Serpentine Love (4 page)

“
Are you referring to the
inagimi?” Isaac got straight to the point.

Arya sat on a chair, tense with
excitement. “Well, yes. Anything regarding inagimi you can tell me
about?”

Isaac walked to his desk and sat on it.
He placed his coffee mug down. “Inagimi has fascinated writers and
even filmmakers for decades. To think, a snake so powerful it can
shape-shift whenever it wants and blend in among the humans. I
believe there have been movies made in India on the
subject.”

“
There have been, yes.” Arya
had seen them all, talked to the filmmakers, researchers,
historians, snake charmers and all snake experts in India during an
earlier trip to this world. There was talk, as there always was,
but no evidence and no eye-witnesses accounts. Kenya was his last
hope. “Do you believe that there is some truth behind these
myths?”

Isaac laughed, his eyes crinkling at
the corners in mirth. “It’s just a myth. Nothing more, nothing
less. It would make for an interesting read in your book. Don’t put
too much store by it, though.”

Not willing to give up with such ease,
Arya prodded the old man. “It’s said in some circles that you know
about the inagimi than you let on?”

“
Why would I hide anything?
What would it gain me?”

Arya placed his hands on the desk.
Isaac was right. It was too important a find not to share it with
the world. If Isaac had found some hard evidence, he would have
gone down in history as the man who had discovered a rare species.
He would have been famous.

To say that he was disappointed was an
understatement. Had he traveled to another world for nothing? What
would he tell Archan? He’d expected more from this source, and to
have his hopes dashed so casually was disheartening.

“
What have you heard about
the inagimi?” he persisted, hoping for any kernel of information
that could give him a clue as to where to go next.

“
Well, Kenyan folklore
doesn’t have too many references to inagimi. It’s said that
centuries ago, pleased by a snake’s worship, the Goddess granted
him the power to shape-shift into any form he desired, be it a
human, an animal or an insect. Over the years, the snake, in the
guise of a human, mated with an ordinary woman and sired children.
The children had his ability to shape-shift, but unlike him they
could only take the form of their parents, that is either they
could become a snake or take a human form. Since then, all
off-springs of inagimi have been blessed with the same powers. It’s
a nice story,” Issac said.

Arya leaned forward. “What of the Blue
Stone?”

“
What’s that?”

“
It’s said that the inagimi
protect a stone that has the power to grant immortality to any
human who so wishes.” Archan had told him this when he initially
took the contract. The stone was what attracted Archan. If he could
take the stone away from an inagimi, he would become immortal and
hence rule their world for an eternity.

Isaac waved a hand. “Never heard of
that. As I said it’s a nice story. Don’t base your book around it,
unless of course you intend to write fiction.”

Arya leaned back and tapped his index
finger on the desk. “There has to be some basis of fact behind a
myth.”

Isaac took another sip of his coffee.
“Well, the local Kenyan tribes around these parts believe Mount
Kenya to be a sacred house of God. They believe their God resides
on its peak and, hence, they face the mountain while praying or
offering sacrifices. Hordes of tourists and hikers have conquered
the peak, but none have yet to find evidence that there really is a
god in residence on top. Some stories are just stories. If you seek
to find facts behind each story or myth, you’ll disappoint yourself
many times over.”

“
Isn’t there anything else
you could tell me about the inagimi?

“
No. I’m afraid that’s all I
know.” Isaac got up. “It’s time for dinner now. Come.” He walked
out of the study.

Arya chewed on his bottom lip as he
followed. He was crushed. If Isaac didn’t know anything about the
mysterious snake, there was nothing else for Arya to do in Kenya.
He had no other avenues left to explore.

Now, all he had to do was to figure out
how to break the news to the most powerful wizard in his world--and
save his life from Archan’s revenge.

Early next morning, Maya strolled in
through the study door. “Ready?”

Arya and Isaac were having breakfast
together. “Are you going out?” Isaac said.

Maya patted the rucksack she held in
one hand. “We’re going for a hike. I’ve my binoculars and camera.”
She walked up to her grandfather and pecked him gently on the
cheek. “No more coffee,” she scolded, waving her finger at him.
“Too much caffeine is not good for you.”

He saluted her smartly. “Of course,
captain. Be careful out there.”

Maya understood his fears. “Don’t
worry. I always am. Come on then, Arya. We’ve things to do and
places to see.”

Arya joined her outside. Opening the
car door, Maya sat down on the driver’s seat.

“
Do you have all the
essentials?” she said.

Arya placed his backpack on the back
seat and sat in the passenger seat. “A torch with extra batteries,
sunglasses, a cap, sun screen, insect repellent and two water
bottles,” he rattled off the list she had dictated to him last
night while they had walked outside. “Also, a digital camera and my
notebook.”

“
So did you learn anything
about the inagimi?” Maya gunned the car down the narrow road that
led to the trail.

Dawn was just breaking on the horizon
and the sky was an interesting mix of orange, yellow and red.
Ghostly shadows stuck to the forest and fog rolled over the car,
masking the road ahead.

Arya grimaced. “Nothing much. It seems
to have been a waste of time all along. Your grandfather claims
never to have discovered an iota of truth behind those rumors. I
read his old research notes last night…and didn’t get any new ideas
where to resume my search.”

“
You could put a spin on
inagimi and write it in your book as one of those myths that exist
for no reason whatsoever, can’t you? After all, as a writer, you
can write pretty much anything.”

“
True,” he said.

