Puru lay on the small bed, eyes too drowsy to open. He felt the soft flesh of a woman’s arm resting on his bare chest. Memory of the activities of the night before brought a wicked smile to his lips. It was too bright outside for him to go back to his slumber, so he forced his eyes open. The fair maiden’s shapely head was nestled in the curve of his neck, her bare bosom laying across his own. Her soft long hair covered her bare back and wrapped them like a blanket.

Puru ran his fingers gently through her silky hair. It smelled of sandalwood and fragrant oils, the scent that entranced him in the first place, as Puru walked past her the night before. He had walked few more steps before he turned back. Few playful glances later, he found himself climbing into the maiden’s bed. She did not bat an eyelash when he revealed his true form to her. She watched intently as his fangs came out and his muscles grew bulkier. Her fingers lightly brushed his dark skin, touching every dip and curve of his sinewy body.

Now, Puru turned his hazel eyes away from the daylight streaming in from the open window and looked down at the lass, still sleeping peacefully. He noticed the marks on her skin made by the bites of his fangs and stroked them lightly. The touch stirred the maiden awake, and she let out a soft, low moan. Although the warmth of another living body was hard to relinquish, Puru had arranged to meet with Elephant God, Gajanan, soon. Puru gently shook her arms. He could not remember her name nor could he remember if she even gave him one.

“Can I keep you here for few more hours?” The woman made a charming request, her greedy eyes following Puru around the room as he dressed.

“I have a promise to keep,” Puru said coyly, “but if I spend the evening in town, I plan to return….if I am still welcome, that is.”

The woman gave him a strange smile. “Why is it that all the promises I get are empty? Make one more of them and I will stab you with my dagger.” She raised an eyebrow as Puru changed his form to that of a human.

“I am a demon of honor.” Puru paused and regarded the maiden for a moment. “Can you leave town?”

“What?” The woman found the suggestion incredulous. “Leave town because I slept with you? No, I cannot leave town!” The hint of joy in her eyes vanished.

“You misunderstand.” Puru moved back to the bed and sat beside the maiden. She was laying sideways, perched upon her right elbow. “There have been warnings of flood in this region. You will be safer if you leave, travel to the west.”

The woman scoffed, laying back. “We see floods four times a year. We call it a drought if we don’t have one! And if I die, I die.” She looked back at Puru, her hand gently caressing his right thigh.

The Demon God sighed. “You will be wise to heed my warning. But it is your life.” He shrugged and then found his money bag. He placed a hundred gold coins on the end table.

“What is this?” The woman asked, voice flat, pointing to the roll of coins.

“A hundred gold coins. Is it not enough?” He was genuinely concerned, as he had little dealings with the trade of flesh.

“It is not! Take the damned thing away!” The maiden blazed.

Puru gave her an apologetic look before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. He could hear the metallic sound of the coins striking the closed door and then hitting the floor.

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Puru saw a short, stout figure approaching from a distance and quickened his pace. He looked up at the sky, which had gone dark now, with the sun hiding behind the clouds.

“Do you think these are it? They seem dismal.” He asked the Elephant God, with his chin pointing to the clouds.

“I wish I could speak with conviction, Lord Puru. At this moment, all clouds look ominous to me.”

“People here are accustomed to floods. It will be a grueling task to persuade them to leave everything behind and find shelter in a new land.”

“Are those the words of your last night’s company?” Lord Gajanan was candid.

Puru looked at him sideways before nodding.

“Hmm… they do not see it, and hence, they are not afraid. Even a voice from the heaven would not move them a stick.”

A few drops of rain hit the two gods.

“Shall we walk back to the market?”

Lord Gajanan nodded to Puru’s suggestion, turning up his nose instinctively. “I had six families moved since yesterday in three wagons.”

“One more than what I could.”

“Not enough to make the smallest dent.” The Elephant God sighed loudly. He struggled to keep pace with the demon, who walked in long quick strides.

The stench of the fish market wafted in from a distance, already abuzz with customers, despite the gray weather. The little drops of rain were now getting bigger.

Standing amid the fish market, Puru said, “It is strange how these people would crowd the bazaar, rain or shine.”

“Creatures of habit.” Lord Gajanan remarked in a nasal voice as he pinched nose with his fingers. “Come.”

The two walked to a fishmonger.

“Brother.” Lord Gajanan successfully burrowed through the crowd to get close to the vendor. “You have five times the number of fish than other days. Are all these fresh or rotten ones from days ago?”

“All fresh from this morning.” The vendor disregarded the god’s subtle accusations. “The God of Oceans has blessed us. Lake Loktak’s water has receded, and the god has left us all the fish to catch on the beach. My son is bringing more buckets of them as we speak.” The vendor seemed thrilled by all the likely business.

Lord Gajanan stood up and stepped away from the crowd. “We must go back to Lake Loktak.” His thick brows furrowed; his small eyes grew smaller.

Puru was puzzled but did not question the lord’s decision. Instead, he followed him back to the lake.

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As the two gods approached the lake, they saw people gathered in throngs, some coming in with empty buckets while others leaving with buckets full of fish and crabs and other aquatic species. Looking down from the edge of the cliff, the scene at the beach was extraordinary. A large crowd had gathered there, scrabbling for fish and crabs and shells and whatnot, as the lake's water had receded by miles. Children and womenfolk happily filled up empty buckets as the older youth and men carried the full buckets back up the valley to bring to the markets.

Puru heard a sharp intake of breath.

“The flood will not come from the clouds. The lake has deceived us.” Puru looked quizzically at Lord Gajanan as the Lord continued, “It is not a lake at all. It is part of the ocean. And its water has receded. It could only mean one thing.” Suddenly, flocks and flocks of birds flew over them inland. The two gods looked at each other alarmed.

“The water is coming back with a vengeance.” Puru completed Lord Gajanan’s sentence in au urgent whisper.

No sooner did he finish, an ominous rumbling sound traveled in from a distance, growing louder with every passing second. And then, they saw what they had dreaded. The menacing great dark wall of water, rushing towards the land at full force.

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