by Namita Singh
being partners?”
“Yeah, yeah.” I assure him, frowning. “Remember Ethan? The guy who attacked you.”
“Your uncle.”
I glare at Neal while he minutely smirks, “He is not my uncle.” I recite a hundredth time, “He…Ethan has a male partner. My father had requested his presence so he could throw some light on my situation of having a guy as a partner. That’s why he was in here in Latvia at all.”
“Well,” Neal drawls, “lot of good that did. And,” he frowns, “What do you mean that he was here to throw some light on your situation?”
I sigh, “Like I said, I didn’t know same gender partners existed, so…” my voice drop lower, “I kind of freaked out when I discovered you to be my partner. So, father immediately brought someone who has already been in my situation. Plus, Ethan’s realm, that’s the First Realm; Ethan told me there are a lot of same gender partners out there.” I quickly tell him in gist, to assure him that we are not freaks, that there are people like us out there.
“Hold on a second…You know me since…middle school, right?”
“Uh huh.”
“So, why call Ethan now?”
I frown, “Because it’s only a few days back I discovered you to be my partner?” my explanation comes out as a question.
Neal grimaces, “But you know me since three-four years. What, you suddenly realized that I am your ‘forever-together’ buddy?”
“Oh.” I say, realizing what Neal is asking, “Ugh,” I groan, when I realize that I’ll probably have to explain that you need to be a mature therian to sense your partner.
“What?” Neal snaps, noticing my reluctance.
I sigh, “Well, I just matured a few days back.”
“Um…” Neal trails off, thinking of what to make of my sentence.
I roll my eyes, “It’s a therian thing. A therian usually matures in his or her late teenage years. It is accompanied by gaining the full-fledged abilities of a therian. The ability to sense your partner is one of them. Don’t ask me to explain the maturation in detail. I am not in the mood.”
“Okay, I get it.” Neal grunts quietly, “So,” he starts in a louder voice, “You freaked out when you found out that a guy is your partner, okay.” He says and continues further,“All the opposite gender partners, guy and a girl, end up as a couple?” he confirms.
I sigh, “That’s understandable-” I start.
“Yeah, I get it. I know that’s understandable. I am just asking. All of them, couples, huh?”
“Yeah.” I concede warily.
“And…Ethan? He and his partner….they are like, together…?” He trails off.
Well, isn’t that a billion dollar question?
I sigh, again, “Yeah,” I mutter, “But then, Ethan and his partner are best friends since childhood.” I say.
“And that’s an explanation for why they have ended as a couple?”
Obviously it’s not, but I don’t reply to Neal.
“What about other same gender partners?” Neal asks further.
“Look,” I snap, glaring at Neal, “Can we cut this out and try not to make this more awkward than it already is?”
“Hey,” he snaps back, “I just want to see how deep in shit I am.”
“You’re not in deep shit.” I assure him, “I don’t care how many gay or lesbian partners are out there. Conceptually, partners are not meant for romance and I sure as hell am not inclining towards it. All I want is your aura to be around, that’s it. So, no, your straight ass is not in deep shit. Don’t make this more awkward for us.”
Neal assesses me for a moment then disappointedly looks away, “Fine.” He mutters, seemingly not satisfied by my explanation but I’ll be damned if I have to answer one more of his awkward question. Neal starts picking on the threads of my bed sheet, pointedly looking away from me, his expressions blank yet managing to convey his disdain at my snappy tone. Oh, God, are you kidding me? What is he, a kid who got his candy snatched away?
“I am serious, Neal.” I say in an assuaging tone nonetheless, “You don’t have to worry about me proposing to you.” I can’t help but throw in some sarcasm at his childishness.
Neal snorts, “I am not worried about that. I mean,” he hastily corrects himself, “Yeah, that’d be just weird, not to mention that I’ll just turn you down but the presence of the aura of your partner is all you require?” he asks, quickly changing the subject and squinting at me.
“Well, aren’t you a lad who wants the situation to be more and more awkward?”
Neal rolls his eyes, “I just want to be aware of the whole situation.”
I awkwardly scratch the side of my temple, “Yeah, a sort of mental connection is desired, of course. That’s understandable, too. Since your aura, which is the actual thing that attracts your partner, is a result of how your thoughts process in your mind;the partner invariably hopes of developing some sort of a connection with the same mind.”
