Title: Playing with fire

Author: kira

Rating: OT

Words: 500

Characters: Agni, Meena, and Harold West

Summary: In order to keep Soma ignorant about Meena's true feelings for him, Agni agrees to do something he knows in his heart is wrong…

Warnings: none

Author's notes: Agni refers to Meena as a "memsahib" which is a polite Indian term for "Englishwoman." He's being anything but polite here. Also Agni is the Hindu god of fire and fire is an important part of Hindu rituals. As such Agni is the conduit between Heaven & Earth. He is also the messenger of the gods and was an important god until recent times, where he is now called on by lovers or by men wishing to increase their virility. ;p There are ten different fires associated with him.

Author's note 2: This was originally written for LJ's Kurohedonism comm., but I decided to go with something else.

888

Agni sat there, calmly listening to their demands, or rather Meena's demands, which the Englishman echoed. He watched her burn with a fiery passion as she spelled out the conditions of her "return" to Soma. At this point, he was so desperate to keep them from meeting that he was willing to agree to anything, to keep his beloved Soma from learning the truth about her.

"Are you paying attention, Agni?" Meena said, narrowing her eyes at him, as his bored expression irritated her.

"Yes. You want me to tie up various coffee shop and curry restaurant owners and hang them outside their businesses." He frowned. "I'm to make it look like our fellow displaced countrymen did it. That's not right, Meena. It's bad enough the English don't think highly of us as it is, but this…"

"You will do as you're told or else…"

"You forget who you are talking to, woman."

"And you forget there are no castes here!" She made a little sound of disgust. "I cannot believe it, you, who are a Brahmin, would throw that away and work as a servant for such an ungrateful brat!"

"Yes, memsahib."

She gave him a dirty look in reply and Agni was beginning to see what Soma found so attractive about her. Meena had a fiery temperament that she kept mostly under control, and yet, there were times when Soma could get her to lose control with just a smile. And when she lost it, there was a fire in her eyes that made her look so much more beautiful than when she was being meek and mild. And yet, Agni simply could not stand the woman. If she wanted to play at being a memsahib for that idiot Englishman, then he was more than welcome to her and her nonsense. All he wanted was for Meena to be the meek and mild woman Soma loved, and instead of coming home to India, all he wanted her to do was tell the prince she was happy and wanted to stay. Agni would take care of the rest.

"If we are finished, I need to get back to him."

"Can we count on your help, Agni?" West asked. He was so close to getting a royal warrant he could taste it and if they could talk Agni into helping out with the upcoming curry competition, it would be his.

Agni nodded. "I must go." He stood up to leave.

"Very well, be back here tomorrow night at the same time. We'll tell you which place to go to first."

"You'd better there on time, Agni." Meena smiled sweetly at him. "I would hate to see the look on Soma's face when I tell him how much I've 'enjoyed' looking after him for all those years…"

Bitch! I pray to the gods daily Soma never finds out how heartless you are! "Don't worry, memsahib, I'll be there. Goodnight." Bringing his hands together, Agni gave them a slight bow, before leaving…