Heyyy!! I Want To Tell You That YOU ARE LITERALLY SO TALENTED!??! ALL THE DOODLES ARE SOO PRETTY AND

Queering Bengali Cinema: Rituparno Ghosh's Retelling of Cultural Texts

Themes of loneliness drive my films"

~Rituparno Ghosh

Antarmahal (2005) Shubho Mahurat (2003) Chokher Bali (2003) Abohomaan (2009) Dosar (2006) Utsab (2000) Dahan (1997) Unishe April (1994) Shob Charitro Kalponik (2009) Asukh (1999)

Rituparno Ghosh was a gender nonconforming, sexually dissident filmmaker who made and acted in films revolving around openly homosexual, bisexual and transgender characters. For his work, he won accolades including national awards in India and recognition at film festivals around the world. In 2013, 50-year-old Ghosh met with an untimely death due to heart attack; however, he lives on as India’s most visible queer icon, whose mere presence shook the heteropatriarchal foundations of Bengal’s as well as India's cultural milieu.

In two decades of his filmmaking career, Ghosh consistently engaged with topics considered taboo in the Bengali bhadralok society. Even though, it was much later that he started working with explicit queer content in his films, in the early phase of his career, in films such as Unishey April (1994), Dahan (1997), Bariwali (1999), Utsab (2000), Shubho Maharat (2003), Ghosh dealt with trauma and repressed desire of women in a patriarchal society, seen by scholars as a reflection of the agony of a queer individual in the proverbial closet in a heteronormative society.[1]

Ghosh’s cinema was relatable for the Bengali bhadralok because it was heavily influenced by the film aesthetic of revered filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray. While this visual language made him a favourite of the English-educated, urban Bengali, his exploration of the ‘unusual themes’ placed him at the receiving end of scathing criticism. Ghosh, however, was quick to find a middle ground. He succeeded in evoking the nostalgia of the rich heritage of Calcutta by employing Hindustani classical music or Rabindra Sangeet as background score, and by setting the film narrative in the decorated interiors of old mansions of colonial or pre-colonial Calcutta. Under the garb of such nostalgic elements, he lured the bhadralok audience to the cinema theatre and presented his queer film aesthetic in a way that would suit their sensibility. This subterfuge of relatability helped Ghosh naturalise the themes of same-sex desires and the experiences of queer people of his later films. 

In a similar vein, in queer-centric films that Ghosh made, influenced or took part in, such as Arekti Prem er Golpo (2010), Memories in March (2010) and Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish (2012), he freely accessed indigenous cultural resources to validate their contents. He delved into Bengal’s religious myths and cultural artefacts to perform alternative readings that not only helped historicise homosexual and other queer desires, but also helped normalise their struggles in the eyes of the cinemagoers. 

Arekti Prem er Golpo: Androgyny and the Figure of Chaitanya Arekti Prem er Golpo (Just Another Love Story) is a film that Ghosh heavily influenced, although he did not direct it. The director, Koushik Ganguly, later confessed that Ghosh was rather stubborn about playing the role of the queer protagonist after his own image, instead of indulging the director’s idea. The film narrates the story of Abhiroop (played by Ghosh), an effeminate, homosexual filmmaker who is in the process of making a documentary film about Chapal Bhaduri, a Bengali jatra (popular folk theatre form of Bengal) actor who performed the roles of women on stage for 40 years. In the 1960s, Chapal Rani, as Bhaduri was known, was allegedly the highest paid ‘actress’ of Bengali jatra. The reference to the figure of Chapal Bhaduri in Arekti Prem er Golpo and his experiences as a performance artist, who constantly straddled male and female roles, supports the idea that gender is performative rather than biological. Abhiroop’s character is a modern-day parallel of Chapal’s. He loves a man but loses him when his lover’s wife becomes pregnant; the possibility of a child born out of a socially accepted heterosexual relationship, thus, obstructs the queer characters’ path to fulfilment. Abhiroop’s fate mirrors Chapal Bhaduri’s career as a female impersonator on stage, which came to an end when biologically female actors finally shattered the shackles of patriarchal restrictions and found their rightful place on stage. It restored the heteronormative standards where only a biologically female actor could play the part of a woman, and a biologically male actor could assume the role of a man. Bhaduri was no longer required to switch between gender binaries; while women emerged in the public space of the stage, the gender-queer actor was made to fade away. 

