by T. G. Ayer
“And you swear now?” asked Raj, his brow furrowed.
“After what I’ve been through? I can swear if I want, when I want.” Radhima folded her arms and glared at him.
Raj ignored her words. “How long?”
“A week or three,” said Vee as she stared between the two of them. “How can you see her? Syama said that only the person she is haunting can see her.”
“Yeah, there are other circumstances in which you can see the ghost of a person,” Raj said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Devi got to her feet too, staring at her husband. And then at Vee.
Vee asked, “What are you’ll talking about. What circumstances?”
Raj let out a heavy sigh. “This is not the way I expected to reveal the truth.”
Radhima shook her head. “Don’t. Not now.”
“Ma said no. She doesn’t want you to talk about it now. Can’t you see that?”
“Why not? It’s going to come out eventually.”
Vee glanced over at her grandmother. “I just want my daughter to accept that I’m here. Don’t soil this moment.”
Raj sighed again and shifted away until he stood just outside the entrance to the small room. “Okay. But we need to talk about it sooner or later.”
Radhima nodded and then focused on her daughter. “Our family has a lot of secrets. But I will keep yours. Just the same as I will keep my son’s. When you are ready, you can tell me, and we’ll do it together.”
Vee repeated her grandmother’s words and sat back as her mother nodded. “Thank you. And I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, Vee.”
Vee shook her head. “I wouldn’t have believed me either. In fact, I didn’t believe me. It took an old man in a taxi who confirmed it.” Then Vee frowned and faced her grandmother. “How did he see you as well, this is all so confusing.”
Radhima laughed. “He’s an old man, a priest who’s communed with the spirits before. Those who are familiar with the realm of the spirits can see the spirits.”
“And what about Dad?”
The old ghost chose that moment to clam up.
Devi sighed. “Your Dad’s right. There are a number of reasons you will see the ghost of the dead.”
Vee brushed her hair from her face and took a deep breath. “Anyone care to tell me what these circumstances are?”
Devi let out a soft, incredibly sad laugh. “The dead are not able to control who can see them. Syama is able to because she’s a spirit of the underworld. You can see Ma because she is linked to you for some reason. The old cab driver was likely a spiritual master or a priest of sorts.”
Vee’s heart began to beat faster as her mom drew closer to revealing how her dad could see Radhima’s ghost. Vee had a suspicion, one that made her stomach hard, one she didn’t want to hear right then.
She lifted her hand. “Maybe dad is right. Maybe it’s not the best time to talk about this.”
Devi’s eyes glittered as she smiled sadly at her daughter. “There is no reason to pretend here. And no reason to keep the truth silent.” Raj stepped into the room, and Vee looked over at him, her eyes filming with tears, her expression mirrored by her mother’s.
Radhima looked upset, shaking her head as if she didn’t want the words to be said.
Devi stepped closer to her husband, and Raj stiffened, as if he was preparing himself for an onslaught of grief or violence. Or both.
Devi smiled. “The other reason a person can see the ghost of the dead is if that person had died by their hand.” Vee clapped a palm over her mouth as her mother spoke the words that had been resonating inside her own head since she’d understood what was happening.
She glanced over at Radhima who was watching Raj, her eyes filled with such love that for a moment Vee was stunned by the realization.
“You killed her to relieve her of her suffering,” Vee said the words, her tone emotionless even though she kind of understood. She shifted her gaze from her mother’s face, which was filled with understanding, to her dad whose expression was a picture of grief, yet absent of regret.
He nodded and smiled at Radhima. “Hiranyakasipu stabbed her with a spear dipped in poison. He did it so that I could watch her suffering.”
“It was my fault,” Radhima said.
Vee frowned. “How was it your fault, Ma?” When Vee had entered the cell where Kasipu had held her father and grandmother, she’d found Radhima already dead.
