Chapter sixteen

As the mask comes off

It was a metamorphosis of sorts. Only, the effect was rather a reversed one. She was no caterpillar turning into a butterfly; in the long night that followed her first ever real encounter with Suvanna, Ragini turned from something hidden and fragile to something even more mysterious and potentially hazardous. As it is in metamorphosis, the creation had begun with destruction.

Ragini sat in front of her mirror in the cold and empty bedroom staring into her own reflection half obstructed by the shadows of the night. She was not sure, what she hoped to see there. Perhaps, she was waiting for Suvanna to reappear. But Ragini knew that was no longer a possibility. Suvanna was she herself. When she looked at her reflection she was looking at Suvanna. Perhaps, she wanted to see how it happened, catch the moment when she would change from Ragini the gray to Suvanna the dark. Then again, she knew that moment was either very miniature to catch her eye, or that it was already gone, a long ago in the past.

In the night that was not recorded in either human or elven history, Ragini accepted that fact to herself. She had never been a soul of light. She had caused no ill to anyone in the recent years, true; yet; she had never intended any self sacrifice either. In a corner of the deepest layers of her heart, there was a pulse of selfishness, a wisp of smoky darkness. It took all her strength to keep that part locked away, keep that wicked glint away from her doe - like eyes, and keep that sneer from curling her lips. But that night she had to admit it; that it had been her darkness that won battles, it had been her light that always left her to bleed.

Suvanna made her see that.

And the memories came rushing as if the whirl wind Suvanna unleashed had thrown the doors of her heart open. Ragini took a heavy gulp of air, as the images replayed in her mind. It was then she realized, Suvanna was seeing what she was seeing. From that point forward they would have no secrets. That was the way of the dark world; secrets made bonds, unlike in the world of light where secrets broke them.

**

There were flames below, rising and falling dangerously in a deadly dance as Ragini desperately held in to the hand of her twin sister, Janki.

Jaanu don't let go, hold on please, hold on.'

I can't Raagu,' panted Janki. Your hand's sweaty, my grip is slipping.'

Ragini looked around frantically.

Help!' she screamed. Please, someone! Help! Help!'

Some of her fingers slipped, she tried to hold on, Janki shook her head.

There was a violent jerk and the pole Ragini was holding to wiggled, making her lose her balance.

Still she did not let her sister's hand go. There was that flicker of trust in Janki's eyes, as she looked into her twins, large orbs full of fear and reflecting the flames around them. The thought, crossed Ragini's mind suddenly, that although they were twins, born only a minute apart of each other; Janki always had a sense of beauty to her, an allure of innocence that Ragini never possessed in her lifetime. The thought smudged into the clear surface of her mind, creating blotches that reminded her of spiders with their legs sprawled. Perhaps that innocence had made everyone love her more, that gleam in her eyes, always compelling everyone to smile at her, making her the center of attraction in very event she sat her foot it. Ragini recalled the proud smile of her Baba, or the adoring looks of her Ma, whenever they dotted on Janki...their doll in human form and the thought spread its vines and suffocated her senses. Janki was too brilliant, that Ragini was always in the shadows. Perhaps, now was the time to step out of the shadows.

It was not even a coherent thought that decided her next action. That jerk of her hand came all too quickly and unexpectedly. The last thing she saw, was the gleam of trust flicker out from the depth of Janki's eyes, and the flames swallowed her silhouette.

"Jaanu!" Ragini stretched out her arm, suddenly awake as if a bucket of cold water had been emptied over her head. Only the giant flames answered her call, by licking the flesh she offered them, burn marking her as a sinner for the rest of her years to come.

**

"What do you want me to do?" She finally questioned her reflection in the mirror, her fingers unconsciously brushing the scar in her other arm. For a moment the silence hung heavy and in the next the reflection smiled, a crooked lipped sneer that matched its cold eyes.

"Nothing that you haven't done before," it replied, in her own sweet, tone.

"Why me?" She wandered to herself. "Why do I always end up doing things that I regret later?"

"Because you have already made your choice when you sacrificed your sister."

"But Lakshya?"

The reflection smiled again.

"Is here for you, only you have to change the rules of the game he is here to play."

**

A year ago...

