Theandric Thursday: Birthday Revelations #3 - The Object

The story below is a chapter-in-continuation to Ashna's story/chapter which she posted last month. We've come up with this super-cool idea of writing alternate chapters of this story without discussing what we are going to write beforehand anywhere and it's turning out to be real fun. 
You can check the previous chapter written by her, on her awesome looking newly revamped blog here :) 

***

'No shit!', I said, mocking surprise at the guy in pink shirt. The guy shifted in his place trying to hide a smirk.

The young man had just informed me that I had dropped my phone on the platform. He had informed me after I had screamed and kicked and tried to force open the door of the coach which closed just after it got knocked off my hand by a bull of a de-boarding passenger, onto the platform.

After the train started moving and when I resigned to just looking at it lying there, waiting to be picked up by a lucky soul, pinky said, 'You could have pushed the red emergency button, you know, to open the doors'.

How much exactly is the jail term for the murder of an ass?

I walked out of the metro station after lodging a complaint with station control room. It was a fine evening, with the sun on the horizon, all bright red, peeking through the clouds. I didn't know what to do, so I headed towards the central park to loiter. Since it was such a good evening which was making me feel good, so I decided to let the phone thing go and enjoy the evening, it was about time had changed my phone anyway. I was feeling hungry so I got a burger and some cold drink packed before moving towards the park, thinking about my last week.

***

I had spent my last week mostly waiting with anticipation and excitement after what happened when Sao Pa visited with a bunch of 'important' people from Kabilaar. And which had made me, like always, restless with a thousand questions in mind ever since their departure. Questions like what my next test would be like? How would I prepare for it? Why are there tests anyway, I thought I was already a Kabilaar. Where is Daema? And who exactly is Daema, if she is not my cousin? Thank God she's not my cousin!!

I was bursting to ask those questions to someone and just as I entered the park, a soft familiar voice came from behind, 'What are you eating?' I turned around to see Daema standing there. In a white jacket over black leather overalls. Wow, she really knows about fashion..

'Daema?? Hiiii!!' She looked surprised at my excitement and I realised I had said that a little too enthusiastically.

'I mean, Hi. Where have you been? I mean, how have you been? And ... what happened to your hair, wasn't it black?' Her hair had turned bright auburn.

'Whoa whoa...calm down, why don't we walk around while we talk, what d' you say?' and without waiting for an answer she took the burger from my hand and started moving ahead, backwards, facing me, smiling. Blood rushed to my ears, which is equivalent to blushing, as I smiled back.

'Whad i' thi'?' she asked pointing at the burger, having taken a mouthful.

'Chicken!'

'Nicee.. tastes a little like Cruts. The flying ones.'

'What's a Crut?' I asked, intrigued, thinking of some magical delicacy that her people, correction, my people, eat.

'It's an animal at our planet, very much like chicken. Except that unlike chickens, some can fly and some can swim.'

'Hmm ... sounds interesting.' She smiled, took a sip from the cola that I had and handed both back to me.

'Here, I'm done. You must be hungry too' she said. I was hungry, so I took them back and started eating.

'So, where have you been?' I asked as we moved towards the centre-stage where a crowd was gathering for some public band performance. She said that she had been keeping busy with a lot of things, there in Kabilaar with all the responsibilities that she has and here too, on earth with some other stuff.

When we reached and sat in the amphitheater, and while I was finished eating, she started talking about her. She told me that her hair changes colour on it's own.

'It always has, ever since I was seven. Sometimes I loves it and sometimes I absolutely despise the new colour, but I can't do much about it. Moreover, I'm liking this one,' she said.

She told me about her life in Kabilaar. About her love for plants, about her home and the big pond in its backyard. Her friends, Sibi and Zyk, her fondness for everything yellow, and love of food. She said, she simply can't hold herself around food, specially cupcakes here on earth and baked pie sort of thing called Mhum, made with mashed fruits of Kabilaar and something like cheese. While she talked sitting there beside me, I couldn't help stealing glances at her. She looked even more beautiful then, talking animatedly, with her eyes shining and her hands moving in a rhythm. And that scent, that sweet smell, I keep wondering how it is so overpowering, every time. God, help me!!

***

Talking of Kabilaar, she told me that more people than who have visited here are looking forward to meet me. I asked her about the council, 'Those people, Monu Lo and that bravery guy with a permanent pout and all, were they really heads of those err... 'departments' for the whole of Kabilaar?'

