The melody he hummed had been stuck in my mind. I didn't recognize the words it said, but I could feel the tenderness it beamed.
"What is that song?" My brother solicited, picking out the heated steel box of cooked okra from the microwave.
He was thrilled about the lunch because he was the one who cooked it that day. He argued to be the second-best cook in our house after our mother. Which was most definitely not true.
"You've been humming it since the morning." He added as he placed the lunch box on the table near the window.
"What is it?" He questioned further, walking to the kitchen to get the heated chapattis eyeing me through the mirror as I was combing my hair into a braid.
"I don't know the name of it. I just heard someone humming it yesterday." Slightly louder, I responded as I paced to the table, noticing a basket of fresh green grapes. "Did Mrs. Dalvi give this?"
"Hm. That mirror. Isn't it too small? I'll get the bigger one for you. Mrs. Dalvin introduced me to this consignment shop. She purchases a lot of useful stuff from there. It will cost cheap." He added as he took a seat in front of me.
"No. It'll be unnecessary. We can use that money to support your studies or our business in the future."
"But." He was about to add something, but our short conversation was briefed to shorter by Mrs. Dalvin's arrival.
She's not loud, but jolly. A great friend and a guardian. "What are you two kids talking about?" She boomed, softly ruffling Taksh's hair.
"Oh, hello, Mrs. Dalvin. Come join us." I hailed as Taksh offered her to join us.
"Thank you. But I just ate." She humbly denied as she gingerly took a seat beside my brother.
Her presence always brought serenity to us. She was an addition we needed the most.
"You two work exceptionally hard." She added, placing a small basket on the table as she pulled a container from it. "That is why I brought something for the two of you.
It is a fish I cooked. It is the recipe my husband's mother taught me. I presumed you two will like it." Taksh was unexpectedly really hasty to open the container and display to me how delicious the dish looked. He looked delighted.
"I heard from your brother that you prefer seafood. But not the sea. Why is that?" She raised a question to my calmness and serenity as I watched my brother eye me.
"She just doesn't prefer cold." He quickly answered, serving me a glass of water as I added, "You did not have to bring this, Mrs. Dalvin. You already gave us these."
I pointed to the grapes as she replied, "You need to eat as much as possible. If I don't take care of you both, who will?" Leaving me with silence.
"Oh, how fool of me. I actually came here to tell you something very important. Mr. Naik discovered something peculiar in the ocean. You remember him, right, child?" She squinted towards Taksh as he nodded and asked. "What did he see?"
"Something which looked like a fish from below and a human from above. The stories about sea people have always been around in the town. Many claim to have seen them. Even my own late mother-in-law."
"Sea people?" I questioned enticing her worried gaze at me. I could see how terrified she was.
"Yes, child. I warn you to stay away from the sea at night. As others say, they are more active in the darkness."
"I don't think that is even a thing. Mr. Naik must have seen a large fish." I opposed it, regarding my brother starting to believe her.
"No, my child. last night Mr. Naik had another encounter with the fish person. He was trying to catch it deep in the sea at night when something crashed into his boat. It was the fish-tailed human. Mr. Naik tried to put a spear in him, but sadly he missed."
"Do they hurt people Mrs. Dalvin?" My brother asked. I could see curiosity forming in his eyes, and I prayed not to see terror further.
"Yes, child. They do. My mother-in-law used to warn us about them. I remember I was a new soul here, unaware of such creatures. She told us multiple stories about how they've hurt humans before and also showed me a mark. To prove her stories to be true."
"A mark?" Taksh added as Mrs. Dalvin responded. "Teeth mark. It wasn't a human's jaw. The bruise was deeper and sharper and wider. Still, I did not believe her. I took her words as mere old myths and that mark to be of a large fish. But I had to believe her when I heard humming from the sea at night.
It was the most beautiful tone I had ever heard. Almost inhuman. The most painful and summoning tune. I heard it in rows. We all in that neighborhood did. I still remember it as fresh as yesterday. It was enchanting. But terrifying.
