Chapter 2: Memories of the Dagger, Growing Distance
Scene 1: The Forest Cave
The darkness of the cave was still deep, but a weary silence had replaced the earlier anguish in the air. Nishi the Dayan suddenly sat up, drawing a long, rasping breath, as if surfacing from deep water. Her eyes immediately fell upon her son, who sat on the ground beside her, deep lines of worry etched across his face.
"Kiyan... my child..."
Kiyan's eyes widened. He lunged forward and clung to his mother, his arms wrapping tightly around her weakened body, as if trying to save someone from drowning. He broke down sobbing, his shoulders heaving with hiccups.
"Ma... you're okay? Ma...!"
Nishi gently caressed his hair. "Yes... my child... you healed me. My son..."
Kiyan slowly pulled back, his eyes scanning every part of her face. "Ma, are you really alright? Does it hurt anywhere?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Nishi said, but then her gaze fell upon Kiyan's hands. They bore red and black burn marks, the skin covered in blisters. She immediately grabbed his hands.
"Your hands...! Kiyan, how did they get burned?"
Kiyan turned his face away, silent for a moment. "Ma... this is the effect of the strike from the golden dagger coated with the juice of the Safed Ketaki. That Vaishnav struck... and while healing that wound... my hands got burned."
A spark of anger flashed in Nishi's eyes, but she quickly rose. She led Kiyan to a corner of the cave where a small, natural pool existed, its water shimmering like silver. It was a pain-healing pool. She immersed Kiyan's burned hands in that cold, luminous water.
Kiyan closed his eyes. A mild sensation rippled through him as his hands touched the water—coolness, then a numbing relief. Within moments, the blisters and red marks on his hands began to fade, the skin slowly returning to its normal state.
Kiyan withdrew his hands and looked at them. "Ma... you were right. Those humans... that Vaishnav... they're all the same. Years ago, those humans took Baba from us... and today, they were about to take you from me. I don't know how... but I saved you. Ma, I don't want to lose you."
Nishi embraced her son again, this time even tighter. "Neither do I, my child... neither do I want to lose you again. After all, you are my life."
Kiyan felt happy, but a spark smoldered in his eyes. "Ma, I won't leave you and go anywhere now. But... Ma, let me go teach that Vaishnav a lesson first."
Nishi the Dayan immediately stopped him, grabbing his arm. "No, my child! He is a Vaishnav! Divine powers are with him! You cannot defeat him! It's better that you stay away from him."
Kiyan pulled his arm free. "But Ma...!"
"No buts, my child!" Nishi's voice was now commanding. "You stay away from him. And never speak to him about this. Promise me! Promise me you will never speak to him about this!"
Kiyan looked into his mother's eyes. They held concern for him, a mother's fear that wanted to keep him safe at any cost. His anger slowly began to subside. He held his mother's hand.
"I promise, Ma. I won't speak to him about this."
Nishi breathed a sigh of relief. "Go, my child. Go out for a walk for a while. All of this must have disturbed your mind. Go, I'll make your favorite kheer for you."
"Kheer?" Kiyan's eyes lit up.
"Yes," Nishi smiled, and tugging at his beard playfully, she said, "Yes, my child. You like it, don't you?"
Kiyan nodded yes, and with a faint smile, he stepped out of the Black Cave. Emerging from the forest onto the road, his smile vanished. His fists clenched.
"Vaishnav... you will pay for striking my mother. You will definitely pay."
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Scene 2: College
Meanwhile, Aarav had left in a hurry for college without breakfast. His sleep had been disturbed, and a strange restlessness gnawed at him. Outside the college gate, he met Nayan and Karishma.
"Karishma, you're here? How's your leg now?" Aarav asked.
Karishma smiled, limping slightly. "It's better now. Still hurts a little when I walk. But I have Nayan, don't I, to help me?"
Nayan looked at Aarav and said, "Yes, I'm here to help her. I'll walk at her pace."
Aarav joked lightly, "Yeah yeah, brother, you'll take care of her, of course."
Nayan placed a hand on Aarav's shoulder and arm and said, "You're talking a bit too much today. Come on, let's go inside."
Aarav began looking around, his eyes scanning every corner, every student's face.
Nayan asked, "What happened? Looking for someone?"
Aarav quickly lowered his gaze. "No, no... no one. I was just looking around."
Karishma and Nayan exchanged a smiling glance and said, "Then let's go."
Aarav said, "Yeah, let's go."
The three reached class. The professor was teaching them history. But Aarav's attention was elsewhere. He kept looking towards the window, towards the classroom door.
The professor noticed Aarav and frowned. "Aarav, where is your attention?"
Aarav quickly stood up. "Sorry, sir... I was just... just..." And he fell silent.
The professor said, "Sit down, and keep your attention here, on the board."
Aarav sat down, "Yes, sir."
Just then, a boy's voice came from the door, "May I come in, sir?"
The professor said, "Come in, and take your seat."
Aarav turned his head towards the door. It was Kiyan.
Aarav's face lit up with happiness. He immediately slid to the corner of his table, making space so Kiyan could come and sit beside him. But Kiyan didn't even look at him. He walked straight to the other end of the classroom and sat down at a different table.
Aarav was a bit startled seeing this, but he sat quietly. Still, he kept turning to look at Kiyan. "Kiyan... what happened? Why didn't you sit next to me? Come here, na?"
Kiyan paid no attention to his words, just sat with his book open.
Aarav made a face and started staring ahead.
After a while, the professor left. All the students went out for lunch. Aarav immediately got up and went to sit next to Kiyan.
"Kiyan, what happened? Why are you ignoring me? What did I do to you that you're avoiding my eyes?"
Kiyan's fist tightened. He swallowed his anger in one gulp, got up, and walked out.
Nayan and Karishma looked at each other and said, "What's wrong with him?"
Karishma said, "I don't know... Kiyan has never ignored Aarav like this before."
Aarav followed Kiyan and said, "Kiyan, wait! Kiyan, I need to talk to you! Please wait!"
Kiyan walked faster. Aarav ran and caught his arm to stop him. The moment he grabbed his hand, Kiyan's eyes began to glow golden—an involuntary, emotional reaction.
Nayan and Karishma were also coming behind Aarav.
Kiyan turned around and pulled his hand free from Aarav's grip. "I don't want to talk to you."
And then, with a sudden, strong push, he shoved Aarav.
Aarav lost his balance. He staggered backward and slammed hard into the iron gate of the canteen. A dull thud echoed—"THUD!"
For a moment, everything stood still. Then, a stream of warm blood began to flow from the back of Aarav's head, spreading down his neck, staining his white shirt a deep red. He sat down on the ground, looking at his hands in shock, now red with blood.
Kiyan paused for a moment, watching, a flash of pain darting through his golden eyes. Then he turned swiftly and disappeared into the crowd.
Nayan and Karishma rushed over. "Aarav! Oy! You're bleeding! What happened?!"
But Aarav's eyes were fixed on the path where Kiyan had vanished. The pain in his head paled in comparison to the pain in his heart.