Neal nods, indicating that he understands me, “Attraction?” he asks, still slightly nodding his head.
Yeah, trust him to pick the word. It’s like he deliberately wants to create the tension in the air.
I shrug nonchalantly, “It’s attraction you feel for the aura. I have just been using different words before.”
Neal raises his eyebrows and then drops them instantly. “Okay.” he simply says.
And now the real awkwardness marks its presence. Now with the end of that discussion, both of us have suddenly gone quiet with our gazes aimed at any of spots in my room, other than at each other. It’s like both of us are devoid of any new topic and both of us can’t think of indulging into some other activity. It’s not every day I tell a guy that he is my partner and that his presence makes me happy in a very sappy way and that I need him to be around for my congruency. I also indirectly revealed that I most probably desire an emotional bond with him, if nothing romantic. It’s bound to make things awkward. I don’t know if this uneasiness is going to be long lasting but if it is then I’ll surely be asking the triple goddess to open the earth and swallow me whole. I shift towards the door of my bedroom and feel a therian aura coming upstairs. Probably Aakir; bless his soul. I hear the familiar tic tac sounds behind me which is probably Neal working on his laptop again.
Aakir’s worried face comes in my view, immediately making me forget the self-conscious discomfort due to Neal. I silently raise my eyebrows as Aakir walks towards my room. Aakir sighs as he reaches me. He gives me a helpless look and passes by me to enter my room. He stops at merely two steps inside my room.
“Hey.” Neal says when he notices Aakir.
“I need a favor from you.” Aakir says to Neal.
Neal and I simultaneously raise our eyebrows, while exchanging a glance with each other. Thankfully, it doesn’t feel much awkward anymore.
“What is it?” Neal asks Aakir.
Aakir sighs, “I need you to make Silvia come with us. I will tell her about myself, about us therians, and that she is my partner. I want you to make sure that she accepts me and comes with us to Krasnoyarsk.”
“That’s the best conclusion you guys came out with?” I say, slightly shocked. I expected anything but not this. Not Neal meddling with the future for our gains. I don’t know if I am more appalled at my elders allowing something this illegitimate or at them asking my partner to do something this illegitimate. Neal hasn’t exactly been reluctant to meddle with the future for The Plutocracy, so I suppose my anger is at the former.
“Yes, Josh,” Aakir replies, frustrated, “That’s the best conclusion out of the discussion. Because clearly they can’t think of any other solution. And neither is your dad able to affirm that we’ll return for sure. So, yes, that’s the only answer I am able to get.” I am surprised at the shear frustration in Aakir’s stance. As I have said numerous times before, it takes a lot to shake a guy like Aakir. Ignoring me, Aakir turns back to Neal, “I have taken permission from the elders. They are okay with it. I just need your consent
….and of course for you to do the deed.”
Neal watches, agape, at the request. He then suddenly laughs, but without humor, “Dude…okay,” he rubs the back of his neck, “I have tampered with a person’s will before…but for nothing of significant value. A slight hitch here and there….but I have never full on altered or created someone’s will for something this substantial.”
“But you can do it, right?” Aakir asks.
“…Yeah.” Neal replies with slight reluctance, “I mean, yes, I am sure I can. I am just saying that I don’t think it’s a good idea to tamper with someone’s will for such a huge decision.”
Aakir suspires, turning to look at me once. For a third person, he may be looking slightly worried, but I know how miserable he is feeling from inside.
“Aakir, we may find something else.” I say, trying to encourage him in vain. I am not at all happy with Neal using his abilities for our benefit. That just spells wrong in every angle.
“I wouldn’t ask for it if I could see any other way out, Josh.” Aakir says, almost pleading with that annoying innocent look on his face. He turns towards Neal, “Please?” he says.
Neal confusedly traverses his eyes from my disappointed face to Aakir’s pleading one.
Neal raises his eyebrows at me, “I know that you don’t like my abilities.” He states.
Before he can continue, I interrupt, “Yes, I don’t. But, I mainly don’t like it when you use it for something likeThePlutocracy.” I clarify, hesitatingly.I glance at a hopeless Aakir once then