To kill a child is to kill god.

****

It was a balmy afternoon when Maya reached the temple.

Today, the detective was unable to sense the purity of the ambience or the invisible flame of womanhood dancing in every corner. Instead, she felt the palpable tension in the air, striking at the chords of her heart to create a hauntingly high-pitched tune.

She went behind the temple and towards the mandapa where the devadasis were supposed to be living. Without an announcement, she barged inside, alerting the giggling ladies. Their gala time was put on hold as each stiffened at the sight of the astute lady of unlike eyes.

Flickering oil lamps imparted clinging shadows on the weathered walls, revealing cryptic inscriptions. A heavy silence lingered, broken only by the dreary breaths of the devadasis that hinted at hidden agendas and buried clues. Time seemed suspended in the air, inviting seekers to unravel the mysteries woven into the very fabric of Khatra's history.

In the dim glow of oil lamps stood Ritabhari, her eyes reflecting a profound fear. Adorned in vibrant silks, her intricate jewelry seemed to weigh heavy as she trembled, hands poised in a frozen dance posture. The swaying flames unveiled a story etched on her face—a tale of sacred performances haunted by an unseen specter from her pile of secrets. The rhythm of her heartbeat echoed in the hallowed space, as the dance floor bore witness to a dancer whose every step seemed to tread on the fragile boundary between tradition and an unsettling, hidden fear.

Ritabhari's ghoongroo jingled. She did the bhumi namaskara and then opened them, kept them aside and looked at Maya. Her amber eyes shone like a feline tigress' hunting gaze, even though Maya peered through that mask and unearthed the fear pumping through her. The other devadasis were by now cowering at the unwelcoming stance of Maya– the glare of her blue and brown eyes something they had never seen in all the years they spent travelling around India.

"You shouldn't come here unnanounced. We were practising."

Maya fixed a piercing glare upon Ritabhari, her eyes a reflection of unyielding determination. Dressed in a crisp saree, the detective's demeanor spoke of a relentless pursuit of truth. The dancer felt the weight of scrutiny as Maya circled her, seeking answers beneath the graceful facade. Shadows played on the detective's stern face, hinting at the mystery that lay at the intersection of tradition and a clandestine truth waiting to be exposed.

"I hope Mrinjay Babu has informed you about the closure of the case," Maya said tartly. "Hasn't he?"

Ritabhari's eyes widened. She gulped. The devadasis hid themselves in the darkness, as if wary of being caught as silent culprits who guarded the dirty secret.

"Why should I tell you what Mrinjay Babu has shared with me?"

"Oh my dear dancer," Maya leant in and whispered in her ears, "I am not fooled by your beauty. I am not a prey that you may use. I am here to find the truth, at any cost, even if it means death."

Ritabhari's eyes twitched. She twisted her lips and jerked her head away from Maya. "Mrinjay Babu had long suspected the doctor. To be honest you weren't even required. It was his poor father who needed confirmation."

"I think we are missing something out. I was needed here."

"You weren't. The murderer has been found and now the zamindars will do as they see fit."

"And the doctor shall do away with the murderers of the little girls. Fair deal, don't you agree?"

Fear etched deep lines on Ritabhari's face, her eyes widened in terror, mirroring the vulnerability of a soul gripped by an unseen menace. Taut skin and parted lips betrayed the shushed scream within, revealing a visceral reaction to an imminent threat. It was a moment frozen in sinister fright, where the language of fear spoke louder than any words could convey. "I-I... "

"Say it, Ritabhari."

The devadasi clenched her fist and turned her back towards Maya with a hiss. "What am I to do with the death of the girls? I don't know anything about it."

"You surely don't know? Ah, maybe you don't." Maya kept a hand on her shoulder, saying the next words through gritted teeth. "But if you do and are concealing it from me, know that the consequences will be undesirable. There's one rule I have– tell me before I know."

"Go and threaten that doctor!" Ritabhari shouted. "He lusts after you, not me. I am not going to give in."

"That's a very bad example, Ritabhari. The doctor doesn't lust after me, and I am not here to make you lick my feet."

"Oh you sure want me to confess being guilty which I won't, even if you behead me," she hurled. "I am not to be blamed."

"Then I am forced to say that you are also a pawn and a deliberate criminal in the killing of Kamala."

"No! No," she screamed, tears maligning the seductive face. "I didn't want her to die. I didn't!"

"But you let her die."

"He would have killed one of my devadasis had I not agreed to keep mum." She pointed at the dancers behind. "They are my students too. You have kumaris here. And I didn't have the courage to sacrifice a lady who has been married to Jagannath."

"But you are brave enough to let another girl die." Maya lowered her voice, her gaze softened to a sympathetic glow. "You loved Kamala, did you not?"

Ritabhari covered her mouth and whimpered. She fell on the ground. Her students rushed towards her, embracing her and joining in the mourning. Maya allowed them the time to recollect their emotions.

"I loved Kamala. She embodied her name– so beautiful and kind, so holy. But Mrinjay Babu would have taken any other of my girls. I had to choose how to sin, and I did."