It was as if the darkness had burst into beams of rainbows. The neon flashes of pink, blue and green stripped the dimness, and bounced with the hard beat. Dancing figures, synced movements, hushed off conversations and whispered secrets; the world he had chosen to dissolve into but would never truly fit. Sipping the liquid that burned his throat and with each drop blurred the vision in front of him a little more, Lakshya the elven prince glanced over the night club.

He envied each and every one of them. The normal people who were living their normal lives. There were no seers to predict their futures, no brothers they would threaten, no mother's who would have no choice but to cast them away and certainly no burden to live with each day. Unlike him, who was daring each moment he breathed, wondering if he would turn in to a monster first or the people who think he is a predator would terminate him before that. There could not possibly be anyone more unfortunate that Lakshya in his opinion.

He pushed the empty glass towards the bartender and muttered in a slurred tone.

"One more."

"Certainly not," a sober and sharp voice cut across as the glass was swept away from his reach. Gritting his teeth, Lakshya looked up, to a pair of familiar eyes and his lips curled into a sneer.

"Checking up on my good behavior; uncle?" He wondered aloud, trying to focus his swaying sight on the exasperated looking Aryamaan. "Oh did my mother send her greetings?"

"You know she is not at fault," Aryamaan said in a calculated tone. "Stop blaming her!"

"Oh yeah, yeah...I'm the bad guy!" He said throwing his arms in the air. "Oops! The would - be - bad - guy I mean!"

Aryamaan opened his mouth to argue, but Lakshya was already on his feet, bouncing merrily on his heels as he eyed the exit.

"Well Uncle, it was fun chatting with you; but I'm afraid soon there will be a decree saying chatting with me" he pointed himself with both his index fingers. "Is treason. So I'd better get going!"

Throwing a mock salute at his uncle, he almost swung a step before Aryamaan managed to call after him.  

"There's a way you can get back home."

There was a pause, in which the rock music tortured their ear drums with high volume levels and slowly Lakshya turned on his heel to face his uncle. His eyes were suddenly flashing a guarded look of coldness.

"I'm not going to take part in any coups." He said with a shrug. "In my opinion Bhai deserves everything in his platter."

"Oh yes doesn't he?" Aryamaan affirmed trying hard to keep the sarcasm off his tone. "I don't know what makes you think I have a different opinion Lucky," he continued as Lakshya approached him, his lips tugging upwards in a skeptical grin.

"I'm an outcast dear uncle, not an idiot. I see what you are, though Mother prefers not to."

"Now, now, one might rethink of helping you if that is the tone their going to get."

"I don't want anything that is given to me because I am pretending to be a good boy; I'm not a pet dear uncle."

"Your mother wants a certain person to be found, and she believes only you're capable of bringing them to her. One mission and you'll be the queen's hero."

His look hardly changed as Lakshya considered the statement.

"You do want the war to be won and the seer punished for her conspiracies right pet?"

"Who is this person?"

"A changeling; Ragini Gadodia."

Lakshya's eyes shifted through the crowd, occasionally catching the beams of pinks and blues. Suddenly he did not look as inebriated as he was before. There was a look of calculation etched to his features now, sharpening their angles and intensifying their gleam. However the change was far from pleasant. His lips curled, in a contended smile. The chance was finally here to wash off the blemish his image had suffered even before he had an opportunity to build a reputation.

"Ragini Gadodia," he rolled the name in his tongue. Ragini Gadodia, his ticket to heaven.

**

"Do you even have any idea what you're doing?" Adarsh sounded hysterical as he uttered those words. He was being over dramatic, Swara sighed to herself as she noted how some people in the streets stopped and stared after them at his exclamations.

They were in Singapore as planned before. Parineeta all set to make her escape.

"Did you? When you fall in love with a Vajra?" She whispered back, raising her eyebrows at him. "I must admit I never thought you to be a rebellious lover!"

 Adarsh shook his head. "How can you trust someone like that? Or are you still unaware?"

She stopped, turning to face him fully, a hard look in her eyes.

"I'm trying to get you, your happy ending. And so is Mr. Maheshwari. This is not you Adarsh, you don't prejudice people over what they are."

"Huh!" Adarsh snorted. "You foolish, foolish girl, do you even know..."

