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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"I am a spy."
Mihira blinked at Eklavya's admission and glared at him. "You really had to admit that when I'm drowsy, didn't you?"
Something akin to vulnerability splashed in his eyes and Mihira realised that he did it deliberately. He wanted to avoid her judgement, if it would be harsh, and hence had selected a time when she couldn't spend so much energy to react hideously.
Half getting up to lean on her elbow, Mihira looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Listen to me, because I won't repeat this: whatever you do in your life, will never make me loathe you or leave you, without your discretion. I do not care if we meet everyday or we never see eachother again, you will remain a trusted man that I would help at the cost of my life. I do not care if you're a spy or an assassin or a hairdresser. You're Eklavya, the tribal prince of Nishad. You're a man who decided to help me because you felt like it."
She slumped down again, using her arm as a pillow and pulled her shawl across her shoulders lightly.
Eklavya smiled down at her, scoffing,"Terrible thing. I did not help you because I felt like it, I helped you because you provide excellent entertainment."
Mihira looked up at him from her lashes with a scowl,"That is what you got from my speech?"
"Oh, sorry," he lowered the volume of his voice,"do you want me to remember your love confession verbatim, dear wife?"
They'd continued their ruse of a married couple to stay in the dharmshala. The guest house only allowed married people to stay together and despite their rocky start, Mihira and Eklavya did not trust anyone else but eachother to watch their backs in the night.
Mihira slapped his arm and frowned at him and made sure to whisper,"If I were your wife, I'd leave you within two hours. After murdering you."
Eklavya plopped down on his pillow with a grin, turning his body to look at her. He rested an arm on one of the extra pillows lined between them and laughed,"Will you cry my name in agony and try to follow me to heaven as well, after your madness passes?"
Mihira snorted,"Please, you'd be in Raurav."
"As if you'd be anywhere else as well, devious thing."
Personally, Mihira agreed. Raurav was a special hell made for people who cared for only their families and hurt others for their protection. She wondered if she would actually see anyone she knew there. She hoped not.
"Anyways," she tried to change the topic,"you said you're a spy, elaborate."
"It's spelled S-P-Y."
"Oh, thank you so much, Eklavya, I was so unaware of the fact." Mihira pinched his arm and quickly retreated in case he decided to retaliate. She continued,"If you are going to evade the question, do not bring up the subject that will make me raise questions."
