Chapter 12 An Illuminating Walk in the Dark #3
It was strangely intimate to be walking like this, in the gloom, and she noticed things she had no business sensing.
Like the way he seemed to not just tower over her but surround her.
The pattern of his breathing, the rustle of his clothes, the press of his long fingers as he subtly directed her walk added a strange cadence to the rhythm of their footsteps.
She imagined she even felt the beat of his strong heart against her back.
“Surely it couldn’t have been nothing if it made you lose track of your surroundings,” he coaxed.
“It’s a juvenile reason,” she said, still reluctant to reveal it.
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“I’d rather you don’t be a judge at all,” she said sharply, annoyed at his persistence.
Amusement crept into his voice. “What’s the matter, Princess? Don’t tell me you were searching for hidden treasures in this passage?”
Chandra maintained a dignified silence to his question. But that didn’t stop him from speculating.
“You are looking for treasure,” he guessed, and then started to shake with suppressed laughter.
“If you must know,” she began stiffly. “I am beginning to wonder if this passage is the King’s Pathway.”
“The one that is lost? The one that is supposed to be lined with precious stones?”
“The King’s Pathway is supposed to be a path for enlightenment,” she said stubbornly. “The stones are probably symbolic.”
“Huh. Too bad the others, who had lost their lives searching for it, didn’t think so.”
Her shoulders dropped. “Maybe you’re right. I haven’t found anything like a single precious stone. This is probably all my imagination.”
“Why are you so interested in finding it?”
“When we were children, my brother and I used to pore over manuscripts or beg the elders for stories of King Amarendra. The King’s Pathway caught our interest. We used to lay bets that we would discover his lost treasures when we grew up. Hearing you mention it earlier made me think of it again.”
“You really admire King Amarendra, don’t you?” he asked reflectively.
“He’s a legend,” she said, warming to the topic. “The greatest king Amaravathi had ever known. Do you know, there is a custom in Amaravathi where unmarried women would perform special prayers and pujas to Goddess Parvathi to be granted a husband like him.”
“You must’ve done something terrible to be saddled with me,” came his dry response.
The burgeoning smile of recollection disappeared from her face. She scowled in the dark. He just couldn’t help needling her, could he? “Oh! There is absolutely no comparison,” she said, taunting him. “Let’s see…you are stubborn, arrogant, unbending, not to mention an uncouth boor at times… Ow…”
She stumbled and lost her balance, only to be caught in his arms and hauled back into his warmth.
“Careful, Princess, no man likes to hear his wife sing praises of another man,” he whispered in her ear. “Even a long-dead one.”
“You tripped me,” she accused. She wished her voice didn’t tremble so much. Her quiver and bow got knocked aside, but she paid them no attention. The hot breath of his whisper in her ear held her still, even without the confining anchor of his hands at her waist.
“Have I?” he said nonchalantly. “Now, why would I do that?”
“Because your ego is too big to take a few well-deserved hits.” She felt his smile in the brush of his lips against her ear, even though she couldn’t see much in the darkness.
“On the contrary, when it comes to you, Princess, I’ve yet to hear a kind word for me pass from your lips.”
Chandra opened her mouth to refute his statement but fell into thought when she realized he was right. Almost from the first time they met and even before then, if she was being honest, she had been prejudiced against him.
“So, you’ll understand if I’m a little sensitive to hear my wife speak so admiringly of other men,” he continued.
She shivered as he took his sweet time releasing her, his hands lingering a shade too long on her waist and hips. Her arms still carried the imprint of his hands, and she brushed her arms vainly to get rid of the feeling.
If that man lacked self-confidence, then she would eat rock.
And what was wrong with her? She had never felt this out of sorts before.
She was around strangers and yet never felt as self-conscious as when she was with him.
His words flustered her. She had developed a sixth sense and always knew when his eyes were on her and, try as she might, she couldn’t dismiss him out of her head completely.
He was always there in some corner of her mind, haunting her like a ghost.
She shook her head. It was just the atmosphere and the ambience that made it more than what it was.
Whatever it was, she hoped it was going to be only a temporary aberration.
* * *
Chandra’s tremors got worse the farther they walked. The temperature took an abrupt dip. Veer automatically brought her close to shield her with his body’s warmth.
“Aren’t you feeling the cold?” she asked.
“This is nothing, Princess. Real cold is the kind that you feel deep in your marrow. When you come to live in Rajgarh’s snow palace up in the mountains, you’ll understand.”
