PART-3
Not fifteen minutes after she'd kicked him out, Piya entered his room, her high-heeled boots clicking with each step. Not for the first time, Abhay wondered why she liked mortal fashion; not for the first time, it made him visualize her in those boots, and nothing else.
Pulling his mind back to the matter at hand, he spoke first, as she seemed content to stand there with her arms crossed and glare at him. "You want to say something?"
Piya let her arms drop by her sides, her fingers clenching and unclenching. "Look, I'm sorry I forgot who you were. I assure you I wouldn't have behaved in such a reprehensible manner. I don't mix friendship with other stuff."
Abhay watched her warily. He knew she needed time to process it all, but she seemed to working herself into a greater state of anger.
"Look," she said, clearly fighting not to shout, "You remember it. I didn't. You should have told me before. You tried to make it into something it wasn't. I'm very sorry I didn't return your feelings then and I'm sorry I can't return your feelings now. But I don't do that stuff, and you should know that and respect it."
"I see," said Abhay carefully.
"Do you? You wanted to have sex with me because you have other feelings into it. Well, I don't. I admit I was attracted to you, but there's nothing beyond that and knowing what I do now, it's obvious that whatever...this thing...was between us, it's over." She took a deep breath. "Get it? I can be friends with you if you really want to be. But it'll take time, and anything else is off the menu."
Abhay tried to stop smiling. He really did, but somehow it slipped out.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," he replied blandly. "So you're saying that you don't really care for me as a person, and that you aren't attracted to me anymore. Am I correct in my understanding of your statement?"
Piya swallowed. "Yes," she bit out.
Why wasn't he angry? Or sad? Or even disappointed? He was supposed to look at least a little put down!
"Okay. I got it. And no, I'm not interested to be friends if that's all I'm going to get. I settled for that once - not happening again."
Something constricted in her chest. She'd counted on trying for a real friendship with him - she'd liked the guy. But she supposed it was expected. And quite fair of him to say so.
"You don't mind, do you?" he asked, watching the play of emotions across her face. Don't care, my foot. She wasn't going to fool him again.
"I - no, I don't mind. Thanks."
She stood there, staring at him. And much as Abhay wanted to give in and say he'd be anything she needed, he held his ground. "Then you don't mind leaving, do you?"
"Of-of course." She walked back to the door, then hesitated. "I hope this won't cause any awkwardness."
"Oh, none at all, I assure you," Abhay said pleasantly. "I am not going to play the part of the scorned suitor. In fact, I'm sure I'll find someone else whose views are more like mine. In fact, I should thank you for opening my eyes to the situation."
Piya nodded. "All right."
She didn't look back, and it was just as well, because Abhay's smile had slipped. He hadn't thought it was possible to hurt more than it had the first time.
All he had to go on was his belief that he'd seen evidence that she did in fact care. She might not be in love with him, but it was a start.
****************************************************************************************************************** Over the next few weeks, inspite of Abhay's words, Piya expected him to be resentful, especially as she felt as horribly drawn to him as ever. But every time they crossed paths, he was unfailingly polite to her, despite her snappish replies. He never sought her out, but exchanged news with her from the mortal world, telling her about the latest trivia when they passed by each other. Not once did he ever allude to anything else that had happened between them, not once did he ever sneer at her, and he certainly never showed any hint that he was attracted to her.
While all she could think of was how his lips felt on her skin, the feel of his touch. The odd light that gleamed in his eyes when she had sparred with him, and she hated that she felt guilty if she thought about provoking him, as she had done in the past. She found herself bumping into him accidentally-on-purpose, so that his arms would come around to steady her for a brief second.
She found herself tracking him in her spare time, watching him move across the earth for mortals' souls. Again and again, she wondered why he'd been sent to hell and what he'd endured there.
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It was gnawing on him. This stupid game of pride both of them were playing. It was making both of them unhappy, of that he was sure. A few times, he'd toyed with the idea of seducing Piya into admitting she cared for him, too. Or just catching her and shoving the evidence in her face.
But by god, if she was stubborn, then he definitely wasn't going to quit. He'd spent almost one and a half centuries in the fiery depths of hell - he could last a long time in this game. He could not lose, not now.
Either way, sooner or later, one of them was going to buckle. Abhay intended to make sure he wasn't that person.
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Dropping off a small-time criminal's soul - he would spend some time in hell, but not that long - she suddenly stopped to see Abhay standing with a suicide case - a young girl's. The soul was tormented, clearly in the thrall of terrible regret, and she watched Abhay speak to the child in quiet, soothing tones till she appeared before one of the Chitragupts.