Maya looked out the window. Mount Kenya
seemed so close, and now in the first flush of the morning light,
streaks of gold and orange cast fiery lights on the snow nestled at
its peak.

“
It’s an amazing sight,”
Arya muttered as he looked out the widnow. “Your grandfather is
lucky he gets to see this every day.”

Maya parked the car under the shade of
a dense tree as the sunlight splashed across the mountain’s
forested slopes and broke the dark of the night.

“
That’s why he chose to live
here. We’ll hike from here,” she said. After getting out of the
car, she hefted her rucksack out from the back seat.

Arya got his bag out, and watched as
she locked the car and pocketed the keys. “Have you done this hike
before?”

“
Wear your cap. You don’t
want to get your hair wet in the mist,” she said. “Yes, I’ve been
here a few times before. There is always something new to see.
There is something about nature, the forests, the singing streams
and the cool shades under the trees that make my blood
sing.”

He walked up to her. Lifting her chin
with gentle fingers, he tasted her lips.

“
This makes my blood sing,”
he whispered.

Maya took a careful step back. Her head
spun as the blood rushed through her veins. “Didn’t I say that we
weren’t going to do that? It’s one of my rules.”

“
There’s something about
rules that makes me always want to break them.”

Pulling her back, he kissed her again,
his tongue moving in and out with a sweet abandon. Maya found
herself running her hands up and down his back.

What was happening to her? Why couldn’t
she resist him? She didn’t even trust him completely. Her gut told
her that he was hiding something from her. Still, despite her
misgivings, she was attracted to him.

A bird chirped overhead. Almost as if
he was coming out of a trance, Arya raised his head and stepped
away.

“
I don’t know…” He shook his
head, looking perturbed. “Why the hell can’t I keep away from
you?”

Since she had the same question running
through her head, Maya chose to ignore his frustration and began to
walk. It took effort to force her frozen feet to take one step
after another. She was staggered by his kisses more than she let
on. The feel of his lips on hers, the taste of his mouth, his clean
smell…everything fit together perfectly. It was almost as if it was
meant to be.

What was about this man that made her
want to forget everything and take that unforgettable step forward?
This wasn’t her way. She didn’t have the luxury of this choice,
this man or this world. Hers was a different path, one meant be
walked alone.

“
So what is it about these
rules of yours?” Arya followed her. “Are they really
necessary?”

“
Yes,” she said.

Her life was complicated, and in order
to simplify it, she compartmentalized it as neatly as possible.
There was her work and her professional acquaintances and they
remained separate from her personal life. Never before did she
bring someone associated with her work into her personal space.
There was a strict demarcation. And now suddenly, the lines were
blurred.

This sudden change confused
her.

What she felt for Arya, the deep
longing, the pure lust coupled with a healthy respect for his
intelligence and personality made it impossible for her to resist
him. It might have been easier had he not been attracted to
her.

But he was. And there was no denying
that fact.

Given all that, how could she keep him
at an arm’s length for long? But how could she afford to become
involved with him?

He was a stranger. He was a man, and he
was researching something she wasn’t willing to divulge…there were
just too many reasons for her not to get involved with
him.

And still, she found herself thinking
of his eyes, his body, the feel of his hand on the nape of her neck
and the scorching kisses they had shared.

She walked ahead, heading for the dirt
path hidden by the ancient rosewood trees, eager to make her body
ache with exhaustion so that it might forget its baser
urges.

“
We’ll follow the trail for
a while,” she said. “Stay alert. You might see some unexpected
sights today…if you’re lucky.”

Quietly, they traversed the trail still
wet with morning dew as it winded its way through glades of trees
and bushy shrubs standing close together.

“
See there.” She crouched
next to a rotten log. There, nestled among the dry leaves and
shrubs was a puff adder, basking in the weak sunlight filtering
through the dense canopy of the trees. “It can strike fast and
hard. The twin fangs hinged into its mouth can inject enough venom
to kill a man, if anti-venom is not administered
quickly.”

“
Aren’t you a little too
close to it?” Arya pulled her back.

“
Worried?” She smiled at
him, her eyes shining with amusement at his concern for her
safety.

He let her go. “I’m sure you know what
you’re doing.”

Surprised at the abrupt change in his
demeanor, Maya stepped back. “Come, there is a stream nearby. We
might see some lairs over there.”

Throughout the morning, they walked
through dense forests and wet streams, through patches of heather
as tall as a man and once passed by a herd of buffalos grazing on
dry shrubs and grasses.

There was little conversation.
Occasionally Maya stopped to point out a snake cuddled near the
base of a tree or dangling from the overhead branches. Once she
stopped to show him a hornbill as it chuffed on a nearby
tree.

“
We’ll stop here for lunch.”
Maya stopped near a stream and washed her hands. “Don’t drink the
stream water. It’s not safe for human consumption.”

Unwrapping sandwiches, she handed him
one and munched on the other.

“
We seem to be the only two
people around.” Arya looked around. “In fact, it seems as if we’re
the only two people in the world.”

“
Don’t be taken in by the
calm of the forest. A whole world exists here. Apart from the
wildlife, local tribes visit the mountain, some even live here.
Then there are the park rangers, the tourists and the hikers,” she
said. “This weather is perfect for hikers, and you will find many
on the popular paths if you’ve a mind to seek them.”

“
I’m happy where I am,” he
said, gazing at her as she stared out into the forest.
“What?”

“
I sense something,” she
whispered.

For a moment all was still, and then a
buffalo poked its head out from behind a massive tree trunk and
gazed at them with soulful eyes.