“I should have remained silent. I was stupid…talking to Raj, telling him not to worry about me, that he was the son I never had and that I trusted him to go back and look after our family. That…demon heard me, and he used it against Raj. He used the love I had for my son against him, forcing him to watch me die just to inflict the most amount of pain upon him.”
Devi shook her head and stared at Vee. “What is going on?” There was a desperation in her mother’s voice, and Vee put her out of her misery, relating her grandmother’s words as quickly as possible. Devi’s face was a study of grief and horror, but oddly contained no blame or anger as she regarded her husband.
“She was going to die?” she whispered the question.
Raj nodded, his face taut with sorrow. “The poison had spread so slowly, eating away at her body, but leaving her in excruciating pain. At one point, it seemed as though the pain was getting worse as time went by. I just…I couldn’t stand watching her suffer and then when she asked me to end her torture…I refused.” Raj coughed and took a deep breath. Radhima held out a hand, cupping his cheek, her eyes filled with love. “But I couldn’t let her suffer. She begged me to do it, insisting she wanted to go out with dignity, and not to let her passing be at the hand of a murderous monster like Kasipu.
“At that point, we’d been released from our chains…a game he played with us, making us think he was relenting, that things would get better for us. He’d brought food in metal bowls…. I sharpened the rim of one of the bowls and used it to slice open her jugular. It was the most painless way that I could think of releasing her from her torture. It took a few minutes, and she was gone.
“When Kasipu returned he laughed and laughed at the son who’d been forced to watch his own mother die. When they moved the body, they saw that she’d been injured. He was furious then. I suspect it fueled his anger against you, Vee. I believe my actions made him more determined to find you and to destroy you so that he could see me suffer properly. Since he’d failed with Ma.”
Vee shook her head, but her mother cut her off. “How can you blame yourself? We’re all complicit here. Even Ma,” she said laughing from behind her tears. “We all acted out of familial love, something Kasipu lost because of his own actions. He just found a way to shift that responsibility to someone else. And we were convenient. Raj. You and Hiranyaksha. You were almost friends, weren’t you?” Raj nodded. “And Kasipu hated that. He was possessive beyond imagination, and he used his brother’s affection for you against you both. Yaksha died in an awful accident, one we cannot blame on anyone—even you Vee.” Devi glanced over at Vee whose mouth hung open in shock. “You may have opened the vortex, but you only sped up the inevitable, which was likely for the best.”
“But we lost Dad because of it.”
“Because of his actions, because of mine and Yaksha’s and because of Kasipu’s madness. Not because of you at all.”
Vee fell silent, staring at the tableau of grief that was her family. Then she let out a laugh. “Right, now that we got that out of the way, can we get onto figuring out a way to save me before I become pey demon lunch?”
Chapter 34
He turned to face the two gods who sat on the armchairs around the fire. Karan smiled. It seemed fitting that Agni would be the one closer to the flames. He took a breath and walked toward the two gods who had both just arrived within seconds of each other.
The god of fire still possessed some of his power, and as he sat back in the armchair, his hands open on the armrests, he spun a ball of whirling fire a handbreadth above hi
s palm. “Showing off, or bored, brother?” Karan asked as he took the third armchair that had been arranged around the gigantic marble fireplace.
“A little bit of both,” Agni said, smiling. Despite the attempt at cheer, it was clear to Karan that the god’s eyes did not reflect that emotion. Agni was not in the least cheered or happy. Neither were any of the other gods. Some more than others, Karan knew. When Agni continued to speak, Karan forced himself to focus. “I am showing off, but more for my own self. Of late, I have felt the desire to remind myself of who I am. As though a part of me is afraid I may be dangerously close to losing myself. And then, of course, I am no longer put to good use as I used to be such a long time ago.”
Hanuman was strangely silent during Agni’s confession. Perhaps the god agreed, but he’d never been a person who would share his emotions readily. Karan was glad though that the two of them had chosen to come to him.
He leaned closer. “What can I do for you? I know this is far from a social visit.”