Shaking her head at his obvious and snobbish disdain Swara pulled open the door to the restaurant they were standing in front of.

"We're here."

Inside some kind of a party was going on. There was playful music playing and sunny colored decorations caught their eye as they stepped into the crowd. Obviously this was one of Pari's many parties, Swara made a mental note to herself before she entertained the thought how startlingly different Adarsh and his love interest were from each other. He was a man as serious as a heart attack and she was a fluttering social butterfly.

"Swara!" Pari's high pitched greeting filled her ears as she was thrown into a tight hug. It was all pretense of cause as she then proceeded to murmur excitedly into her ear. "Thank you, thank you so much, for bringing him here!"

She hardly gave Adarsh a glance before Swara realized they are being pushed into the dance floor, at the edge of which they had been standing all along.

"Pari - seriously - I..." But she was already getting swallowed by the crowd as Pari and Adarsh melted into the dance. "Listen!" Swara finished rather exasperatedly.

Sanskar tapped her shoulder, casting an amused look at her annoyed expression.

"That's Pari Agrawal for you." He said, understandingly, though failing to conceal the laughter in his tone. "No gratitude, only attitude."

"But they...how are they...how are they going to make it out of here?"

"Do you doubt my planning Miss Gadodia?" He asked, crooking an eyebrow playfully.

"No, but I very much doubt Miss Agrawal's execution of them."

"Well; we should leave a bit of battle for them as well, after all it's their love."

"The Vajra's won't take this kindly." Swara muttered to herself.

"Oh yes they will."

"And who are you to dictate them?"

There was a pause as he glanced down at her.

"I honestly don't want to tell you," he muttered and Swara grinned.

"And why is that so?"

"Because it would spoil this moment."

That brought her senses out of the trance, that she always found herself entrapped in whenever their gazes locked. He had already bounced her into the dancing crowd, and they were swaying together, her arms thrown around his neck.

"How did you...?" She gasped, staring up at him in wander and very much aware of his warm hold on her waist.

"Playing tricks with your mind is addictive," he admitted, in the beams of sunlight his eyes shimmered in pools of hazel.

"Your eyes..." She said softly watching the color shift to darker hues in those orbs.

"I suppose that is the first rule right? Not holding gazes?"

It was almost a sly comment. If she was any wiser, she would have recalled Mohan and his seven vows of yore. But some lines are fated to be crossed, even against the best of advices. Some moths are born to burn.

"What is it that you're planning?" She asked him finally, unable to keep that breathless awe from coloring her tone.

"I'm going to steal you..." He replied honestly.

*

Agni watched them from the sidelines. He was not to step in, unless it was absolutely necessary. Their crown prince was capable enough to protect himself and his plans were far too precise and delicate for Agni to meddle with. He watched the couple, the eye and the prince, dancing with their gazes locked. Even to his trained sharp gaze, it was hard to judge what sizzled between them, magic or love. Whatever it was, it had a soft dazzling aura, Agni mused to himself as he watched; they made a fine pair...if only things were not as complicated as they were,

Caught in his wonderings he did not catch Rishi Agrawal's men entering the venue; up until the moment they decided to wreak havoc. A moment before everything had been peaceful and whole, a minute later everything a chaos.

**

"What did you do?" Lakshya yelled as he took a cold and stiff Ragini from her shoulders and shook her, his eyes boring into hers.

Ragini watched his enraged face, her features softening into a contended victory.

"Nothing much," she said matching his fiery ton with an icy one of her own. "I told Mr. Agrawal where her daughter was and how...interestingly...he'd be able to spot a few more of her kind there."

 "How could you?"

"How could I not, Kuwar Lakshya...? You couldn't possibly think that in a game both parties won't get their chance to play?"

His title, escaping from her lips, was enough to stun Lakshya into a silence. Ragini took a step back from him, as he stared at her with astonished eyes. Another few steps distance between them, she sank into a graceful curtsey and rose back to her full height.

"Suvanna; princess of Anjani's," her voice was measured and face breaking into a frosty grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness."

 "Ragini?"

"Although it is very unfortunate that I have already claimed the changeling you were hoping to whisk off for your mother."

**