Kumari fell in love with the idea of love much before she knew the man who would make her leave everything behind. Nia her best friend also supported her ideas and said everything is fair in love and war.
With a powerful mother and a resourceful father, she was often trusted much more than she believed she should. At thirteen when her parents started taking about the depths of who she is, she rarely paid attention to anything till she reluctantly accepted herself. She was different and may be she would never form a bond with anyone. There were mysteries and stories Nd folklores that would live through her and die through her. She knew someday there would be someone from her who would know the same loreal yet that did not excite her.
In the mornings when the others were busy at work, she felt like running away somewhere where she will not be from a warrior family who saved the angels and defeated the demons and inturn got blessed with powers so potent that they flooded through her veins and told her to do so much. But mostly they asked her to remove the mask from people's eyes and show them the world in its true colours.
On such a potent moment she saw him first. He appeared shimmering in the terrains that stretched to the other side of the Eastern Mountains. He smiled and introduced himself as stranger who stumbled on this part and then could not stop as someone dragged him on. She wondered if this was the man from far east meant for her. it appeared too good to be true. He was handsome beyond words and while his manner was polite and soft , hard core was visible that attracted Kumari. It was as if he was someone who had seen all colours and then chosen to unsee them. Just like her dreams.
It was much later that she will realise that he was not one who chose to unsee the colours but one who saw them all and only chose the ones that suited him on that day. But at that moment when she met Kumar as he introduced himself with a smile leading a feeling of star crossed lovers in her mind, she could only think of him. When her parents spoke of Mann, the man from far east and the fact that he was already in the town , she knew she has to run away. She could not bear anyone but Kumar. She met Nia and Nia seemed supportive of her plans.
The next week of the festival she was gone from the town. She knew Nia and Mann liked each other and while she whispered a warning to Nia to not lose her heart to a man from her clan, she never said the same to herself. Neither did Nia ever reacted to her words and warnings either in positive or negative manner. She showed a soft understanding and support. She encouraged her to get to her dreams. She spoke of everything being fair in love and war.
It was not. Kumari realised when Kumar smiled and asked her to call him Master just outside of the town limits "I like it." He said. She realised again when he asked her to diarobe infront of him and instead of touching her, he observed her with hawk eyes up and down as if expecting her to transform. He hid her in a cave with no clothes , speaking of an ancient ritual and kept observing her, taking her to bathe in a secret stream that was both hot and cold and even then observed her. Finally on the seventh day he consumated their relationship before leaving her alone for another seven days in a lonely cave, without clothes and some basic food .
She often wondered why did she not ran away. There was time and even if she was unclothed she could have climbed up the terrain. She knew she could do it. But it seemed she had lost all her ability but her brain which was working overtime. Now when she looked at Kumar who wanted her to call him Master she could only think of a devil.
And a devil he was. After being certain that she would not change her form to any mystical beast, something which he strongly believed, he gave her back some clothes to cover her modestly with a routine to diarobe and show she was not transforming. Slowly she understood Kumar. He was indeed a devil of the story who like a fool believed her family were the angels. This was the first type of people her mother had warned her against. Foolish but strong , he wanted to catch a fairy. Why? She did not know.
Soon he had lost all interest in her and even did not look when she disrobed. But inside her she felt a change. She did not know what it was physically but she knew she has to escape. It was not for her life but she knew for a new life. Was she pregnant .. she wondered. Somedays Kumar joked that he would throw her out of the cave and may be then she will fly. He even told her pitiful, fearful face that he never did like her and believed she was too dark but the belief said a fairy inside a human will set free his tribe. One fine night after torturing her a bit with his usual sadistic game of throwing away her food and making her beg nd crawl, he said his family of fairy catchers were arriving the next day.
They will cut open her and leave her to die this adding some more gore to this cave.
That night Kumari saw a crescent moon on the cave wall, drawn by a desperate hand, when she lighted the candle. She touched the moon and felt the torture and the power of the soul who had drawn it. Her abused ,spent body picked up the biggest rock and smashed Kumar's head against the wall telling his stunned face, I am no fairy. But the one to defeat a devil becomes a stronger devil too.
She ran away again but not up where all her senses screamed to go, but into another deserted cave of mysteries. These were paths that led underground . The devils of the folklores had used them to climb out and attack the town and the Eastern Mountains chasing fairies. But this one she knew was deserted because the people fought the devils tooth and nail and banished them from this route. How she knew she knew not. She birthed her baby alone hiding from everyone and even herself. The cave seemed to nourish them both with fresh water, fruits and leaves. She hid at plain sight. Yet no one could find the entrance. She raised her daughter in the cave telling her of brave people and forgotten lullabies and with extreme joy she noted only light in her face. No trace of darkness touched the baby.
But the strength she took from departed souls were slowly ebbing. The cave was also becoming vulnerable. Her baby needed better protectors. And she needed to pay a debt. She started climbing the steep rockface. Her daughter asleep tied to her back. She knew she would meet her father and she did after ten days of searching for him. He had not rested one day after she ran away. He held her child as she reassured that the devils had never laid their eyes on her or known of her. But they knew of Kumari and the fact that she knew of their secret cave would bring a deep distress to everyone along with the likelihood of an attack.
He left with the child , his grand daughter, in his arms. The safest ones possible. Till they reached the town and her mother took over. There would be no better guardian than them.
She turned back to the way she had come and went back to the cave. Every teardrop and story that supported her cried out and said she was no longer safe. Yes .. she answered. She was always means to an end. They all saved her for the baby. Now they will fight for destruction of the devils. Slowly and with permission of all , she started spreading the trap.