Loving You Through Lifetimes

The Bitter Truth

Night had fallen. I watched the stars in the sky which shone like diamonds on black silk. The moon was a softly glowing crescent.

We, Sura and Asura, were seated in an open auditorium with a clear view of the night sky. Somarasa flowed in abundance and the drunken Suras and Asuras danced together. The Gandharvas and Kinnaras played music and the Apsaras danced gracefully.

I saw that on a raised platform, Indra and Vrishaparva raised toasts to each other. Beside them sat the War God, Skanda and the Crown Prince, Rudhira respectively. The two younger men were engaged in a deep conversation. Rudhira caught my eye and grinned at me, Skanda's eyes followed his gaze and he smiled on seeing me. I lowered my gaze, although I was intimidated by War God, I had heard that he was a kind man.

I sighed, I was feeling rather bored at the party. I decided to take a stroll in the garden since I loved the gardens of Indra's palace in Amaravati. As I walked through the gardens, I deeply inhaled the fragrance of the various flowers.

I hummed a tune and suddenly, a looming shadow fell over me. I nearly screamed for help only to have my mouth covered by a rough, unmistakably male hand.

Panic rushed through me and I began to fight in earnest. I heard laughter and a man bent down and murmured in my ear, "Relax, it's me"

I instantly recognized the voice, I clenched my teeth and said, "Let me go, Rudhira!"

He stepped back immediately and released me, "As you wish, I am sorry for startling you, I didn't mean to"

I scoffed and muttered sarcastically, "Oh, I am sure, you didn't"

"I had the privilege of meeting your parents today, they are wonderful people. I see such strong resemblance between your father and you. I must say, you have inherited your mother's beauty" Rudhira's eyes swept across me boldly.

I raised an eyebrow, is he blind? I resemble my father?! Not in the least. Ever since I was a child, I noticed that there was hardly any similarity between my father and me.

I had translucent turquoise eyes and my father had brown ones. I had an upturned nose and my father had a hook nose. I had a fair complexion, the same colour as jasmines and my father had a bronze skin tone.

"Wow" I chuckled, "You are the first to tell me that I resemble my father. Makes me wonder if your eyesight is poor. Oh wait, I remember that the Asuras are supposed to have very good night vision. Maybe, it's just your vision that's extremely poor"

I held my breath after I said that, are you mad, Mallika?! How dare you talk to the Asura Crown Prince like that? I have never been so rude to anyone in all my life. Why am I like this with him?! The reason struck me like lightning. He got under my skin, he saw through my defences and I was irresistibly attracted to him.

I was drawn out of my thoughts by his deep laughter, "Surely" he said with a grin, "You don't mean Lord Brihaspati when you say father?"

"Who else would I mean?" I snapped irately.

"You really don't know?" he asked, his eyes widening.

"Know what?!" I demanded

He cocked his head to a side, assessing me from top to toe. He snorted in disbelief, "So, you really don't know"

"Will you tell me clearly what it is you want to say to me?" I asked, through clenched teeth.

"It's an open secret in both Amaravati and Hiranyapura but I will enlighten you. You are the lovechild of Lord Chandra" he said, softly.

I drew my hand as far back as I could and slapped him across the face with all my might, "How dare you?" I hissed in fury, "How dare you slander Uncle Chandra like that?! How dare you imply that my mother was unfaithful?!"

"Imply?!" he smirked, "The proof of your mother's infidelity and Chandra's love affair with a married woman is standing right in front of me now"

I took deep breaths to calm myself, I felt an uncontrollable rage. I wanted to kill this man with my bare hands. I reminded myself that murdering the Asura Crown Prince on the day of the Sura – Asura Peace Summit was not exactly diplomatic.

He said nothing but gave me a crooked grin as if he found my turmoil amusing. I decided to leave before I did something that would put the Summit in jeopardy. I walked away angrily, blinking back tears and I ran headfirst into someone.

Familiar pale arms steadied me and I raised my face to see Uncle Chandra.

"Are you alright?" he asked affectionately, patting my cheek

"Yes, I am" Since my childhood, I adored Uncle Chandra. He always treated me with more love and affection than my father ever did in years.

Recalling the hurtful words that Rudhira said nearly brought tears to my eyes again. Since I was a child, Uncle Chandra gave me gifts, pats, hugs and more verbal encouragement than I got from anyone else in Amaravati. To think that such a nice man was slandered so cheaply by that Asura scoundrel.

"Why are you crying?" Uncle Chandra asked in panic and wiped away my tears. I thanked him and bent over a pool to clean my face. I saw both of us reflected in the water, side by side and I froze. I met him several times over the years but this was the first time I was looking at both of our reflection at the same time.

His eyes were a translucent turquoise, he had an upturned nose and his skin was as fair as jasmines. It was as if my world came crashing down. My mother whom I respected more than anyone in this world had indeed committed adultery. Uncle Chandra whom I thought to be the kindest man for showering a stranger's kid with love turned out to be my biological father.