Kama: Liberation (Vol-I)

Chapter 18: The Identity

I am God.

****

"This is a huge assembly of foolhardy and stupid people who don't match your intelligence and charm, and I apologise for it."

Ishvara sat under the shade of a banyan and listened to Raksa, like everyone else.

"With time you will know who is who, like you know I am Raksa. Guildmates, can you all introduce yourselves?"

"Let me do the thing," Aryamna said. "The woman who welcomed you earlier, she is Mithhi," Aryamna pointed to the blue-eyed mother, "and she is Rahul's wife. The man standing just behind her is Rahul."

And he doesn't speak much, does he?

Ishvara thought hard. From where did the conclusion come though? "He doesn't talk much, right?" she asked.

"Oh, he never did. He keeps all his secrets to himself. Not even share with his wife." Mithhi twisted her lips.

"She can tell about people even before meeting them. Good intuition," Rahul said. Ishvara cowered at his grave, deep voice. His gaze fluttered, sometimes landing on her and sometimes on the trees, but Ishvara felt him studying her whenever she wasn't alert.

Strange, she could tell the name of Makba and now state a quality of Rahul.

Did I somehow know them?

But then why aren't they telling me that?

"The green-eyed boy, you already know him to be Jayant. He is in love with Manik, the fair man beside him."
The two men waved at her. Ishvara saw the similarities between Jayant and Rahul– both had the same curly brown hair and a mole on their chin.

"Now look to your right. You will find Shankha."

He was a simple looking man with a cheerful smile and sweet brown eyes, an ivory shade shawl draped around his lean body. He had a woman beside him dressed in complete violet with deep red lips and sparkling amber eyes, contrasting his pale attire.
The man bowed. "Glad to be remembered." The woman elbowed him, rebuking him with her gaze.

"And then we have Radha, Indu's friend," Aryamna pointed at a freckled girl with amber eyes. "She is the daughter of Shankha and his wife Chitra." Radha waved at her shyly. "Then that's Raya, the oldest child and daughter of Mithhi," Aryamna went on, "and the boy with the ponytail beside her is Darius. He is not the child of anyone from our guild but a guest. He has been training here for quite some years."

Darius joined his hands in a namaskara. Raya did the same.

"Let me bring something for everyone," Jayant said. "I have made some khichadi. We can all talk while eating."

As dusk fell over the Southern Forest, a bunch of old complicated souls sat down to clear their minds.

****

Ishvara had been taking a walk in the forest. A river flowed nearby, calming the atmosphere with the clinking tune of the waters washing over the rocks. She looked up at the sky, taking in the fresh air. "A good place to contemplate."

To ponder about the mysteries of life.
Aryamna with the earring, of her knowing about Makba's name and Rahul's nature, and the mages looking at her with pain waiting behind their eyelashes.

She recalled how homely Ishgar felt when she had stepped here. If really she had come back to her true home, and if her suspicions about Aryamna knowing her from before were correct, why didn't he tell her that he knew her?