The past holds the secrets.

****

He carried crumbled hopes inside of him. She had carried the torch in his life, coming at a time when he desperately needed to feel needed as a father. And then she left.

This time, Aadi Babu would ensure the mistake was never repeated. Catherine was too curious about the murders and became a victim herself. Aadi Babu wouldn't let Maya dive into the abyss too.

Trudging towards the balcony, he saw Maya sitting there with a face painted in dried tears and eyes burning with rage. A spear pierced his heart.

"I am sorry, beta. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Maya craned her neck to the side. Without speaking a word she shifted and made room for Aadi Babu to sit. He took the gesture as a cue to continue and sat beside her. His voice was quaking; his entire existence felt threatened by this night. It was so dark and quiet, as if it was hiding some atrocity that was taking place at the very moment.

Aadi Babu touched Maya's palm. Her skin was soft and delicate and her features were well sculpted like that of a goddess. He wouldn't want someone so precious like her to end up in the way Catherine did.

"There are monsters in Devipuram who wish to inflict wounds upon the vessels of the Goddess. You need to be careful, Maya."

"I am grown up and can handle myself."

"It isn't really your job to mingle in the affairs of our village, but in this little time, I have grown close to you. You remind me of my daughter who has gone far away..."

Maya matched her gaze with him. Her lips trembled a little, her beautiful eyes shimmering under a sheen of moisture.

"Since you have become a part of my house and the village, I cannot really stop you from knowing what goes on here. I also cannot stop you, because as you said, you are an adult capable of making your own decisions."

"If you have any advice for me, I will listen to it."

Aadi Babu smiled. "As a father figure, I can only ask you to be careful. The murderer lives amongst us. He or she knows you very well." Aadi Babu rubbed his chin in a calculated pause. "Though the murderer being a girl isn't impossible, I personally feel it's a man."

"Women can kill too," Maya reminded with a bitter smile.

"But in today's society, whether you accept it or not, monsters grow more from men than you all. Women end up more as victims. All women were killed till now."

"I assure you, the next victim will be the murderer himself."

Aadi Babu raised his hands in the air. "It's good to take upon yourself the duty of protecting others, carry the burden of greatness, but be sure you are really capable of it. Young hot blood like yours often does things in haste."

"At least I am not sitting idle like you all!" Maya thundered. "I am not waiting for Hrishav to find the murderer. I am not playing a blame game. I am not saying it's the hand of the paranormal. Yeah, who knows, maybe it is the other world participating in the blood and gore, but we need to find the puppet of the devil, don't we?"

"The puppet of the devil has the power to outdo the devil himself. His hunger is far greater, he is far more desperate. His needs"–Aadi Babu clenched his fists, vacant eyes looking at the blackened sky–"are diabolical."

Maya looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Aadi Babu leaned back, wrapping his arms around his body. His eyes were afraid of looking at the woman, of telling her about his fears.

"Did you not see how Radha was dumped naked?"

Maya squinted. "Aadi Babu, what are you hinting at?"

"Those are not just murders. At least one wasn't. One was..."

"One was...?"

"Raped, beta. Raped."

Like a creature exotic to be enjoyed till no end.

Aadi Babu felt ashamed of pronouncing that damned word. He was a man too, and it put his dignity to mud knowing he was a part of a community of people who indulged in such affairs of uncontrolled passion – a passion that never considered consent and love.

"Raped?" Maya asked in a faint whisper.

"I don't know about all the victims, but one was surely raped. I saw the marks and blood on her body."

The foggy breath clouded Aadi Babu's specs. He removed it and wiped it, heaving a sigh. His shoulders slumped. An omen hammered his heart and his fingers quivered.

"I feel tired, Maya. So very tired and exhausted. Sometimes I want to leave this place. But then I remember the memories I have here – with my wife, with the villagers and..."

"And?"

"My daughter... I-I"–choking on his emotions, he pulled the shawl to his mouth and closed his eyes–"I love you as much as I love her, Maya. I don't want harm to befall on you."

Tears deluged his face. He shook like a barren tree exposed to the wintry breeze. Maya hugged the man and let him cry on her shoulder.

"Is it bad that I get attached to people so soon?" he asked.

Maya really wanted to call him her child, for he was really so vulnerable. "It's not, Aadi Babu. You are a human. You are pure. If you can welcome me with so much love, how can I ever be angry with you?"

"Promise me you won't die like her."

"The beast would never be able to lay a hand on me. Bless me, father, that I win."

Aadi Babu's heart swelled with love and affection. He patted her head gently. "You will win. You will end this. You will be the daughter of Kalika."

****

Maya had a sound sleep, one without dreams and nightmares, just losing oneself in the arms of rest and quietude after a chaotic, emotional day.

Her body refused to let go of the bed. It was 8 o'clock, already time for breakfast, but her legs didn't wish to move. She rubbed her eyes and remained where she was, pondering about the events of the last day.

Sundar Babu, keeping up to his name, rivalled his brother in beauty, though as she perceived, he was charmless. He was an entrepreneur in fashion, an atheist, and probably had a good control over his older brother. The last one she couldn't be sure of, but after secretly watching them conversing she concluded it from their behaviour and countenance.

How does he contrast Hrishav? Hrishav was a man educated in simplicity, in the scriptures, a theist and a passionate devotee of Kalika. He was caring and friendly, kind and soft too. And of course, he has got inside my heart.

