Chapter 22: Bonds and Lightning
For a moment after the shockwave threw them apart, they simply lay on the grass, staring at each other through the dissipating haze of ozone and raw power. The air still hummed with the echo of their collision. Then, as one, they scrambled to their feet and rushed towards each other, hands outstretched.
"Are you okay?" Their voices rang out in perfect, worried unison.
The shared concern, spoken simultaneously, broke the tension. A faint, surprised smile touched both their faces. Kiyan reached Aarav's hand first, taking it in both of his. At the touch, the golden light returned to Kiyan's eyes, but this time it was soft, anxious.
"You're alright, Aarav?" Kiyan asked again, his fingers applying a gentle pressure to Aarav's wrist.
"Yes, Kiyan, I'm fine. You?" Aarav responded, covering Kiyan's hand with his own.
Kiyan nodded. "Yes. I am."
Aarav took a deep breath, the smile slowly fading from his lips. "See, Kiyan? I told you… we can never be together. A Vaishnav and a Daayaansh… we can't. That was just a small shock. When all my powers are fully awakened, we won't even be able to touch."
"I won't let that happen, Aarav," Kiyan said, but his voice held a fracture.
"Kiyan, this is our destiny. And destiny cannot be changed. Good and evil can never coexist. We are like the earth and the sky to each other. We can see one another, but we can never meet." Aarav gently extracted his hand from Kiyan's grasp, as if pulling away from something precious that had begun to burn. "You understand, don't you?"
Kiyan looked at him. His golden eyes had glazed over with unshed tears, a luminous film he refused to let fall. He simply nodded. "Yes."
Tears stood in both their eyes, but neither spoke. The silence held the entirety of their impossible story. Aarav quickly wiped his away.
"Anyway…" Aarav said, forcing a shift in tone, "you boast about being so powerful, but you couldn't save yourself from some measly flowers?"
Kiyan raised an eyebrow. "They were not 'measly' flowers, Aarav. A Daayan's greatest weakness is the white Ketaki flower."
"White Ketaki?"
"Yes. The white Ketaki, which blooms under the full moonlight. For Daayans, it's a binding force. In its presence, our powers are severely diminished. The longer the contact, the weaker we become."
Aarav laughed. "Ah! So that's why you were writhing in pain that day!"
"Yes," Kiyan said, a slight smile returning to his lips. "And you saved me."
"I saved you once," Aarav joked, "but you've saved my life multiple times."
Kiyan's expression turned serious. "No. By saving your life, I was saving my own."
Aarav smiled again. "Oh? How so?"
"Yes," Kiyan said, a playful glint entering his eyes. "Let's just say that."
They both laughed. It was a release, a brief, stolen freedom from the weight of destiny. Kiyan took Aarav's hand again and led him back to the bike. Aarav climbed on, kick-starting the engine. Kiyan settled behind him.
The bike moved forward. They glanced at each other, the wind playing with their hair. A mischievous grin spread across Aarav's face.
"What if… I go faster? You're not scared, are you?" Aarav called over his shoulder.
"Not at all!" Kiyan shouted back. "I have a surprise for you!"
"What surprise?"
Suddenly, Kiyan leaped off the moving bike. "Look to your side!"
Aarav looked. Kiyan was running effortlessly alongside the bike, matching its speed stride for stride, his feet a blur against the pavement.
"Kiyan! You're keeping up with my bike?!" Aarav yelled, incredulous.
Kiyan grinned. "Yes, I am!"
"Then show me what you've got!" Aarav challenged and twisted the throttle, sending the bike surging forward.
The bike became a roaring beast. And Kiyan? He just kept smiling and increased his pace. He ran perfectly parallel to the bike, his dark coat streaming behind him like wings, his hair a living black banner in the wind.
"See?" Kiyan laughed, the sound carrying easily over the roar. "My speed!"
"I yield!" Aarav laughed back. "Kiyan, you're…!"
Aarav suddenly braked, pulling over to the side of the empty road. Kiyan stopped instantly, not a step beyond.
"What happened, Aarav? Why did you stop?"
Aarav grinned. "I… have a favor to ask."
"And what is that?"
"I want a ride on your back. Again."
Kiyan smiled, a sly light in his eyes. "For that, you'll have to give me something in return."
"Whatever you want, take it," Aarav said, spreading his arms.
"Think carefully. You'll have to give me what I ask for."
Aarav looked into Kiyan's eyes, into their depths, and smiled. "Yes. Granted."
He climbed onto Kiyan's back. Kiyan's golden eyes flashed. "Now, hold on."
And then Kiyan ran. This wasn't a normal run. It was a tearing through the air, a shaking of the earth, a supernatural velocity. Aarav threw his arms wide and laughed, a pure, exhilarated sound.
"Wow, Kiyan! It feels like I'm flying!"
The wind roared in their ears, Kiyan's hair whipped against Aarav's face, and Aarav's laughter streamed behind them like a banner. Kiyan was happy because Aarav was happy.
Then, Kiyan skidded to a sudden halt, depositing Aarav back beside his bike.
"Hey, why'd you stop? That was amazing!" Aarav protested.
"I am a Daayaansh, Aarav. Not a free taxi service," Kiyan said, his tone teasing.
Aarav laughed. "You are for me, aren't you?"
Kiyan smiled. "You didn't ask for anything."
Kiyan stepped closer, leaning in until his lips were near Aarav's ear. Aarav closed his eyes. He could feel the cool ghost of Kiyan's breath against his skin.
"Promise me," Kiyan whispered, his voice a sweet, dangerous caress, "that I can come to you whenever I want. You won't push me away."
Aarav opened his eyes. "That's… that's all you want from me?"
Kiyan smiled. "What did you think I wanted?"
Aarav flushed. He looked down, a faint pink rising to his cheeks. "Nothing… it's nothing." He stepped back towards his bike, starting the engine. "See you tomorrow. At college," he said, and with a final smile, he rode off towards home.
Kiyan watched him go, a soft, melancholic smile on his own face.
Aarav reached home and walked inside, the grin still lingering. Arushi caught him at the door.
"You're smiling a lot today? Has my little brother… fallen in love?" she teased.
"Didi, come on!" Aarav said, and escaped to his room, shutting the door. He leaned against it, and the smile returned, wider now. A warmth bloomed in his chest, a strange cocktail of fear and elation. He knew it was impossible. But in that moment, with the memory of flying through the air with Kiyan, everything felt possible.
(Chapter End)