Sikva, capital city of Kavish

He had many wounds in the past but nothing compared to the burns, it pricked like a thousand needles on his body.

Dhruva sat on the charpoy bed as Viswa applied salve on his reddening arms brought from the arogyalaya. They returned to their temporary abode—Rishi Bhadra's ashram, shortly after being administrated with burns inflicted on Dhruva's arms post Nakshathra's rescue. On their way back to the ashram, the usually quiet streets stayed awake as each one shared the incident happened at the temple in an unsettling state.

The news had spread as rapid as the fire caught on Nakshathra's skirt and so did their concern over the illustrious physician. Each question he heard brough flashes of the moment. The vision of the lady consumed by the rapidly growing flames and her scream of agony etched in his memory. It wasn't just the vision that his mind captured but fear too came along with it. The fear of losing someone he... cared, painfully stabbed him in his chest.

"I'm still unable to phantom what and how did it happen so fast?" Viswa murmured applying the salve gently on Dhruva's mildly burnt chest.

"Me either. Her skirt caught fire so quick as if it had been waiting to be ignited. It flared up in seconds. You know, fire was nowhere nearby neither anyone to cause it to blaze. I saw her standing alone by the steps seconds before the incident." Dhruva was the first to rush to her aid and caught her just before her head hit the steps. The heat of the flame and the impact of the fall had them both rolling down unceremoniously.

"Everything happened and ended just as quick as a blink of an eye. I don't think this is an accident. It cannot be." Viswanathan claimed, shaking his head.

For sure, Dhruva too had the same thought but who would want to harm a physician and why? Why Nakshathra when he had just begun to feel something more for her? He remembered when he saw her at the temple that evening with an old woman. Clad in a bottle green silk saree, her skilfully braided black hair was twisted with a thick strand of jasmine flowers and adorned with a reasonable number of accessories. Nakshathra looked very much like a princess than a physician.

He would certainly not want to believe he was attracted to her only after the subtle makeover from a simple lady to a princess like. That wasn't the moment, I know. Dhruva tried his best to at least get a piece of his memory to rekindle the moment of realisation—futile.

"Do you think she can make it through?" Viswa asked. His words were dipped in uncertainty. It came from what he witnessed at the temple, an almost half burnt lady laid on the ground with his prince knelt next to her, quite broken from within and her friend rushed in with her long shawl for cover.

"She will," Dhruva replied, melancholy.

****----****---****---****

Three days slipped by and each day Dhruva had visitors checking on his recovery. Some of them were his neighbours, Arivu and his mother, the farmer they had helped and even prince Parthiban had dropped by to thank him for his brave attempt to save Nakshathra from the fire and from the possibly a fatal fall.

None of the visitors' questions troubled Viswanathan's mind as much as it did when the prince of Kavish visited them. To add on to it, the behaviour of the city had only enhanced his doubts when a heavy number of soldiers were dispatched to look for trails and clues to find those responsible, arduously. Plus, almost an entire city was restless and agitated. The rigorousness of Sikva had him wonder the relationship between Nakshathra and Kavish.

Is she just an illustrious physician or someone more important to the city?

As Viswa obliviously attended to Dhruva's blistered and charred skin with the salve, they had another visitor knocking their door. "Who now?" Viswa grumbled as he answered the door.

A fine-looking lady with a bag of packed containers in one hand and a lantern in another, marched in ignoring the scorning Viswa and headed straight to Dhruva.

"How rude? Who are you and is this how one enters someone's house?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." The lady purred. "I was worried of Dhruva and I did not pay attention to you. I came rushing to see him."

"Worried? I'll take that but you are here after three days? And who are you?" Viswa turned inquisitive over Dhruva's new acquaintance.

"Well, Ramani was held up with work at the arogyalaya," she answered pointing to herself, batting her eyelashes to Dhruva then to Viswa.

"It's only after the princess gained conscious, many of us were let loose," she sighed and unpacked her bag of containers. "I have brought some dinner for you."

Dhruva might have not noticed Ramani's words but Viswanathan had caught on one word. Princess. He stringed all incidents together and the picture of Nakshathra fitted perfectly with the title Ramani had mentioned.

Nakshathra, a favoured lady by all, possessed a composed and firm body language of a princess, referred as Kavi, a literally meant the daughter of Kavish, having guarded by palace guards in several occasions, respected by everyone and then the prince of Kavish himself visited Dhruva thanking him for saving Nakshathra. How did I not see this?

Unmindful of Ramani's statement Dhruva curiously enquired about Nakshathra and her progress while they had their dinner.