Chitragupt lectured her, but her obvious and sincere regret gave her a lighter penalty than Piya herself had gotten, and the girl got a few hundred years lesser in hell.
She remembered being taken there, being stopped halfway by Yama himself, who demanded that she come to work under him, as an immortal Yamadut. Till today, she never understood why he had shown such mercy to her, and why Yama said nothing in the thousands of similar cases that she had seen since.
She glanced at Abhay. He looked grim as the girl was led away, and suddenly his eyes found hers across the hall. Unadulterated pain shone briefly in their depths before he left the hall. She went after him, but realised he had left their realm.
She tracked him to the mortal world, in a chilly desert that was seeing night. It seemed a sandstorm was imminent, and humans had left the area, but Abhay stood there bleakly, the shield that made them invisible to humans still up. He had not taken the enchantment down.
She approached him cautiously, recognising that he had every right to reject her advances. After all her boastful statements that she didn't care for him at all, Piya was beginning to realise that maybe she had willfully deceived herself. "It bothers you. Suicide bothers you."
He turned to her, looking wary. "What are you doing here?"
"I tracked you." She refused to let embarrassment cow her. "You didn't look happy."
"You do not owe me anything." He still looked wary, and she didn't blame him.
"No. But one shouldn't be alone in such a state of mind."
He looked away. "You need not fear for my state."
"You didn't tell me why an Atmahatya matters so much."
He shrugged. "Humans have such short lives. Why would they voluntarily end it? Why don't they understand?"
"If they did, they wouldn't be human." The words slipped out of her. "We cannot alter their will. You cannot help them."
"I wish I could," he said softly. "I wish I could save them. The good ones."
Piya smiled sadly to herself. It would never work out between them. He cared too much - for everyone. While she cared for no one at all... Except him.
The realisation unnerved her.
Abhay watched her. Did she know how transparent she was if someone was paying attention to her? And even though he'd been in a bad mood, just the fact that she'd come after him was already helping him.
Now, she looked as though she was bolstering her courage to do something. He found out what a second later when her arms came around him.
"Don't think too much of it," she warned him. "I'm just trying to be nice."
She felt his hands gingerly come to touch her bare waist, and suppressed a shiver. She'd been wearing a diamond-shaped top that was almost entirely backless, and she hadn't considered that his hand would touch her bare back.
"I wouldn't dream of it," he said quietly. "But thank you for being nice."
"You seemed like you deserved a hug. This isn't anything more."
His arms tightened around her. "I didn't ask for more." She almost wished he would.
Abhay let his hands rest on her back, feeling her shiver against him. Proud Piya. She'd deny it till the end if she could.
Just to see how she'd react, he let his hand rest on the knot that held her dress together. One pull and she'd be in his arms, to do with as he wished...
Piya couldn't help it. His movements obviously weren't seductive, yet she was already visualizing his fingers undoing the knot, his mouth on her heated skin. She squirmed involuntarily, wishing he'd let go of her. If she pushed away, he'd think she was affected.
"Thank you for coming." His voice was low, right next to her ear. "It's very nice of you."
Right, that was it. She couldn't take it anymore. She'd jump him if she stayed one more minute in his arms. She loosened her grip on him, but he didn't seem to realise that, his fingers still stroking her back. Was he doing it on purpose? No - of course not. She was the one who was unable to get over him.
Just as she was about to beg him to forget it all and just take her here, on the sand, he let go of her.
"Thanks. I needed that." His voice sounded hoarse. She was gratified to see his eyes, too, had darkened with desire. So maybe he did feel something after all.
"Well...good," she said lamely. "I...I guess I'll see you back there, then."
Then she escaped before she did something stupid.
Now alone in the sand, Abhay took deep breaths to get back a semblance of control. She'd come to him because he'd been upset.
Victory had never been sweeter.
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Abhay glanced at the couple across the common hall and fumed silently. Why did she have to make this so hard? Did she think he was going to cave in?
Piya had apparently decided to take one of the newer Yamaduts as her lover. He was fawning over Piya, his arm around her. She was wearing a short dress that covered her thighs, but had several buttons undone. He could see the black lace under it, and if he could, so could that twerp.
Abhay's fists were curled. Any more of Piya's stupid fake laughter and he was going to -
Piya giggled and leaned against him, making a show of putting her head on his chest.
