Bearing Witness

Chapter 14 - Caesura

Khan and Ananda sip masala tea and take in the bright morning sun seated together on the cormalite terrace of Ananda's home. There is a silence between them that is comfortable and reassuring. Khan contemplates dangling his feet in the koi pond but thinks better of it. Though he is not a man given to whimsy, the thought of causing a stir among the residents of the pond gives rise to a brief, but mischievous grin. Ananda snuggles next to Khan and nuzzles the shell of his ear. She plants a soft kiss on his earlobe.

"Thank you, Ananda." Khan purrs in a smooth warm baritone.
"It was just a tiny peck" she smiles.
"Mmm, yes. But I was speaking of the tea. It is a small but thoughtful reminder of my true heritage."

"I don't want or have need to blunt you over the head with your past, Noonien. My exploration of your truth will never come at the expense of your dignity. With all the complexities we have to consider, I find myself in need of reminding, too. Your outer presentation is John Harrison, but your lived experiences are largely those of Noonien Singh. How do you..." She shakes her head "How will we make sense of that duality? Sometimes when I look at you..." her voice catches in her throat, and she pauses briefly. "You seem so far away. Almost as if you're lost and fighting to find your way back." Ananda speaks softly, choosing her words very deliberately.

"I've never been a man of many words. Too often, people cloak themselves in prose. Hiding behind smiling faces, lying to those that trust them most. Actions are the measure of a man. Some of the things I've done... The choices I've made..."

Khan sets down his mug, turns to Ananda and fixes her in a very intense gaze. His eyes tell a complex story. A powerful admixture of strength, sadness, culpability, and devotion. A flash of unfiltered sincerity radiates from Khan that Ananda finds appealing. Her sense of the man before her is one that longs for a chance to atone for perceived wrongs. Someone whose love for his family was sublimated into acts of savagery that will always be misunderstood.

"Our choices have led us here, Noonien. And we are here together. This moment..." She softly kisses his cheek, rests her chin on his shoulder and pulls him into a hug. "This moment." She whispers, tenderly kissing him again. "And this moment..." She reaches for him. "Take my hand Noonien. Please accept my imperfect understanding of who you are. The light in me beholds the light in you." He offers Ananda an open hand, she clasps it between hers, turns it palm upward and kisses the heel of his hand. She places his hand over her heart, and reaches for his cheek with her other hand. Khan kisses that hand and mirrors her gesture, covering her hand with his own.

"This..." she squeezes his hand. "This is where we live, Noonien. No matter what. No matter where we are, you live in my heart. And soon - a part of you will begin growing inside me, and the spirit of our being will reside here, too." She smiles and places his hand just above her navel. Though Ananda looks into Khan's eyes with great affection, her eyes tell a truth that has gone unspoken. Khan's intuits this as he allows his fingertips to drift sweetly over Ananda's face, delicately tracing her features as he moves in for a kiss. They pause to share a breath moments before their lips meld together. Tenderness gives way to urgency as the kiss deepens. They sit entwined, fully engrossed in the moment, taking no notice of the soft, tiny footfalls on the terrace.

"Mer-mau? Merrrrr-oww?!"

Ananda breaks away to look down at her feet.

"BE-BOP!!" Ananda's gasps in surprise and utter delight.

"Pwwt!-Pwwt!-Pwwt! C'mere girl!" She calls to the newly revived, still stubborn feline. BeBop bypasses Ananda in favor of sashaying directly to Khan. She walks in a figure eight pattern between his feet and playfully jumps into his lap.