A/N: Yes, I deleted the last chapter! SO FORGET IT. Also, I have rewritten some parts of the chapters 1 to 5. You guys can check it out, might refresh your memories also.

It was the last rays of the sun that greeted her when her nap ended.

From the kitchen in the apartment, Sanvi could hear the sounds of pot banging and a mixer grinder whirring.

Sitting up on the bed, she looked out of the window only to meet with a sight that reminded her of home.

It opened up to the red sky. From here, the birds looked like black figures you would draw in a second-grade painting. The large trees were dancing gracefully with the strong wind, their leaves rustling and some even rushing away with the wind.

It left her in a trance, and she stumbled to the window and opened it. Sliding down to her knees, she placed her chin and her hands on the windowsill. The wind hit her face with full force, blowing her hair back.

In the back of her mind, it did occur to her that it would tangle her hair beyond measure. But considering she hadn't combed it since yesterday, it didn't matter now. Just how much worse could the wind make it anyway?

Some Japanese music was playing on the TV, letting her know that her brother-in-law was back home from shopping. He had asked her to tag along, but she was in no mood to make herself presentable. So, after faking a headache and sending Shinji off to buy groceries, she left her sister to her own devices and came back to her room.

Or the guest room to be exact.

When she fell asleep, she did not remember. It did not feel like she had slept much though, as it was the case these days.

The wind caressed her face again and Sanvi closed her eyes, resting herself against the windowsill. It carried the scent of green leaves, mown grass, and summer flowers. It calmed her down, almost lulling her to sleep.

It was the singing of her sister as she cooked that made her open her eyes. Dinner would be served soon, and she knew it was time she cleaned herself up a bit.

However, the red sky rooted her to her place. It reminded her so much of home, when under the red skies the dark waters of Yamuna would flow away. As far as you could see, there were only green trees and plains on the other side. When the wind would rise, she could almost hear the sound of their leaves rustling.

Its water would splash at the high steps of the Keshi Ghat* at its riverside, leading up to the ancient temples and beautiful Havelis, the palaces situated on the banks of Yamuna with beautiful engravings and traditional architectural work.

Made of red sandstone, these ancient structures would almost shine red as the sun would set in the river.

She remembered sitting there a lot with her grandmother, who used to visit the Ghat every week to pay her respects to the Goddess of the river, Yamuna.

They would visit their favorite temple at the banks, before sitting on the steps for a long time. When it was particularly hot, they would sometimes sink their legs in the cool and dark waters.

Her grandmother would recite to her the stories of her favorite deity as the river he had sported in flowed past them, to eventually meet the mighty Ganga and become one with her.

In the evening, the priests would conduct an aarti*, and her eyes would follow the mesmerizing fire that was offered to the river goddess as it roared and blazed under the red sky.

If she would ignore the rest of the view in front of her, and just focus on the skies and the trees- it almost felt like she was back there.

Her favorite place on the entire planet.

But she was broken out of her trance as the door opened suddenly. Her sister barged in, initially confused at her absence from the bed before landing on her.

She turned on the light, and Sanvi squinted, the bright light hurting her eyes.

"What? Turn off the lights!"

"It's dusk! The lights will be on, and you will wake up. Don't you remember what Mom says? No sleeping at dusk and keep the lights on!"

Sanvi whined in annoyance and clicked her tongue. The sheets rustled and she glanced back to see Sachi folding the covers and situating the pillows properly.

"Now, get up. Dinner's almost ready!"

"Then call me when it's completely done!"

"Up!"

"Arghhh…"

The journey to the dinner table was a long and arduous one. Normally, her entire being would have fluttered at the sight of the food on the table.

Not just any food.

Indian vegetarian food.

And that too, the homemade food!

However, she could not find any reason to get excited at the sight of it. Her eyes roved over quickly at the sight of rice (she have had enough of it for a lifetime), but lingered at the Rajma (red kidney beans in thick gravy and Indian spices), and completely stopped at the chapattis.

