The seer concentrates on the image of the Devi. She is beautiful, vast, a cosmic black force that slithers like a river flowing through the corrupt mind. Long ago, in his youth, it was this force that had washed the sins out of him. Lust, so he thought, was his greatest folly. Alas, leaving behind the infamous vice meant embracing another.

Ego.

The onset of ego has brought in him a peculiar sense of competitiveness upon seeing the Goddess. He wonders if she is his opponent, especially as he is called a woman by Nandini.

Strange, isn't it? That a vessel of Purusha was stepping closer to Kalika.

He feels it– the boastful, bloated mind of his, the very obstruction to his sadhana. He has to uproot it, and for that, the solution is in front of him.

"It is her who shall give you salvation. After all, what are you without your Shakti?" Nandini whispers into his ears.

The seer heaves a sigh and closes the temple of his subtle body. Perhaps he has to open his third eye and witness the divinity of the lady for real. Not just for the sake of washing his ego, neither to only witness the Devi in her, but also because he wants it. In his prime, in the age of going astray, he had wished for a companion. He had not received her, and later deep into the path of Mother, he had forgotten the dream.

Upon seeing her now, though, reawakened a sacred desire.

"Bhairava needs a Bhairavi," he muses.

****

It wasn't a pleasant morning to wake up to, if the so very conceited Boro Babu was ordering Maya to give a visit.

She had just done her bath when a guard knocked on her door and instructed her to meet Boro Babu as soon as her breakfast was over. He had already completed his meal, so the guard informed, and was waiting for her. Why this sudden urgency, Maya got no answer to that. The guard looked at her as if she were some anomaly, but she could care less.

So after having her food, she headed for Boro Babu's room, when on the way she was abruptly stopped by Rani.

"Have you seen Rituja?" she asked. "She never listens to me."

Her glittering eyes told Maya the question was a formality. The old cook had an ulterior motive. "No," Maya said. "I haven't seen her."

"Can you help me in the kitchen?"

"I am sorry. But Boro Babu has summoned me. I must go."

The revelation made Rani smirk. Her lips were callous enough to not hide the obnoxious grin. Displaying her repelling yellow teeth, she said, "Seems like you have chosen your Babu like Bonolota. Good girl."

She had thought this Rani to be a civilised woman of society, but the more days passed, the more this woman turned out to be crooked. She seemed to believe that women of Maya's status couldn't go ahead in life without pressing the feet of some lecherous man. "I am independent."

"This life promises so."

"I don't think you understand." Maya gritted her teeth. "You think me to be a girl playing hard to get, but I am not even in this filthy game. I am not here to seduce a wealthy man and extract jewels. I am happy as I am."

"Don't you feel the desire of youth? At your age, women ought to feel passion throbbing in their hearts."

It totally caught Maya off-guard. Was she supposed to even answer such a question? It pricked her privacy, made her think of those numerous nights of self-pleasuring and guilt trips. But that was something completely up to her, and her own personal truth.

"I am incapable of feeling," she retorted. "Perhaps I am abnormal."

She didn't linger to hear what Rani had to say more. The old lady chuckled behind her back. Maya hurried to the room of the Boro Babu. She hadn't visited him before, so the only help she had was the directions given by the guard. When she reached the probable room, she found the door left ajar. The ambience within smelled of fresh incense and honeyed flowers. It soothed the mind.

"May I come in, Boro Babu?"

Footsteps approached the door. There he was, dressed in a plain white shirt and dhoti. "Come in." He looked jubilant and bright, like the first day she had met him. Somebody kind and friendly. Alas, it was a false impression.

He sat on his bed and gave her a chair. It was very polite and Maya didn't expect it. For a few moment she contemplated if staying there was a good idea or not, then shoved aside her overthinking.

"How was your sleep?" he asked. "Last night must have been a surprise. You saw Mother without any prior intimation or sign."

"Things have been weird since the death of Baba. I think I will gradually get accustomed to it."

He stared at her, not in a way Tirtha did, but with a curious gaze, as if he were trying to unearth an ancient enigma. His brows were furrowed and moustache dipped down in a curve. "Then, we shall come to it. I am a very ardent devotee of Mother. What she says I will do, irrespective of what others think. And if she has asked me to work with you, I will."

Well, of course. Maya was tempted to make a sarcastic remark on his half-baked wisdom, but then was prompted to think if he was really so lowly. Perhaps he indeed wanted to solve the murder mystery, just like her. "I never thought we would work together. Not if I bring back your previous statements regarding my worth."

Did she see him flinch? If yes, that was odd. She tilted her head, watching him fidget with the folds of the dhoti. He entwined his fingers. "Hmm, I get it."

"That's it?" Maya shrugged. "You changed your opinion about me in the course of a night?"

"A night is very long. Apparently long enough for a murder." The familiar coldness crept up to his tongue. He gulped it down. "Listen Maya, you are willing to get to the root of this. So do I. And I very well know that the one who began this mess is from my family or at least connected to it. It's not like I admire being a part of this."

"I only know that...that these all are narabali. If my Baba was killed that way, perhaps the rest were too."

"Yes. I believe so too. Which brings us to the point of conducting sacrifices. The basic theory of it." Hrishav smiled. "That day I was highly impressed by you lecturing that stupid Rituja. She has been here for longer, yet knows nothing. I mean, you don't need to be initiated into the tantric path to know something. A little knowledge is always available if one searches sincerely."

"I have read books. My Baba allowed me to."

"Falgun was a good soul." A crestfallen look shrouded his downcast eyes with darkness. He parted his lips, but it was only silence that he could speak. After a heavy pause, he continued, "I would like to discuss about sacrifices before we move on the anything else. I think it will help us to understand the motive of the culprit better."

