If every deed has a price, so does rest and hence the peace.
~Yaris
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"So white tender leaves receive the soul as we die?"

Curious shocks glazed her hazel eyes as she crinkled the shirt of the person who stood in front of her.

"Don't be silent pappa! I thought gods received them."

He leaned near to her face as his rough palm caressed her plumpy cheeks.

"Haahaa! Why don't you tell me how they receive it then?"

Her gaping mouth began to chew her rosy lips, coloring her face to a tint of baby rose buds that her eyes gazed at. She let her thoughts wander while crushing her purple-laced frill frock. When she looked at the bed of roses cooing to the rays of sunset from the mud jars, her eyes twinkled, making her shake her piggy-tailed head in joy.

"Those jars we sent them in. I thought they bloomed as plants there."

Her reply made him arch his brows. His thick pressed lips dug a shallow dimple on his honey cheeks.

"So you think gods hold a garden of roses?"

"You said Amma was an angel so the gods took her too soon. Isn't it why we keep flowers in her photo? I thought a flower bloomed in heaven every time we presented her one."

A jolt of silence washed his face. But his dried gut pushed the lump down his thick bearded throat.

"You are seven but smart!"

"Don't worry pappa, we will meet her someday."

She wiped the unannounced tears that welled in his eyes. Words failed him, making him nod.

"Come let's go without getting lost."

He held her palms as they walked through the crowd on the trimmed lawn of grass. The bright wiggles of the crisscross line of tiny purple-red petunias made her run toward them as her little heart yearned for their scent.

"Mmm! These smell like fruits!"

He gestured to sniff them from afar while he folded his hands shaking his head to the sides.

"Pappa, buy them please?"

He took the crumpled money from his purse and bargained with the owner, eventually triumphing in saving some money.

"Don't hold me, I will walk on my own."

She insisted making him nod to her tunes. With a happy smile, she began walking clearing through people with her little hands.

"Back to my question, is it the white ferns or the jar?"

She asked when she reached a clearing, but silence followed her. She looked back only to know she was alone.

"Appa! Appa enga-"

The rush of adrenaline narrowed her lids. She snapped open her lashes only to realize that the skies were perfectly dark.

"Damn, the same mare."

Her eyes scrunched. It wasn't to the place nor the moments but the irony that hauled her afar.

This was your fate.

It was more than a fact that she pushed her heart to believe every day. Clearing the moist dribbles, her lashes unfurled latching her past in a pitted spot.

Where am I?

She cursed her memories as she folded her winter stiffed legs. Her fleeting eyes narrowed to her wrists as a sudden realization dawned on her.

No chains. Huh! Saved.

She rubbed her palms to ease the heaping burns that pricked akin to the needles. Glancing at the grounds, she slowly woke.

Back we go to the den!

But her evidently growling stomach stopped her. Pulling out the watch from her pockets, she was surprised it was almost close to dawn but the sheathed skies said otherwise. She could spot only a dimly lit shop at the corner of the lane that was surrounded by nothing but walls.

Weren't there shops here too?

Her thoughts throbbed. When a loud groan echoed in her ears, she made up her mind. Her fingers dug into her pockets to trace a few rolled notes and some metal chunks.

"Fine. Coffee for now."

⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫

"Here you go man, two shots of Vedic whiskey."

He clicked the teal-smeared black table with the glistening glass. The glittery golden liquids rippled ready to waken the nerves.

"Ou, thank you. Did you add that thing?"

His deep-set prismatic eyes pondered over the quizzical words of the pale bearded man.

"Oh, dews of Amruth? How will I forget?" He winked to keep it veiled.

"Hey, where are our Apsaric virgins?" A shaky voice from the other side earned his attention.

"On the roll my young ladies!"

He strolled to grab the two lemon-stuck glasses to pour the colorless liquid. He squeezed the vial labeled grape, trickling some carmine dews in a swirl.

"Get the sweet sparkles in please."

Nodding to them, he sprinkled the rosaceous glitter. They sunk in along with the thick condiment drop by drop.

"Hey, it's time to close the shop here." A rough voice bubbled near his ears as her beaks dropped the ice cubes.

"Aha!" He brushed the hints to take care of his customers.

"Here you go, Mrs Ranjana and Ms Geetha!"

Her blue eyes gleamed with joy, adding more wrinkles to her cheeks.

"Oh, Just Miss, Ara! What can I say? They are so rich with the past. Such delightful drinks you make," she purred, patting him on the arm as she took a sip.