Somewhere inside her, a part of her cried in relief and gratitude.

A white t-shirt hovered over in the corner of her eyes, and she smiled hesitantly at Shinji, who gave her a gentle glance before he ambled into the kitchen to help his wife.

Soon, they both came in with the dishes and set up the table.

"Look at you. You look like you haven't eaten in months. Rihan said they allowed you to cook your own food in the hostel kitchen. How is that working out for you?"

Sanvi yawned, tears collecting at her lashes.

"It's fine. The rice is already there. Sometimes I make dal or rajma, or fry some potatoes, or eat curd and rice. They make me vegetable rice balls though."

Her sister clicked her tongue, while Shinji gave her a concerned look.

"What is so important you are doing in school that you don't get the time to make a proper meal? This is why we taught you to cook before sending you here, so you can at least sustain yourself."

Sanvi pursed her lips as she ate quietly.

"Sachi…" Shinji glanced at his wife, whose shiny black hair was tossed over in a messy braid over her shoulder.

"You look so pale, you have no energy, and you aren't even eating well. You have already lost so much weight that you'll disappear if you lose more. You are looking sick!"

"Sachi, that's enough," Shinji said, before speaking in a bright tone.

"She's new to all of this! After a few months, I'm sure things will set themselves in order. Don't you remember your first few months in London? Frankly, you looked quite horrible yourself-"

He stopped at once when he saw his wife's dangerous smile and twitching eyes.

"Horrible huh? Funny, I remember you said I was the most beautiful girl you had ever seen." She complained, tugging at his cheek.

Sanvi's bad mood dissipated a bit when she saw the exchange go down for her poor brother-in-law, who seemed to placate his wife with sweet words and touches.

Watching her sister almost chew the poor man out, she gobbled her food down. Who knows when she will get it again?

The next morning was a Sunday, and Sanvi had no plans. She had finally gotten up, got ready, and had breakfast. She felt bad when she saw the couple cleaning the place on their own, and half-heartedly offered to help.

This is how she ended up on their bedroom balcony, watering the various plants and flower pots Shinji had bought for the apartment. He was extremely fond of them, she noticed as he carefully handled each one of them and explained to her in detail what each plant was. It was a welcome respite, even if the heat was starting to burn her skin.

But it feels...nice.

And it was nice for her. She was here with him, doing such a mundane everyday chore. Shinji was humming some song under his breath, his green eyes focused on the task at hand. Sachi was in the drawing room, setting up the new decor material she had recently bought.

It was like she was back at home, doing boring chores, and when her major worries used to be her homework at best.

Setting down the watering pail, she waited for Shinji who was pouring some liquid fertilizer into a small, weak-looking plant in a 12-inch pot. Her downcast eyes landed on her hand, which was covered in dirt. But under it, she could see the reddish tint her skin had taken.

Recently, her cursed energy felt foreign to her. It was constantly rippling under her skin, as if it would escape the confinement of her being and engulf her within itself until she was the one who was confined. It was a terrifying prospect because suddenly, she was feeling as if she was carrying her demise within her.

Her eyes followed the green of her veins, and her breath got stuck in her throat as the familiar bright red streaked across her skin. Unfortunately, the burning sensation that followed it was so common now that it almost stopped hurting.

"Sanvi."

Pulling her fingers in a fist, she hid the hand behind her back.

"Hmm?"

Shinji sighed as he sat back, seemingly done.

"Tell me something. Nobody is bothering you at school, right?" He asked, holding her gaze. Sanvi blinked at his question, before shaking her head.

"Uh, no. Not really." She handed him the water pail as he gestured towards it.

"You can be honest with me, you know? If there is something you might not want to share with your sister, I understand. But if someone is...bothering you or anything, I can help."

Sanvi shook her head with a sigh.

"Nope, just a bit homesick that's all." Muttering under her breath, she looked on as Shinji watered the pot. After he was done, he wiped his forehead with his sleeve but only managed to smear dirt on his face.