The marginalisation that the gender nonconforming identities have to suffer echoes through the film, but there is also an assertion of the legitimacy of the ‘other’ gender beyond the male/female binary. The following conversation between Chapal and Abhiroop reflects this in the most effective way: 

Abhiroop: Do you really see yourself as a woman, Chapal-da?

Chapal: Oh my! If I thought I was a man, there would not be any problem.

Abhiroop: I think women are one category, men are another, and we are a third category.

The reference to Sri Chaitanya, founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, also brings to the fore the celebration of androgynous identities and queer desires. Abhiroop, at one point, shaves his head to acquire a sort of ‘genderless’ look and narrates the story of Sri Chaitanya, whom he considers to be an icon of native cultural androgyny; Sri Chaitanya embodied both Radha and Krishna and preached Radha bhava (emotion)where the worshipper is in passionate love with Krishna. Ghosh’s films are also noted for their recurrent use of Vaishnava padavali (a lyric poetry tradition of verses narrating the erotic love play of Radha and Krishna). 

Memories in March: Same-sex Desire and Brajabuli Lyrics  Memories in March, written by Ghosh himself, and directed by Sanjay Nag, has a song written in Brajabuli language (an artificial language created by the fourteenth-century poet Vidyapati to write about the love of Radha and Krishna) by Ghosh which captures the eternal longing of the virahini (estranged lover) to be one with her love. The song, bahumanaratha saju abhisarey pahenu suneel bes (In the hope of meeting my lover, I put on a blue dress), speaks of Radha’s hope and anxiety about the possibility of meeting Krishna after a long separation.[2] The song plays in the background of scenes focussing on the sudden demise of Sidhharth, the lover of Ornab (played by Ghosh), in a car accident. 

The use of this Brajabuli song in describing the love, longing and tragic end of a homosexual relationship accentuates the idea that same-sex desires transcend superficial physical attraction and have emotional and spiritual vitality like any romantic relationship. Ornab’s agony at the passing away of Siddharth is naturalised in the bhadralok eye by equating it with Radha’s agony at her separation from Krishna. Even in the film Raincoat (2004), there are Brajabuli songs narrating an illicit affair between a married woman and her childhood lover. These songs substantiate the queer aesthetic of Ghosh who bridges the gap between the legends of the illicit love affair of Radha-Krishna with the modern love affairs that function outside societal norms. 

The language of the songs that establish the mood of Ghosh’s films is significant as well. According to Professor Bakshi, the use of songs written in Brajabuli language itself is symbolic[3] because Brajabuli is a language that does not have any geographical or cultural boundary; it is a language that borrows vocabulary from several other Indian languages. No language is, therefore, more suitable to carry the emotional gravity of the lived reality of people who do not fall under gender binaries. 

Chitrangada: Gender Fluidity and Indigenous Myth  Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish is a film that Ghosh wrote, directed and acted in. It draws inspiration from the legend of Princess Chitrangada whose father raised her as a boy but who wished to become a woman after falling in love with Arjuna. The film revolves around Rudra who meets Partho while rehearsing for a dance drama based on Tagore’s play Chitrangada (1892), falls in love with him and goes through a sex reassignment surgery to be able to bear a child. The story has conspicuous similarities with the Chitrangada myth. It validates the existence of deviant desires and identities from time immemorial, and invalidates the idea that these are the by-products of Western influence and modernity. 

Ghosh’s engagement with the alternative readings of native resources not only queered the language of Indian cinema but also helped the Indian queer demography in locating itself in the indigenous culture of the land. His films and his presence in media as an openly queer individual gave the LGBTQ+ community of Bengal, and India at large, a voice. However, he has faced some criticism from the LGBTQ+ community for the glaring absence of the queer subculture, such as the drag culture and kotha-hijra(transgender communities)tradition of India in his cinema.[4] All the queer characters of his films are English educated, from urban spaces and financially affluent. This helped him naturalise queer identities in the bhadralok eye but weakened his films in terms of queer visibility, the politics of representing and bringing to the fore a heterogeneous cluster of queer figures in popular media.

Just gonna share my sitaramam edit on here as well 💕

Tagging ppl based on who replied to/liked my earlier sitaramam post :

@eenadu-varthalu @gauri-vishalakshi @myheartonthemove @booksmartheart @voidsteffy @sinistergooseberries @yehsahihai @dumdaradumdaradum @ms-potato @fangirl-bookaholic @saltyhumanoidbailiffshoe @infinitesubconscious @mango-mastani @maidenofmidguard

y'all know so many telugu films have so much potential for a non canon ships like rrr with so much worthy content for fics and everything. yet no one acknowledge it's existence. sad.