"Pleasure! Oh, you need some peace cookies? Saga, lend some aid here."

She slid the top aside letting the buttery stench cloud the boozy breath.

"Yokes!"

The grey-haired woman chuckled as they could see the little claws stumbled while plating the roasted spiral cookies on the bowls.

"Make some peace grannies, back there your husband awaits you." The comment made one of them knock her purple-streaked head.

Ouch! Why truth is bitter everywhere?

Fleeing back to the ebonic perch, she pulled his collar, making him drop his marble-stained cleaning cloth.

"Look, wrap it up, it's midnight already."

Her chirps earned his iffy stares.

"Ah! Don't be a mad log."

She began fluttering her wings at the proximity of his ears, letting some sticks roll and metalware murmur.

"Saga, don't you see, we can't shoo them!"

His eyes scooted the whiskey-smoked wooden floors and the dark-tinted walls. Their happy smiles and merry words welled joy in his heart.

"Oh, don't be silly. They come here once every month!"

But her facts could do nothing more. She brushed the edge of the shimmering grey beak on her purple-glazed feathers. With a cautious lean, she took her last resort.

"Ouch! That's burning."

His strenuous strokes reddened his lobes, making his opal piercing glow akin to the moon.

"Don't push me to do it." Gulping down some water, he shot his brows up.

"We must be ready, the jars may flow in any time."

His cutting glare made her hop two steps back.

"Argh! I don't get why uncertainty interests you than this."

"It's exciting. New voices and new stories." Joy tickled her auburn eyes.

He tossed some seeds on the earthen bowl and pointed her to munch them. She twisted her neck and blinked till he gave up his stiff demeanor.

"Ara! It's a moonless night. Don't you see it? Shouldn't we be there than here?" Her careful eyes gaped at the skies warning him of the tides.

"So what? Last time we had no new customers. Why lose what we have? Ouu- no stay there. Don't bite me all day."

She clawed his shoulders to set the scrunches flat. Beaking his white shirt collar, she pulled him out of his desk.

"What do you want me to do?"

She flew to the thread hanging below the ledge bearing a white box. Guessing the gesture, he pressed. The beams traced the outline of a cheerful man and a crow facing each other with clinking glasses, eventually elucidating the violet words, 'Somabaanam: the crowbar'.

"I'm sorry folks."

He looked behind to witness the saddened souls vaporize into embers of smoke.

"We know. Until next time."

The man patted before twirling into streaks of smoke. A part of his heart felt sorrowful, as he saw the half-emptied glasses and chunks of once-bit foods. But he knew it was time for his real duty.

"Clean the tables now."

Without heeding to him, she flew to munch the seeds and sipped some water.

"It will be boring if nobody comes."

"We are mere helpers, Saga. Not always help is needed."

He retched as he picked the plates. Fury boiled him, letting him accidentally push a glass, making it crash into the floor in multiple pieces. Silence rushed between them for a fleeting moment.

"Shit! All for nothing."

"I'm sorry. Let me check if anything is interesting?"

His whimsical lips curled at her devoted curiosities. He mused how she was already ready to be nosy about the bitter truths of manhood.

"Bizzare for an attendant."

"Oh at least you have meh-"

Her mighty perches were cut as the rush of air made her cluck thrice.

"Hello, is the shop open?"

A weary lyrical voice made her twist the head behind only to be surprised. Her eyes studied the figure that was about to enter.

Five feet five. A dusky woman in black.

"Holy heavens, we did-"

Before she could finish, her eyes pried how his sharp jaws dropped. A short rush of heat warmed his creased forehead, as he studied the floors she stood around. It was clear to them.

"Do you think she is aware? Should we bet? Ten free shots or fifteen?"

Her tipsy shrieks made him laugh letting his tensed muscles relax a bit.

"We will know as we do the business."

Terms:

Andhadhi: A unique kind of Tamil poetry constructed such that the ending word of each verse becomes the first word of the next. As a term, it signifies the start from an end.

Appa or Pappa: A Tamil word for father.

Amma: A Tamil word for mother.

Enga: A Tamil word to denote 'where?'.

Amruth: Word for Ambrose.

Apsara or Apsaric: Word for celestial beauties.

Saga: A Tamil word for a friend or helper.

Somabaanam: A Tamil word for any drink offered to the Lord or Devas.

The prompts have just begun. 2000 is done. Do drop your quests and queries here.

With riddles,
🧩..Yaris..🧩