by Iram Dana
“To hate.” finished Destiny.
Heart’s shoulders sank with relief. Behind him, Rain’s face went red and he looked about to burst from the effort of trying to hold in his laughter. Heart turned around and ran from the clearing blushing like a schoolboy, followed on the heels by Rain.
“What is the matter with them?” said Destiny, looking confused.
“Believe me, Destiny, you don’t want to know.” sighed Earth, turning around and taking up from where she had left off on the vegetables.
*****
That night when dinner was ready, Subodh asked everyone to take their places around the campfire as he would start serving out the banana leaf plates shortly.
Rain hovered behind, in the shadows of the trees, waiting for Earth to sit first so that he could then take the seat next to her’s. Angel entered the clearing then, minus rainbow.
“Angel! Over here.” called Earth, patting the seat next to her.
Angel flashed her a grin and walked up to her. His bottom had barely touched the ground, when Rain landed a swift kick on it from behind. Angel went sprawling face forwards into the ground.
“Who the hell?!” snarled Angel, turning around to look for his assaulter.
Rain, who had quickly slid into the empty space now sat there with his legs spread out in front of him, regarding Angel stonily. Earth spun to face him.
“Rain! When did you get here?” she asked in surprise.
“What’s your problem man?” growled Angel, getting to his feet.
“I was already sitting here.” hissed Rain.
“I didn’t see anyone sitting there!” boomed Angel.
“Well then, maybe you should to look more carefully…”
Earth looked from one angry male face to the other.
“Oh, please, please don’t start a fight …” she murmured under her breath.
Angel snorted with disgust and then turned and stalked off to sit next to Heart. Rainbow entered the clearing then and bounded over to sit next to Angel.
“Where were the two of you?” said Earth. “We were so worried.”
“Yes. We thought the two of you had decided to donate yourselves as trees to the Seekers Field.” said Heart, with barely suppressed laughter.
Subodh came then and handed Heart a stack of banana leaves to distribute to everybody, acknowledging Angel and Rainbow’s presence with a gruff nod. Rainbow turned to Heart and pursed her lips.
“You know, it’s a mighty good thing that you cannot turn your imaginations to reality.” she said with annoyance, “And for your information, the two of us did something very constructive today. Something I am sure none of you have done until now.”
“I’ll bet.” said Rain, looking down to hide the sly smile on his face and rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
Rainbow looked at him scornfully. “Boys!” she huffed. “What we actually did, was discover the hidden meanings behind our core names.”
Everyone looked at them, stunned.
“What was it like?” said Heart, desperation and longing saturating his voice.
Rainbow clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
“It was magical! I was the one who discovered Angel’s first. Can you believe the hidden meaning behind his core name? I told Angel ‘you’re a dream come true’ and that was it! You know, as in angels … dreams ... they’re all related. And this angel’s mine.” she said, leaning over and giving Angel a brief hug. “As you all know, the surest test of knowing you have found your soulmate is that you will discover the hidden meaning behind their core name. Once you do that, it will act as a trigger for the other person to discover yours. So that’s what happened. My words acted as a trigger and Angel stumbled upon the meaning behind my core name.” said Rainbow, looking lovingly into Angel’s eyes.
All eyes now turned to Angel.
“Angel, tell us!” said Earth.
“Well, the rainbow is made of seven individual colors. And though these colors are fine on their own, together they make something far more beautiful. They make the rainbow. And that’s what Rainbow does; she keeps things together, people together, increasing the beauty and joy of everything. She’s very special that way.” said Angel, rubbing Rainbows knuckles with his fingers.
“That is so sweet.” sighed Earth. “But … that took you all day?”
“Not really,” said Rainbow, “once we discovered our core names, something happened. I felt like something clicked just right, and then …”
Rainbow paused.
“And then?” prodded Earth.
“I don’t remember what happened next.” said Rainbow, with a frown. “Do you?” she asked Angel.
“Nope. No idea.”
“So that’s it.” said Rainbow, beaming at everybody.
“Strange.” said Heart, getting up to help Subodh serve food to everyone.
*****
After dinner, Rain wandered off into the forest alone for a walk. It had been difficult trying to concentrate on eating with Earth sitting so close to him. To top that off, she had the habit of lightly touching the person next to her each time she laughed. Every time she did that, Rain’s temperature soared by a few degrees until finally, bells were ringing in his ears so loudly, he could no longer hear the conversation around him. He sat down under a tree and called his Geeya to clear some doubts and to set his head right on a few facts. She floated over to him and sat down beside him.
“You said you wanted to talk about something…?” she said in her lilting voice.
Rain took his time to reply.
“I do… about one of the rules of the Quest. The ‘no mating’ rule, to be specific.”
Her lips curved into a smile.
“I have sensed some struggle on your part in adhering to that rule, of late.”
Rain ignored the amused tone of her voice.
“The rule says we’re not allowed to mate, right? But it says nothing of kissing …” began Rain.
“And?”
“And I was wondering … can we kiss?”
