Choto Babu's mother was the only one who protected him. His father didn't love him much."

Maya had caught the fish in the hook. "Is it because of his love for religion and spirituality?"

"Yes! Choto Babu, I mean Hrishav, being the eldest son was of course the favourite of the house. But after his grandpa died, things deteriorated. His father noticed his growing interest in the gods and mysticism, which he detested. Babu's mother tried to safeguard him, but relationships got strained. Choto Babu soon drifted away from his parents. He would spend time alone with his idols and his grandpa's books on what, in his father's words, opposed science and promoted superstitious behaviour."

"And Sundar Babu?"

"He followed his father's footsteps. Though, even he fell out of favour."

"Why?"