Page 86 of The Surviving Sky
Another doorway opened in the temple wall. Senior Sungineers Kiana and Laksiya hurried out, followed by Chaiyya, who rushed despite her advanced pregnancy. Airav and Bharavi were nowhere to be seen, but a familiar shape—Iravan—stood in the darkness. His head leaned back against the wall. His eyes were closed. His clothes were ripped, blood smeared his face and his arms, and his hair was filled with earth and dust, but he was fine, he wasalive.
Ahilya stumbled to him, and he must have sensed her, for his eyes flickered open and surprise flashed through them. Iravan straightened.
“Ahilya—Whatareyou—Areyou all right?”
“A-Areyou—Ecstasy—?”she stammered at the same time.
“No,” Iravan said, shaking his head. “Not me. Bharavi.”
Such a powerful wave of relief crashed over Ahilya that for an instant she felt unmoored. Sorrow followed, but before she could untangle it, Iravan shuddered and crumpled to the floor like the last of his strength had left him. His head dropped on his knees. Great big sobs wracked his body.
And in that moment, Ahilya forgot everything else.
She forgot what she had come to say to him. She forgot all that had happened between them. She forgot the chaos behind her, the damage to the ashram, the bustling architects. All she knew was he was Iravan, he washers, and he was in pain.
She dropped to her knees next to him and wrapped her arms around him.
His body stiffened, but then his arms came up to surround her and his face buried in her shoulder. Crushing her to his chest, her husband wept like she had never seen him weep before.
Ahilya didn’t speak, didn’t say anything, didn’t question. She ran her fingers through his damp, grit-filled hair, tears streaming down her face as well. She stroked his back, his neck, his shoulders as shudders passed through his entire body.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice muffled.
“I’m sorry too,” she whispered.
“I frightened you.”
“I lied to you.”
He pulled back, shaking his head, protesting her apologies, and their lips met. He tasted of dust and loneliness and heartbreak, but he gripped her tightly, as though the ground underneath them was still roiling and she was his only lifeline.
When he pulled back, Ahilya leaned in to close the gap, but Iravan shook his head again and tipped her chin up with a knuckle. He gave her a watery smile.
“We have so much to talk about,” he said.
“Damn right we do,” she replied softly, but his eyes ran past her and his expression changed, and Ahilya stopped talking.
Pushing her back gently, Iravan stood up. His eyes were red from the weeping, but something in him had closed. She rose too and turned to see the three women councilors approach the stairwell.
Ahilya gripped his arm. “What happened? Inthere—withBharavi?”
Iravan glanced down at her. “You need to go to Tariya. Tellher…about Bharavi. It’ll be better coming from you.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You have to. Please. You’re not allowed where I’mgoing—I’msorry—”
Ahilya made to argue, but Iravan’s eyes grew pained again. He cupped her cheek with his callused hand. His touch was delicate like he was afraid of hurting her.
“Trust me,” he said, and she could tell he was at the end of his courage.
Reluctantly, Ahilya drew back and nodded.
She slipped out of the stairwell, back into the main temple courtyard, as the three women of the council entered and began climbing down. Iravan straightened his rumpled and dirty clothes. His eyes becamehard—heseemed to come to some decision. His glance fluttered up to Ahilya, but he didn’t smile. He studied her face, but Ahilya got the sense that he was really seeing someone else. Then the bark closed on the stairwell and Ahilya was alone in the chaotic temple again.
Her fingers touched her lips. She wavered as Iravan’s sobs echoed in her ears. He had looked so desperate, soalone, examining her face like it was a stranger’s. She knew what she had to do; she had made up her mind already.
Ahilya counted slowly to twenty. Then, glancing behind her, she waved the rudra bead bracelet Iravan had given her, and the bark slid open to reveal the staircase again. Silently, she climbed down, following the muffled voices of the councilors.