'Yeah, they were. You know, our planet is not like earth. It's a very young planet, a couple of 100 thousand years old and much much smaller. And most of it is uninhabited still. It's mostly wilderness, so we have just one council for the whole of us.' she answered.

'But aren't they supposed to be really important people to come and visit just me. Isn't it unusual, I mean I don't know much about Kabilaar, but still!' Daema started thinking of something then looked at her watch

'Err, maybe. But anyway, let's talk about this boring stuff later, see it's 8 already. Let's go, we have to go somewhere!'

'Where?'

'You'll know. You want to see how we transport from one place to another?'

'You mean that vanish thing? I wanted to do it for ever!!'

'Great, let's find a good place first.' We went in search of a secluded spot and found a closed metro entrance inside the park. Then Daema asked me to hold both her hands so that I too can vanish along with her. I did so.

'Are you ready?' she asked when we were in position. I gave a tentative half nod.

'Okay, hold on'.

As soon as she had said that, I felt as if a couple of very large hands clutched my chest and squeezed it so hard that all air got forced out of my lungs. My brain went into some hyper-reactive-sensitive mode, all my senses became twice as sharp. In that instant I could see tiny flecks of dust flying around, hear every beat of the band playing far away, sense the slow wind move the hem of my shirt and see a couple of guys coming towards us. And then, the very next moment I was standing on a deserted road, outside a big iron gate.

I looked around, the place looked familiar.

'Hey, this is my school. I mean was. You know my school??'

'Oh yes,' she said smiling.

'Okaay. But why are we here?'

'We're here to search for your Object. You lost something in this school, you remember?'

'I don't know, I lost a lot of erasers, that I remember. And what's an object??'

'I'll tell you in a bit. And I mean something importa...'

'Wait, are you talking about the ring?'

'That could be it. Did your dad give it to you?'

'Yeah, the ring with all those carvings, I loved it a lot. But then, I dropped it in the school well when I was 9'

'Where's that well?'

'There, in the left hostel wing. It's an old well. Come, I'll show you.'

We went to the courtyard of the hostel. It was a rectangular space open at the top with red brick walls and a Neem tree standing near the middle. I remembered the tree, it was there when I was in school, But, the well was gone. In it's place lay a smooth concrete floor now.

'Great, they've covered the well. Great!!'

'What do we do now?' she asked

'I guess we'll just have to let the ring go.'

'No, no! We can't do that. That is your object. We'll have to find it anyhow.'

'But the well is completely covered. Plus, we don't even know if the ring's still inside!' I said.

'We'll have to give it a try.' Daema was resolute.

'But what's so important about this, this object thing? What is it anyway?'

She took a deep sigh.

'Well, an object is something which is essential for you to be able to use your powers. It's like a tool, an assistant, a companion, something which always stays with you and which helps you to direct and control your powers. It enhances them and makes you the master of them. Simply put, without it, you won't be able to use your powers. Without it, you are just a little more than, say, a human being.'

Silence followed.

'But Sao Pa said that I was like this because I've never used my powers. I thought I just needed some practice.'

'That is right too, but you do need your object nevertheless. You will need it for your practice. And partially, the reason why you haven't been aware of your powers all these years is that you lost that ring.'

'Hmm..'

'So, let's think how to get the ring, right?'

'Hmm..'

We started calculating our options. We couldn't break the cement sheet because that was bound to make a lot of noise. We couldn't go through it, as it was impossible according to her, to which I mouthed how teleporting is also an impossible thing otherwise.

'Hey, that's a good idea.'

'What, teleporting?'

'Yeah! I can't go in alone because I should know where I am going and how the place looks like. But you must remember how it looks like, right?'

'I suppose...' I speculated, thinking what she is trying to do.

'Here, hold my hands.' she said extended her own hands. I did and she asked me to try and remember how the well looked like from inside.

'Okaaay, what are you doing though, by holding my hands?'

'Reading your mind!'

'Whatt?' taking a step back and making my eyes large. 'You can read minds?'

She smiled knowingly and grabbed my hands back.

'Don't worry, only when I touch you, can I read your mind,' I made my eyes even wider.

'Have you been reading my mind before this,' I asked. She just smiled. 'This is not good Daema, that is so not good.'

'Quiet. Focus on the well or we would end up in some faraway ditch.'

