Kite and Wolf

Vayuvijay walked inside the labor room. Manyata was still asleep. His newborn daughter was in his arms, staring at him. Even though all her vitals were normal, her skin was burning.

"I need to be strong. For my daughter and my wife." He told himself.

"Vayu" he turned around to find Shivani standing behind him. He knew that Shivani and Parikshit could never have their own children, so he had made them  Ajeenkya's godparents. He knew Shivani loved his daughter a lot, and may be was equally devastated as he was. Her eyes were red from crying. She must have overheard.

"Don't tell anything to Manyata." She said. "She is still weak. The news and the trauma may affect her.

Vayu nodded silently, as he saw Shivani leave. He sat down on a chair next to the bed on which Manyata was lying. The baby still in his arms. He looked in her eyes. They were just like Ajeenkya. Big and brown. She didn't have her sister's curls. His thought slipped back to the day before. Ajeenkya used to sleep with her parents inspite of having a room of her own. It was early morning and Ajeenkya had woken up. She had this weird habit of not letting anyone sleep once she was awake. She hit Vayuvijay on his cheek with her palm.

"Ajeenkya...Mmhmm don't do this dear. I have a lot of work to do today. Please let me have some sleep."

"Birdie..FAa..birdie..me play with birdie..Fa..take Me.."

"Ohk.." Vayuvijay knew she would not let him sleep anymore so groggily he woke up. He picked his daughter up and carried her to the balcony outside. Nobody was around. So he made her stand on the bannister and pulling the air around her made her fly up. Soon the birds came and flew around her. She burst into laughter.

"Not again." He heard his father-in-law. "You were warned not to use your power."

Vayuvijay pursed his lips trying not to smile. He pulled Ajeenkya back.

"Grapa..smile..no..angry..me want to..play..birdie.." said Ajeenkya.

"Yes grandpa smile. Or else you would scare..."

Vayuvijay and Ajeenkya both started laughing as one of the birds decided to drop its excreta on Shivashakti's shoulder.

"You worry too much father." Said Vayuvijay as he kissed his daughter on the cheek and walked inside the room.

Vayuvijay smiled and cried at the same time as he realised that he will never hear her laughter again.

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Aboli galloped towards the castle. The little princess was unable to take the exhaustion and she had fallen unconscious. Aboli's siblings had attacked the cloaked figure giving Aboli a chance to escape with the princess. As Aboli with a lot of effort had placed the princess on her back and galloped towards the castle, she heard the last howls of her siblings. She didn't have time to mourn them. She needed to save Ajeenkya. She galloped faster.

She could feel the cloaked figure was after her, yet she didn't turn back. The princess was half sitting and half-lying on her back. Her weight was slowly slowing her down. Yet she galloped.

As the woods gave way to the grass fields. He saw human beings. He didn't stop. He was now on the street leading to the castle. The horses and humans darted aside making room for her. She heard surprised and shocked exclaimation. Soon she could hear hooves following her. She now saw the castle gate. But it was closed. She howled calling the humans standing there to open it. They were more occupied in staring at her. She howled again.

"OPEN THE BLOODY DOORS." A human shouted behind her.

Aboli ran inside the castle and up the staircase. Then she smelled a familiar scent. A scent she had smelled on Ajeenkya before. She knew the princess was safe as she collapsed infront of the familiar scented human.

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"She is breathing, I think she is exhausted, and may be the cold." Said Shivani "Her skin has sign of mild bruises on the back though."

"What happened commander?" Vayu asked Veerbhadra.

"My men had gone to the woods, they heard the cries of wolf Cubs, but could not find her." Replied Veerbhadra." After Vrijeswar left to inform you. I heard from a trader that a wolf was running around the market with a naked unconscious on its back. We found the cub and saw the princess covered in dirt. Nobody recognised her though. The cub ran straight to the Royal Adviser and fainted."

"That clears your doubt Vrijeswar. The wolf didn't attack her." Said Shakuntala.

"But who did?"

"I don't think any ordinary human could have escaped the attack of the pack unscathed." Said Dharmeshnath. He and Shivashakti had brought the princess to the health building along with the cub. Some animal curers were looking after it.

"We need to command the guards to increase security. Tell the Royal troupe to increase security on the borders all around the capital, and write to the head of states to report anything which is unusual." He said to Veerbhadra. "Also tell the Capital's troupe to interrogate  the farmers who were working on the field. We may have missed something."

"Vayu," Parikshit called from inside the recovery room Ajeenkya was in.

Vayuvijay rushed inside to see her daughter had finally opened her eyes.

"Father," she said clearly "the cloaked man, wanted to tear me." Her words were clear, Vayu knew she was not dazed.

"You are safe now, dear. Sleep a little."

"Is Aboli and her brothers and sister safe?" She asked.

"Who is Aboli?"

Ajeenkya knew that her father would not be pleased to hear that she had been escaping into the forest to play with the wolves.

"Please don't..be...aanngry.. Aboli.. small wolf ..my friend." She stammered "Fought cloaked man."

" Yes my love. She is alright. Now you take rest." Vayuvijay kissed her on the forehead as he left the room.

"What did she say?" Asked Shivashakti.

"Some cloaked figure tried to tear her. She is probably still in trauma." Sighed Vayuvijay. "Maybe once she recovers she will be able to narrate."

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The kite from Nazaan flew over Kaivalya and across the snow-capped mountains. It knew whom it was supposed to deliver the message from Zeus to. It descended as it approached the house of the Royal Commander. The Royal Commander Jaivira was readying his horse. He had received the message few moments back that the Royal troupes needed enhance the security measures in the Capital's border, following an attack upon the princess. The screech of the Kite made him look up. As the kite stooped down he stretched his arms to grab the scroll that was attached to its claws. He removed the scroll and motioned the kite towards his birdhouse. The kite obliged and went to calm its growling empty stomach, and get some rest before it made it's way back to the Zeus.

The contents of the scroll drained the colour off his face. He whistled his dove who came out of the birdhouse the kite had just entered. He wrote a message and told the dove to take it to the castle at the capital.

It all made sense now. It was starting to happen.

"Time to visit my friend in Kaivalya." Jaivira told himself.