And She Kissed a God

4. Circus

I had been to a circus before. Back when I was ten, my parents took me to a circus to show me elephants dancing on barrels and lions jumping out of rings. Those poor animals had to suffer for my entertainment. The crowd was unbearable that night and I had fainted watching gymnasts flying in the air.

Now the circus that Sam took me to was different. Well, it was closed. We were kilometres away from the city.

The sun shone on my eyes while I followed Sam into an under-construction circus. The place had an eerie vibe. And it was noiseless. The only sounds were our crunchy footsteps.

"Are we playing a guessing game?" I asked. "Can I know where we are going? I didn't wear a denim shirt for rounds in an empty circus."

Sam turned to me and kept walking in reverse. "I am here to meet a friend."

The pigeon from last night perched on her shoulder, flapping its wings. As I planned, I asked her the entire story in the morning. In fact, I asked her several times. I asked when she was in the shower, when we had breakfast and when she offered to show me a circus. 'I'll tell you everything, I promise,' she had said, kissing me on the forehead. 'First, we've to go somewhere safe. Can you take a leave for today?' When I refused to take a leave or accompany her to the circus, she showed me a bullet from last night. It had a name etched on it in Sanskrit. I knew the language enough to understand that was my name.

I didn't ask why my name was on it. A guy showed up when we were leaving the house. Sam said he'd take care of the bullets. I didn't ask who he was. Why bother?

"Ah, my dear Sam." A voice spoke, and I turned away from the sun. The rays still blinded me, so I lifted my hand, using it as a shield, and looked at a fat man standing outside a purple tent.

Sam hopped forward and ran into his hug. Her white t-shirt disappeared in between his elbows.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"At least, you got my message," said the fat man. The pigeon jumped and settled in the fat man's arms. He rubbed its belly. "It rained too much last night. I was worried she wouldn't make it."

Then he extended his hand for a handshake.

"So, this the one?" he asked Sam, shaking my hand.

"Aditya," I said.

He smiled. "Oh, we know you, mister. You are famous now."

"What do you mean? I'm famous?"

Instead of answering, he walked inside and Sam clutched my shirt and pulled me in along with her. Inside, the tent was decorated with tiny snow bulbs hung in a zigzagged manner. The air smelled sweet and sour and I wondered if we walked into a giant fruit.

Not wasting time, the fat man extracted an orb made of cloth and a golden thread was grasped tight at its noose. He loosened the thread, put in two fingers and pulled out a key. It was a bronze key with a half-moon sculpted at the wide end.

"My dear Sam," he said, giving her the key. "I am so relieved to return this one if you ask me."

Sam giggled. "I appreciate your help if you ask me."

They went for another hug before Sam walked out.

"That was it?" I hissed, chasing her. "We drove all the way here for this stupid key."

"It's a key to my house. My own house," she said, narrowing her eyes at me.

The sun was on our back and my denim shirt began gripping to my back for the sweat.

"I don't even know you. Who cares about your house?" I didn't hear it first but rewinding what I said, it felt harsh.

"I'm sorry. I didn't . . ."

"Listen." She interrupted me. "I know you have questions. I know you care nothing except about who I am." Her hair flew to the breeze, and it settled in front of the ear. I craved to move it. But I controlled myself.

"Am I an immortal? Yes." She continued walking, taking longer steps. I tailed her. "Do I enjoy it? No. If you live as long as I do, you learn to prioritise. Right now, my priority is to keep you safe. No one caught me during a relationship before."

You had relationships before me. I didn't say that.

We were approaching our car. Sam parked it under an enormous banyan tree that was decorated to be the circus's entrance. I never understood how the circus people found these empty, bizarre places. If I were passing through this road, I wouldn't even notice this ground.

"So, my house is the safety net." She was still talking. "I loved you too much to reveal everything before."

Loved me? Past tense? When did she stop loving me? Was that because of the ring? I was so curious, afraid, and desperate to know who my girlfriend was that I lost her love.

She put the key in her jean pocket, hauled the car door, and jumped before the wheel. I hesitated to get in. If I did and she drives us to her house, we could be safe. Then a few days later, we might break up. I didn't fancy the idea.

"What are you waiting for?" Sam yelled from inside.

Suppressing my emotions, I got into the car, still silent. I had nothing else to say. The situation had crossed my hands.

So I thought until I turned to her and screamed. A high pitch scream like those old women did in 90s movies. I saw an elephant outside, running toward our car. Sam was too late to react as the animal hit the car. The vehicle tilted into the air; two wheels in the air and the remaining on the earth. It rocked mid-air, throwing me into the shattered window glass, and I cut the skin on my cheek. Sam, thanks to her seatbelt, stretched and went back.

Then the car fell back on the four wheels. I swung up and down in my seat. That wasn't the end. The elephant battered us again, this time trying to flip the car. But Sam was quicker this time. She untied herself off the seatbelt and jumped onto me.

The third hit was fatal as the car crashed into the earth, rolling. The world around me revolved as the car rolled and Sam bear-hugged me, taking the hits on behalf of me from the seats and the glass. She pressed me so tight to her chest, my nose flattened against her skin and the only thing I saw was her brown skin.

After two complete rotations, the car settled upside down. The earth wasn't shaking around from which I understood the elephant had rested. It was silent around. The trills of glass pieces and the squeaks of our skins rubbing against leather enclosed us. Sam still didn't let go of me. The smell of her bare skin was delicious. My bloody cheek rubbed against her right breast, staining her white shirt.

The hug, although for my safeguard, seemed neither materialistic nor a burden. It was close, like an awareness to protect someone no matter what. I didn't know why, but my inside voice shouted: She still loves me.

Then I heard a knock on our broken window glass.

"Hello." Someone sung. The voice was stern, aged, and sarcastic. "Great-grandmother, can you hear me? Tell me you didn't die in a crash after all."

I heard giggles before I passed out.

***

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Thanks for reading my story.