Page 111 of The Surviving Sky
“It’ll begin chiming when it’s around Energy X,” Dhruv said. He made to leave, but Iravan held out his hand, arresting his movement.
“Wait,” he said. “Have you told Kiana about this yet?”
“No.”
Iravan said nothing, but his eyes held Dhruv’s.
“For fuck’s sake, Iravan,” Dhruv said. “I won’t tellher—ifthat’s what you want.”
“It’s dangerous. I would keep this to the architects as long as I can. Until I can confirm whether Ecstatic trajection is different from normaltrajection—”
“Yes, sure, whatever. I’m sure you have your reasons thatsungineersshouldn’t know about.”
Iravan sighed and pocketed the tracker. “Thank you, Dhruv. I think, if circumstances had been different, we could havebeen…friends.”
Dhruv rolled his eyes. “Don’t get carried away. I’m doing it for Ahilya, not you. Maybe if you treated her well, you and I would have had a chance at friendship, but she deserves better than you. She always has.”
“Someone like you?”
The sungineer cringed. “You know very little about our relationship if you think Ahilya and I could ever be romantic.” He turned on his heel and strode away, ending their conversation.
Iravan watched him go. He had not meant his statement to indicate the possibility of romance between his wife and thesungineer—thetwo had grown up together as siblings; Iravan had known this all along. Still, Dhruv had never liked him. Close with Ahilya as he was, perhaps he had envisioned someone different for her, someone more nurturing, someone who pampered her. Oam flashed in Iravan’s mind, the way he had reached out to his wife, the way she had grasped his hand, with Iravan the interloper.
He and Ahilya had never coddled each other; their relationship, and then their marriage, had been built on challenging each other, on becomingbetter, on growing together. Yet the path had grown corrupted without their notice. They had become harder instead of stronger. How had they come to this? Could there be any resolution now? She had asked him to stay, and he had agreed, but the Resonance burned in him, tempting him. How long could he ignore its call?
Lost in thought, Iravan left the solar lab. His feet tracked no destination. Instead, he turned at his whim, past homes and playgrounds, past quiet markets and empty streets. Airav had wasted no time. The ashram that had spanned acres in the sky was contracting. Tall trees grew on every corner, holding multiple crowded apartments in their boughs. Iravan wound his way through narrow lanes and muttering citizens who stood watching the growth. Several people hailed him, but he only waved and hurried on.
He found himself back at the temple within the Ecstatic ward.
No one else was about, and Iravan strode in, unchallenged. He approached Manav’s room and spun the dials. The glass cleared, and Manav stared at him, almost at eye level.
Iravan stumbled back, nearly tripping.
The man was inches away, staring at Iravan, staringthroughhim. It was like looking into a terrible mirror, their skins almost as dark, their hair just as long. Bharavi shook her head in Iravan’s mind.You are on your way. There’s no going back.
Iravan stared at Manav, forcing himself to truly see him.Is this my fate? Is this who I will one day become?He had released Bharavi, a more merciful path than what awaited him. Who would release him? Iravan pressed the dials on the glass and the tint increased. He stumbled away through the corridor, past the Ecstatic ward, toward an empty courtyard in the sanctum.
A lone bench grew under the sanctum’s neem tree. Iravan sat down, shafts of midmorning sunlight warming his skin.
There, embedded in the peace of the ashram he loved so dearly, Iravan closed his eyes and examined the Resonance.
It had dulled to a gentle warmth behind his brows while he had been in the council meeting, and later at Ahilya’s home. Now as he watched, it flared under his attention.
I know you, he thought.What are you?
The warmth flickered, expanding and contracting behind his eyes like wings flapping. Iravan took a deep breath. Gently, he let his attention draw closer.
The Resonance grew warmer.
He retreated.
The warmth subsided.
He drew closer again, and once more the Resonance flared, burning hot yet not uncomfortable. The two paths opened in his mind. He saw himself standing at the inevitable fork, suspended in animation as he struggled to choose.
I’ve found, Bharavi said to him,acceptance.
And Iravan chose the second path.