Abhay saw red.
Striding towards them, he'd caught Piya's arm and yanked to her feet within seconds.
Both Piya and the other Yamadut protested.
"Abhay, what in holy -"
"Excuse me! Don't you manhandle my -" He cut off when Abhay shot him a glare.
Piya began to struggle. "Let - me - go!"
"Shut up," Abhay growled as he began walking away, making sure that Piya was being pulled along with him.
"Abhay, I'm warning you, you're going to -" Piya suddenly realised they were in front of his room. Unceremoniously, Abhay hauled her in, then slammed the door shut. "What is wrong with you!"
She turned to face him, furious. "Wrong with me? What is wrong with you? Acting like - like an animal!"
He backed her up till she was caged between him and the door. "How could you let him touch you? How could you encourage his attentions?"
Piya fumed. The nerve of him. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? "Encourage his attentions? I have every right to encourage what I like! Swayam is a great person, and you have no right to say anything!"
It was the wrong thing to say. He moved closer still, and if she thought being caged was annoying, well, now she was being pinned like a dead butterfly in a mortal museum. Speaking of butterflies, her stomach seemed to have a few live ones inside, performing kathak.
"Oh, but I do," he said, quietly and firmly. "You are not to let any man touch you again."
Piya narrowed her eyes. "You're not my boyfriend. You're not anyone to me. Okay? Now let me go back to Swayam before I -"
She knew she was goading him, but she didn't care. If she didn't shout at him, she was going to crack and beg him to be with her.
She pushed at his chest. "Let go!"
He didn't. Instead, Abhay lowered his head. His lips were centimetres from her when she closed her eyes, but instead of kissing her, she felt his lips and teeth at the vulnerable point of her neck.
Damn it. Abhay fought dirty. "You shouldn't -" she managed weakly, but her body betrayed her. She had no idea how her arms went around him, how her neck arched for more.
She didn't. It was his fault, not hers.
"I'd say I'm someone to you," he muttered, right before he kissed her. Piya tried to recall the reasons why she should push him away, but her mind wasn't working right. Never had a man's mouth intoxicated her so.
When his lips finally left hers, she struggled to get back her control. "I - I don't want you." It came out sounding like a question than a statement, and it was answered when he opened another button on her dress and dipped his fingers into the black lace. His eyes held hers. "You don't mean that, do you?"
His fingers found the taut bud, pulled. She cried out.
"Stop lying to yourself, Piya," he said gently. "Stop running."
Piya shook her head dumbly. "No. No. I have to - you have to stop..."
His free hand let go of her waist and dipped under the skirt, touching her intimately. She shuddered from the sensation.
"You want me," he said. "You need me as badly as I need you. Admit it."
"Yes," she gasped, black spots appearing in front of her eyes, "yes. Yes. Abhay...yes."
He seemed to know exactly how to touch her, to work her over the edge, so that stars exploded in front of her eyes and her knees buckled.
Abhay caught her against him and held her upright, as she rode out the sensations, crying out softly.
Never had she been more beautiful to him. He kissed her lightly on the head, as she sagged against him.
It was several moments before Piya got back her senses. Once she did, the realization of what she'd let him do - what he'd made her do - filled her with horror.
She pushed at him, this time meaning it. "Let go of me!"
Abhay stared at her in surprise. "What-?"
"You, you -" she had difficulty finding the words, "you arrogant, manipulative - devil!"
Anger darkened his features. "I manipulated you? Really, Piya? That's all you've got?"
"You made me say things under duress!" She jabbed a finger at him. "How could you do that to me? Do you have no respect for someone else's feelings?"
"I didn't make you say or do anything." He looked as furious as she felt. "When are you going to stop playing this game, Piya? You say you don't care, but you don't fool me, okay? You care a hell of a lot. So stop feeding me that!"
"I don't!" she shouted back at him. "I don't care for you! Don't you dare presume to tell me how I should feel!"
"Oh, please," he cut back. "You won't even admit that we have something so strong between us -"
"There is nothing between us! I felt nothing for you then and I feel nothing for you now!"
"Oh? You'd let any guy touch you that way, would you? You'd go running after any person who was injured, help them to their room? Nothing, Piya?"
Her cheeks went crimson. "You - you seduced me! I said no, and you went ahead anyway, just to prove a point!"
"Oh? Are you forgetting that you had your arms around me, that you were kissing me back?"
"And that excuses your seducing me to make a point?" She screamed back. "Go to hell, Abhay! Just - go to hell!"