Chelsea Blecha on Instagram

Hello everyone!

As the RRR fandom grows, it is delightful to see the influx of so many new fans who are outputting the most incredible fanworks and meta analysis. So @stanleykubricks​ and I ( @fangirlshrewt97​ ) are pairing up to host a fandom event to celebrate this movie we all love so much as a community! And as Diwali is around the corner, we thought new content would be the perfect way to lead up to the Festival of Lights!

This is a low-pressure event meant to encourage the creation of more fanworks for RRR. Fic, art, gifs, vids, podfic, you name it—all are welcome.

Posting for CelebRRRation will run from October 20 through October 24, 2022.

Prompts:

Day One – October 20: Firsts • Angst • Naatu Naatu • Recovery

Day Two – October 21: Action • Flowers • Dosti • Be Nice To Ram

Day Three – October 22: Music • Misunderstandings/Jealousy • Soulmates/Soulbonds • Animals

Day Four – October 23: Whump • Food/Drinks/Cooking • Bed Sharing • Tattoos

Day Five – October 24th Fire/Water • AU • Light/Lamps/Diyas • Free-For-All/Catch-Up Day

More info under the readmore!

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Guess who is in middle of a lecture but decided to write this here ::

So I've been thinking about doing a case study for Bheem like I did for Ram but then I realised it's not the same.

I can't ask the same questions, actually I'm not even sure of what questions I can put up.

Have you watched Korean movies or dramas? If yes then you must have noticed how well formed, rounded and individual there characters are.

Bheem is the same.

He's a well formed human. That's the highest compliment for not just characters but for real people as well.

He's confident in his talents, he's secure about his upbringing and values. He doesn't allow negativity to overwhelm him.

Unlike us unhinged idiots, he stays in control of his state of being.

I think the only time I saw a shred of hate was when Ram suggested that he be hung infront of Malli.

Even that could be seen as self loathing because he trusted Ram and couldn't understand how he was so wrong. Well maybe not but allow me to indulge okay?

I was thinking and couldn't come up with single response to who he'd be without Ram.

Probably same as he was.

Isn't that beautiful? Bheem stayed true to his essence throughout.

As much fun it was to watch Ram become free in bheem's presence, it was very peaceful to see how Bheem virtually didn't need another person to make him better.

Without Ram, Bheem would still be Bheem- soft, caring, intelligent and a free spirit. I almost thought Ram gave Bheem the impulse to comeup with self sabotaging plans but then i remembered that our guy was collecting wild animals much before the epic meet.

Then i laughed. Cried a bit too, I'll tell you why-

Without Ram, Bheem would be same. Ram didn't contribute to character development. The only thing Bheem gained out of this friendship was love.

Bheem would still be a loving person but Ram showed him love.

I can never undermine this. I have personally craved for a connection as pure and strong as theirs.

The secure bond they had was Ram's little contribution to Bheem's life and nothing can be more precious than that.

Brb gotta wipe these treacherous tears.

a few reminders because i’m tired and angry

fandom is a hobby, not a form of activism

adult women aren’t inherently creepy for being in fandom and having hobbies apart from raising babies and doing taxes

the vast majority of people pushing back against the worrying trend of instigating harassment over fictional characters and relationships aren’t incest supporters or pedophiles, actually

liking a m/f ship doesn’t make someone a dirty heterosexual invading your space

preferring gay ships doesn’t make you ‘’woke’’ and good

no one owes you a disclaimer that they are a good person who recognizes that their favorite fictional villain’s actions are evil and that they don’t condone those actions irl

liking a fictional villain is in no way comparable to advocating abuse/murder/genocide/etc and you’re a fucking idiot if you believe that

just because a woman is attracted to a fictional villain doesn’t mean she’s promoting toxic relationships or going to end up in a toxic relationship. assuming women can’t tell fiction and reality apart stinks of internalized misogyny 

some rando’s a/b/o fanfics have none of the level of influence that popular tv shows and movies spreading propaganda have

no one owes you a detailed description of their traumas and mental health problems

abusive relationships are not the same as enemies to lovers ships

y’all need to chill the fuck out over people, relationships, actions and events that don’t actually exist and learn how to enjoy and discuss them like normal people

fandom is a hobby, not a form of activism

feel free to add more

JennySita Story Summary

Um. Ok. A little context. Have you ever had that thing where you read or saw or heard something and an entire story flashed before your eyes? That kind of happened to me today (again) and this is the result. I cleaned up the initial ramblings so it is a little more coherent now. 