"You chose to act upon fear."

"It's only humane, Maya. I am not the class of the zamindars or Raktim. Neither am I lionhearted like you."

"You assisted Mrinjay Babu in the rituals of killing the girls. You adorned them before they were to be sacrificed to Raktabeej. In return, he gave you luxuries of both the material and physical form," Maya said. Ritabhari winced at her words. "Unfortunately, Kamala won over your heart. It eats you away knowing that you had a hand in her killing. And I pray you forever feel diminished for it."

"I accept that I became greedy. I killed in return for the money I got. Devadasis don't get to have a good shelter nowadays. And yes, the thirst of the body conquered me. I have sinned. I have. But don't blame me."

"I don't expect you to help me in avenging Kamala. You are worthless, Ritabhari. You are." Maya knelt down to her level. "And yet you can do one thing to dilute your sins a little."

"What is it?"

"Tell me the name of the next victim."

Ritabhari heaved a sigh. Holding the hands of her students, she gathered the strength she needed. After a pause that seemed to stretch for eternity, she spoke. "It's Mohini."

****

Devastated by the desperation of the twisted human mind, Maya hurried out of the temple. As expected, Raktim was waiting for her there. He smiled upon seeing her, though he was as stressed as the detective.

"Why had you come here?" he asked.

"Ritabhari was assisting Mrinjay in the murders."

"What?"

"Yes."

"Oh Shiva..." Raktim smacked his head. "I missed it! Oh lord, how can a woman do such things to her own kind?"

"Sometimes we are our biggest enemies. It's because of women like Ritabhari that men get to escape." Maya scoffed. "Be assured that she isn't going to do anything else after this. I got the name of the next victim from her."

Raktim turned rigid. "Who... Who is it?"

Maya pursed her lips. "Mohini."

The sky broke over Raktim's head. "Mohini?"

"Yes. She is the best victim now. Fatherless and alone."

Raktim clenched his jaw and banged his fist on the temple gates. The collision of metal and bone was so intense that his skin turned blue, blood dripping down a fine cut. "She isn't alone," he growled. "I am there with her. I will protect her."

His eyes reddened like a pair of crystalline rubies, shining in daylight like an anomaly of nature. Maya gently touched his arm, providing him support. "Raktim, keep your anger for later. You know when to show it."

"We need to be prepared for the worst now."

"Mrinjay will be doing the ritual anytime. Maybe even tonight if he wants."

"I swear, Maya, he is going to have nightmares. He is going to see what I am. I go around masquerading as a kind-hearted generous doctor, someone who doesn't even know how to smash an ant. But he should know my hands have the power to snap his head and crush his bones to dust."

"You won't lose yourself in the wrath, would you?"

It was impossible for Maya to read what his eyes conveyed. They just stared at her with curiosity and maybe a pinch of pity, whether for himself or Maya, she didn't know. "I will destroy Mrinjay, I promise. And as of my wrath, it's what keeps me going. It keeps me alive." Raktim inspected his bloodied fist. "Though, I wish there was much more. Sometimes I do."

"Raktim."

"Yes?"

"It's not the right time."

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Maya flushed red like a rose. "I am not a halfwit damsel.  I know what you mean."

Raktim pushed her against the gates and towered over her, his hands rested blocking her from a possible attempt at fleeing confrontation. "And what do I mean?"

Maya was too embarrassed to look up at him. She kept her gaze focused on his neck, though the sight of the collarbone didn't help at all in dying out the furious blush. "Listen, I understand what you think of me. I-I am a woman, so I-I..."

"You know my feelings pretty well, don't you?"

She flinched. "Yes."

"And you understand that it's forbidden for someone like me to fall for you?"

"Yes."

"And yet, I do allow myself to fall for you."

"Yes."

"You understand that I am risking it?"

"I do!" She pulled at his collar. "I get everything and that's why I require some time." She exhaled. "I am just asking you to wait."

"If you are asking me to wait only to deny me later, tell me your intentions now."

"What do you think? I am too scared to love you?"

"I am half an animal, Maya. It's only expected."

"It's...it's not your identity that troubles me more." Maya's palms slid down his chest. "It's the fact that we may never become one."

Raktim cupped her face and touched their foreheads. It took him all the control to not seal their lips. Tears flooded in his eyes. He traced her face, admiring the delicate edges in solemn devotion. Maya held his palm, keeping it close to her skin. "It seems that my fate is like my father's, even if he doesn't want me to have any relation with him, not even with his shadow," Raktim said. He freed Maya and wiped his tears. "I shouldn't love you. It's a sin."

"Raktim, we can talk about it later–"

"We won't ever talk about it again, Maya."

Maya saw him leave. She didn't run after it.

There was something far more important lingering in the air. The murder would happen any time and she had to be ready. Maya knew she didn't have to ask Raktim for help. He would know where she was and when she needed him. She had this much trust in him.

"I will wait for you, Raktim. It's not me whom Khatra needs the most, but you."