Maybe Sundar Babu was wary of Hrishav befriending someone who had Christian roots, but a particular religion should not be a problem for an atheist.

And how did Sundar Babu know she had a Christian mother? Probably Hrishav had told him. That meant she was already a discussion in that house, or at least her name had been dropped.

Her stomach felt uneasy. It wasn't the emptiness from hunger or some gastric problem, she knew. It was what people called the gut feeling.

"Should I keep my distance from Hrishav?"

He hasn't harmed me.

But what if our association brings us trouble?

"There are people who wish Hrishav bad. Like Shekhar. Hrishav might think Shekhar is his friend but I know better."

Yet I have no proof to label Shekhar guilty.

All of a sudden the images of Radha's dead body flashed in her mind. She wasn't able to inspect the body. Maya wasn't in the perfect state of mind back then. She only noticed Radha's private parts covered with cloths and the clean, precise slit of the throat.

"And a wreath of roses on her head."

Roses– red and beautiful, a symbol of love and passion, dyed in the colour of blood, the favourite of many women.

"It is psychotic. You ravish and kill a woman, and then decorate her like a piece of artwork. You admire her in sin, not in sanctity. Or maybe those roses are a part of the sacrificial ritual."

Oh well, which goddamn ritual would require someone to kill exclusively women? And in such a gruesome manner? It's definitely more than just the paranormal. It's the weakness of the mind which the devil dotes on.

The slight knocking of the door forced Maya to jump out of the bed and slip into her slippers. She adjusted her pyjamas and opened the door. It was Nathu.

"We thought you felt sick. So I brought you breakfast. Eat in your room."

Maya felt embarrassed and bit her lips. "I am sorry. I-I slept for too long. I felt tired."

"No worries. Things weren't quite good on the last day. But I hope you are not angry with Aadi Babu anymore."

"Oh, I am not! He is a sweet man. I know he cares for me, just that..."

Nathu raised a brow. "Just that?"

"I don't accept defeat easily."

Maya took the tray from his hand. Nathu, with frowning lips, strode away.

Maya completed her breakfast, had a shower and combed her hair. She had decided to not go down today and stay in her room as much as she could. She just didn't feel like interacting. Her energy was drained. Sometime later, Anandi came to take the tray back.

"Aadi Babu was asking if he could come when you are free."

"He can always meet me. I am not upset anymore. It's just that the events have dampened the ambience a little."

"Stay away from Rahul. He is a pest."

Maya chuckled looking at Anandi's twisted lips. "Rahul just has an attitude and no power. He is harmless."

"But maybe the ones above him are not."

Anandi scurried out of the room, clearly avoiding Maya by calling Nathu loudly when she attempted to confront her.

"Damn it!"

Now who is above Rahul?

"Why does no one here tell me things straightaway at once? It's so frustrating!"

Soon Anandi came back to her room along with Aadi Babu. He had bags under his eyes and looked pale like a ghost.

"As a gesture of amending things between us, I wish to see you in something," he said.

Anandi leaned on the door-frame and listened to the conversation.

"What is it?" Maya asked.

Aadi Babu went and opened the wardrobe where he had told Maya the clothes of his daughter were. He searched through the stuff and brought out a long yellow frock with motifs of bluebells sewn into it.

"Take this as a gift. I would love if you wore it."

Remembering Anandi's warning to not wear his daughter's dresses, the look in her eyes became furtive.

"Please?" Aadi Babu requested.

Maya looked at Anandi. The latter pursed her lips and nodded her head slightly.

"Alright, I will."

"And don't confine yourself to the four walls of the room. Go get some fresh air."

"Yes, Aadi Babu."

She took the frock and ran her hands over the bluebells. As she admired the dress, a strong fragrance of vanilla wafted to her nose.

And even if she hadn't noticed it before, it felt strangely familiar.

****

The temple had become her go-to spot. She didn't care if Shekhar or Manas would be there; she just needed to find Hrishav, or just be alone with the Mother.

Fortunately, she found Hrishav sitting outside the garbha griha, with his back towards the gate of the temple, arranging some floral garlands.

She got the nicest idea of surprising him. In tiptoes she walked towards him and knelt behind his back. Tapping his shoulder, she whistled sweetly.

Hrishav gave a shriek of surprise, as expected, and turned around.

"Oh, Ma–"

The flowers from his hand fell.

"What is the head priest doing?" Maya asked.

Hrishav's eyes darkened. The veins on his wrist stood out, the long dark locks obstructing his vision like a shower of black streams of rain. Yet from behind that curtain, Maya could watch horror dance in his ochre-brown eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked sternly.

"Why, I came to meet you."

Hrishav's eyes roved over her dress. His face turned red.

"I can't deny, but you look beautiful in this too." But as he said the words, his eyes refused to look at her.

"I didn't quite understand."

Hrishav faked a smile. "You look good in anything, absolutely anything. But excuse me, I must now go inside the garbha griha for a certain ritual. I won't be able to spend time with you today." Gulping, he added. "Maybe some other day?"

Maya watched how hard he struggled to keep his body from quivering, how his jaws were clenched tightly. He had put up a polite smile to not be rude.

"Sure, Hrishav. Some other day."

"Goodbye."

Hrishav entered the garbha griha, shutting the door behind him. Maya felt she heard a faint cry from inside, something full of madness and wrath. Something that was unlike the Hrishav she knew.

And then it struck her– the vanilla perfume exuded out of none other than Hrishav's body.