“Hear that? What is it? It sounds like water,” said Chandra.
“I don’t know. We’re now in the lower cave levels,” he said, wary about the rushing sound, persistent and faintly audible against the crashing backdrop of the sea, which usually indicated the flow of water. If they were in the lower levels, there was no telling when they would flood.
“We are?” she asked, taken aback.
“Yes, the passage slopes gently. It’s hard to notice. But still, it shouldn’t get this cold, either. Hold on a minute, let me get my bearings.” Chandra halted and leaned against the side of the passage while Veer connected with his kite companion.
Wind assailed his senses, his body turned weightless and buoyant as Vihari shared his senses with him.
“There’s a storm gearing outside,” he murmured. He opened his eyes, severing the connection with Vihari. “This is bad. We have to hurry. The lower levels will flood if the storm breaks. I can’t promise that this passage will be spared, but I don’t want to stay to find out either.”
He frowned and turned to her when he heard no reaction. “Princess, are you paying attention?”
Eyes wide, Chandra stood transfixed at something behind him.
She gripped his arm in a fierce hold. “Look! Behind you.”
Veer turned, his hand going to the pommel of his sword, his senses expanding, seeking other animals to command to his aid. But he relaxed once he ascertained there was no immediate danger.
And once he realized there was no need to borrow the bat’s vision anymore.
Millions of lambent blue-green dots pinpricked the ceiling of the passage, like stars spread across the sky. It was almost like the cave had opened into the night sky.
The dots seemed alive, they pulsed, they glowed and dimmed, and as one cluster lit up, the next sprang to life, until the entire passageway ceiling was lit with them, illuminating the path they had walked.
“My God, what is it?” she whispered in awe. Her face was bathed in an otherworldly glow, the yellow-gold highlights in her eyes were eerie, clashing with a cyanotic hue reflecting off her skin.
Veer strained to make sense of what the cave insects were trying to tell him. The less evolved the creatures, the less sense he got from his probe into the animal’s mind. “I’m not sure, but it’s some kind of insect that uses light to ensnare other insects.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, they must have reacted to our presence and lit up. They’re harmless.”
Chandra seemed entranced by their beauty, but she wouldn’t let go of his arm either. Clearly, she was afraid of insects. Veer filed away the information for future use. With her, he needed any ammunition he could get.
“Would you like to touch one?” He couldn’t help teasing her.
“What? No.” She was aghast at that prospect until she noted his amused face. Her jaw clenched, and she turned her back on the mesmerizing spectacle and resolutely moved forward.
Although the light from the insects allowed them to see a few feet forward in the caves, it was a weak light, and their progress was slow.
If nothing, the insects showed how big the passageway really was.
Bigger than what he had estimated with his animal senses and surrounded by the blanket of darkness.
The sea’s dull roar vibrated through the walls and that, coupled with the mysterious allure of the blue-green glowworms, created a surreal experience.
He hoped that the others in their group were ahead of them, safe. He was about to suggest they go faster when she spoke almost reflectively.
“You know, I think that, maybe, this is the King’s Pathway.
What if my theory about jewels being symbolic was true?
Maybe this is what King Amarendra meant when he said the jewels would be the guide to the path of enlightenment.
These insects that glow are as brilliant and beautiful as any jewels I’ve ever seen. ”
“Fascinating though it is, to delve into the secrets of what King Amarendra may or may not have meant,” said Veer dryly, “I’m afraid we must hurry.
Here, hold this.” He pulled a torch from behind his back and stuck a splint on the patch of dry rock.
It flared to life, illuminating the dumbfounded expression on Chandra’s face.
“You have a torch?!” she said, aghast. The glow from the insects had winked out against the bright light of the torch.
“Apparently,” he said, raising the torch to illuminate their path ahead. “I never said I didn’t have one.” He took her hand again and jogged lightly to catch up with the others.
“Then what did you make me walk in the dark for?” she said, furious.
Veer glanced back and took in the sparks shooting out of her eyes, and his mouth curled into a slow smile. “To have my hands on you, of course. No man worth his salt would pass up an opportunity like that, Princess.”
Her jaw clicked shut, and she snatched her hand from him and turned away, walking slightly ahead of him. Her anger showed itself in her walk and the dark braid that swung indignantly across her hips.
Veer grinned and followed her. He did enjoy riling her. And he seemed to have achieved what he set out to do. She still might not forgive him completely for his words, but at least they were back on speaking terms.