“We’d also like to tell you her side of the story sometime,” Aru pressed.
“When you’re not too busy,” added Mini.
“All right then, Pandavas. So you shall.”
Somewhere, Aru thought she heard the faintest sigh on the wind … a breath held too long and suddenly exhaled.
“And as a reward for bringing back my bow and arrow, I also have a boon for each of you.”
Aru’s ears perked up.Woo-hoo! Boon!She just hoped this wasn’t going to be like Agni’s boon, which, no offense, was basically just a divine IOU. What was she going to do withthat?
“For the daughter of the god of death,” said Kamadeva, handing her a small golden box, “I grant you a single minute of time, which can erase a full minute of words you didn’t mean to say. Very handy for first-time crushes.”
Mini blushed. “Thank you.”
Kamadeva held out a slim red book to Brynne. “For the daughter of the god of the wind, I present you with my favorite recipe book! Soul food is delicious, of course, but heart-food?! Ah. It brings you kindness for days.”
Brynnegrinned and took it eagerly. “Yay! Cookbook!”
“For the daughter of the god of thunder, I give you this”—Kamadeva handed her a silver lipstick tube—“a celestial spotlightmade of crushed stars and aged moonbeams. Use it when you feel like the world should see you in a different light.”
Smolder power!thought Aru as she thanked the god of love.
“And for you, Aiden Acharya,” said Kamadeva, holding out a single golden arrow no bigger than Aru’s palm, “an enchanted arrow from my own collection, to do with as you wish. But know that you cannot change someone’s freewill. And there is no magical cure for grief. All this arrow can do is open the pathway for love. It doesn’t make someone smitten, and the love doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic. It simply makes themawareof love where perhaps they might not have been beforehand.”
Kamadeva’s words were cryptic, but Aiden smiled anyway. He took the arrow carefully and stuffed it in his pocket.
“Don’t putitthere!” said Aru.
“Yeah,” said Brynne. “What if you fall and land on your butt?”
“And then the first thing you see is the floor. Or a lamp,” said Mini. “Then you’d be in love with a lamp. Er, superawareof a lamp.”
“Fine! Fine!” said Aiden, sliding the arrow over his left ear like a pencil. “Better?”
“Sure,” said Brynne.
Kamadeva opened the door for them. “I wish you well, Pandavas.”
Aiden sighed. “Honestly, I’m really not a Pandava.”
“Maybe not by blood. But certainly by marriage,” saidKamadeva.“After all, in another life, you were Queen Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandava brothers.”
There are certain horrific moments in life when the only way to fix an awkward situation is tobeawkward.
Kamadeva had vanished, along with his extravagant palace, leaving the four ofthem staring at one another in the middle of the forest.
“So …” said Aru. “Should we call you Wifey?”
Aiden—who looked as if he’d been hit by a train—managed a weak laugh.
“Go away, Shah,” he said.
“You’re my friend, but the thought of being married to you makes me nauseated,” said Mini. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
Brynne shuddered. “You’re my best friend, but I wouldneverlike you. One,because you’re basically my brother. Two, I prefer boys who can beat me in a wrestling contest.” She thought about this and added, “Or girls.”
