something something about the peace in his eyes. the wisdom in them. the calm of his temples. the stillness of his visage. something about the way he’s ever ready to lead. he holds her hand and walks ahead. she follows as she loves to. a bow on his shoulders, and a flute tucked safely in his waistband. the swarthy skin of his glinting beautifully against her pale one. he is more full of life, she is a ghostly shadow of it.

“and what if it doesn't work out? what if i fail? what if i disappoint you and them again? lord, what if this is a dead end?” she implores and shivers in terror, wincing as she tries to hide behind his back. a cold gust of wind goes by and raises the hackles on her. a wickedly restless heart thumps wildly in her chest. he smiles and holds her hand tighter, the gleam of his dark irises multiplying manifolds.

“and what if you just trust me and let them talk? how about you do your best, and let go of everything else? what then, sakhi? you know what karmayoga is, now, don’t you?”

they stop at the frothing ocean lapping at their feet, sand slipping away like an illusive trap. fishes and conch shells line before them, the moonlight dancing on the waves. the nightfall has never been darker, except for the one when he had arrived. the distraction is fascinating but her fingers tighten around him unnecessarily, some part of her knowing that she might be lost.

she heaves a breath and blinks away her tears— no, you must not leave me to myself again. you must not take away this assurance of your touch, lord— “then i find you again?”

his eyes crinkle in crescents— naive sakhi, always forgets the same thing and always comforts herself the same way. cries and cries but never quite drifts away. never too gone to not be saved— “then i find you again. beyond the ties of right and wrong, uncaring of how tainted your soul maybe from your past lives and actions. i find you, and we walk through the shores again— as forever companions.”

“promise?” her drenched eyelashes look up to his looming handsome face and she sniffles, ridiculous to every bit as a few last stray tears of hers are brushed away by a lotus palm.

a soft sort of longing is in his heart too. “oh i haven't been surer of anything else.”

~ ° ~