Continued from here
I stand up, pausing my ritual for her graciously. My hands do not touch hers as I take the plate of offerings from her. The rim of the plate is encircled by a serpentine jasmine garland. Nestled in the heart of this garland is a riot of colours — incandescent red oleanders, igneous palash and at the heart of the heart, a wide-open golden box containing sanguine vermilion.
"Oh pious one, I hope the deity accepts my worship." her voice barely escapes her veil as she speaks. "I awoke early in the morning, bathed ere the sun rose and rushed before even the breeze could sully my purity."
I place my hand paternally on her head.
"Princess, your devotion is pure and your heart true. The scriptures speak of two types of devotion, the baby monkey's where no matter how swift the mother jumps, the baby holds on steadfast of its own volition and the kitten's where the kitten surrenders to cat's will and trusts the mother to carry it safely."
I take my hand off her head.
"You princess have mastered both forms. What deity would refuse such innocent worship?"
My blessings touch her heart as she falls instantly at my feet. Her posture is perfect with two knees and two hands joined together touching the ground, head bowed low at my feet.
I go to the sanctum sanctorum, her plate in my hand. I feel her eyes bore through her veil and touch my bare back as she raises from her obeisance. But I merely register and do not react.
"What?", he mutters still dazed from sleep, "I do not understand."
I let my upper garment slip. His eyes which are more awake than his own self, lock arms with the caparisoned elephants that my nubile breasts are. There is nothing subtle about me. My hip is thrust out, my lower robe rides high up my thighs, my lips are parted like cut pomegranate and my hands play dangerously below my navel. My only sign of chastity, my mangal sutra was tied to my hip chain in a vulgar manner depriving it of any respect.
"Oh pious one, I have seen you and seen your eyes. I know what beast lurks behind them and want to offer my worship to it. I have rushed from the palace after the stars slept, the wind has played with my body lasciviously. Grant me my boon, let me be your slave."
He sat up and looked me quizzically.
"The king will have our heads if he sees us thus princess. You must go back." His lips curled in scorn as he taunted me mercilessly. I was fooled. He knew my secret all along. I had but to surrender now.
"Oh pious one, my devotion is pure and my heart true. The scriptures speak of two types of devotion, the baby monkey's where no matter how swift the mother jumps, the baby holds on steadfast of its own volition and the kitten's where the kitten surrenders to cat's will and trusts the mother to carry it safely. I shall master both to serve you."
Words can barely express as much as actions can. I fall to the ground, my knees spread wide apart, my breasts almost grazing the ground as I lower my face subserviently for him. I crawl thus my movement part feline and part serpentine.
As I drew close to him, he placed his left foot on my head. My eyes were fixed to the ground even as my heart leapt. I have been accepted. With a supreme effort, I controlled myself as I wait not reacting till he lets me.
In the sanctum sanctorum, I remove the dried up flowers from the idol. My hands gently push out the few stray twigs and petals as I pour water from head to toe. The forehead, the sharp nose, the chiselled breasts, the vanishing waist, the bent thighs, they all are the same stone to me as I cleanse the idol of yesterday's worship.
I then place the jasmine garland around the idol's shoulders. The oleanders are strewn across the feet and thighs. The palash crowns the head like a hooded serpent. Finally, I place the vermillion on the forehead and the parting at the top of the head.
Camphor burns with a heady aroma in that dark room. As I sway my hands making the flame dance, now revealing the face, now the breasts, now the waist, not eh feet, I can feel her being hypnotized even though she observes but from a distance. I take in her look of ecstasy as the deity is revealed from the darkness in glimpses of light. But I merely register it, my mind losing itself in the ecstasy of my sonorous chant.
"So princess you would rather lose your head than keep your virtue?" I know his question is rhetorical and keep still as his left foot slid to my face with his toe resting on my lips. His right foot prodded my hitherto untouched ass. I had hoped his hand would be the first to touch me, but how conceited I was.
"But you still have vestiges of chastity", his foot undid the knot of my garment as my ass is revealed in all its ripe glory. "For you kiss not even when you find what you seek."
"I was awaiting your command Master" I mumbled. My eyes notice his standing up even as my ass registers a painful hard spank.
"And you think commands are only spoken?"
This was even more painful even more delicious than I thought. For I was punished no matter what I did.
I hurried to his feet crawling and kissed and licked them clean, my hands tying themselves behind my back of their own accord.
"Rise up in worship till you find your deity."
