Katha blinks, opening her eyes, and runs her blurry gaze around. Finding her laptop bag on the floor.  Sighing, she turns on her back, eyes up at the ceiling. Dark fan blades spinning against the silver grey ceiling. She keep staring at the fan as her brain whirls, taking her back through the entire day.
Much similar to other days, she got up, did stretching and walking, cleaning up the place before taking a bath. Then she prayed, litting diya in the small temple of her one room kitchen set and went off to pack some salad for lunch. After getting ready in a blue full sleeves full length kurti and white pants, hair tied up in a pony, she was off to work. Everything was going ordinary like any other day except the tick behind her head. She ignored it, aware that it's because of her upcoming menstruation. At first it was just a tick...like flapping of insects easy to look over. However, with passing of each hour, the vibration intensified, turning into a loud blaring of trumpets. By the time she reached, back home,  it has converted into a full blown migrain episode. Each and every cell of her brain was in a fight mode. All parts above the shoulders were screaming in agony. Left with no option, as the headache was unbearable any longer, she tears open one of the saridon and popped in her mouth, guzzling down with water. Nonetheless she has wrongly presumed that the ache will go away. As soon as the medicine gets in her system, her vision darkened, nausea hits her out of nowhere, making her dizzy and sick at the same time. The tablet threatening to spill out of her with the way she felt the sloshing inside her belly. Too worn out to even move a finger, Katha let her body loose and decide the next course of action and closed her eyes. Breathing through her nose, she started chanting diety name, out of habit, synchronizing it to each inhale and exhale. Soon she felt the familar numbness in her brain, an indication that the medicine has finally started working. She remained there for God knows how long and falling asleep, only to wake up now.
She stares out of window, sky dark, no sign of redness implying it's way past sunset. Stretching out, she runs her hand around the mattress and finds her phone. Tapping open it, she looks at the time and finds that she has been sleeping for close to 2 hours. Suggesting that it's almost time for her to get up and start for dinner. On cue, her stomach grumbled, like complaining. Apart from that filmsy salad in the lunch, there's nothing inside her.
Pulling herself up, she gets her feet down and stands up. Slightest of dizziness hits her but she manages to keep on her toes. Gathering her hair up in a high bun, she makes her way to the open kitchen set up in another corner of the room.
Taking out eggs, and leftover vegetables from previous night, she decides to just have half fried egg, chapatis with veggies.
Placing the dough out to defrost, she goes back to the entrance and picks up her laptop and bag. Keeping them aside, she straightens her bed. Followed by stripping out of her clothes, and changing into a extra loose black t shirt and palazzo.
"Ah! It feels refreshing", Katha exclaimed as she splashes cold water on her face. Instantly her mood lifts up. Washing off her face, hands and feet, she is finally feeling like a human.
Energized, she makes her way back to the kitchen. Opening app on her phone, she puts on her most listened Playlist and starts for an early dinner.
Soon the room filled with sizzling and crackling of oil, aroma of egg thickened as Katha quickly makes chapati alongside. She pushed the window more to let cool air inside but stills, finding a dark figure outside the house she lives in. At first, she was going to shrug off the individual as some passer by, however, the physique of the other seemed familar somehow. As the individual started to raise his head, all her instincts screamed and Katha moved back, hiding herself. Her heart pounding. She remained frozen for few minutes before taking a leap of faith and dares to gaze out. A long sigh of relief leaves her lips finding no one there.
"I am such an idiot. How much more paranoid could I be?", Katha mumbles, slapping herself in head for her stupid presumption and habit of jumping to conclusions.
The incident, the stranger dissipating of her mind like ashes fly away in air. Though a discomfort still remains in a very remote part of her brain for some reason, she collects her dinner plate and marches towards the bed. Adjusting her phone to make the screen visible, she puts on a Japanese anime yakuzi family four sons and starts eating.
****
So, this was Katha. Protagonist of our story. Don't take her gesture of prayer as her being devout. She is anything but that. Well, you will know her as you go through pages. She is a simple working woman in her early 30s. Living on her own. A bit of scardy cat. A kind soul doomed for life and destined for a tragic end in each of her life. Why? We will know, just not now.  Cause it's time to meet Arth, male protagonist.
****
Arth squints as a blinding light pierces the pitch dark blackness of the cell he is in for.... for how long has he been here? Months? Years? Decades? Centuries?.... he has no idea. It has been so long that he doesn't even remember the very first reason he is in that situation. Forgotten the very cause for which he has been punished to...exiled to this cell...
It takes a while for him to realise that he is still not able to open his eyes. His ears perked up, other rusted senses working overtime to pick on clues. But all he could feel is a weight of something dazzling over his closed eyelids.
"Who..who..is it?", he croaked. His voice felt like screeching of a chalk on slate noisily. It's not how a normal person supposed to sound. He tried to speak again but his throat felt dry and tongue similar to a sandpaper. How long has he been not talking? And why?
The man raked his brain, his memory coming up empty, revealing nothing. A hard to penetrate, dense fog hiding everything beneath. Another understanding dawned on him that he has no memory of who he is ? What he is? Why is he here?"
"Arth"
A deep, calm and soothing voice rings in the air. Hints of affection in that single word.