I hope it makes sense? It literally came to me out of the blue. And ended up being way, way, way longer than I expected or anticipated. 

It is not a fully realized story in that there is not dialogue. Consider it more a detailed plot synopsis like you find for movies on Wikipedia. 

Um, if anyone wants to take this and expand any part of this into a full story, you have my blessing, just tag me so I can read it. 

///

Ok so what if Jenny and Jake (from freaking Naatu Naatu) are actually engaged instead of just being acquaintances Jenny can blow off? Jake is still the absolute dick he is, with his superiority complex and hatred of Indians. He is rich and got lucky being born into a powerful British family so he things the world must bend to his every whim. And Jenny will be his ultimate trophy, with her wealth becoming his when he marries her.

Jenny does not like him and does not want to marry him but due to some family/political reason has to. She wishes she could find any other suitor or some other way to break the engagement without causing disastrous consequences for her family. She had hoped coming to India, being away from London Society, would give her a chance to breathe more freely. But Jake is too possessive and controlling to let her come by herself even to visit her own uncle and aunt. Jenny feels like there is a cage closing in on her every time she sees his smarmy smile.

Even with Jake though, she loves her time in India. He complains about everything and rarely comes out of the cooler mansion rooms where someone will fan him and tend to his needs. Jenny is grateful because it allows her the smallest chance of freedom to travel about the town. She loves the culture, the way it is so different from her own. The colors that vibrate with life, the way children laugh more openly, the way people smile more freely.

Jake hates every single one of these things.

The other reason she loves being away from Jake is he cannot touch her. He hasn’t crossed any lines yet, and Jenny always tries to have at least two or three other people in the room with them. Because when they are alone, Jake is… he takes liberties with her she cannot fight against. Because she knows what her word is worth against Jake’s. And even if her family believed her, no one else would. The one time she managed to push him off of her when his hands started to wander, he had nearly broken her wrist with how sharply he had twisted it. Not to mention the way he is constantly putting her down in front of people. Jenny feels so alone, none of the people are genuine friends, rather Jenny knows they are all sucking up to Jake in the hope he will help them advance in society. And Jake lets that get to his head. Jenny is disgusted by it. It is also the reason she can never trust any of them with how she is truly feeling about anything.  

One day during her daily trips, her car gets a flat tire. But two people come to her rescue, introducing themselves as Bheem and Sita. Sita speaks English with surprising fluidity, and tells her Bheem is a mechanic who can fix her tire in five minutes. Jenny is thanking them profoundly while Sita waves her off, saying she has seen Jenny at the market often, and Sita works at the market.

Jenny returns home, but she is not able to forget Sita’s smile. Or how it felt like the first genuine smile she had seen in ages. Or the warmth it had caused around Jenny’s heart. Or how the smell of the jasmines she wore in her hair had lingered so long after for Jenny.

She seeks out Sita the next day at the market, and finds out she sells the flowers she has seen many Indian women wearing. She is fascinated by how skillfully Sita is able to make the flower garlands and ends up spending like ten minutes just staring at her until Sita laughs and calls her over. Its the start of the truest friendship Jenny has ever had. Slowly, all of her trips end up having the same destination. Sita never scolds her or complains that Jenny is driving away her business, patiently sitting with her and answering any questions she has. Sita asks a few questions of her own about Jenny’s family, which causes Jenny to clam up. Sita doesn’t push, unlike Jake, instead switching to ask her about the mansion and what is it like living there.  

Sita tells her about her own family, how she is in Delhi with her babai, and her best friend Ram who is a police office.

(In this world Ram and Sita both come to Delhi, Sita to get info that Ram can’t and they can pass info on to other freedom fighters too plus sometimes women will never talk to Ram but will open to Sita. They also meet up with Bheem but instead of Ram handing him over, see what a strong ally Bheem could be and promises to help him find and rescue Malli. Sita had indeed spotted Jenny after Bheem had pointed her out as living in the mansion. When she had seen her standing at the road with the flat tire, she had thought it would be a good opportunity to befriend her and in that way find out more about Malli.

Having actually befriended her, Sita’s heart ached at the loneliness that always seemed to hang around Jenny’s shoulders. But also, how her cheeks reddened when Sita touched her arms or teased her. Sita didn’t understand why she felt a stronger need everyday to see Jenny laugh properly, the kind of laugh that reached her eyes. (This is after she helped Ram and Bheem realize they shared feelings more…intimate than brotherhood. She had been heartbroken that she wouldn’t actually marry Ram, but he was still her best friend, and how could she deny him the bright smiles he wore around Bheem. Or deny Bheem anything? That man’s eyes were worse than a baby cow’s.))

