Maheshwar's hut, Sindhi Forests:
Aditya woke up at the dusk of the day again and he found Maheshwar in a corner praying silently. His head was bowed and his lips mumbled a prayer. Aditya sat upright holding his shoulder to ease himself up. His movements though were quiet, it caught Maheshwar's attention and he stood up from his position. "How are you feeling now?" He asked, walking towards him.
"Better. I don't want to sleep anymore." He said, eyeing Maheshwar.
"I won't put you to sleep anymore." Maheshwar chuckled. "Are you hungry?" He asked, as he walked towards the pots he had arranged in a corner.
"Yeah, I could eat." Maheshwar nodded and fetched two pots. One had rice and the other had dal. He then got two plates and served two portions of the food and handed one plate to Aditya.
"Hmm. This is so good. I have never eaten something this good." Aditya moaned as he took the first bite. Maheshwar's eyes widened, as he heard the compliment. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks as he nodded silently.
"Where did you learn to cook so well?" Aditya asked, finishing his meal in a jiffy.
"I am used to living alone, and cooking is a life skill." He said, taking a bite of his food. "I went and checked the forest, especially near Sampangi. Their bag was left there, but I wonder why they did not come back for the loot."
"They might have missed the place where they had kept it or they have become more guarded about their whereabouts." Aditya said, gulping his water.
"Seems so." Maheshwar had also finished his food, as he drank water.
"But who are these people? Why are they attacking these villagers?" Aditya asked, as they washed the plates and cleaned their hands.
"These people look like villagers to me. I don't think these are done by forest dwellers. I overheard their conversation and their language looked like ours. They did not speak the language of the forest dwellers." Maheshwar spoke about his observations.
"Hmm. We need to get to the root of this as soon as possible. If people start moving away giving into their fears, then it will be very difficult to nab them." Aditya spoke. "Is this where you live?" He asked him, taking in the small hu around them.
"Yeah, why?" Maheshwar frowned.
"Where will your family stay? And in case you get married tomorrow Mahesh, will this place be enough?" He asked, looking around. Maheshwar's eyes widened at his comment and a deep hue rose to his cheek.
Quickly composing himself, he spoke. "If I get married, then we shall decide then. Are you uncomfortable here?" He asked, knowing well that Aditya belonged to a palace.
"No, it's quite cozy here. But I was just wondering." Aditya replied immediately. "Aren't you hot? Why are you wearing a vest? Or are you shy in front of me?" Aditya teased, making Maheshwar chuckle.
"Aditya," he chided. "It is inappropriate in our culture to roam bare chested. It is believed that we would become feminine." He said.
"Huh? Which culture is this?" Aditya asked, curious about a belief like this.
"We are the descendants of the Chandra bhagavan, more specifically, keepers of the Chandra deva. Just like he was cursed to wax and wane throughout the month, it is also believed that we also possess such powers to turn into a man and a woman. So we are supposed to dress and live a certain way." Maheshwar said.
"Is that why you have no mustache or have no muscles like other men?" Aditya asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Yeah, we are expected to be simple and not amplify our genders. Our parents teach us to remain balanced." Mahesh replied.
"Hmm. Do you guys get married or is there some other tradition with that?" Aditya teased him again.
"Why Aditya, do you want to get married that desperately? All of your questions are around family and marriage." It was Maheshwar's turn to tease.
"Uh, no, no. I was just curious. My dad keeps bringing up the topic of marriage lately and I just sort of dwelled on that." He said, rubbing his neck and avoiding his gaze.
"Let me know if you are getting married. I shall be there to tell your wife about your curious questions." Maheshwar teased as both of them broke into laughter.
**********
Here goes another chapter.
January is over so soon. Oh my god.
And that song gives a very different high. Did you guys listen to it?