City of Lotus Blossoms


Asima didn't remember that she was a goddess. She knew she was special, though. To be a Shadowhunter, a human who was half angel, tasked to protect the ordinary humansmundanes, the Shadowhunters called themfrom demons and other dangers that lurked in the night was no simple task. Her world was so much bigger than the one mundanes knew, and she savored it.

Asima lived in the New Delhi Institute, the place that housed the Shadowhunters who watched over the people of India. They all trained there, fought there, and lived there. They were around each other all the time. That was how she fell in love with Darpa.

Darpa wasn't as talented as she was. She wielded the seraph blades that the angels had given them with a skill that was unmatched in their Institute. What Darpa lacked in agility, however, he made up for in sheer bulk. While she fought demons, werewolves, vampires, or even warlocks with strategy and finnesse, Darpa was more than happy to simply bowl his enemies over.

"Really, Darpa," Asima chided with a soft smile, "you should at least try to fight them like a normal Shadowhunters. I teach the other children swordplay on Tuesdays. You're welcome to join us."

Darpa just shrugged, chuckling softly. "Hey, my way works just fine."

They were walking side by side down a wide, dark alley. They had just finished a mission, had dealt with a nasty pair of pishacha demons that had been munching on tourists who didn't know better than to enter sacred temples, or didn't care. They had let their guard down, and so when a shadow jumped from the roof, they were just looking up as it landed on Darpa, knocking him unconscious. Asima had her seraph blade drawn in an instant, but an instant was still too slow, and she was unprepared when the shadow struck her across the face, then dealt her a blow to the stomach.

Things never quite went black, but Asima's vision was grey for a time. When it cleared, the shadow had set her down on a rooftop. It was a man, and his back was turned to her. He had been foolish enough to leave her blade near her. She grabbed it silently, or so she thought, but at the whisper of the wind around her, the shadow man turned his head.

"Werewolf," she stated plainly.

"Shadowhunter," he replied.

"You're breaking the accords."

"But you know what I haven't broken? Your skin. Yet. Do not try me. I do not care for your laws. They have no sway over me." His voice was rough, as if he hadn't spoken in some time, or had perhaps howled at the moon for too long.

"Where is Darpa? The man who was with me?" Asima stood slowly, her blade in hand, her stance wary.

The werewolf shrugged. "Must still be in the alley."

The roof behind the werewolf creaked, and he turned to look behind him. Asima took the opportunity to strike, lashing out with the butt of her blade rather than the edge. The werewolf shoved her away roughly, sending her toppling over an air conditioning unit. A sharp metal edge tore her sleeve and cut her skin, but she didn't have time to assess the wound. Asima stood again, and saw Darpa and the werewolf, locked in battle. She held her breath as Darpa hurled the werewolf off the roof.

"Darpa!" She ran to his side, tugging him roughly to face her. "He was the Council's problem, not yours."

"He was an animal, and he deserved to be put down."

"That was not for you to decide."

The two stared at each other for a long, heavy moment, and then Darpa's eyes drifted down to Asima's arm. He recoiled instantly.

"He infected you," Darpa whispered.

Asima glanced down at her arm and rolled her eyes. "No, I cut it on some metal during the fight. It's fine."

Darpa took another step back, shaking his head. "You need to be tested. Quarantined."

Asima stepped towards him. "No, I told you"

"But what if you're mistaken?"

Asima gazed at Darpa for a moment. "You're right; I was mistaken. You were the mistake. You've never trusted me, Darpa. Why?"

Darpa opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Asima sighed. "That's what I thought."

She turned away and walked back to the Institute alone.

***

The London Institute was much larger than the New Delhi institute. Asima was sure it had something to do with ancient colonialism, but she tried to push the cynicism out of her mind and focus on her new role. It had been impossible for her to work side by side with Darpa after their fight. Around him she felt stifled, so she had requested a transfer. The London Institute was happy to welcome her on board so that she could train the almost overwhelming amount of children housed there.

"Asima!" a chorus of voices called, and a little girl, Anna, ran forward to tug on her hand. "We're going to the market to get snacks. Would you like to come?"

Asima, held onto girl's hand and joined the tiny mob that stood waist-high around her. "Of course. We all trained well this morning. We certainly deserve a snack."

They strolled along the streets, the bite of fall in the air, smiles on their lips, laughter in their eyes, and swords on their waists, ready to fight whatever came at them.


Author's Note: This story is another life of Lakshmi, known in the Ramayana as Sita. In this story, Lakshmi has been reborn as Asima, a Shadowhunter, people imagined to be defenders of our world from demonic forces by author Cassandra Clare, and she is kidnapped once again, as she was before in the Ramayana by Ravana. This time, however, she is kidnapped by a werewolf, creatures who are prominent in the Shadowhunter world, whereas in the Ramayana she grew up as a princess and was tricked into leaving her house by the charity that she was obligated to perform. Though Shadowhunters fight all sorts of demons, the pishacha is a specific flesh-eating demon from the Hindu tradition, so that some of that story is combined with Clare's fictional world. In the Shadowhunter world, it is the bite of a werewolf that turns others into werewolves, and this is the disease that Darpa fears Asima has contracted. Like in the Ramayana, Darpa asks that Asima be tested, but she will not have it. She knows that she is in the right. I believe it is best that it is up to reader discretion as to whether or not they want to read Darpa as Rama reborn. Though this is more of a continuation of the Ramayana than an adaption, my source for the Ramayana was Narayan's version and Paley's film.

Photo Source: RED FORT.NEW DEHLI.9206 by Jeddy Caro

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