The moment the words left her mouth, she realised her mistake. Abhay flinched. "Yeah, I've been there. Thanks."
Unable to formulate a reply, she all but ran from his room.
What had possessed her just now? For that matter, what always possessed her around Abhay? What was it that made her as helpless to resist him?
All the points he'd raised were valid. All of them. She'd behaved like a cat in heat, rubbing herself against him. He'd been right.
There was something between them all right - the something that could grow into an inferno. And then she'd break his heart. He already had feelings for her anyway and she had no idea why.
She pressed her hands to her forehead. This is why she avoided feelings. Stupid negative stuff.
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Abhay groaned to himself. Why had he lost his head like that? The plan had been just to kiss her and let her go. He shouldn't have lost control.
And now she was running again. Why, why, was Piya so contradictory? Did she have to make everything so hard?
There was nothing for it. He'd have to apologise to her. He'd crossed a line she hadn't wanted to cross, and like it or not, she wasn't happy. It had been manipulation - maybe for a good cause, but still manipulation.
He crossed the corridor and went to her quarters. She wasn't in the main room, and he wondered where she was.
Then he heard her voice.
He followed her till he found her...and stopped dead.
She was in the bath.
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Piya closed her eyes in the tub, feeling the aftershocks fade away. And yet her body still cried out for Abhay.
He'd been so gentle. The way he had held her, after...she had felt protected, secure. Treasured.
She opened her eyes.
For a second, she thought she was dreaming. Abhay was standing at the entrance, slack jawed. Staring at her.
When he didn't come and join her in the tub, Piya realised it wasn't a figment of imagination. He really was there.
Embarrassment was followed by horror. How long had he stood there? Had he seen -? "Y-you - how - what -"
It was her voice that sent Abhay scrambling to collect control of his thoughts.
"What are you doing here?" she said, sounding mortified.
Abhay cleared his throat and pointedly looked away. Not that anything was on show. All he could see was the milky skin of her shoulders and the top of her breasts.
That didn't prevent him from imagining the rest of it, especially as he watched her reach her peak.
He would have given up a lot to see what she'd been thinking about then, if she'd been thinking about him. Her blush right now could just be the awkwardness of being caught at a wrong moment.
"I - I came to apologize. I shouldn't have forced you to do something you weren't ready for."
The words were insincere, but he'd say them since that was what she'd accused him of.
"It - it was not my intention. I genuinely believed that you...well, I'm sorry."
Piya stared at him. He'd come to say sorry, inspite of the way she'd railed at him like a shrew. It made her feel guilty - especially now, after she'd just pleasured herself to thoughts of him.
"How long were you there?"
The question seemed to make him uncomfortable. "A while. Sorry."
"Apology accepted," she said, flushing crimson, not daring to move in case he saw any more. It annoyed her. She wasn't ashamed of her body - quite the contrary. And she wasn't that bad at controlling her baser instincts. It gnawed at her that Abhay could make her feel so wrong footed all the time. "Now could you give me some privacy?"
His jaw set at her dismissive tone. "Fine. If you want to pretend, fine."
"I am not -"
But he was already striding away, without a backwards glance at her.
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By the time she saw him next, which was a month later, she'd tracked him across half the globe, and found out that several of his favourite haunts were similar to hers.
But this time, he'd forgone lonely places and gone to a bar.
Since she was free, there was no reason why she couldn't go up to him and ask him how he was.
Well, except for that terrible fight. But he'd said sorry. They were over that now, weren't they?
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"Hi." He'd taken off the shield so he was visible to the humans, and if he hadn't recognized her voice, he'd have been sure it was a human who'd approached him.
He turned around to see her sitting on the stool next to him.
Her outfit was conservative by her standards, but blended perfectly with the surroundings : she was wearing a short white dress, but at least the top was covered. He didn't know how he'd have reacted with her on display for the humans to look at. "What do you want?" he asked belligerently.
"Nothing," she snapped back. "What are you doing here? This isn't your kind of place."
At any other time he would be interested as to how she'd obtained that information. However, at this moment, he was feeling prickly. He'd decided to leave her alone, and now she was seeking him out. Playing another of her games, no doubt.
"Well, maybe it is my kind of place now," he said coldly. "I am in no danger of losing my insanity, if that concerns you."
Piya drew back. She'd been wanting to extend the olive branch, wanting to apologise herself, but he didn't seem interested.