Fast forward one day Bheem drops by with some bangles he had made in his spare time for Sita, who adores them. Jenny finds them so beautiful and while she is hesitant at first to take one when Sita offers it, she concedes, letting it slip that maybe the little girl in the palace, Malli would surely love it. She is confused at the stunned and pale faces of her new friends, but doesn’t have much time to ponder before the palace guards come to bring her back. She gives the invitation to the party to Sita and begs her to come, and bring Bheem and Ram too.

On the way back, she can’t help but compare Sita and Bheem to Jake, and how diametrically opposed they are.

The Naatu Naatu scene plays out the same way, except that evening is the first time Jake throws a vase at her head and says that if Jenny ever humiliates him like that again he will not hesitate to take things a step further. Jenny feels fear clamming up her throat, but nods.

She tries to stay away from Sita, but misses her desperately.

Sita brings her home one day for lunch and she meets Sita’s Babai and Ram. And despite being the obvious outsider the others are all kind to her and she feels more at home there than in her uncle’s house.

Unfortunately, her luck runs out when one day when she had accompanied Sita home for lunch, one of Jake’s cronies spotted her. And saw her enter the home only to be greeted enthusiastically by Bheem who had pulled her into a bear hug. She had been so embarrassed the first time, but then grown to love how warm and safe those hugs made her feel.

They go and tattle to Jake who first refuses to believe them but then he finds a bangle Bheem had painted specially for Jenny (hoping Jenny would share more information about Malli, but also because Jenny was kind and deserved to smile more often). He loses it and hits Jenny before locking her up. He also sends out police officers to capture Bheem and bring him to Jake. Except, that night is the night of the mansion fight. Ram and Bheem work together but apart, Bheem causing as much mayhem as possible while Ram tries to get Malli away from the Britishers. The fight doesn’t go well though, Ram having to step in to arrest Bheem to prevent Jake from straight up shooting him. During the fight, Bheem had not understood why Jake was so angry and just knocked him unconscious.

When Jake woke up, he had been even more angry.

Ram tries to help him out of prison but ends up being the one chosen to punish him. Jake drags Jenny to watch Bheem get the flogging. Jenny is horrified at what her friends are going through but there is nothing she can do to help them in some way. Until Malli’s friend comes to visit her. Her heart aches for Malli, and she cries at how similar but differently their imprisonments are going. She convinces Malli’s friend to get a message to Sita. She somehow sneaks a message about Bheem’s planned execution to Ram. And a letter thanking Sita fir everything but she is returning (being forced to) to England in a few nights. Jake had been adamant their wedding take place as soon they stepped onto British soil.

(During this whole situation, Sita had grown to see Jenny less as a means to an end of rescuing Malli, and instead seen what a kind soul she was. And beautiful too. She would see her face in her dreams, and her laughter would echo in Sita’s ears long after the woman had returned to her mansion.

Jenny had also confided in her, in masked words and worried lips about Jake, and how much she wanted to escape but there was nothing she could do. Sita had realized Jenny was also a victim of the British system.)

Ram and Sita plan for a way to break out Bheem, Malli, and Jenny all in one go. The same fight scene happens, except Sita is also hiding with Babai and they manage to overwhelm the British soldiers with some guerilla tactics. All six of them escape without a moment to spare.

Of course the whole mansion/government knows immediately and all three (Ram, Bheem, and Sita) are branded as Wanted Criminals. Jenny is terrified for them even more than for herself. Begs them to run, they have Malli, they should leave her, she can buy them some time maybe. They won’t listen to a word of leaving her behind.

Jake has been fuming in the background that Jenny ran away with Bheem of all people. Also for the entire time between the mansion fight and Bheem’s non-execution, Jake has been taking his anger out on Jenny. He is always careful to not leave bruises that cannot be hidden. But he has not been kind. 

So we get Sita taking care of Jenny and telling her all her wonderful qualities. Jenny ends up crying herself to sleep in Sita ’s lap/arms. Its the best night of sleep she has had since childhood. Sita on the other hand feels this foreign rage boiling in her blood that anyone would dare lay a hand on such a gentle soul.

Eventually they run out of places to run though. Jake finds them. Ram and Bheem try to hold off the goons while Jenny and Sita make a run for it with Malli. Jake grabs Malli and holds a gun to her head. Jenny begs him to release Malli, saying she will go back with him, listen to him, do whatever he wants. Jake hits Jenny. Sita feels her anger take over her body. She steps between them and takes the next hit instead. And then defends Jenny saying Jake would not be worth Jenny’s little finger. Sita tackles Jake.

