अन्तः अस्ति प्रारंभः।
The end is the beginning.
A caterpillar dies, to birth a butterfly. Water evaporates to rain down. Dead carcasses fill the stomachs of vultures.Life gives way to death and death to life. In a vicious circle of different karmas...
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Sunsets never looked beautiful to Mihira.
Saffron surrounded by rust, it was the image of the injured Sanatan Dharma that she tried to uphold with pride every waking moment. The becoming of another darkness, this time more literal, the welcoming of chaos. When even birds returned to their homes but she had none to go back to.
Walking in a modest hut near the edge of the village with a scratchy shawl wrapped around her bare arms, Mihira still loathed twilight.
A middle aged woman met her at the threshold, her hair tied in a bun and grey streaks highlighted her age. Subtle silver glinted in her ears gently as the Sun rays hit her. Calloused hands caressed her cheeks and tears fell down her face. "Beta,"she whispered, eyes raking down at Mihira's wet form,"what happened to you?"
Mihira looked down, at the irritated red skin on her shoulder where Durukti had left her mark, at the open wound on her hip that had stopped bleeding and at the burning sensation around her right ankle. It seemed as if she had retained the worst of injuries she earned in the battlefield of Shambala
"She won't speak anything," the man supposed to be her father said in despair and anger,"but I know she got tangled with those soldiers again."
The woman clicked her teeth, gently leading her back in the hut. "Don't blame my daughter! The rules of this state are so inhumane, both of us know it!" She narrowed her eyes at man.
"Lakshita,"he tried to gain attention of his wife as she continued to check Mihira for any more bruises or injuries,"I am the doctor here, let me see her injuries, you go and get the medicines."
Lakshita clicked her teeth again but flashed Mihira a small smile, as if they were sharing an inside joke,"Whatever you say, Atharva Vaidhya."
The man-doctor, father- sighed in resignation, as if long tormented by the joke,"Yes, yes, make a joke of my name again. I am sure it took you both several weeks to come up with that, enjoy while the novelty stays."
Mihira cracked a smile at that, the sight of which caused the woman to audibly sigh and grin back at her, looking years younger as happiness took it's place in the corners of her wrinkles.
She left the room to go deeper in the hut while the man stood up, taking the brown shawl wrapped around her in his hands. "Hold still." He murmured quietly and untangled her hair from its braid before using the shawl as a towel and beginning to dry her head, gently massage her scalp.
Mihira closed eyes at that, feeling like an unruly child once more, who had been caught in a storm and came back home, dripping in filth and water and yet was welcomed home, into the ready arms of her parents. A lump of emotions blocked her throat and for a moment, it almost hurt as much as open wounds burnt.
"My child."Mihira was startled by Lakshita's voice once more. She sounded distraught and furious at the same time,"Only Mahadev knows what sort of a brain does our King have. He has brought a shame to our rich history with those horrid new laws!"
