sLilith200
In 18th century Bengal, he was never meant to belong anywhere.
Born XXY, rejected at eighteen, and taken into a hijra community, Ishan Dutta learns that survival means existing in the spaces people don't know how to name.
He doesn't expect attention.
He doesn't seek permanence.
Until her.
A wandering Tantrika, Kankali Sen, arrives like a rumor the village can't decide is blessing or omen.
She is not gentle.
She is not predictable.
And she looks at him like he is something she has already decided to understand.
Ishan has spent his whole life being observed.
But for the first time...
He is being seen.
And he doesn't know what scares him more:
- that she stays
or
- that he might want her to.
---
⚠️ Content Warnings
Themes of identity exploration and gender perception
Psychological introspection and internal emotional conflict
Mild body-related insecurity and discomfort (non-graphic)
Social stigma and casual discriminatory remarks
Protective violence (non-graphic, brief depiction)
Emotional attachment / evolving relationship dynamics
Slow-burn intimacy and romantic/physical tension (non-explicit)
Themes of mobility, nomadic lifestyle, and instability vs belonging
Spiritual / ritual practices and Tantric elements (non-graphic, cultural/spiritual context)
Brief depictions of confrontation and verbal hostility