He was adorable.

"Well, if someone does, come straight to me okay? Though with a sister like that, I doubt you are any pushover yourself," he said, a fond smile on his face at the thought of his wife, and Sanvi smiled at their cuteness.

"As for your homesickness, I think I have found a remedy for that."

She watched in confusion as he shifted the medium-sized pot towards her, the small plant in it swaying weakly with the wind.

Shinji smiled at her confused face, the skin around his eyes crinkling.

"You know, plants are living beings too. And when you have someone to take care of, you won't feel alone. Besides, Sachi said these are your favorite flowers. When they grow up, I am sure they will comfort you. And you said your dorm rooms have outdoor space available, so I thought why not?"

"My favorite flowers?"

"Yeah! This," he said, pointing to the pot, "is the Jasmine one. I believe they call it Mogra in your country, right? I bought the double-petal ones for you last time when we went to visit your mother. I tried looking for the other flower you liked, but it wasn't available at the nursery at that time. Sorry, I forgot its name..."

"Harsinghar, the night-flowering jasmine. It's fine, they are trees anyway."

The smile that made its way onto her lips was a genuine one. Her heart felt warm, and the uncomfortable sensation in her veins disappeared as she looked at him.

His emerald green eyes were kind-looking, and his brown hair was tied back in a small ponytail. He was a pretty laid-back person, with a very dry sense of humor. At the same time, he was pretty calm and collected, unlike Sachi was more unpredictable and rough.

And of course, he was one of the most observant and considerate people she had met.

He nodded in remembrance.

"Ah yes, of course. I remember that your sister once mentioned that these trees were also in your garden. I thought, what better way to stay close to your home?"

"Ah...but-"

"You used to take care of them back home, right? Even so, I have prepared a timetable for you. Anything you need- fertilizers, or micronutrients, I will send them to you. I have prepared the perfect soil for it, so don't worry about that. I'm sure you will grow them beautifully. Just make sure you prune them weekly once they are a bit more strong. And wait- are you crying?"

Sniffing, and hiding her eyes away from him Sanvi shook her head vehemently.

"No! I am just...happy you guys are here."

Shinji let out a laugh, before patting her shoulder.

"Come now, I have some plants to prune. Why don't you help me with it?"

"Whenever I used to come back home in summer, I would help Amma* to take care of the garden. We had a lot of Mogra plants, and there were many trees of Harsinghar. Every day, we would take these flowers and go to the temples or Ghats. You know, it's said they were the favorite flowers of Lord Krishna*, so they were my favorite as well. And whenever Papa was posted to a new place, I would make him buy these plants so we can have them at our home too."

"Sounds like you. Your sister did say you were weirdly obsessed with him." Shinji said as he continued pruning a plant. The sun continued to shine brighter and brighter, and it was not even noon yet. By this time she had pulled her hair up with a claw clip and borrowed a large straw hat from Shinji. After all, you need to protect your hair from the sun as well!

Sanvi blushed in embarrassment, cursing her sister. God knows what kind of image he has in his mind about her.

"I'm not obsessed, I am just very fond of him." She declared.

Shinji huffed out a laugh as he shook his head.

"Yes of course, as if the color yellow* isn't flooding your wardrobe."

"I just happen to like yellow that's all."

"Oh? I do remember some particularly entertaining things your sister told me." He said a mysterious smile on his face.

Sanvi's eye twitched.

"Like what? You shouldn't trust everything she says, she just exists to make fun of me."

Shinji shook his head, looking at her in amusement.

"Relax, I thought it was adorable. She did tell me you used to tie a peacock feather around your head with a yellow ribbon and run around the town like that with your friends. And a particularly entertaining story about you buying a flute to complete the outfit."

"But I was so bad at it that Mummy took it away from me and hid it. And then I cried a lot until I got a new one." She said, hiding her mouth under her hand.

At this point, the curse from the forest should have eaten her alive. She sat down against the railing and felt like if her CE was indeed going to self-immolate her one of these days, then right now was the perfect time.