"Arth?", the person squeezed his eyes, to snap it open.
"You are Arth.", the voice stated.
" a fallen angel", another voice, a female one, added.
Arth tilted his head to side, " fallen angel? One with wings?" . His question seemed childlike. His throat parched.
"One who is cursed by heaven", female voice remarked. Her tone condensing. Even accusing.
Though Arth could not see her, he can pick on the hostility behind the voice.
" water. I want water", he demanded. Completly disregarding whoever the woman said.
"Tch! Still arrogant like before", the thin soft pitch voice of lady echoed. This time she sounded irritated. "Are you sure, he is the right one for this job?"
Arth just slumped against the wall, not bothering to give any reaction. If they aren't giving him what he want, he also doesn't need to hear them.
"Here", this time it's male voice. Much closer.
Arth felt a cool press against his mouth. Something chilled touching his lips. His lips parted instinctly. The liquid, teasing his tongue. At first, he took a small sip. Tentatively. But soon his gulps become fervent and greedy. As the liquid gets inside him, a profound energy igniting through his whole body. Like an electric current. And then comes the burn. Hot and searing. Twisting his organs, muscles and bones. As if he has been thrown into an inferno one second, into a frozen ocean another. Like he is being teared open and stitched together at the same time. His throat opened into a howl, eyes bursting open as a loud, sky shattering scream slips past his lips.
"Wha what did you give to me?", Arth clawed his throat, as the pain intensifies.
Destiny eye's widens as she finds her surrounding into flames. Once where were  magic spelled bars, there's only fire licking the last of them. Her gaze falls over Arth, the source of this much energy is his eyes.
"Fate", she addressed her companion, worry clear in her tone. "Is there no other way?"
The man dressed in white gives her a knowing smile. "Destiny, it's pre decided. We are just a medium."
The lady draped in bold red from head to toe, sighs in acknowledgment. Her eyes going back to Arth, who is now on his knees, clutching his eyes. Her lips twisted in a sneer. She never liked Arth. Not then, not now. However, she has a duty to do.
"Okay fine", she muttered, making her way to the man, now fully transformed in his angel form. His wide, fully grown wings, ashen red, now completly emerged out of his sides. Blood trickling down from they had come out. Flapping around in distress.
Huffing, she opens out her palm, covering Arth's eyes. A red light simmers out of her, surrounding the fallen angel. Arth stops screaming as pain subsides. He opens his eyes and finds himself in an open place. No walls. No bars. No roof. Nothing. Except clouds. He looks down at his sides, weighing tonnes now. Amazed by the vast fluttering extension of his body. His fingers lifting and moving over the ashen red wings.
He hissed, hand pulling away instantly as he feels a sting from where his finger has been cut. He stares as the dark crimson oozes out.
"Careful Arth", Destiny warned, standing on sidelines. Her smirk beautiful yet mocking. "They may be part of you but they don't belong to you"
Arth moves his head in direction of voice and finally he has a face to put up with.
A very pretty lady, dressed in red business suit, her long wavy auburn hair flat and straight against her back. Feet claded in a high stilettos, matching her outfit. Her features divine. Much similar to her aura. Dazzling red...she must be some diety...
"Had I deceived you?"
Destiny loses the smugness at the question. Apprehension coloring her eyes as her gaze jumps to Fate, who is calmly standing on the other side...are his memories back?...
"What do you mean?", the female diety questioned hiding her unease. Though she is a powerful diety, holding everyone's life in her hands, Arth - this fallen angel has always managed to unhinged her.
Arth comes up to his feet, groaning at the cracking of bones. He pinned the diety with an unreadable look. " I mean, are you my ex or something? Cause you surely being a vindictive bi-
"ARTH!", Destiny yells, her anger palapable. Her face full of disbelief and rage. " You little pest! How dare you insult me, DESTINY!! Heaven was right to curse you and bind to Abyss. Away from your so-
"You should calm down, Destiny", Fate intervened, not letting whatever the other was going to say.
Arth, nonchalant of the berating, looks from the female to the other guy - this one draped in white. His hair - white like snow. Orbs deep blue. Aura - calm like an endless ocean.
"Arth", Fate addressed the fallen angel. " we are here to offer a deal. You do what we say and you get free from Abyss."
The fallen angel quirks his head to the right, eyes taking in the dieties...Fate and Destiny, that's what they called each other. They want something from me. But why me? A fallen angel? Punished and banished to Abyss. Abyss - an underworld where only those who have committed some very atrocious deed are sent. And one can't just free someone from Abyss....
"I want something else", Arth demanded.
"You are in no position to make any call. We call shots here", Destiny growled, before Fate can say anything.
Arth chuckled. " Seeing the way you both came here, in Abyss... it doesn't involve only you two. Heaven and Abyss both are in it. So, why should I settle for less?", the male shrugged cockily.
...greedy just like before...Destiny fumed. "You are still the same. Narcissistic piece of-
Fate smiled...sharp just like before... He nodded, raising a hand out to stop his companion from saying anything more.
"quote your price"
Arth stiffened at the words. The statement somehow derogatory. Like the diety is paying back for him using bad word to Destiny earlier. Nonetheless, he dismisses the unease, and meet gaze with the diety.
" Grant me a wish"
****