My Mother-in-law told me that when the sea creature is hungry, he lures people by humming a sensual tune. And who follows it never returns. Some of the people followed the tune. I also was almost lost.
So, you must stay away from the sea at night."
"Do you believe her?" My brother asked as we were striding to our home after another tiring day."I don't. Mr. Naik must have seen a large fish so as Mrs. Dalvin's mother-in-law."
"Hmm. But Mrs. Dalvin also said Mr. Naik was so sure he saw a sea creature that he stopped trawling to catch it."
She stated that he went into the sea at night and slept during the day. A few days before, he was still selling fish but then it's all stopped, all together. It was creating a scarcity for people in the town.
"A lot of people who bought fish from him are struggling. I was thinking, what if I started catching fish?" Out of the blue, he proposed.
"No." I denied him, seeing him unclear about my answer.
"Why?" He asked, to which I reasonably answered. "We don't have a boat, plus you don't know how to trawl."
"That is not to be worried about. I have sorted it out. There's is another fisherman in the town whom I wish to learn from. And after I learn we can invest in a boat and start trawling. We can either sell fish near our café or we can sell it to the shops. It'll give us a large profit."
"I said no! It's too dangerous in the sea!" I boomed, regarding our house appearing.
"But you said you don't believe Mrs. Dalvin." He irritably said.
"I don't! But there are still other harmful creatures in the sea!"
"But-"
"I said no! End of the topic!"
My strict pursuit devastated him and I could read it on his face all through the evening. We dined in silence and slept apart in silence as well.
He didn't let me in his room and didn't wish to hear me bid him goodnight. After all, I had left him gasping in anger and shut.
But his anger was less scary than a thought of any harm towards him.
I had made a mistake before. I wished not to repeat it. I just wished my brother to be happy and safe.
And like every other day, I was left lonely. The days still worked in my favor, but the nights were unbearable.
So, again, I covered myself in a warm shawl and stepped out to follow the moon to the beach.
The cold breeze I felt on the Porsche of my house altered into warmth as, observing no footsteps on the sand, I reached the shore.
It was like every day. Thus, I expected Naksh to be sitting there, admiring the moon again. But to my surprise, he wasn't there.
I wondered why was he not there, but I presumed he might be late.
So, I sat down where we sat last night. The spot, which had become distinguished in my head.
I remembered every little detail of the night before.
How I nearly cried in his arms. The scent of his warmth. The honied melody and the sweetness of his lips.
His cold fingers but burning grasp. My heart thawed from the memory of the last night.
The traces of his lips were still imprinted on my skin. From my lips to my groins.
"That is a beautiful name and like my brothers," I replied as he told me his name.
He sweetly squinted, as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"His name is Taksh."
"No!" He snickered, wide, making me join his wide smile.
Slipping my hand onto his cheek, I said. "I guess that is why I feel a sense of comfort with you and a strong need to protect you as well."
His eyes once more altered. He rubbed his cheek in my palm like a puppy as he breathed out. "A sense to protect me?"
His eyes deeply pierced me as he added. "Tell me, you are not just saying it with hopeless words."
His tone seemed rather desperate as his breaths traveled close to my neck, making me gasp to his teeth nipping my skin. "It's hard for me to lie."
"How do I believe you? You are just another human being." He questioned, planting kisses on the fabric which covered my breasts and swiftly slithering his lips down to my abdomen.
He blazed his eyes at me from my abdomen and lifted the nightgown to my thighs.
"Tell me. Why should I believe you?" He questioned, grazing his lips on my thighs. So gentle and nerve-wracking as I breathed, "Because that is the only goal I never want to fail again."
"You talk as if your life depends on it!" He mildly growled, softly biting the skin of my inner thighs.
He kissed where he bit. He grazed his tongue as he added, "Do you ever think for yourself?"
His eyes were gazing at me so inversely. I couldn't tell what it was that they said. It bewildered me.
"You should think for yourself as well." He proposed, lifting my dress to my abdomen.
He then stopped, caressing my belly with his eyes and planting his palm over it. "Your golden skin compliments my pale skin. But it is not right."
________
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