Page 51 of Tiger's Dream
I studied her profile. I’d never seen her act in such a broken manner before. You’d think after that punch that I’d be the broken one, not her. I sighed. “Look, it’s fine. I’m all healed up. Don’t give it a second thought.”
“Are you certain?” she asked, peeking up at me through a curtain of her hair.
“I’m certain,” I said. “Besides, I should be apologizing to you. I know you aren’t appreciative of such gestures. I assure you, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She cocked her head. “So you are not desirous of pursuing me then?”
I laughed, my voice booming, perhaps a bit too much. “No. I have no desire to pursue you, Ana.”
“Good,” she said, though her face didn’t seem as certain as her voice.
“Good,” I echoed. “Let’s forget it ever happened.”
“Yes, I will endeavor to do so.”
She nodded and went back to scanning the crowd. It seemed easy for her to set aside any emotional drama and just focus on whatever it was we were doing. She said she was going to forget it and I knew she would. The thing was, I couldn’t seem to shake it off as easily. The memory of what had nearly happened churned in my mind like an aimless cloud. It produced nothing but it darkened my thoughts all the same.
“She is here,” Ana said. “I would speak with her. Will you help disguise me properly?” she asked, handing me the scarf.
I took it and drew it slowly from her shoulders. Cupping the fabric in my hands, I studied it and said, “Nilima’s never met you. She’s never seen you come alive in the temple.” I wrapped the scarf around her again, positioning it over her hair and trailing my finger down her hairline to adjust it. I noticed then that the scarf was now the exact same shade of green as her eyes. With my hand still in her hair, I said, “To her, you will just appear as a beautiful woman with a remarkable resemblance to the goddess.”
She nodded and removed the amulet, handing it to me along with our bag. After adjusting her dress, she headed toward a woman who’d just entered the temple grounds. Clutching the amulet, I phased time around me so I became invisible and followed her. Nilima sat down by a fountain and Ana took a seat nearby. I felt a shift in the air, and Ana’s scarf, the Divine Scarf, rose from her hair and flew to the ground in a whisper of silk.
It was obvious to me that the movement of the scarf was unnatural. It undulated like Fanindra in the ocean, finally wrapping itself around Nilima’s legs. Kadam’s great-great-granddaughter reached down and picked it up just as Ana rose and said, “Oh! Thank you so much. That scarf has been in my family for generations. I would hate to lose it.”
“It’s very beautiful,” Nilima said as she offered it back to Ana.
“Do you mind?” Ana said, indicating the space next to Nilima. “My mother suggested I come. I am to be married in two months.”
“Congratulations,” Nilima said.
“Are you marrying soon as well?” Ana asked.
Nilima laughed. “Oh, no. I haven’t met the right man yet.”
“Surely your parents can arrange—” Ana began.
“No,” Nilima shook her head. “I’m not interested in anything arranged.”
“Ah.”
“Not that I wish to disparage your choice,” Nilima quickly added.
Ana was quiet for a moment and then said, “Truthfully, I am not certain if marriage is right for a woman such as me.”
“Oh?” Nilima said. “Why is that?”
Anamika gave her a slight smile. “Men…frighten me.”
I could feel my mouth turning down at her words. HadIfrightened her? That hadn’t been my intention.
“Besides,” Ana continued. “I am a…a hard woman.”
“Hard?” Nilima laughed. “How do you mean?”
“I do not wish to be held beneath a man’s thumb and twisted.”
“Ah,” Nilima said. “That’s understandable. If that’s your definition of hard, then I, too, am hard.”
