CUPID

Cupid’s Arrow struck a deal..

“I would do a Cart-wheel before I aim for your heart, I would pass through his..
But..” he stopped for a moment.
“But what??” Irene nervously blurted out.
“You would have to sell your soul to the one I serve when I am not my personal legend.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.
Who do you serve?
What is this personal legend you talk about?
And what is this deal?
What deal?”

“My dear.. when today you sighed
And said to him, I am tired,
I too wish I had love in my life;
Your wish was picked up by the soul of the universe,
The Ancient One said- So be it.” ‘

“I was tired, I said it just like that.”

“There are no co-incidences. Not just like that.
Only incidences.”

“I do not understand a word of what u say.”

“Now there is no going back.
There are rules in your No Rules, which you abide by when you choose No Rules.”

“What is this going on? It must be a crazy dream.”

“You keep quiet and listen.
When you wished and He said So be it, I set out on my work, which is my personal legend.
I strike. That is my work and personal legend.
That apart, I need my cheap thrills, my games, my personal time, on which I choose to be with the one I serve for my own personal satisfaction.
You have been meeting Him since years now.
He would claim you finally. Now. Its time.”

Irene froze. For the first time, she looked around.
She was in an Arena. A Colosseum in Ruins.
Was that a Grey Giant Hound?
Did she drink too much last night?
No . She just had chilled coke.
The Arena looked dilapidated, massive strength of a site.
Walls that broke, ancient statues discolored, remnants of a recurrent sin.
Sunlight a distant memory it seemed in this mossy ,tarred, colored grin.

Cupid smiled through slanted sharp teeth.

“My dear Leah…
I struck his heart even before you could Scream No..
And bound yours to his.
Now. Your time has come. To give what is due.
You are the one.
You, my Master claims today.”

The dark clouds howled overhead and a crouching shadow started looming large as Cupid bowed his head and moved away.
There The One stood, small and twisted, hunch-backed, horns on his head.
His eyes like dirty fire…his tongue slit and flickering..

Unspeakable terror had returned.

“Speak now or hold your silence forever.” .
Cupid declared.

Irene bolted out of her horror filled reverie.
She looked around, yet again.
The pavilion had a few spectators. Known and unknown faces.

Adi stood up.
“These 7 years have been shrouded by the multiple veils of obligations duties, commitments and stress which time has so unkindly put around it.
But these 2 months of your absence has shredded these unwanted veils to bits.”

Cupid.
“The veil remains.”

Adi.
“I would shred them into bits right now.
He jumped into the arena and ran towards Nisha.
Nisha! My love- I would shred the veils right now.”

Adi pulled at the black veil frantically.
It made heaps and mounds on the ground.

Nithya.
“It won’t come out you bloody fool!
That is Draupadi’s drape!”

Cupid.
“Return.”

Adi leaves.

Moonlight steps into the Arena.

Moonlight.
“You and I are the same.
It is our fault.
Stop blaming others.
We can never be happy.
We are loners.
And you have fallen out of love in the truest sense of the word.
We are zero.”

Cupid.
“Moonlight howls at night in her sleep.
She has her own Arena where we tear her to bits.
She is Zero.
You the one in the Lion’s pit now – you are minus 10.”
“Return now.” (To Moonlight)

Pink.
“O my Beautiful.
O my sensuous.
O my Woman.
Why? Just why?
You had everything.
You have everything.
You are lucky. Ask me.”

Cupid.
“Return.”

The nameless one stood up and walked slow and steady steps to the Arena.

Nameless.
“I am minus 15.
I claim her.
Period.”

Cupid laughs his horrible laughter, that sounds like shrieks.
“You cannot claim her.
You are not whole.
You have others inside you.”

Nameless.
“Not others. Only one.
And I am whole.
She has one inside her as well.
So No Rules.
I claim her.
I would fight for her and break your ugly teeth and tear out his despicable horns.”

Cupid.
“Watch out.
If you curse, you would have to apologise.”

Irene.
“Stop all this.
I would speak now.”

The Unspeakable Terror hissed and thunder fell on the grounds.
“Where is the one?
Who is not conspicuous by his absence?
Get him.”

Leah.
“You get him and I would tear my insides out with the edges of the rocks strewn here.”
She screamed at him, with her flowing hair and flaming eyes.

Unspeakable Terror looked at Cupid.

Cupid.
“Fine.
My Master would claim you now.”

Irene.
“I have a few conditions.”

Unspeakable Terror looked at Cupid.

Cupid.
“Speak.”

Irene.
“It would have to be in my small bed in my apartment.
There would be no spectators, and these spectators would return to where they belong, with no memories of these.
There would be no off-spring. My womb has been touched by God.
I would tear my womb out with my very own hands and nails if the seeds create death.”

Unspeakable Terror cringed.
Unspeakable Terror looks at Cupid.

Cupid.
“Master says.
So be it.”


Europe.

Every inch of Trisha’s body emanated the buzzing sound and was frozen in time; no matter how hard she tried, she was pinned. She did not fly into blood red rage and profanities were not screaming inside her head towards that despicable Thing. She did not struggle, she was not afraid, as usual (she was almost never afraid) .The finger was tracing her entire back lustfully. She felt the wretched desire spread through her hauntingly paralyzed body. The finger kept tracing and touching her back, her body had been facing her left side when that thing started (just like the last time), her back was exposed to the air and now that thing. It was now tracing below her waist... Her mind drifted to this movie she had watched based on a true story where this woman was raped by a ghost. She felt herself contracting as she often did when terrible desire hit her. Trisha thought in between the rhythms, but this would not be Rape.