Rakshasa Boyfriend: Himank

    My best friend Allie has been missing for several months now. The search has been given up and her missing posters have been covered or have faded away entirely. No one knows what could have possibly happened to her. There are no suspects, no foul play, no motives in sight. She just vanished from the world as if she had never existed. But she did exist and the world keeps moving on.

    I have exhausted myself trying to find her and even know I haven’t given up hope. Every free chance I get, I try to find some sign of her. I walk along the roads she used to go. I go to the shops she used to visit. My step-mother has done nothing but mock me as well, which has added to my resolution to find Allie. Anything to spite that bitter old hag.

    One afternoon, as I’m out wandering about, it starts to come down a heavy rain so I duck into a store. Strange thing is, I never realized it was a store before. I must have walked by it a dozen times and never come in. As I walk around I look at all the strange antiques mingled with things like large glass bottles, incense, iron cookware, and a couple of racks of clothes.

    “Welcome!” A chipper voice calls out. A girl with pink hair tied into buns comes walking out from the back. “Victim of the rain?”

    I nod slowly as I take off my soaked sweater. “Yeah. I’ll buy something, promise.”

    The girl smiles. “Don’t worry about it.” She then waves me back. “Come on back here,” she tells me. “I’ve got some tea brewed and ready if you’d like some.”

    “Oh,” I gasp. “Sure.” I follow her to the back where there are table and chairs set up like a cafe. I sit down while she brings out a cart with tea and snacks on them.

    “I usually have a tea ceremony here every day at this time. But when I saw rain I figured I wouldn’t have anyone.” She sets a cup before me and pours. She then looks me over. “You look familiar.”

    I’m watching the tea as she pours it. I then glance back at her and blush. “Yeah uhm...I wander around her a lot.”

    She sits down across from me and pours her own tea. “You’re looking for someone.”

    I gasp and look back at her. “Yes-what...how?” I gasp.

    She smiles at me and sips her tea. “Go ahead and drink,” she tells me. “I’ll read your tea leaves when you're done.”

    “You do that sort of thing?” I ask her in surprise.

    “I specialize in fortunes. Tea just happens to be one of the few you get a treat with it.” She winks at me. 

    I sip my tea down slow then set it on the table for her. She looks inside my cup and sighs. “This reads like a novel.” She murmurs. “Your friend is safe, but she’s very far away.”

    My eyes widen and it feels like the air is slowly being squeezed from my lungs. “Where is she?” 

    “The same place you belong.” She sets the teacup down. “Where you fate is waiting.”

    I furrow my brow. “What?” I stand up and my back hits against something. I turn around and scream, seeing a massive white monster behind me. He grabs me and moves me to a mirror that he pushes me through.

    “Himank is doing his rounds today. We’ll ask him when he stops by.” The voices are low and hushed. I blink slowly, groaning as my eyes adjust to the dim light. I rise from the floor and look around the room. Scarves are covering the window making the room dim. I’m for sure not in that weird little shop anymore.

    As I sit up a tall figure walks into the room. “You’re awake now.” It’s a woman’s voice.

    “Where am I?” I groan.

    “Hold still now. You had a pretty bad fall.” The woman comes up to me and moves back the scarves so light comes into the room. I look up at her, seeing she looks like a black panther. “There now.”

    My jaw drops as she comes back over to me and offers me cup. She has a headscarf around her head but her body is all shiny black fur and her eyes are a gorgeous golden green. I look at my hands quickly, wondering if I’ve been turned into a panther too. Nope. Still human.

    “Where am I?” I then ask, trying my hardest not to freak out at the pretty panther lady.

    She touches my forehead with her paw and then smooths my hair back from my face. “You’re in the country of Rakshasa,” she speaks with a low, gentle voice. She then offers me the cup again. “You fell through our roof.”

    “I did what now?” I balk.

    “Just outside,” she tells me, nodding beyond the door. “Not exactly through the roof but enough to give us a good fright. My husband went outside and found you on our roof. We have no clue where you came from.”

    I look into the cup and smell it, it smells a little fruity but looks like cloudy water. “Not many people would take in someone like that.”