"I wasn't," she replied, and clarified, "I don't think you're insane."
"Good." He turned away, watching the dancing humans.
"I'm sorry about what I said to you," she said in a rush. "The hell comment. I wasn't thinking."
"You never are."
He still wasn't looking at her. Irritation crawled across her. She'd even tried to tone down her brazenness for him - so that she could be closer, at least on the outside, to the girl he'd liked - and he wasn't even interested. Did he want her to grovel, or what?
"Look, I shouldn't have said...those other things. You didn't force me to do anything. I'm strong enough that I could have stopped you if I really wanted to, but I didn't and it was wrong of me to blame you for it."
He turned to her then, his eyes veiled. For a long time he looked at her, then he nodded. "I'm glad you realise that." He sounded much less colder than before.
"Well, you can't stay here," Piya said. "This isn't your place."
"What does it matter to you?" he snapped. "You're not my friend, not anymore. You don't know me."
Ouch. That hurt more than it should. "I know you better than you think. At least, in the places you visit."
An eyebrow rose. "You've been tracking me?"
She shrugged.
"Why would you do that?"
Piya didn't reply.
"Okay, forget that," he said, annoyance creeping into his tone. "Why are you here, anyway?"
Piya lifted a shoulder. "I was free. And so are you."
"You've got lots of people to spend your free time with," he muttered. "No need to stay with me."
She did, it was true. But how was she supposed to tell him that spending time with anyone else was beginning to chafe on her? She couldn't let him know she cared for him - more than he thought.
"I want to stay here," she said, tossing her head back defiantly. "If you want to leave, go ahead, I'm not stopping you."
Abhay glowered, but he didn't move.
"How bad is it?" she asked, after a few moments. "Being in hell?"
He looked surprised at the change of topic. "It's...bad."
"I should have gone there," she mused to herself, sipping her drink. "Why did you go there?"
He shrugged. "It's personal."
"They say you did a favour for Yama."
He'd heard that one. "They say so, yes."
"It's true, then?"
Abhay considered lying, decided against it. "No, not really."
"But you must have done something. We aren't punished for any minor sins. Why would you be punished - and for so long?"
"Leave it, Piya," he said tiredly. "Leave it alone."
Unwilling to break the somewhat-truce, she nodded.
They watched the humans dancing drunkenly.
"Abhay?"
"Yes?"
"You dislike me because I'm not the girl you fell in love with."
"I don't dislike you. I never did."
"You used to," she said, remembering the scowls he'd always thrown her. "You were always in a hurry to run away from me."
Abhay looked at her. What was she getting at? "That doesn't mean I disliked you. I didn't - don't. And besides..." He shrugged. "All part of your charm, didn't you tell me? You're growing on me. I like you."
He'd fallen for her - again - but he wasn't going to tell her that. All it had taken this time was knowing that she wasn't made of stone. Knowing that beneath all that, she still had a heart.
Piya smiled, but Abhay's words, intended to soothe, bothered her more. He'd said she was growing on him. That he liked her.
He hadn't said anything beyond that. It bothered her.
It was then that the realisation speared her, as swiftly as an arrow through the heart.
Hare-brained idiot that she was, she'd fallen for him.
Hell-and-damn.
Abhay's watch bleeped, and he glanced at it. "I have a pickup in an hour." He looked at her. "You can come with me, if you're free."
She shook her head. "I'm good here. Thanks, though."
He nodded, swung himself off the stood and left.
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Two weeks.
Two weeks it had taken Piya to work up the courage to ask Abhay if they could give it a shot. The thought of voluntarily committing to someone - and signing up for hurt that would eventually follow - still made her break out in hives.
But she couldn't do it anymore, this polite, somewhat-friendly talk with Abhay. She wanted more.
She wanted to be able to throw her arms around him. She wanted to have the right to ask him what he'd gone to hell for. She wanted to be the sole reason to cause that smile.
She strode down the corridors, reaching the hall. He would be in the corner, as always, and she would tell him in one go, before she lost her courage -
Piya stopped.
Abhay was with someone else. Some...female.
The shock almost made her stumble. She moved closer, and now she could recognise her. Ayushmati. They'd been friends. Of a sort. Piya had always thought her quite striking, with her long black hair and her almond shaped eyes.
Seemed like Abhay agreed with her.
She was talking animatedly to him, and he was listening to her, an amused smile on his face. As though they were sharing a private joke. As she watched, Ayushmati threw her head back and laughed at a quip from him.