"She is in a pitiful state. The royal physicians are working relentlessly on healing her. I wonder who had enmity over her? She woke up with a horrific scream. Kavi is traumatized but she did mention your name once. I think she knew you saved her." Ramani continued to serve the food as she spoke.

"How long would it take for her to completely recover?" Dhruva asked.

"Oh, maybe a month. It depends how her body response to the medications. So far, she is faring up quite well. But the burns would leave scars for sure." Ramani went on and on.

It was only after Ramani left and the door was locked for the night, Viswa spoke his mind out to Dhruva.

"Did you realise what Ramani called Nakshathra as?" Viswa started as he made his bed.

After a long silence, Dhruva nodded surprising Viswa. "I heard and right now I don't want to talk about it," he admonished Viswa's question. "Did you hear anything on Dhandapani and Arasu?"

The evident troubled tone of his prince's voice was a signal not to speak on it unless asked. "I have not received any news. As per estimation, they should have reached the border gate and be back in two or three days."

"Alright. Sleep now, you must be tired." The prince of Durja said and turned to face the wall attempting to catch some rest as well.

But Dhruva was far from falling to sleep, the revelation came as a bolt from the blue. He knew he shouldn't be surprised for he too had disguised his identity to her yet it disturbed him.

Princess. She is a princess.
Yes, princess. This can't happen. I shouldn't have had attraction on anyone from Kavish, especially not for the princess of Kavish. This will do no good for any of us. I should get out of here. Was that why Parthiban had asked about us the other day? I should have thought about it. No matter how bad I feel, I should let this go before whatever that is growing grows deeper. Should go far from her and never return back. She shouldn't know who I am. No.

Dhruva paced back and forth outside the ashram. Under the soft glowing sky with the cool breeze brushing past him, Dhruva was rather uptight to the warped situation.

"What's wrong Dhruva? Why are you out at this hour?" Viswa's gorgy voice snapped him out of his distracted mind.

"Making some decisions. I guess it's time. We will leave to the border tomorrow. I want you to go find Prince Parthiban and inform him of our departure. Tell him we will wait for him there and will do the needful when he arrives," ordered Dhruva, restlessly.

"Alright, but why the rush Dhruva? You are not completely recovered. I'm not sure if you are ready for a horseback yet."

"I don't want to be here any longer. That is all," Dhruva retorted.

"Really? Is it because of Nakshathra?"

"Yes, it's because of Rajakumari Nakshathra."

"What's troubling you about her? That she hid her identity as a princess?" Viswa asked.

"No! Not at all." Dhruva objected, sorely. "I'm just scared that the longer I'm here, the affection I have for her will grow and when things come out to light, it will do no good to either of us. Knowing very well the relationship our kingdoms share, I cannot feed my feelings on her further. We won't be able to control the eruption from both sides. It's best I go far from her." The fallen dry leaves crushed under his foot as he continued to pace around the vast space outside the ashram.

"What if she too has the same feeling for you as you have for her?"

"... perhaps this is the right time to stop everything and leave."

Just then they were interrupted by an unexpected guest walking in their direction. Under the soft glow of the sky, a short petite figure of an aged lady came closer to them. She held a long staff in her hand as a support to her wobbly knees and made her way straight to Dhruva.

"I heard you rescued the burning lady. I came to see your wounds," she murmured. Her face marred with aged wrinkles, deepen with her smile flashing yellowed teeth and of all, her silver hair stood out.

Dhruva instantly recognized the lady from the temple whom he had an opportunity to talk on the same evening the incident happened. Claimed to be a known palmist in the city, she had predicted him to be cautious that evening. Now standing before her, he understood her prophecy and wondered what she got for him this time.

"I suppose I did not take your cautionary well," he bowed low.

"No, I did not mean you to stay away from danger. I meant you to stay vigilant to your surroundings and you did. That was your calling, to save her from the fall." Achi Mangalam patted his shoulder with an appreciative smile, her eyes focused on his—reading his mind.

"You should not leave her," she added much like an afterthought.

Taken by surprise, Dhruva and Viswa shared a brief look at each other. "Who?" he asked.

A corner of her lips curved up. "The one you saved." She patted his arm. "Let the future decide. Come, let me fix your burnt skin." Achi led him inside the house and looked around for the warmest place in the ashram. Achi Mangalam took him to the small cooking area and sat him down on the ground. She tapped her long staff twice on the floor setting it aglow in the colour of violet. Leaving the lit staff stay vertical on its own, she sat before Dhruva and begun to murmured hymn of a foreign tongue.