    “Many strange things happen these days.” She stands up as a small panther comes rushing into the room. “He’s here Mama!”

    She rubs the cubs head. “Good. Maybe he’ll know what to make of this.”

    I look up to the door as a man who looks like a white tiger enters. He’s tall and lithe and wearing a deep blue tunic with matching pants. “I was told I had a medical mystery to look at.”

    The woman and the child bow. “We’re sorry to call you away, my prince. We know your visits here into the village are important to everyone but-” She turns back towards me on the ground. 

    Did she call him a prince?

    The white tiger tilts his head towards me then looks back at the woman. “Go on.”

    “She fell onto our roof,” the panther replies. “But that would be impossible. It’s almost as if she fell out of nothing. I know this sounds silly Prince Himank.”

    He chuckles. “Not silly at all.” He walks over to me. “Odd’s wife has a similar story.” He kneels down in front of me and my heart skips a beat suddenly. He has beautiful golden eyes and the cutest pink nose.  He looks at me and my mouth instantly goes dry.

    “What’s your name?” He asks me. 

    “Soo-jin,” I respond slowly.

    Himank brushes my hair from my face and looks more closely at me. “Where are you from?”

    “Charlotte,” I tell him.

    “Charlotte?” He rears back a bit. “Never heard of it.” He places a bag beside himself. “Tell me, do you hurt anywhere?”

    I shake my head. “No. I’m just...very confused.”

    “Not every day someone lands on a roof and doesn’t hurt,” Himank smirks at me. “Especially not cute girls.” He winks.

    My mouth gapes and the panther clears her throat. “Honestly now,” she sighs. 

    Himank chuckles. “Just trying to make her feel better. No harm.” He turns back to me. “What is the last thing you remember?”

    “My friend has been missing,” I start off with a shaky voice. “It started raining so I went into this shop. The woman inside had pink hair.”

    “Pink hair?” Himank raises his brows.

    I nod. “She read my tea leaves and then-” I shake my head. “I feel like something threw me but I can’t recall.”

    “You’re thrown alright.” He takes my hand and helps me stand up. He’s so tall compared to me. I’ve always been on the short side, but this Prince Himank makes me feel like a child standing next to their parent. He walks me outside where the sun is blinding. I cover my eyes as they adjust and I see the house is on the outskirts of a sprawling village. Looking up, I see a palace standing on the horizon looking over everything. I look around, seeing more cat people. Lions, tigers, I even see bears! Oh my. There’s a man whose skin is bright red with curled back horns on his head and a long sweeping tail behind him. There is a woman who is tall and green and extremely muscular with thick tusks jutting from her mouth.

    “Oh my god,” I whisper.

    “Far from home?” Himank asks.

    My eyes roll back into my head and I faint again.

    “You two scurry on back to your lessons,” I hear Himank fuss.

    “We just wanted to see her,” a young girl says. 

    “Please brother?” A boy asks.

    Himank scoffs. “Nothing to see here. I figured Mom would have taught you how to mind your own business.”

    “Look who's talking!” The girl laughs.

    “Yeah well, I’m older and smarter than you. Get on out of here.” Himank shoos away the two as they giggle and laugh. He closes the door and sighs. I sit up as he walks behind the curtain. He looks at me and smiles gently. “Are you ok?”

    “Not sure,” I grumble and hold my head.

    “I’m sorry. I should have considered you would have a shock like that.” He pours water into a cup and hands it to me. 

    I shake my head. “It would have happened with or without you.”

    Himank tilts his head and looks me over. “You're rather calm for someone who claims to not even be from this world.”

    “I black out.” I scoff up at him. “How is that calm?”

    Himank shrugs. “Not sure. I just know if I had somehow been thrown into another world I’d be at my wits end. I’d be worried about my family, my home.”

    I sigh. “No family to worry about.”

    “Oh,” he murmurs softly. 

    “And of course I’m freaking out!” I shake my head. “It’s just all...internal.” I look down in the water and sigh. “My head just feels shut down. I don’t know how to react to anything.”

    “You’re safe where you’re at.” Himank takes my hand and squeezes it with both his paws. “I’m Himank, prince and royal physician.” He smiles at me. “You came on the right day. I try to visit into the village a couple of times of month to give checkups and medicine to those who need it.”

