Deep Down the River

The early morning mist was beginning to clear when I started walking to the river. I sat down on the steps that led to the river and waited. I like sitting there looking into the river with hope, as memories come gushing by. It was three years ago, on a windy evening I first saw her. I had gone for a stroll by the river and I noticed a figure lying there motionless. I thought it was a corpse. My curiosity got the better of me and I went near it. I couldn’t conceal my wonder. I always thought they were a myth, but here it was, a mermaid. She had a deep wound on her neck.

Gathering my courage, I ran my fingers over her forehead, her slender, transparent arms. She stirred. I stood up with a start and moved back. It was only after she managed to sit up that she noticed me. My heart was pounding with excitement. Her eyes were filled with doubt. "Ya e dhru"?, she asked. I dint understand and stood there confused. "Who are you?", she asked again. "I was just passing by", I said. ”Can I do anything for you?”. "Can I rest somewhere for the night?", she asked looking around. I could see that she was in so much pain. "You can rest here in the changing room. No one will come until morning", I assured. "Can I get you something to eat", I enquired. She dint respond.

She looked worried and terrified. I asked her about the wound, but she just kept staring at the river. That night I was restless. Nect day , even before dawn, I sneaked out of my house and went down to the river to see her but she was gone. I spent many sleepless nights thinking about the incident. Three months later, one evening, I saw her again. She was waiting for me where I last met her. Having recovered, she looked more beautiful. She was glowing in the evening gloom. She made me take a vow that I wouldn’t tell anyone about her. From then on we were good friends. I was slowly and willingly getting to know more about their world, and she ours. I didn’t know then, that it was going to change our lives forever. She was never alone and was always accompanied by her brother Liam.

Tall, muscular, with an acquiline nose and prominent cheekbones, eyes blue like the deep sea and hair as black as the darkest of nights, he looked divine. He carried with him a sword, 'Katva' in their tongue. It was evident that he didn’t approve of Abella seeing me, but he loves Abella too much to stand in her way. Their father was the king of Inor Kingdom, one of the sea kingdoms in the Arabian sea. Bilad, the king of Piliath Kingdom was very ambitious, not in a good way. He wanted to be the king of the sea and make Abella, his Queen. He waged wars and took over many kingdoms. It was during one such war that happened between Inor and Piliath when Abella came into my life. Inor never lost to Piliath. I have heard many stories of Liam's heroic deeds and I was eventually falling for him.

People back at home were curious about my daily visits to the river but they were not fixating about it. Abella used to try and engage Liam in our conversations but he barely spoke. He was reserved, not arrogant. One day, Liam came to inform me that Abella had gone to her aunt’s for a few months. "Ok", I said, disappointed. "I can still come", he said. I looked at him taken aback. He stood there smiling. Everything around me turned hazy. I thought I would faint with happiness. He came towards me, not taking eyes off my face. He sat down next to me and said, "I am Liam". "I am Hiranmayi", I said. He laughed. We spent hours talking, swimming in the river, exchanging stories from childhood every day after that.

Each other's way of life sometimes took us by surprise but most of the times it exercised a deep fascination over us. Though it was evident that we were getting closer, we never discussed about a future together. I didn’t know if I could fit in his world and he into our's. But we loved each other so much that we couldn't stay away. Happy as a clam, two months passed. Abella , Liam and myself formed a small , exciting, secret world of our own.

Suspicions grew in Inor as Abella and Liam were frequently going away. It was not very difficult for them to find out why. It created a havoc. I saw Liam once after that, and Abella, never. He had come to tell me what happened and that we wouldn’t be seeing each other anymore. Bilad waged war to capture Abella and she was killed in the fighting. Deeply shocked, I broke down. The war was still going on and Liam had to go back. He ran his fingers through my hair, placed a gentle peck on my cheeks. I didn’t stop him. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he dived into the river. I never saw him again. One year has gone by. I come here everyday and wait by the steps yearning to get a glimpse of Liam. Was it a dream after all, I had begun to wonder. But I convinced myself that it wasn’t. Everything that I felt, saw and experienced was real. There is a mysterious world, and a wonderful man deep down the river to which someday , some miracle will take me.