Enough. She would not stand here like a fool anymore.
"I need to talk to you," she said, hurtling down to them and placing a proprietary hand on Abhay's arm. He looked at it in surprise. "Is it important? Can't it wait?"
"No, it can't. I'm sorry," she said insincerely, turning to Ayushmati, "I hope you don't mind."
Without waiting for her answer, she tugged on his sleeve. "Come on."
He let her drag him aside, an odd echo of a moment gone past. He didn't mention it.
"Yes?"
Piya crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you interested in Ayushmati?"
Abhay shrugged. "She's interesting. Why?"
"She's not right for you," said Piya shortly. "You can't be with her."
A frown. "Why? What's wrong with her? I thought she was a friend of yours."
"That - that's got nothing to do with it. Trust me, neither of you are good for each other."
"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss that, Piya. We found some common ground. She's funny, pretty."
"Common ground?" said Piya, horrified. "She doesn't even know you!"
"Yeah, we're in the getting to know each other stage. Besides, no one really knows me. You never know. It could work."
"You're actually interested in her?" She said. "Abhay, trust me. She's not what you're looking for."
"Maybe you should let me decide that," he said, looking annoyed. "I'm sure I have a better understanding of what I'm looking for."
He turned to leave, but she caught his wrist. "You can't. You - you were in love with me, weren't you? You could end up hurting her."
Abhay frowned. "I was. But I'm not now. I mean, no offence, Piya, but it's obvious we both want different things and I...have finally begun to accept that. So no, I'm not in love with you. And therefore I'm not going to hurt her. I'm free."
Piya swallowed. Not in love with her.
"Is that all?" he asked, tilting his head. "Anything else you have to tell me? Any other reason you think I won't suit Ayushmati?"
"No - no, of course not." Piya laughed, but it sounded fake to her own ears. "You would take her as lover? Or..consort?"
"It's early days yet, isn't it?" he replied. "Later...who knows? Maybe."
"Yes, of course." Piya gave him a smile. "I'm sure you'll do well together. I'm sorry if I came off as overbearing."
He nodded, and left her there, while he went back to Ayushmati.
Piya's eyes burned as she walked away from them. This was wrong. Wrong. Abhay was supposed to love her, not someone else. How could he have just...got over her? Had she pushed him too much? Been too passive? Should she have made a move in the last two weeks? Would that have mattered?
Karma, she suddenly realised. It was all karma. She'd broken his heart once, hadn't she, all those years ago? She hadn't realised he'd had feelings for her. She'd been harsh, angry that he was dissolving their friendship based on his feelings.
Now the tables were turned, and how beautifully, too.
Now she would be the one forced to walk away.
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She couldn't do it. Couldn't stay away from him, even though Ayushmati seemed to be glued to his side almost all the time. And yet, she found herself making excuses to spend time with him, even if it was just as a friend.
And every time, her heart broke.
Days became a week, then a fortnight, a month...two months.
Piya started spending more of her time in the training center, letting out her futile anger on inanimate objects.
And then one day, making her way to her regular spot, she froze.
They were on the ground - Ayushmati and Abhay - with Abhay on top of her. She was giggling about something.
She must have made a sound, because Abhay looked up to see her, his eyes wide.
He got off Ayushmati and took a step towards her. "Piya - hi. I - it's not what you -"
She didn't wait to hear what he said.
She turned on her heel and stalked out of the training center, head held high. Once out, she broke into a run, not stopping till she reached Yama.
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"You should have let me go to hell," she said to him, once she was facing Yama. "My lord. You should have let me continue on to hell."
He smiled, enigmatically. "I should have. I certainly would have."
"Why didn't you?" she cried. "This is wrong. I shouldn't even be here. I should still be in hell."
Yama gave her a measuring look. "What has you so overwrought, Piyashree?"
"I-" She couldn't lie to a god, and she couldn't speak the truth out loud. So she clamped her jaws shut.
"I see," said Yama eventually. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised."
She said nothing.
"I didn't send you to hell," Yama continued, "not because I didn't wish to, but because I had to grant one of my Yamaduts a favour."
Piya stared at him. What did her punishment have to do with - ?
"He fell in love with a mortal, you see," said Yama gently. "He could not bear to see her suffer in hell. So he took on the sentence that she would have taken, and being a Yamadut, I could not sacrifice him for too long a time. So he endured a higher degree of torture and was released in a shorter time."
"How bad is it?" she'd asked him. "Being in hell?"