Dhruva and Viswa watched in astonishment as the palmist continued to whisper chants before she ran her palm along his burnt skin several times. Glow of violet coloured light burst out from her palms, swirled around Dhruva as his skin healed completely. With each sweep of her palm over his skin, the charred skin subsided, his skin tone softened to his natural shade.

The miraculous swirls left tingling sensation each time she ran her palms over his skin. The after effect of Achi Mangalam's handiwork left him flabbergasted and fascinated at the same time. He stared at her as if he had found the rarest being in Lambodara. "Achi, what miracle is this?" He asked, a question for his hungry mind.

Viswanathan stood agape with incredulity, "Achi, what is this sorcery?" Viswa couldn't help but ask as well.

Achi Mangalam smiled and nodded to Dhruva signalling the end of her healing session. She settled comfortably on the charpoy ready to tell them a story. Sparkle of violet dust surrounded her like tiny fireflies.

"I'm here to let my presence be known to you, my son. I don't have much time left to be here; I'll be quick." Achi said, her attention laid somewhere far.

"In the heart of Mayavathi in a place called Varmohin, lived the Varhinsa community who were blessed with exceptional capabilities in the art of wizardry and divination. Not only Varhinsa but there were other communities; Bhariyolam, Gamshoni and Yamilva with similar blessings as well. We were considered holy beings many hundred years ago but with time, human's trust on us begin to fall." She tore her gaze and locked on Dhruva's.

"Power hungry men used their money to influence people to spread rumours that we were dangerous. We were labelled as yoginis—one who uses their power to harm the innocents. The fall of peoples believe in us had led us to live in secrecy for the hatred the people showed on us and for the aggressive hunt by the rich for their personal benefits."

Achi Mangalam was disrupted with the little flicker from the glowing staff. As if out of trance she scanned her surrounding and the two curious men stared back at her. She eased her tensed facial muscles with a smile and prepared to leave. "That flicker is the signal. I have told enough and I'll save the rest for the future." Placing her hand softly on Dhruva and Viswa's head as a blessing, she left for the door with a dubious state of mind.

Standing by the doorway, Achi Mangalam turned to face the gleeful Dhruva and a disquieted Viswa.

"Have you heard of us before?"

Dhruva nodded with a wide smile. "My mother used to tell me stories of Kamakshya. Many have disregarded the stories as mere fiction but she had always believed in it and so do I. Having been healed by you is like watching my childhood imagery coming to live. All those stories were real, after all," his eyes glint merrily, waiting for more from the aged lady.

Achi Mangalam gave another toothy smile. "There's time for everything and the time for more will come soon. I'll see you when the time comes."

Achi turned to leaving when Dhruva stopped her. "Achi! Speaking of divine powers ... Were they involved in the fire, the Gamshoni?" he asked trying to put two and two together, referring to one of the four communities with magic powers. From the stories he heard, they were capable of manipulating elements; fire be one of it.

Her gaze fell to a distance stare. The sky had turned paler blue, the first ray of dawn shone the sky. "I shall take this as a cue to let go another piece of insight." Achi turned to him with a nod. Her eyes glazy. "They had been forced to do that. The lives of their families were at stake."

"Why? Who ordered them to do it? What have they got to do with the princess?"

"Some just find other's pain an exhilaration. It's on you to find and stop them. I must take your leave for now. Time will answer your questions." Achi Mangalam quicken her steps, rustling the dry leaves in her wake.

Dhruva stared at her retreating figure, lost in his bubble of thoughts. The revelation of divine power's existence, the cause of Nakshathra's accident and the mystery person behind the deed gathered in his mind in a chaotic jumble. He couldn't put a finger on it, yet one thing was on his mind and he shot for Achi.

"Achi! Hold on!" He panted for breath, for a second, he wondered how she made it this far in minutes as he glanced back at the ashram stood a mile far. "I forgot to thank you. Thank you for healing me, Achi," he said earnestly.

"It's my duty." She placed her hand on her chest, humbly accepting his gratitude.

"But what of Nakshathra? Will you go to her too or have you healed her already?" Dhruva's words were filled care and affection. Achi couldn't help but smile wide at how hard he tried to conceal them.

"Of course, son. After all she had saved my life before. It's time I repay her. Till next time! And remember my words; the further you go, the closer you will come." Achi placed her hand on Dhruva's head once more and left the baffled man in the hands of his friend.

"You alright? You sprinted off like a mad man," Viswa jested.

"I'm alright..." His eyes trained to direction where the arogyalaya stood far into the city. "Go find Prince Parthiban and let him know we are leaving. We will leave at the crack of dawn." Dhruva marched back to the ashram with a resolution not to come back in contrast to Achi Mangalam's prediction.

There might only be destruction if we ever come closer.

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