Hanuman gave a short nod. “It is Parvathi. I fear we may have lost control over her.”
Karan shook his head. “You forget, brother. We never did have control over her. She has always been on the volatile side.”
“It is not her fault,” Agni said, glowering at Karan. “I am here, yes, but I want to make sure that we bear in mind that she is hurting. I do not want her to be hurt in the process.”
“I understand.” Karan nodded, knowing how Agni felt. The god had held a soft spot in his heart for Parvathi for eons now, a fatherly caring that had always been to the goddess’s benefit. “Until recently Parvathi has complied. She understood—perhaps she has been angered at His departure, perhaps because He did not take her with Him. I can understand that. We all felt the pain of his leaving, and I can only imagine the depth of her suffering. But her grief has turned insidious, and that makes her dangerous.”
“What are you trying to say? You want her neutralized?” Hanuman stared at Karan, eyes wide with shock at the suggestion.
Karan shook his head. “In a sense, yes. I want no harm to come to her, but we need to take steps to prevent everything from coming crashing down on us. I cannot allow anyone to stand in the path of the future He wants for us. We need to make such preparations that would allow us to observe her activities. We need to ensure she has not crossed the line.”
“Crossed the line?” asked Hanuman, his brow furrowing even as his glamor mimicked the movement.
“Think like a general in an army, brother.”
Hanuman sat back and stared into the fire. “I see. If I were Parvathi I would take steps to find out more about what He is up to.”
Karan shook his head. “Think like a General passionate about his mission, perhaps subverted slightly by anger, fear, desperation.”
Hanuman let out a long breath. “I know these emotions. I long for Him to return too. And yes, I see what you mean. Parvathi will not be thinking straight. Yes, she will have a plan, a strategy but not one that will be logically sound.”
“So what do you think she will do?” asked Agni, tossing the ball of flame from his hand into the fire. The flames spat and sizzled as it absorbed the god’s fire into its midst.
“She will find a way to eliminate the one thing that stands in her path.”
Karan stiffened. Even though he had already arrived at that same conclusion, he still found the idea repugnant. “She may well have put things in place to facilitate the demise of the apsara.”
“I still do not understand why Parvathi has such a deep-seated hatred for this apsara who, to my knowledge, is meant to be the one who helps us find Him, who will be the key to bringing Him home.”
Hanuman turned to Agni. “You are well aware, just as I am, that the mother goddess had not taken kindly to being dismissed as the protector of our Lord. She felt He’d cast her aside when He appointed Tilottamma as the head of his personal guard.”
“But I am confused. Parvathi was still General of the Army of Mt Kailas. Why would she feel threatened by an apsara as a general? And one that it was widely known was ridiculously in love with her sage.” Agni almost rolled his eyes. “Are you implying the mother was jealous? If so, I do not believe that. The Mother is love personified.”
“Like life and death, love and hate are the other halves of a perfect whole,” Karan said softly. “But I do not believe she acted out of jealousy. There is another element working among us who is intent on subverting His rules, who want to gain control of the heavens, if not install themselves on His throne. A faction like this would easily use underhanded means. No person, human or god, is immune to being emotionally manipulated. I do not believe the Mother ever bore such a thought on her own. What I do know is that she was guided into being suspicious. Which led us here, centuries later, where we are at this junction where the future of humanity, of the universe, hangs in the balance because a faction managed to use love as a means to gain control over Him.”
Hanuman sighed and sat back while Agni’s eyes darkened. “I see things are more dire than I had expected it to be. Do we have intelligence on her movements? Enough to give us an idea of what she is doing on the earthy plane?”
Karan nodded. “I have someone watching her. I had received a report that she had possibly hired a hit man, but I cannot be sure who or what?”
Hanuman got to his feet and began to pace. “This is not the kind of thing I would have expected of her.”
Karan wanted to talk the god out of his disbelief, but he had to hope that everything he’d said so far would be sufficient. He’d laid the groundwork, explained where they stood with the Mother Goddess.