"It's...bad." He'd replied.
Piya took a step back, feeling suddenly lightheaded.
Yama looked amused. "Why you feel that the boy does not care for you, I do not understand. After all, he keeps every one of your letters that you sent him when you were mortal."
"So...so then..." Piya's voice trembled. "Abhay went to hell for me? Why? I didn't return his feelings -"
"He did not wish you to be here," said Yama. "But I needed a replacement. And later, of course, with the humans breeding like they are..." He shook his head. "But you should consider those facts, Piyashree. I assure you Abhayendra is far from not caring about you...and if you are not convinced," he added, seeing her look, "You should go and check his quarters."
When she left, Yama laughed out loud. "Children!"
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She was hurrying down the corridor when she almost bumped into Abhay. "Piya, listen," he said urgently. "It's not what you think. Trust me."
She jerked off his hand and almost ran from him. She couldn't talk to him, not until she knew the truth.
He came after her, but she had already Cloaked herself - a convenient enchantment for Yamaduts to seek privacy from each other (but Gods could see right through it).
Knowing that Abhay wouldn't look for her in his own room, she started searching for what Yama had told her to look for.
It didn't take her very long. She found them stacked in a bundle at the bottom shelf of a bookcase.
She pulled them out, half-fearing it was someone else's, but then she saw her own hand across the pages.
She scanned through all of them, keeping an eye on the door - it would be awkward if Abhay came back and saw the letters apparently floating in air.
He didn't come back, and Piya went through all of them. Why hadn't Abhay discarded them? Why had he kept them, if he didn't love her anymore?
She realised there was a simple way to check the veracity of Yama's words.
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It had gone too far. Abhay knew that from the hurt on her face. He couldn't do it anymore.
He'd gone after her, but she'd brushed him off and then disappeared - Cloaking herself, no doubt, because after he'd gone to her room and found her missing, he'd tried to track her - and failed.
Where had she gone?
Ayushmati came over, said Chitragupt had told her Piya had gone to meet the Lord. It only made him worry more than ever.
They were standing in the hall, discussing if they ought to go and ask Yama about it, when Abhay saw Piya striding forth towards them, her eyes flashing fire at him.
"Piya, where were you?" he demanded, when she was close enough. "Why did you Cloak yourself?"
She put her hands on his chest and gave him a hard shove. "You - you liar! You stupid noble - fool!"
"Why do you two keep getting physical with each other?" Ayushmati wondered out loud. "In public, too."
She received a dirty look from Abhay. "Be quiet. Leave us alone."
He turned to Piya. "I don't know what you're talking about, but Ayushmati is -"
"Hang Ayushmati!" Piya shouted. "When were you going to tell me that you took my punishment? When were you going to tell me that because of my stupidity you went to hell? When, Abhay?"
At her words, Ayushmati gasped - and so did the dozen or so Yamaduts who were in hearing distance.
Abhay muttered a curse. How had she found this out? And did she have to yell out her finding so quickly? Even Chitragupt could easily have heard, with the volume of her voice.
Now everyone would mock him, or worse, pity him for being so foolish as to take a mortal's punishment on his own head.
He grabbed Piya's arm and pulled her away. As they moved, he heard someone titter, "You're right - they're always getting physical with each other. Now that I remember, Sayantani and Aniket were quite similar, before they -"
Abhay didn't need to hear any more. Closing his eyes, he shifted easily to the mortal plane, where hopefully, they would have some privacy.
*******************************************************************************************************************
He made them land on the rooftop of a very tall building. One of those ingenious contraptions humans had invented to circumvent the lack of space - houses on top of each other, in one tall building.
Piya glared at him, and he glared right back. "How did you find out about me?" he asked. "And why did you have to shout it in front of everyone, do you have no sense?"
Piya opened and closed her mouth. "How dare you," she said at last. "You're shouting at me? You, who had all the opportunity to tell me about it! Why did you never tell me it was my fault? Why, Abhay?"
"That was my business!" he shot back.
She almost punched him. "Oh? And keeping all my old letters is your business too, not mine?"
"Keeping - you searched my room!"
She pulled out the bundle, waved it at him. "You kept my letters! You're in love with me, and you - you - how dare you go around with another woman!"
Abhay's jaw worked. "Give them back. What's it to you?"
"You lied to me, and now you ask what's it to me? I thought you stopped caring for me!"
"Well, I don't." He crossed his arms. "I used to. That's when I kept it. It means nothing now."