Ram and Bheem have taken care of the goons now, and are coming back when they hear a gunshot. They rush to the girls, only to find Sita holding a stunned Jenny, a smoking gun held between trembling fingers. Jake is cursing up a storm on the ground, screaming at Jenny that she shot him. But her is alive. The group escapes. They all run from Delhi.

Jenny comes to know about their secret mission and feels guilty they had to abandon it. None of the others blame her, saying they will find another way. But then Jenny remembers where her uncle had kept his documents, and tells them she may be able to help them yet. Babai had not been seen by the British officers and had not been persecuted. They rendezvous with him. He is still a police officer. Jenny tells him where he could find and steal some important documents.

The heist goes smoothly. Both Babai and Ram are so ecstatic when they realize the documents are detailing the movements of various weapons shipments that will be coming into India.

Sita splits from the boys, taking Jenny home with her while the boys go to reunite Malli with her mother and then to the ports to divert the weapons into their control. Before he leaves, Babai encourages Sita to follow her heart. Because he knows how Sita was in love with Ram as a little girl. And now has the same look whenever she looks at Jenny.

They make it to the village, and Jenny cries from how free she feels. And then she looks at Sita and laughs. Joyful. Finally realizing she is free. She is the most beautiful thing Sita has ever seen. She kisses her.

There is a moment where time freezes, but then Jenny smiles, and Sita’s heart bursts like a field of flowers.

They live happily for as long as they live.

///

Feedback is appreciated!!

Tagging (Please please work, Tumblr I beg you):  @rambheem-is-real @budugu @bromance-minus-the-b @junebugyeahhh @hissterical-nyaan @obsessedtoafault @hufhkbgg @yehsahihai @rorapostsbl @bluesolace1 @fadedscarlets @alikokinav @chaotic-moonlight @rambheemisgoated @rambheemlove @jaganmaya @burningsheepcrown @lovingperfectionwonderland @rosayounan @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @thewinchestergirl1208 @dumdaradumdaradum @ronaldofandom @jjwolfesworld @jrntrtitties @kashpaymentsonly @jeonmahi1864 @zackcrazyvalentine @stanleykubricks @m3gs1mps4a @tulodiscord @teddybat24 @sally-for-sally @ssabriel @jadebomani @stuckyandlarrystuff @veteran-fanperson

y'all know so many telugu films have so much potential for a non canon ships like rrr with so much worthy content for fics and everything. yet no one acknowledge it's existence. sad.

Tale As Old As Time... (Part 2)

Well, the reaction to the first part was … overwhelming. Which is good because my brain has taken this idea and hurtled at maximum speed. I am hanging on for dear life. I hope I survive the experience. And I hope none of you decide to jump ship, though I understand if you do. 😅

Here is Chapter 2 of God only knows how many, it is more than 4. I can assure you of that. You know that one gif of the cartoon laying the tracks in front of it as the train is going full speed? That’s what this story is going to be. Please excuse any bumps that may be present.

This chapter is more… tone setting? It might be boring compared to the first part, but I promise you chapter 3 will make up for it. (I hope). Here we go!

(Part 1)

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Where were we? Oh Right. The story is just starting isn’t it. I think it is time I take a backseat and let the story play out.

Jai let Bhairava say goodbye to the princess. Mithravinda begged Bhairava to do something, to plan a way out of this, he cannot possibly be thinking of just letting that monster to whatever he wanted to him.

Bhairava did not tell her he didn’t think he could put up a fight anyways. He could feel those eyes. Could feel their heat on the back of his neck. He was sure his wolf was watching him.

Bhairava gave Mithravinda a kiss on the forehead, even feeling that was too indecorous. His teeth chattered as a cold breeze cut through him. Though this kingdom lay so close to Udaigarh, the atmosphere was much more cold. He shivered as the wind tore through his simple cotton shirt and pyjamas.

He bowed to Sher Khan’s nephew as the man came into view on the other side of the gate. He has only heard of the man. Knew he is a good man. Not like Ranadev. He would care for Mithravinda. And he prayed the princess would return his affections. She deserved to be happy. Even if his own future was so uncertain right now.

He wiped Mithravinda’s tears away and placed her hand in her rightful groom’s. It ached, but the pain was not nearly as sharp as before. And despite them being at least a couple kilometers away from the palace, Bhairava would swear he could feel the burning gaze still.

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