Then Hanuman stopped to face Karan. “I will help, but I will not, no more ever, comply if you expect me to hurt her. We bring her back, we rehabilitate her, we help her deal with her emotional battles so that when He returns she can meet him again, whole and filled with her prior power. We all know what it would do to Him should he know his love has taken his departure so negatively.”
Karan smiled grimly. “Then you and I are of the same mind,” he said as he got to his feet.
Beside him, Agni too rose, turning his back on the fire. The light threw a soft glow around him, making him look very much like the god he was. “I am of the same mind as you. I will help in whatever way you see fit.” Karan nodded. Though relieved, there was nothing in this that he enjoyed. He hoped that one day Parvathi would forgive them.
The two gods began to shimmer, preparing to depart. Karan said, “I will send the details, and we can put together a handful of different teams. I have something planned, but please feel free to fine-tune.”
Both gods began to shimmer and fade away.
But just before they fully disappeared he saw both bow before him, low and respectful.
“Thank you, my Lord,” said Hanuman. “I will do my best to serve you.” Beside him, Agni was nodding and bowing.
In response, Lord Vishnu smiled and raised his palm in blessing.
Chapter 35
Vee paced back and forth, casting a nervous eye on the door to the boardroom. Both her parents sat at the end of the table, leaving the seat at the head open for her. She’d declined, they’d insisted and Radhima had said, “Shut up at take it,” but in a much nicer way.
“How long before they get here?” Vee asked again, probably for the tenth time.
Devi lifted her gaze, from the notepad before her. When the door opened, she smiled at Kesha who strolled inside, bearing a stack of leather folders. After setting it down beside Devi, Kesha shared a glance with her boss before receiving a short nod. Then the girl rounded Devi and came to stand in front of Vee.
Vee frowned and then smiled, the expression probably looking constipated, but she soon forgot all about how she looked when Kesha sank to her knees and touched the front of Vee’s black leather boots.
“Ergh,” was all Vee managed to utter before she took a step backward.
Kesha sighed and got to her feet.
Devi s
ighed and said, “I told you so.”
Raj sighed and said, “Are you in the least surprised?”
Radhima sighed and said, “I wanted to laugh but a sigh seemed more appropriate.”
Vee stared around the room. “What is going on? Have you all gone mad?”
Raj snickered, and Kesha smiled, apparently unaffected by Vee’s weird reaction. The PA stepped forward and bowed, this time using only her head to perform the obeisance. “I am honored to meet you Great mother of the Apsaras. I am you servant. Now and forever.”
As the girl bowed again, her spine shimmered, and she glowed. For all of two seconds, but it was enough.
“You’re an Apsara?”
Kesha nodded. “Devi took me in when I was a very much troubled teenager. I think there may have been no hope for me, but the guild found me, and Devi welcomed me into the fold.”
Vee raised her eyebrows. “You’re good at keeping secrets. Great poker face.”
Kesha’s smile disappeared. “I’m sorry I had to lie to you. I had no choice. It was for your own safety.”
Vee nodded and forced a smile onto her face. She didn’t feel like smiling. She didn’t feel like being nice. In fact, she felt like throwing up.
“You’re not pregnant, are you?” asked Radhima appearing at Vee’s side.
“Aargh,” Vee exclaimed. “No. I’m not pregnant. I thought you said you weren’t senile?”
Radhima let out a loud bark of laughter, Raj joined in, and Devi admonished Vee with a, “Have some respect young lady.”
Vee wanted to remind her mother that she was twenty-six, and she was pretty sure that she was no longer classified as being a young lady.
“Don’t kid yourself. You’ll be sixty-seven and still be a young lady to them.”
“Thanks. Way to make me feel better,” Vee said stalking toward the table. She took a seat and opened the leather folder that had been placed at her seat. She reread the presentation that her mom and Kesha had slaved over, confirming all points, other than her feathered stalker had been covered.