"And when you finally got it, a monkey snatched it from your hands and threw it in the river. And then you cried for days more."

Yes, a good time indeed to be burned alive. But the smile on her lips said otherwise.

He gave her a long side glance before laughing out loud.

"Why were you cosplaying as a kid? Oh god," his voice turned serious as he turned to look her straight in the eye, "You are not planning on cosplaying at Comic-Con and the rest, right? I know how obsessed you are with anime and all."

The auburn-haired girl stuck her tongue out at him in annoyance.

"I won't! Besides, I used to do that because...I am not obsessed okay!?" She huffed, stopping herself from going any further.

"You won't understand Shinji. Neither does Sachi. That's why you think I am being stupid and do nonsense stuff." She muttered, curling herself against the railing.

"Oh? Well, I won't know unless you tell me."

Sanvi shut up after that, and they spent the next few minutes in silence. Shinji humming, and her thinking.

He continued to clip at the plants, and she felt like continuing. There was always this aura around him that made others comfortable around him. He had always been a good listener, and once you started talking, it felt like you could talk to him forever.

Besides, she wanted to explain herself. She wasn't just some stupid small-town kid who was super religious or anything.

"You know, moving around every three years is not easy. I like that kind of life, sure, but it's also kind of lonely. I have missed so many family events, and I can meet the only childhood friend I have for 2 months in a year. Since you are moving every three years, you do lose touch with any friends you make."

The only sound was the clipping of the pruning shears and she continued talking.

"Sachi and the others, they didn't get to stay at home for long, so they are not so much into this stuff I guess. But in 1996, Papa went to Kashmir, and then me and mom came back home and Sachi and Rihan were sent to the Army boarding school. At that time, I started learning the kathak* dance officially. My Kathak Guru was the wife of the priest of the temple, and we used to practice in its compound when the temple was closed for the day. Before that, Mummy used to teach me at home only. Not to brag, but I am kind of a prodigy."

Shinji scoffed out a laugh at that, and Sanvi giggled a bit.

"Well, you are. No doubt about that. Even Sachi admits it, and you know she does not give out compliments freely. Her words do carry weight you know?"

Sanvi nodded in agreement, smiling at the fond memories as her fingers played with a hibiscus flower.

"Oh, I used to love it. I loved dancing, and I loved the attention, and I loved the way people thought I was some special kid. I even got to perform at a very famous temple in our town, and the selection was super tough. I was on cloud nine, you know. He was everywhere. In the songs I danced, in Amma's stories, and in every temple at every nook and cranny of that town."

"To be honest, I understand the craze. You have to admit their stories are pretty captivating. And the architecture of these temples? Simply Gorgeous. Though I admit, even the narrow lanes do have a charm of their own, even if they can be frustrating sometimes."

Sanvi blinked at him.

"Even as a local I used to get angry at the traffic a lot. You, on the other hand, seem to find it charming."

Shinji shrugged, before giving her a small smirk.

"You need to have an eye for aesthetics kid. It's a talent, not everybody has it. Those lanes may be narrow, but the Havelis and palaces? Aesthetics, indeed."

The auburn-haired girl deadpanned, before continuing. Her nails scratched at her wrist, turning the skin red.

"And then the war* came, and everyone was scared out of their minds. There were times when he didn't use to call for days. My time for Kathak increased because nobody was focusing on me anymore. Instead of studying, I used to practice my dancing and nobody would notice. But I wasn't stupid, you know. I was small, but even I understood just how wrong things were. All over the news, you would only hear about martyrs and operations. And that was the time when I first started praying."

She pursed her lips, wondering whether to continue. She didn't want him to take her the wrong way.

"But?" He asked, wiping his cheek with his sleeve. Her gaze traveled towards her new plants in the corner of the balcony and smiled.

