The Lion

 

In the yugas to come, he would forever be remembered as a ferocious being, with crimson nails and raging eyes, and it worried me a bit. Just a bit.

Would there be sonnets on his golden hair? The way it spills around his neck, on to his shoulders into a beautiful mess, curling in the ends with tiny petals of parijata still buried in them. Would the words do enough justice defining him, or would it fail in making them know about his eyes that had all those constellations? Would he be called as the Sun itself and stopped there without going on and on about how he has the whole of celestials spanned out in his chest. What would happen if no one knew about all those wildflowers that kissed his waist in a vain attempt to steal his scent?

Would he be known for his fury or would he be known for the way he made me fall in love, with his smile that stretched across his cheeks, making his whiskers dance, luring me into his lap? The way he grinned, a mischievous one this time, not the one that came after a terrifying roar, but the one that showed all his canine teeth peeking from those curved lips, making me want to touch them and prick myself. (As if he would let me get hurt).

Maybe he would be known for his anger, the way his breath makes the earth tremble under our feet, the way his nails could swipe across the skies, ripping apart the lokaas in two pieces. (I heard Indra whimpering when he threw his arms in the air). With all those thoughts clouding my head, I knew for a fact that he would either be remembered as the one who killed my father mercilessly, or he would be known as a savior who saved me from a demon king.

I looked up, surrendering myself to him and he was already there, looking down, his eyes shining like those jewels that the ocean hid in her lap, his crown was tilted a bit, buried under those uncombed spirals that defied gravity. He was huge, covered in blood, with fury still burning in his eyes, but then, all those withered away, thinning in the air when he saw me.

 It no longer worried me on how he would be defined, when I climbed on to him, working my way towards his lap. He lifted me up, after my embarrassing attempt to climb, chuckling a bit, cradling me in his arms, securing me, hugging me, petting my mane, only to pull me closer to his chest. I could still feel his heart trembling beneath them, drumming from all those anger that he raged a minute ago. I could no longer resist, as I sunk in him, in his scent, in his warmth, in his love, swallowing all the whimpers that had its wild escape form my heart. I stretched my neck above, and saw him, looking at me with utmost love and I could feel my chest expand in happiness, in joy, in love, with unknown words birthing in my tongue to praise him, and his mighty, mighty, mighty heart that had all the adoration for us stored in. My fingers had its own course of exploring him, his majestic torso that held the celestials and nebulae, the way they burned the evil and mothered the good. How I wished I could forever lie down on him, hearing his breath and basking in his warmth.

I could see him raising his paws, to settle my palms on to them, realizing how puny I was next to him. He was everything, the gold, the silver, the earth, the Sun, the stars and the moons, the flowers and the butterflies, the winter and the summer, the being and the angel, the words and the sound. He was everything, the Lord, the God and the Ultimate Soul. 

He smiled, and I could finally understand the Vedas. He smiled, and I could hear the Earth brimming her oceans full, to was away his dirt. He smiled, and I fell, once more, over and over again, to lay on his feet and serve. He smiled, and there was a fire in me, burning, burning and burning every single doubts that swam in my veins.

He was mine, and I was his. He was the man, the warrior, the soldier, the good and the bad. Everything had his name and it was because of him there existed everything.

He came when I asked for, breaking the stones and the marbles, birthing from the pillar, roaring, roaring and roaring, until he glowed, blinding the Sun and burning the skies. His claws clicked and the anger that frothed in his chest brought thunderstorms, breaking the oceans apart. He saw me in distress and his lips curled into a wild grin when he finally ripped apart the demon’s chest, sinking in all the blood.

There was this worry again, with the world already naming him as a wild one, scared to see the love that conjures in his eyes when we call him.

“Narayana” I sighed once again, and he smiled more, breathing in my hair, taking in all the devotion I have towards him. I snuggled into his mane, savoring every second, my fingers already dancing on him, memorizing his skin. He was divine, spring and everything else I spent looking for. 

The creator of everything, cradled me in his bosom, cuddled with me and I took a long breath, as he wrapped his finger around me.

“Narahsimha” I whispered, bowing with reverence and he smiled melting me more.

And it was then, all my doubts vaporized. The evil will always fear him and the good will know his smile. He would be treasured, worshiped and revered, and I, would forever love him, until my heart finally gives up.