"Yes. If you don't mind," Maya felt a pang in her heart upon remembering her Baba's corpse, "you begin."

He nodded. Taking a deep breath, he started sharing his understanding. "Bali is something which has been prevalent not only in India but also in other ancient cultures. In our country, this was practised in Vedic times, thus contrary to popular belief, bali is actually not against the Vedic system. Tantra too has bali, however the two are different pathways. Bali is not seen as something violent, which you had that day explained to Rituja. It's not a murder. Rather, it's a blessing.

"The animal which is sacrificed gets a higher birth, generally believed to be a human birth but can be anything which is higher in the perspective of the animal. You might often see the animal struggling while being taken to the sacrificial grounds. It's not a sight that everybody can remain unbothered about, which is why the abhorrence comes from the ignorant folk. In tantra, we see the initial resistance of the animal as its reluctance to get treated. Oftentimes healing requires you to go through pain. The decapitation of the animal is a quick method that ensures the minimal pain to the animal. Thus, in an instant, it is freed from the cage of a body and pushed towards a higher birth."

"The sacrifice must be done in a proper manner. Mantra chanting, everything."

"And in case the bali is not done in one blow, or any other obstruction comes, that means Maa has rejected the offering. So there will come a storm in the life of the human. Bali is not the crude bloodlust of a human, so someone who enjoys inflicting pain uselessly will also be punished."

"Tirtha," Maya blurted.

Hrishav rolled his eyes. "Can we keep him aside? I hope it's evident that I am not fond of my nephew."

Maya scoffed. "You gave him money to go sleep with the prostitutes."

"Be thankful for it," Hrishav hissed. "I know I can't stop him from committing those deeds and to be honest I am least bit interested. The prostitutes have a job, and if Tirtha goes there it's better than him forcing himself on you–"

Hrishav clenched his fists and cursed. Their eyes locked for a second, with Maya turning red under his fiery inspection. She averted her attention towards the sparrow perched on the window sill. Hrishav fussed around in his chair until the tension died down.

"Anyways, back to the topic. Maa is balipriye. Maa will bless you if you offer her a bali with a devoted heart and a valid desire. The other thing about bali is the paranormal, spirits part. It's true too. We must give regular, timely bali in order to protect the abode. Well," his shoulders dropped, "I think this is all we need to remember to analyse the current killings."

With a pensive look each thought about the points raised. There was no hurry to come to a conclusion, no sense of time. The clock ticked and the sun was at the top.

"So..."

Hrishav's ears perked up at her voice. He leaned forward, eager to listen.

"Maa is balipriye. Indeed. Tell me one thing– I have heard in certain temples, the animal comes on its own. The priest is able recognise the sacrifice by seeing certain symbols on its body."

Hrishav narrowed his eyes. "It is true."

Maya crossed her arms. "Then, if Maa is balipriye and the bali is willing to ascend higher, it will come on its own. Perhaps that is what happened to the humans too. Although it's unlikely, we never know."

"And if it's not?" Hrishav got up from his bed, his legs having their own will to kneel near her.

"If it's not, that means the human was sacrificed against its consent. Now comes the interesting part– was the bali given to Maa, in which case the human is safely reaching her, or..."

"Or?"

Maya's chest tightened. "Or some malevolent entity?"

Hrishav inhaled, breath hitched in his throat. Suddenly he realised he was sitting on the floor. It did disturb his sense of superiority, more so by the perplexed look on Maya's face, but he shook off the thoughts. There was something more important in front of him. He stood up and paced across the room. "It's possible. Good and evil coexists. Within and without."

"If the bali was done with evil intentions, then your family is at risk."

"Yes." Hrishav stared outside the window, his curls flying with the breeze. "We are."

Maya was momentarily transfixed by the serene beauty of his appearance. But there was no time to appreciate this creation of Kalika for there was a mystery seeking to be decoded. "My Baba looked horrifyingly at peace. It scares me to even imagine it."

"Perhaps he willingly gave up his body," Hrishav whispered. "I believe so."

"That's the only thing I can pray. May he be under the divine shade of Kalika." She wiped a tear. "But what about the others? Do you know anything about the other murders?"

"Some bits. I need to investigate more."

"Like the recent murder of Ira. Was she sacrificed too? I suppose so. We must go to the sacrificial grounds."

Hrishav turned around with a smug smile. "You already so comfortable with that? A true Mukherjee!" He laughed.

Maya stiffened. "I have to find the truth."

"Yes. Yes." Hrishav poked his moustache. "We will go there. But not now. At night. Tonight."

Maya was uncomfortable at the thought. It would be better if she went alone. To be with a Mukherjee seemed distasteful. But she dare not venture out there again, unarmed and unguided.

"Have your dinner sooner tonight. We will sneak out." A blush warmed his cheeks and he regretted his choice of words. "I mean, we will go to the snake charmers. Remember, Maa told us to go to the Nagas? I think she meant them."

"Yes." Sneak out? Seriously? "I will be ready."

"Alright. You may leave now."

A fragrance emanated from her body and settled in his room as she closed the door. He sniffed in the flavour. It reminded him of fresh jasmines.

There was a hand above her. Men like him had to work so hard to attain perfection and behold the Goddess, but this woman saw the Divine twice without any learning of tantra. What if she was taught by a Guru? She would surpass so many.

It clicked then. The death of Falgun was the catalyst for Maya to arrive in the Mukherjee palace.

Hrishav understood.

****

word count: 2341 words

So we have some theories and speculations rn. Let's see what all is proven as right in due course of time.

What all do you guys think? Write down your thoughts about where this is going.