Piya's eyebrows scrunched together. "So can I burn this, then? Because it means nothing?"
A flame emerged out of her other hand, and just as quickly, Abhay grabbed the letters and snatched them from her grasp. "Don't you dare. They're my property. I decide whether to burn them or not."
She stood back and smirked, tilting her head, and he knew he'd given himself away.
Then she went back to glaring. "You - made - me - think - you - stopped - caring!" she shouted, poking him in the chest after each word. "I thought I lost you!"
He stood, stunned, at the sheen in her eyes. "I thought I'd - and you made me think that! Do you know what it's like, to be told that you don't love me anymore - when you do!"
He caught her wrist and jerked her to him. "I thought that was what you wanted, Piya. You don't care for me, do you? So why does it matter?"
"Because you were supposed to love me!" she threw back, hating the tears that made her voice break. "You were supposed to be with me, not go around with the first person who showed an interest!"
"You don't do feelings, remember?"
"Well, maybe I do now!" she said defiantly. "You're mine! Not someone else's - you love me. Not her. Don't you, Abhay? Don't you?"
She hated the note of pleading that crept into her voice.
Abhay stared at her without speaking, and she began to panic.
"Tell me it isn't too late," she said, grabbing his jacket. "Tell me you haven't given up on me. Please. I can't -"
Dear heavens, now she was full out crying. When she got over this, she was going to kill Abhay.
"I'll be anything you want me to be," she said earnestly. "If you have anything left for me...just give me one chance, Abhay. Or else, I'll - I'll go back to being your friend. But you - you do care, don't you? Or you'd have let me burn those letters -"
His hand came over to cover her mouth. "Shhh."
He brushed away the moisture from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "What was I supposed to do, Piya, hmm? You wouldn't listen to me."
When she opened her mouth, he shook his head. "No. It's my turn to talk."
"I...the first day, when you came up when I was talking to her...The thought hadn't crossed my mind. But then I thought, if it made you jealous..." He lifted a shoulder. "We made a pact. There's nothing going on between us. Trust me."
Shocked, she could only stare at him. "What you saw today...look, we were just sparring. I wouldn't - we weren't doing anything."
"So...all these days was just a...just a drama?" Piya didn't know whether to be relieved or angry. "You and Ayushmati made me think - on purpose - "
Abhay nodded. "Look, you might be angry -"
"Damn right I'm angry," she spat furiously. "You had no compunctions deceiving me? All those happy, googly-eyed stuff with her - you did that just to make me - oh, you beast!"
She shoved at him. "I hate you! You - you manipulating - conning - liar - "
He kissed her before she could spew any more of her insults, cupping her face, making relief overcome her anger.
He hadn't given up on her...he'd just pretended..and oh god, that was more happiness than she'd felt for a very long time.
He let go of her, grinning. "I hate you, too."
She smacked his arm, but with no real heat. "You won't take anyone else as consort. Or I'll gut her."
"Wasn't going to," he responded. "What next?"
She looked down, away from him. "I'm...scared. The last time I was with someone, and the years after...they weren't pleasant, Abhay. Don't give up on me, please. I'm trying."
He smiled. "What makes you think I will?"
He lowered his head, and for several minutes, there was no talking.
Somehow - neither of them knew for sure who did it - they ended up back in Yamlok, in Piya's quarters.
On her bed.
Then finally, Piya spoke. "Do you think we'll be like Sayantani and Aniket?" One of the senior Yamadut couples, they'd been together for centuries.
Abhay rolled his eyes. "We'll be like Abhay and Piya."
"Mmm. That sounds nice...hey, um...that's nice. Yeah...there. Yes. Damn, yes."
She didn't do much talking for the next few hours.
A/N : There, that's it. As much fun as I had writing this story, I hope those of you who were reading this liked it too😳
Originally posted by: BeyondHorizonIt was an interesting read😊Piya was confused over her own feelings and Abhay over her feelings for him😆Jealousy is an old trick used to bring someone back to you and he used it well I must say😆Finally Piya got to know about Abhay's punishment and this was bound to melt her heart. Though she had already lost her heart to him, she needed something to push her and this did the trick. Good one Shreya 👍🏼
Originally posted by: ..juhi..are moti...kya baat kya baat kya baat...kinna mast tha...awesome blossom one...loved it to the core...
Originally posted by: ..Bournville..really really liked this TS. the emotions were perfect for yamdoots - not too mushy mushy and not loose either. you did really well here
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