[Amor’s POV] I hid behind a tree and observed her for some time. I would catch her right when she would try to escape. Maybe all that wishing on the flower was a facade to hide her true intentions from me. “It must hurt, right?” I heard her talk to Vaayu. “I shouldn’t have wasted time on him. He says he can’t understand me, huh? I can’t understand him. Who enjoys pain? No one in their sane mind will.” She was cleaning Vaayu’s wounds on his back, neck, legs, and knees. Vaayu neighed, moving his tail as if he was agreeing to everything she said. She squatted near the river and cleaned the cloth she used to clear Vaayu’s wounds in the running water. “I will apply the medicine to your wounds. It might burn a little, but this medicine is magical. May is a really amazing doctor. You should meet her. She speaks less, but speaks wisdom. Like Lucella, she is the ideal lady, fearless, intelligent, caring, cold, but warm at the same time. When I speak of caring and affectionate, lady Ella c
[Amor’s POV] Venus breathed in through her clenched teeth when her rose collided with someone else’s and veered from the path. Only Zeve’s rose was travelling in a straight line to the centre, isolated from all kinds of interruptions happening around it. Venus squatted near Zeve, following and cheering for her rose. “Your rose is so aloof from the others, as if it has its own intelligence and knows where it should go.” She said with amazement. There was a lotus floating in the middle of the pond. That was the destination for all the roses. I stood behind Zeve, stoically peering at the rose. I crossed my hands across my chest. My wrist was bleeding less, so I tightened my grip around it, reopening the wound. God knows why I wanted that wound to not heal. It was as if I was waiting for something to happen, but didn’t know what. The blood stained my shirt, too, but who cared? The rose race was more intriguing to watch. Several other roses headed to the lotus too, along with Zeve
[Amor’s POV] She forced a smile on her face. “I will never love again. Love can only get a true meaning from one’s mate. My mate is gone and on that rose I wished for his peaceful end and afterlife. I won’t love again. And… you think a girl’s only goal is to sleep with a man? That is the value and meaning of a woman in your eyes. But don’t you think we can have goals, too?” “Goals? What other goals can you have other than having kids, raising them, cooking for your family, keeping your husband and family happy? That is what women have been doing, and that is what they will do. What other goal can you possibly have?” I completely disagree with every statement I made, but I knew it would enrage her and that was exactly why I said those words. My plans for women and my definition of women were unfathomable, but I wanted to know what women meant in her eyes. The disgust in her eyes was clear, yet she couldn’t speak a word. “Come on, tell me what your goal is, except the ones I said.
[Zeve’s POV] “What do you mean, if I am living? Of course, I am.” He said, tilting his head as he narrowed his eyes. “What is the purpose of your life? What keeps you going?” He peered into my eyes for a long time, then said with a subtle smirk, “told you right now. It’s to change this world. That’s the only goal of this life of mine.” “But how? By killing countless people. By being merciless and heartless. By violence? If that is what you are living for, then what are you living for?” “At least I have a goal, a purpose defined for my life. Right, wrong, I don’t care. Bad, good, I don’t care. Humane, inhumane, I don’t care. I am much better than a-living-nothing like you. Empty from inside like a puppet. As if you were tam…” he stopped speaking. My heart sped up as I expected hearing that word ‘tamed’ again. That word. That one word had ruined my whole life. He cleared his throat. My body turned stiff. “You are easy to manipulate.” He avoided using that word. But why? Did he
[Zeve’s POV] “Ah! Amor…” His grip on my arm tightened. I dropped my gaze, trying to push him away from me. “Please let go. Why are you suddenly like this?” I stopped struggling and my body relaxed when he left me and stepped a few steps back. Holding my arms, I looked at him, panting. More than me, he looked confused. He looked puzzled and restlessly looked into nothingness. Tensing his brows, he glared at me. “Forget about it.” I gulped. I wanted to ask him about what I should forget, but didn’t. I was still scared of him. I stepped back from him, clenching and unclenching my fists. He walked to me, and I stepped back in a hurry. He held my wrist. “No!” I yelled. He glared at me. “Please shut up. You know better than anyone else, I am neither going to hurt you nor do something unethical to you. I am not in the right state of mind right now, so please obey, ok?” What other option did I have? I nodded. He gently wrapped his palm around my wrist. I walked behind him, looking a
[Zeve’s POV] I turned around and Venus was there with her husband, Zahir. Why the hell did I hope it to be Amor? I smiled at her. “Venus.” “Everything ok? Your partner, what was his name? Chaz! He left without a word and then you ran off in a hurry too…” I averted my eyes nervously and said, “he is not my partner and his name is not Chaz. His name is Amor.” I said, avoiding eye contact with her. “Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t know.” She said in a confused tone. “I shouldn’t have pried in your personal matters,” Venus said, and I dropped my gaze to the ground. “That is why I tell you to keep your mouth shut,” Zahir whispered to her. She hit his biceps. “I thought they were a couple. Anyone would think that.” She whispered to him, then looked at me. Holding my hand in hers, she said, “I am sorry, Zeve. But what happened? Why do you look so worried? Can we help you?” “No. Everything is fine. Umm. Actually, do you know a place that is isolated and few people go there?” I asked her.
[Zeve’s POV] He knit his brows, leaving my arms. Tilting his head, he said, “huh?” The barriers holding back my tears crumbled. “I thought I hurt you. I made you sad. Something I said… I don’t know what I thought… I thought nothing, or I thought so many things that I couldn’t choose what I thought and foolishly started searching for you.” I licked my lips and gulped, shutting my eyes. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I looked at him. His gaze hadn’t left me for a second. “I know you won’t trust me. I know you think I am lying, but you are right. I had no one to save me. Who would risk their life to protect me? Why would someone give their everything for me?” Sniffling, I wiped my tears. “I have always begged to be spared, and that is how I will keep living. Begging you to have mercy on me, to hurt me a little less if possible, it’s ok if you don’t. I will never complain about anything...” Tears flooded my eyes and streamed incessantly on my cheeks. He held my wrist and p
[Zeve’s POV] We reached the inn. While going upstairs, we met Zahir and Venus, who were also staying in that inn. “Oh! Are you two staying here, too?” Venus asked with a warm smile. “No, we are here for sightseeing,” Amor said mockingly. “Of course, this is an inn. Travellers come here to rest during long journeys.” Venus broke out into laughter. “You have such a great sense of humour. Of course, it was foolish of me to ask you that question. Have you two had your dinner?” She looked at us. “No,” I said. Zahir wanted to stop Venus, but she said out anyway, “why don’t all of us have dinner together? It’s difficult to find people from our culture in these foreign countries. If you two join us, it will be really amazing.” She looked at both of us with hopeful coaxing eyes. “Venus, we mustn’t disturb them…” “No. I think it’s a great idea. Let’s have dinner together.” Amor looked at me. I nodded once, and he gave them a confirmation nod. We sat in the lawn area of the inn on chairs