Her evenings were too quiet. This was a source of boredom to Aavya. She wanted excitement, for someone to hold her hand and gaze into her eyes, for someone who would watch the glowing sunset with her, but there was no one. Jean, Louis, Jacques, Pierre; they had all come and gone, but none had been Intense enough; none had been able to ignite the spark and keep the flame alive.
She sighed as she turned over the lover's charm from Rosaye, the gypsy woman who lived down the road. She had said, pressing the charm into her palm with a wink,
Be ready for the excitement of lifetimes
Aavya never really believed in charms, but she didn't want to reject her "gift," either. After all, she had complained enough to Rosaye about her dull, lackluster life.
Though they weren't really friends, their paths often crossed.
That night, she lit a candle and whispered her wish into the lover's charm. Her words were barely audible, If love be real, let him find me, let him knock at my door.
Then, she laughed at herself, blew out the candle flame, and went off to bed. She truly never expected anyone to knock on her door the very next night.
But the knock came.
First, she thought it might be the neighbor or perhaps her cousin, who always visited unannounced.
She cautiously got up and opened the door.
A tall, graceful, and impossibly handsome man stood there. His skin had a faint glow, like someone who had been long under the moonlight. His gaze was unsettling. Eyes were a shade of dark liquid blue, like waves in twilight. His clothes shimmered, and he seemed to see through her and into her. He had the scent of fresh rain about him.
"Who... who are you?" Aavya stammered.
The stranger smiled, revealing teeth white as pearls.
"I heard your call," the man said softly. His voice was calm, deep, and oddly soothing.
Aavya felt her mouth go dry. "My...my call?"
"The candle. The words. The charm. You summoned a lover. And here I am."
Her throat went dry. The charm. The silly little chant she had muttered over candlelight.
"I didn't mean—" The words stuck in her throat.
She almost slammed the door in his face, but something in his gaze held her spellbound. His presence wasn't frightening.
She stepped aside and he walked in like flowing water. The candle on her table flickered violently even though there was no wind stirring it.
Aavya felt excitement like she had never known, by his mere nearness and then there was this grip of anxiety —like the calm before a storm.
"Don't be afraid," he said softly, reading her mind. He traced gently the dent on her chin with a smile glinting in his eyes. "You called for love. And love has come."
Her heart pounded deafeningly in her ears and her instinct screamed for her to run, but her limbs were rooted to the ground — she could feel an inexplicable attraction to the stranger.
"I didn't mean it."
"You lit the flame. You opened the path. Intent does not matter, Aavya. Desire does."
His voice was as cool as the ocean breeze. She couldn't remember telling him her name.
Her pulse surged.
“This is madness. I don’t even know you.”
“You know me more than you think,” he said in a soft, velvety voice. “You dreamed of me. When you whispered your wishes into the lover's charm, it was me you called. And now I'm here.”
Her knees buckled, and she clung to the doorframe.
“You… you’re not human?"
“No.” His eyes gleamed like phosphorescence on dark water. “I am of the sea. I can give you all you desire: riches, beauty, love that consumes. Anything.”
His soothing voice melted her fears as they talked far into the night. He told her of oceans, of cities beneath the waves, of a world filled with beauty, one she couldn't ever imagine. He called himself Rajendra, but his name slipped from his lips like it was borrowed. He asked nothing of her, only listened, only smiled with a softness that felt intoxicating.
By dawn, she wondered if she had dreamt him. But when she looked at the chair across from her, there was a small pool of water, glistening in the morning light.
Night after night, he came. Always after sunset. Always leaving before dawn. Her boredom dissolved into something electric, frightening, and yet tender. She found herself whispering secrets to him, laughing in ways she had forgotten, leaning into the warmth of his presence — his fingers cool against her skin, his voice calling her name beneath the roar of tides.
He brought her gifts — a necklace of coral, a comb carved from mother-of-pearl, different currencies. She asked him once where he got them. He only said:
“From the depths of the water.”
The days that followed blurred with excitement. He came often, at twilight. Always knocking, always smiling.
And she looked forward to twilights. She loved his lingering gaze on her lips before claiming them'.
Then one night.
"I....I want you!" Aavya whispered against his lips, molten desire floating through her veins.
He smiled, touching her cheek. His fingers were cool, leaving dampness behind.
“I will only take what you are willing to give from your heart. But know this: the sea always keeps what belongs to it.”
"I'm ready!
That night, he led her in a dream, down to the shore. The moon's silver on the restless waves. The sea stretched before her, dark and endless.
“Step into the water,” he said. “If you do, you will belong to me forever. You will never hunger, never age, never want. You will rule beside me in the deep.”
She hesitated for just a moment and stepped into the water.
The marine lover tilted his head, his eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
“Now you are......mine. And I am yours.”
Aavya was not herself, she had become a vessel for the spirit she summoned.
But the next morning, some fishermen swore they saw someone like her, walk into the waves and dissolve into its foam.
And nothing again was heard of Aavya, after that day.
Be careful of the wishes you whisper into the air
Image is AI generated.
🌸My Motto is: Work at making myself proud of myself.🌸
Thank you very much for taking time to read me. Have a wonderful day!