“Yes.”
Rain sat bolt upright.
“We can kiss?! Without getting turned into trees?!”
“Yes.” she laughed.
Rain eyed his Geeya suspiciously. This was too easy and her eyes were filled with too much mischief. But so far, she had never lied to him. Even in jest.
“Let me spell this out clearly. I can kiss Earth without turning the two of us into trees?” said Rain, putting exaggerated emphasis on each word.
His Geeya nodded.
“So long as your intention is only to kiss her, and do absolutely nothing more, you can kiss all you want. The instant your intentions change, which is a highly likely scenario once passions are boiling, you risk getting pulled into the ground. No one knows exactly when that might happen, so it is best to avoid such risky situations. So I would say, kiss Earth so long as you can keep the feeling platonic.” she calmly explained.
Rain stared at her in disbelief.
What was she talking about, telling him to keep his feelings platonic while kissing Earth when he couldn’t even manage to think platonic thoughts within a one mile radius of her.
His Geeya could hold it in no longer. She burst out into gales of musical laughter.
“You were just leading me on all along!” accused Rain.
“Yes!” she admitted readily, “But I didn’t lie to you. Let me put this another way; when I first told you about the ‘no mating’ rule, didn’t you automatically assume that it also meant no kissing?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Rain shrugged. “It’s the most common start to …well, you know …”
“Exactly! That’s why it’s dangerous to take the risk. You would be playing with fire. I just know that feeling platonic towards Earth while kissing her is going to be an impossibility for you, so don’t try it.”
Rain thrust his chin out stubbornly.
“You never know. I mig
ht just manage it.”
His Geeya shrugged her translucent shoulders.
“Go ahead, then. But remember, there’s another life joined to yours that you will be risking, too.”
“You mean, Earth’s?”
His Geeya shook her head. “I mean my own.”
“Oh.”
For some reason, until now, Rain had never really considered his Geeya as actually having a life simply because his concept of a life was completely different than what a Geeya represented. She came into existence directly as an adult and then, too, there was the fact that she was all smoke and not flesh and bones. But now that he considered it, he realized she had a point.
“Blackmailer!” scowled Rain. “But there is fine print here, huh? It’s just that nobody bothers to ask. And Geeya are smart enough not to willingly part with the information lest some sequestor decides they are up for it. Am I correct?”
She turned to him and smiled a mischievous smile, and then flew up and disappeared among the tree leaves. Seconds later, a large clump of leaves came tumbling down on Rain, burying him under their sappy depths.
Rain scrambled out from below the pile.
“All right! Where are you?” he called, looking for his Geeya left and right.
She materialized right in front of him.
“I am right here. And you, are looking absolutely … abominable!” she laughed.
She touched his forehead and an image of his angry face with the leaves sticking out of his hair flashed in his mind. Rain burst out laughing, too. He brushed the leaves out of his hair and combed his fingers through his blond locks until he was satisfied that he looked presentable once more.
“Oh, well … so long as no one else gets to see me like that.” said Rain, his humor restored and feeling okay again. “Let’s go back to the clearing.”
He followed his Geeya as she led the way.
Rain returned to the camp to find everybody just sitting around, doing their own thing. Angel was talking to Rainbow in low tones. Heart was trying to talk to Destiny, who was trying her best to ignore his presence. And Earth was playing a game of chess with Subodh again.
“Hey, people! I heard there’s a party going on here tonight.” said Rain loudly.
Earth gave a little start at the sound of his voice, but besides that, nobody stirred.
“Oh, come on you people! Is this one lame party, or what? Where’s the DJ? Where is the DJ?”
Angel raised a hand and got to his feet.
“DJ in the house.”
“Good!” said Rain. “Now turn this boring camp into a rocking dance floor so we can party.”
“You got it, man.” said Angel, getting to his feet and setting off his imagination.
Tall light stands sprouted from the ground and strobe lights popped out of the thin air, shining light down on everybody. Below Rain’s feet, a smooth dance floor spread out with blocks that lit up alternately.
Shiny disco balls appeared, hanging suspended in mid-air, and began to rotate and throw colorful reflections all over the trees while music began to blast out of two huge speakers.
Rainbow got to her feet, jumping up and down with glee.
“Throw me a mic, DJ!” called Rain.
Angel threw him a perfect illusion of a mic, which Rain pretended to catch. Though he could not feel anything, it looked as though he was firmly holding onto one.
Without any preamble, Rain whirled around and flamboyantly broke into a rock song, looking directly at Earth the whole time.
It’s the way you look into my eyes
You make me go crazy
I’m losin’ my mind
It’s the way you look at me when you smile
You make me lose it completely
Time after time
Coz baby
I’m crazy
Please say
That you Love me too
Rain finished on bended knee and all around him, there were claps and cheers.
“Howzzat!” said Rain, pointing at Earth.