***

It was hard to, but I tried to focus for the moment. Then, the next moment, we were standing somewhere really dark and closed, claustrophobic. The only help was that a light hue of white light was coming out of Daema, making the area around us illuminated. There was years of unwanted dropped and thrown stuff lying around. Pens, empty bottles, leaves, stones, a pair of spectacles, coins, paper-balls. We started searching and after half an hour of fruitless groping, I saw something shining below a big stone near the wall. I moved the stone with much effort and found the ring shining like a red hot metal coming out of a fire. It wasn't hot though, I picked it up and it stopped shining. It had acquired some scratches, maybe form that stone and looked quite small for my fingers. Daema beamed at the sight of it.

'Great, try it on!' she said.

'Let's get out first, I suggested looking around.' We came out and she nudged me again to try it. I brought it close to my finger, sure that it wouldn't go in. But to my surprise, it slipped fairly easily into my left ring finger and fitted perfectly. As soon as it slipped into place, I started feeling like I was really happy all of a sudden, my heart seemed to have filled with delight and I felt quite fresh and new and err.. complete.

'How does it feel?' Daema asked

'Great! It feels, amazing. Wow, you were right. I feel excited and and like I am ready for something. I don't know what thing, but something. It's a sort of an indescribable feeling. You know what I mean?' I said with excitement rushing through my veins.

'Yeah, I do. I do know. Wow. This is so awesome!'

'Yeah!' We stood for some time looking at it then I got bored as it wasn't doing anything.

'So, what now?' I asked.

'Let's go eat something now. I feel hungry.'

We started walking. Me, a little jumpily with excitement.

'Can I do all that cool stuff now, glowing and vanishing and making rivers appear in the city, like you?'

'What? Oh you mean that day, when the council came? That wasn't me, it was Kobu. He was also there, he came in after me. But no, not now!'

'Why?'

'Because you need training, which starts tomorrow.'

'Really? What's my next test going to be like'

'Can't tell'

'Why?' I retorted.

'Rules!' she said teasing.

'Oh, you can read my mind and not tell me about the test?'

'Yeah, something like that.' I could see she was enjoying this very much.

'Fine!!' I said and started walking straight, without looking at her.

'I could tell you what your training will be about though' she pitched after a moment.

'Really? What?' A smile came back almost instantly on my face.

'Combat training'

'Are you serious?? Oh man, this is insanely cool! You mean like, proper fighting?'

'Yeepp. That's what your TASTE determined.'

'TASTE??'

'Tolerance And Sanity, Talent and Erudition test'

'But wasn't it just Tolerance & Sanity?'

'The talent and erudition is also part of the observation test. We, I mean the council people observed you closely, after we visited you on your birthday and saw you fit for a warrior.'

'Warrior? Wow. But, are they sure about it. I mean I've never done any of that stuff before, where did they see my warrior instinct?'

'I don't know, but they are never wrong, those people. Plus, you certainly can't be merchant, fruit merchant to be exact. You prefer some fruits a little too much over others,' she said, teasing again. I stared at her with open mouth.

'You have no right, you have no right.. this is not done … you have no right'

'Okay, okay. Chill. Here, take your phone,' she said taking my phone out of her pocket. My mouth fell open again.
'Were'd you get thaat??'

'Let's just say that you need to give your phone a little rest sometimes'

'What? You mean, you had planned all that?' my mouth was about to fall now.

'Don't get excited now. You were relaxed all this while, weren't you? Without your phone.'

'What about that pink shirt guy, was he with you too?'

'What pink shirt guy. I don't know any pink shirt guy..'

'You're such a … vixen, Daema!'

'Is that what you're just saying, or is it what you think too,' she said, still teasing. 'And why are we waking for so long, let's just teleport, as you like to call it, and go somewhere quickly. I am starving.'

'No thanks, I'd prefer to walk. And I am not hungry either.' I sulked.

'Come on man, don't be so such a cold-heart now. I know you could use some strawberry shake..' she said and grabbed my hands once again.

***

This post was part of the meme 'Theandric Thursday', a feature hosted by Ashna Banga on her blog.

The dictionary definition of 'Theandric' is 'Relating to the joint agency of divine and human nature'.

If you're interested in participating, write your own Theandric Thursday post and drop a link on her blog(link above). You can write fiction, real events or a mixture of both. You may use the image on the right for the same. Happy writing. :)