"Ah, the thing is that Sachi and Rihan were not there. They have never stayed there for more than a month, they have no friends there, and they did not get out of the house like I used to. Sure, Sachi is a kathak dancer herself but she always liked the cities. When we were younger, she used to make fun of me for believing in all this, calling me an old woman and all. But it was not just that for me...it was something different."

"She has grown out of it, I am sure. She is now herself keeping a shrine at home." He said gently, in a comforting manner.

"Because Mom said so," Sanvi let the open secret out before sighing, "but yes, she is doing it properly. But she looks at it differently. For her, it was religion, for me it was...love, home...the happiest time of my life. These mogra flowers, I used to make garlands out of these with mummy. For Krishna. Amma's stories? About him. My dance - all based on him. Sometimes, I was Krishna, or I was Radha, his beloved. In every temple I used to visit with my Amma, he was there. He makes me feel love, and I love him because he is home. I don't care if he is a god, a myth, or a mere story. It's just...so much more than that."

Shinji put the shears down before facing her, an odd look on his face.

"Okay, but tell me one thing. What's wrong with being religious?"

Sanvi faltered.

"Nothing wrong per se..."

"Would you look down on someone religious?"

"No, but-"

"You are a teenager, I know. You kids think all this stuff is for old, small-town people, so you don't want to be seen associated with it. That's why Sachi used to make fun of you. Because at her age, she didn't want to be seen like that. But look at her now. She is an adult and worships at her shrine every day, not just because Mother asked her to. But because she is confident in her own identity now."

Sanvi blushed in embarrassment, looking down at her feet.

"You know that we are only teasing you when we say you are obsessed right? I know you are even more conscious about this fact because in Japan it's not such a big thing. But always remember that it's your private matter. Do good in the world, and ignore if someone bothers you about something like religion. No need to be embarrassed about it. Love whoever you want to, whether it's a god or an anime character that I know you sometimes daydream about."

"I don't daydream about anime characters." She said, pulling her hat down to hide her face as she leaned against the railing of the balcony.

Shinji gave her a side-eye.

"You do realize I am the one who bought all the Kakashi and the Itachi posters you had asked for from your sister, right? There were eight of them darling. Eight."

Silence settled for a few minutes as she huffed and pulled her hand over her knees. Her thoughts drifted to what he had said. That's why she liked him. He was always truthful, giving the most logical answer without any misconceptions or predispositions.

Shinji started working on another plant, inspecting every nook and cranny of it. After a few minutes, the silence was broken again.

"Shinji."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think karma is a real thing? That kismet always gives you what you deserve?"

"Since when did you start thinking about such philosophical things? And to answer your question, I do believe in karma. Tit for tat, you know. But I don't believe in things like fate and destiny. You work hard, you get a good life. If you don't, you lose. Simple as that."

Her eyes glazed over as the silence forced her mind back to the thoughts she was running from.

"Yeah, but if I get hurt badly and die someday, would you say it was because of something bad I had done? If I had caused unbearable pain to someone, how would you think I would be punished?"

Shinji stopped working as he looked at her with concern.

"What is bringing this on?" He turned in her direction and looked her straight in the eye. She smiled, shaking her head.

"Nothing, was just thinking about something."

Shinji sighed, scratching his cheek.

"You know what? We should go inside, clean up, and get some lunch. The heat is playing with your head."

"Sure." She said, helping Shinji clean up the balcony as he scolded her for talking about things like dying and hurting herself. Too bad he didn't know that death was now following her in this hellhole of a school.

A/N: Hi guys! I am back, with a replacement chapter. I read that chapter again, and I realized I updated it for the sake of updating. It was out of character, and super random. And I did just blast all that info on you guys with no context whatsoever.

I don't know if this attempt is okay or not, but I have tried to explain the past also in some sense. I have decided to go forward with exploring a bit of religious themes because it makes sense considering the character's past and hobbies and her birthplace. Let me know if this was easier to understand or not. I am first trying to set the characters and their stories before moving forward.

