Beast and his Fair Maiden

Unexpected Tenderness

"Calm yourself! " Agni said in a authorative tone, to make Jwala listen, who was still murmuring about beasts

"You don't understand! There were a huge beasts and he was hissing fire and everything "

She was hysterical, Agni knew he was ugly as a beast, his dragon form was such that it could instill fear in the bravest of hearts, but that had not bothered him, infact at some point of time he had also relished the fear he could see in people's eyes, what had actually bothered him was the look of disgust accompanying it, when they had looked at his hedious form

"Should we do something? "

"I think we should just leave them alone "

He could hear his siblings murmuring, as they quietly left the room, with a soft thud of the door

He was alone with his wife, Jwala, and he had no idea how to calm her, she looked in a frenzy, murmuring about beasts again and again

"Calm down! Listen to me, it is alright! " he hugged her, this was the first time he had voluntarily hugged anybody

she was weeping now, out of shock

"I am here! Don't worry " He said in a gentle tone, his voice felt foreign to himself

but it seemed to work, the shocks which were shaking her body had subsided considerably

He picked her in his arms, gently, and went to sit on his chair, with Jwala securely on his lap

He was murmuring for her to calm down, as she trustingly placed her head on his chest, he was stroking her head, and soon she fell asleep

Jwala would not have been soo meek, in her normal state, most probably she would have scratched his face or bit him or may be damaged his privates again !

He had done this to her, but somehow having her in his arms, so trusting and so soft, did not , not feel right.

He had no idea when he slept, while calming her, but when he woke up, she was not where she was supposed to be, that was in his arms.

He went to look out for her, and following the sound of cheerful voices, he reached the main hall, where Jwala was sitting amongst his siblings, quite happily as well

She was smiling broadly

She never smiled when she was with him!

"I see there is heart to heart going on here, with my siblings who were about to leave but are still here"

"Welcome brother, join us! " Salil said with a wink

"This is my fort! and you were suppose to leave"

"Come now Agni no need to be so hostile, we were just worried about sister in law, now that she was fine, it was too dark to leave, we'll leave tomorrow " Vayu said calmly

Jwala had a feeling, that Vayu was the bridge between them, always the sensible and mature one

While salil was the playful one, always ready to take advantage on a little slip

While Puhumi she was....Jwala could not actually figure her out much, it seemed she was the youngest but sometimes she seemed older than all three brothers

and Agni, Agni was hers now, and she will have to figure out what is the problem with him

Because it was clear none of them were normal ,and of course there was this little blip about the beast who had raged at her but not harmed her

"Why are you sitting next to my Queen! " Agni growled as he came and squatted Salil

"Come now Agni, don't be childish" he scoffed

"I am not -"

"Stop brothers! how about we play a little game, just like we used to when we were little "

"No! " All three of them said in unison

"I did not think you'll three would ever agree or rather disagree on anything " Jwala commented

While all the four siblings turned towards her in unison

Puhumi was the first to burst out laughing , soon salil followed and then Vayu and then finally Agni

She had never seen Agni laugh, his laugh was beautiful, his eyes crinkled at the corner, filled with humor, not those cynical laughs which he was so fond of, but actual laughter, laughter which was filled with life

And it seemed so had his siblings as all of them had stopped laughing, just to look at him

Agni stopped laughing abruptly, sensing the silence around him and eyes on him

"I have some work! Please leave tomorrow " Agni said as he left from there

"how rude! " Salil commented after him

"You are good! " Vayu complimented her, his voice held admiration and something close to suspicion

what the hell was wrong with him

"My sister-in-law is best" Puhumi hugged her

and then she was left all alone, as one by one they all disappeared

Well the creepy siblings were something else, and she was married to one of them, great! And to top it all who the hell was that beast!