Daughters of Kalika

১৪.‌ the one

The heart is a tangled ball of yarn.

****

There was one man who could help her, whom she could trust.

Hrishav.

The simple pleasure of seeing him wasn't Maya's only motivation for heading towards the temple. She had witnessed many things over the span of a few days, starting from Aadi Babu's breakdown to Rahul delivering roses.

Should she tell Hrishav that Aadi Babu suspected that some victim was... raped?

Something told her she should not do that. That the revelation could lead to things worsening. Something as delicate and fragile as sexual abuse had to be handled carefully. She could keep her curiosity out of that. She could keep Hrishav out of that.

A whistling Shekhar walked off the temple gates. He hadn't probably noticed her. Maya stopped in her tracks, waiting for him to completely vanish, then entered the temple. After strolling around she found Hrishav sitting near the pond.

The last time they had met, it ended abruptly. He denied spending even a tiny moment with her, his face a contemporary Mona Lisa whose complex feelings couldn't be pinpointed. But she could conclude that Hrishav knew Aadi Babu's daughter, and maybe things weren't perfect between the two.

I better not bring the topic back. I better not ask him. We aren't that close.

"Hrishav, how are you?"

He turned his head and smiled at Maya. "Come, sit beside me. The weather is very pleasant."

Maya did as he wished. Did he still remember the events of the last day? Did he expect her to question him? Questions billowed out of her mind and shackled her heart. But Maya wasn't so bold and upfront, at least not in this moment. She pushed the questions deep below her soul. They could wait. Everything could wait. She was here for work and intended to follow through.

"You said the murders were sacrificial. How did you know that?"

Hrishav heaved a sigh. "It is a long story. Do you have time?"

"I do."

Hrishav closed his eyes, as if recalling everything that had occurred, re-watching the string of homicides.

"As you know, and sometimes even I believe, the murders are happening due to my bad luck. The first murder did not cause much protest. It was shoved under the carpet like an unfortunate event that one could only try to forget."

"Who was the first victim?" Maya asked.

"An orphan. She lived with her uncle and aunt. After her death, they left the village."

"Okay..."

"The second murder caused the people to panic, naturally. All were afraid. Whether people blamed me or not, the murders being connected to the temple had the police make conclusions about us priests being involved in it. It was a blow not only to the sanctity that we preserve but also to our respect. But we priests tried helping in the investigation as much as possible."

"It didn't help at all, as far as I can predict."

"Unfortunately, you are correct," Hrishav soughed. "And then the police made a demand that we priests could never ever allow."

"What was that?"

"They wanted to search the garbha griha, going to even the extent of asking us to break it to find clues."

Maya opened her mouth to say something, but swallowed instead. She had to be cautious– not all could be spilled.

"Aadi Babu and the other devotees of Mother protested and the idea was discarded. Soon after this, the third murder happened. And just after that weird phenomenon began happening to the policemen."

Maya recalled Aadi Babu mentioning something on these lines. "Can you elaborate?"

"Stuff like warning letters penned in blood, policemen reporting objects having their own life and moving on their own accord. Then, the death of one constable."

Definitely paranormal. "I cannot doubt the policemen. But you know what that means."

"Everybody knows. And that is what made me search through old books and booklets to see if any trace of otherworldly reasoning could be made. It is when I came across one book, and certain details in there matched with the way the bodies were found– naked and with a wreath of roses."

"No one does such things without reason, right? The murderer has a purpose."

"A purpose only Kalika can tell."

Kalika– she knew everything. She was Trinayani– the one with three eyes, powers spreading across the cosmos, existing even in the drops of destruction.

And if she knew, she would come too.

"The most astounding thing is that the murderer most definitely lives amongst us, if not in this village then nearby," Hrishav stated. He snorted, running his fingers through his hair. "I wonder if I would ever wake up to them in my bedroom."

Maya had already felt the presence of the culprit in her dream. It was a man there, a man draped in darkness and mystery.

"Who were the second and third victims?"

"The second was a girl who worked as a maid in many houses. Her bedridden mother went to Kashi after her death. The third victim was a woman who made little idols of deities. She had no family."

Maya noticed a pattern with the deaths involved– the victims could be seen as helpless from a certain perspective, having no solid support or legacy. That ensured the safety of the murderer. Whether that was intentional and pre-planned still remained unanswered.

"And the fourth?" Maya asked.Maybe she was alone and dejected. Maybe she was stuck in poverty, living everyday like a rock made to speak and work.

Maya had got no answer from his side, so she repeated again, "The fourth–"

"There are limits to what I can say, Maya."

Beams coated with rancour fired, like comets from his ochre-brown eyes, glowing like two chunks of burning red-hot coal and dug a hole in her substance. "I have already told you much, despite not being answerable to you." He stood up, swaying his uttariya to the side and balling his hands into fists.

Maya got up too, rather reluctantly, dragging her feet to stand. The softness she had so much admired in this man had turned to a visage of menace. The curves and lines of his sculpted and dreamy face appeared more like edges of a knife. His tapering gaze made Maya cower, the searing heat of the glance a thing she couldn't fight.

But still, she didn't back down. She looked straight at him, acknowledging his suppressed anger.

"You have secrets too."

"Everybody does, Maya. And everybody would protect it."

Maya nodded. "Thanks for your help."

"I did what I felt was right."His words even though humble emanated hostility.

"Goodbye," Maya said. Avoiding the crushing pain that grew in her heart, she strode off towards the gate.

Hrishav waited, waited until he saw her leave.

"Maya..."The name made the hair on his neck stand. A smirk painted his lips in wry amusement. He gave a short, mirthless laugh.

"I belong to only one, Maya. And it isn't you."