NABC Chapter 17 Three Desires
Chapter 17 Three Desires
'Finally, the very question that I waited for all this time.' thought Ashok. He longed to ask her for a glimpse of her face, to finally witness the mystery that had eluded him for so long. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it. A fleeting glimpse, a mere glance, would never be enough to quench the insatiable hunger inside him.
Humans are creatures built on desire. The more they are given, the more they carve. A single look would only fan the flames of his longing, leaving him yearning for more. And Ashok was no exception. A mere glance would never satisfy him, who died for a quarter of that face.
What he truly craved was more. He didn't just want to catch a brief, elusive moment of her beauty; he wanted everything. He wanted the face behind that veil, all of it, to belong to him and him alone. Every delicate feature, every subtle expression, every whisper of emotion in her gaze—he wanted to know it, possess it, and make it his own.
"I would like to propose a deal to Your Highness, instead of asking for a blessing," Ashok said smoothly, his voice steady but his eyes gleaming with the sharpness of someone who knew exactly what he wanted.
"This Ritual is already a kind of deal, Foreigner," replied the Goddess.
'Foreigner, Foreigner. How distant it sounds. Just ask for my name at this point,' Ashok thought to himself, the words echoing in his mind, but he didn't allow them to escape his lips.
He bowed slightly and said "The ritual is indeed a deal. But I wish to propose another, one that will benefit both Your Highness and me. A mutual exchange, if you will."
"Your soul doesn't give the feeling of Divine, even though it possesses the Divinity of an Outer. Which means you are a mortal, Foreigner. How would a deal with a mortal such as you benefit a Goddess like me?" asked the Goddess, stating the fact in a cold voice.
"I just wanted to say that my words were absolute truth when I proposed the deal," said Ashok still maintaining his stance.
"You think quite highly of yourself just because you somehow managed to survive against a God with a simple trick. Just because you speak the truth, does that mean I will believe someone like you, who has not even lived enough to see a hundred winters? You think you can fulfill my three greatest desires, for I have lived more than a millennium? Do you even know a single of my desires? Don't waste my time. Just ask for the blessing that you want before I change my mind and decide to kill—" Before the Goddess could complete her sentence, Ashok interrupted.
"Since you do not believe me, I shall speak of the three greatest desires—or regrets—that Your Highness can never achieve or fulfill, even after holding such immense power.
Ashok's voice remained calm, unwavering, as he continued. His words sliced through the air, carrying the weight of a truth too profound for even an ancient being to dismiss so easily.
"Your First Desire is that you want to feel emotions like every other being in the world.
Your Second Desire is that you want to experience the three lost senses—smell, taste, and touch. These basic sensations, so simple yet so vital, are beyond your reach.
Your Final and the Greatest Desire is that you want permanent freedom from the place where I called you from. The place which serves as both your Home and your Prison."
Ashok had spoken the greatest secret, the deepest vulnerability of her existence. And in doing so, he had created the perfect opening for his offer—one she could not even think of rejecting.