I am super busy with interviews and exams right now, but I still want to write. It's so frustrating though! I wanted to add more to this chapter only, but I am not sure about even longer chapters. I have read stories where each chapter has 10k or so words, and I never read it properly. So, I hope shorter chapters are fine.

Also, I suppose I should give you some context here.

1. Keshi is a ghat in Vrindavan. Havelis are old traditional mansions. On the banks of these rivers, there are ghats. There are a series of steps that lead to the waters and wharves also. I'll attach the link to show what the Keshi ghats look like. When ghats are made for religious purposes around sacred rivers, they tend to have multiple temples there.

Vrindavan/Kesi-Ghat-On-The-Banks-Of-Yamuna-River-Vrindavan-Ho/9999PX565-X565-141221162012-Q5G5_BZDET

2. Aarti is a worship ritual that happens in temples and homes every day. Since some important rivers like Ganga and Yamuna are also considered goddesses, they are also worshipped as such. So on the ghats of these rivers, there is this huge raised platform on which priests stand and it overlooks the river. It includes huge lamps of fire, and the priests wave them in circular motions to the river or the deity.

3. Amma, in northern India, is used to call your paternal grandmother, or any other old woman in general.

4. Lord Krishna: So Krishna is one of the supreme gods of the Hindu religion who gave us the beautiful book of Bhagavad Gita, from where we get the detailed concepts of Karma. He is believed to be born in a city called Mathura and grew up in a town called Vrindavan, both situated at the banks of Yamuna.

His tales and legends make him very popular here. I will try and tell you some of his stories through this work, and it will be done seamlessly because these stories are the themes of the classical dance of Kathak in the first place.

Krishna is very popular also because you can worship him in many ways. People see him as a son, as a brother, as a friend, as a lover, and even as a husband! And I think that's the beauty of it, people have so much love for him!

5. Krishna loves to wear yellow. He is depicted as wearing a crown with a peacock feather in it and carrying a flute.

Fun fact, he is worshipped with a flute and as a cowherd only in his birthplace and town of Vrindavan where he spent time with his consort (who's not his wife). When he left Mathura and Radha behind, he never picked up a flute again.

In other places that are associated with his life, he is worshipped as a king and warrior, with no consort by his side. No wife of his was said to be as loved by him as Radha was.

Talk about romantic.

6. India has 8 classical dances, one of which is Kathak. Almost all of these dances were temple dances. Kathak is special because it originates from the traveling bards who used to recite stories in temples and other places through music and dance.

After 1375, it evolved as "a dance which is a form of worship" and was passed down through oral traditions as recently as the last century (last century because the British banned many of our dance forms because the Christian Missionaries said so).

It's also special because it's the only classical dance that has Persian elements thanks to the patronage of the Muslim rulers. So basically, both the Hindu and Muslim rulers gave patronage to the Kathak dancers in their courts in recent centuries.

The main themes of the Kathak dance have always been the stories of Radha and Krishna. It's religious in the sense that Krishna was the supreme god, and Radha was a milkmaid who was a human.

So their love represents the relationship between the soul of a common human devotee and the divine God. This is a VERY easy explanation, but the actual one is very complicated and you need to know a lot of things to truly understand it. But in a nutshell, this is what it means.

Now, in recent times, both Radha and Krishna are considered Gods and she is his main consort.

7. The War here refers to the Kargil War of 1999. And as much as the Western countries like to call it a "conflict", it was a war where India won. Conflicts keep happening with both of our neighboring countries still, anyway.

The thing with India is that its religion and its culture are very much mixed, they can't be separated. I want to write an authentic character, not just an empty shell. It's hard how to mix both in the story, as I want to keep it but by no means it is a main theme.

Through Sanvi's backstory, you might get an idea of her past and from where the fondness comes.

Now that I am writing an Indian character, then might as well do it right. But for those who don't like it, you can skip the part. Because neither is it a main theme nor does it affect the storyline much.

Also, the focus will shift again to Gojo and friends in the next chapter. Because I miss him now. Let's take this forward.