Earth got up and walked over to Rain, who opened his arms wide for a hug. Earth snatched the imaginary mic out of his hands and brushed past him instead. The mic took a few seconds to disappear from Rain’s hands and appear in Earth’s. When it finally did, Earth took a deep breath and began to sing, looking straight at Rain just as he had done to her earlier.
Yeah right baby …
Only if you say
That you’re in this to stay
That you won’t go away
Then that’s the day
I’ll finally say …
She paused then, holding Rain’s gaze. All eyes too, turned to him.
Rain, who had moved away from the dance floor to let Earth take centre stage, was now sitting in one corner, smiling like an idiot.
“She sings, too …” he said, with a blissful sigh.
Everyone groaned and slapped their foreheads.
“What? What did I do now?” said Rain, looking bewildered.
“You blew it again, brother.” said Heart.
“Blew what?”
“Your chance to find out what Earth had to say, you dolt!” added Rainbow.
“Oh …”
Rain turned to Earth. “What did you have to say?”
“Never mind.” said Earth in clipped tones.
She walked back to take her place near Subodh with a toss of her hair. Rain got up and came to sit next to her, but she did not look at him or acknowledge him.
“Any more requests?” asked Angel.
Subodh gave a self conscious cough and shuffled over to Angel.
“You don’t happen to have a few songs for an old man, do you?” he rasped.
Angel looked left and right shiftily, searching for some way out of this.
“Er … yeah. Sure. What did you have in mind?”
Subodh rattled off a long list of names but not only had Angel not heard of any of the songs, he didn’t even know what language they were in.
“How about a song from the time the universe began to exist?” mumbled Angel.
Subodh hobbled over behind the DJ console and whacked Angel on the rump with his stick.
“You younglings! All the same!” he barked. “All rude, overly smart, making fun of an old man …”
He walked away, shaking his stick angrily and muttering to himself.
Angel loosened the neck of his t-shirt and sighed with relief. “Anyone … er … else?” he called again.
Rain ran over to him and whispered something in his ear.
Angel’s eyes popped out of his sockets briefly, and then he grinned and nodded. Rain put his hands in his pockets and waited expectantly. The scene around them began to change once more.
It was still night. There was still a fire crackling in their midst. But they were all now on a peaceful, breezy, moonlit beach with lazy palm trees swaying in the distance.
The scene was set. The scene was perfect. And into the scene walked an illusion of Earth, wearing a beautiful white wedding gown with a long trail.
At once, Earth sat up ramrod straight, looking at the scene in front of her with apprehension.
In walked an illusion of Rain, dressed in a naval officer’s uniform to join Earth in the scene.
Illusion Earth ran over to illusion Rain and swooned in his arms.
“Oh, what a dashingly handsome young man you are!” she crooned, looking longingly into illusion Rain’s eyes. “What a face! What a body! The stuff every woman’s dreams are made of! Oh, that you should set foot in my path …! How fortunate I am!”
“For these words, you surely deserve a kiss!” said Illusion Rain, flashing a dazzling smile.
“Oh, please, please kiss me!” begged illusion Earth.
Illusion Rain looked scorchingly into illusion Earth’s eyes.
“I cannot refuse a damsel who begs me so …” he said in a husky voice.
The real Earth’s lips were pulled back in a snarl as she witnessed the scene playing
out before her and she turned to face Rain with fire in her eyes. If Rain wanted to play, fine. Two could play at this game. She ran over to Angel and sat down on his other side, whispering furiously in his ears. A look of anxiety crossed Rain’s features as Angel barked a laugh and turned obligingly to the scene in front.
“My, but you do have foul breath!” said illusion Earth, covering her nose with her hand and turning her face away.
“I know!” said illusion Rain, proudly. “Do you like it?”
“Very much!” said illusion Earth, turning back and putting her arms around illusion Rain’s neck.
He bent his head down and kissed her on the nose instead of on the lips.
“So sorry!” he apologized. “I forgot to wear my glasses.”
Illusion Rain put on a pair of huge, ugly glasses and his eyes now appeared like two bulging balls each one looking in a different direction.
“How do I look?” he asked illusion Earth.
“Much, much better!” she answered sweetly.
Just as illusion Rain bent his head, illusion Earth stopped him.
“Wait! I must remove my dentures first.” said illusion Earth, removing a large set of teeth and tossing them to the ground. They traveled away from the scene, chattering all the while.
“I’m ready now.” lisped illusion Earth, smiling toothlessly.
Illusion Earth puckered her wrinkled lips and closed her eyes, making slurping noises.
“Stop! I give up! You win.” yelled Rain, throwing up his hands and shaking Angel’s shoulders so he wouldn’t make the two characters before them kiss.
Earth felt the heady rush of victory and turned to Angel, telling him he could stop the drama now.
Her happiness, however, was short-lived because now, Angel refused to stop.
“I’m sorry, you guys. But this is too much fun!” he laughed.
To Earth and Rain’s combined horror, the scene continued to play.
Illusion Rain bent his head down and his lips finally met those of the toothless illusion Earth and they proceeded to kiss each other with abandon.