    “Prince?” I whisper as I look at him.

    He nods. “Yes, but also a doctor.” He grins. “My brother is just the king.”

    “Just the-” I stop and chuckle. “Oh gosh I feel dizzy.”

    Himank takes the water so I don’t spill it. “Take deep breaths,” he coxes me. “Slow now. Breathe in.” He takes a deep breath with me. “Breath out.” He lets out a slow, steady breath I try to copy.

    “Do that a few times now.” He whispers to me. “Back when my brother and I were little, we used to have nightmares after the war.” He speaks in a slow calm voice. “Our mother would tell us to do this to help us calm down. My poor brother used to suffer the worst panic attacks.”

    “Is that what this is?” I ask.

    “Maybe,” Himank says. “I don’t blame you for whatever it is. But I’m here to make sure you don’t pop.” He smooths my hair back and stands up. “A friend of the family as some idea in what you’re going through. I sent word to have them come visit and talk with you.”

    “Did they come from another world?” I ask.

    “So they say.” Himank replies. “But for now, until they arrive, you’ll be under my personal care. So if you need anything at all just ask me and I’ll take care of you.”

    I nod slow. “Thanks.” I take a deep breath and put my arms around myself. “I’m just...I’m scared right now.”

    Himank puts his arm around me. “If you don’t mind, I know the perfect person to help with that.” He smiles reassuringly at me. “Do you mind if I ask her to come visit with you?”

    “Guess not,” I sniffle.

    “I’ll be right back then. Lay down and try to relax.” He steps away from the bed, but I can’t relax at all.

    I remain sitting up, fiddling with my fingers and fidgeting with my hair. My stomach is in knots and I don’t know what to expect to come through that door. A few moments later a woman walks in. She’s regal and beautiful with long black hair. She has dark, ruddy skin and bright eyes. 

    “Mama, this is Soo-jin,” Himank says as he walks in behind her.

    I look at the woman who in turn smiles at me. “Your mother?”

    “You can call me Mythri if you like,” she says as she comes over and sits on the edge of the bed. “Soo-jin, such a lovely name.” She takes hold of my hands and kneads my palms with her fingers. “Poor thing, you’re shaking so much.”

    I nod and sniffle. “Sorry I-” I don’t know why I start to cry so. For some reason Mythri reminds me of my own mother. Her warm presence, her soft hands, even the way she styles her long hair. When she died, I had been missing this feeling for so long.

    Mythri wraps me up in her arms, hugging me tight as I cry. She rubs my back and rocks me slowly. “It’s ok. Don’t worry.” She cups the back of my head. “You’re safe with me.”

    After that, Mythri takes me under her wing. Along with Himank they show me the palace and introduce me to the kingdom. Mythri dresses me in the local fashion, which is surprisingly comfortable and easy to move in. I meet the rest of the royal family including Himank’s brother the king. He has three more younger siblings as well, two sisters and a brother. His father is a stunning white tiger and I can see where Himank gets his looks.

    “What’s this strange thing?” Himank asks. I’ve been given a room in the palace and Himank comes by every day to have breakfast with me. He’s seen my cell phone sitting on the table and he’s looking it over.

    “Careful with that!” I snatch it back and hold it preciously in my hands. It doesn’t work anymore, the battery died a few days ago. But I still cling to it like some sort of lifeline to my old world.

    “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore,” I murmur as I look over the black empty screen. “But it’s something almost everyone has in my world. We can use them to call one another, talk, message, anything really.” I hand it over to Himank again.

    “How?” Himank looks it over, turning it this way and that. “It just looks like a block of glass!”

    “I’m sure the way I’d describe it would just make it all sound like some sort of magic.” I sigh. “Felt like it sometimes.”

    Himank sets the phone down. “You can’t use it here?”

    I shake my head. “The power for it is empty and I’ve got no way to recharge it.” I shrug. “Besides, who would I talk to?”

    Himank reaches out. “You can always talk to me.”

    I chuckle and take his stretched out hand. “What are you, some sort of flirt?”

    “Usually,” he squeezes my hand and kisses my knuckles. 

    My heart skips a beat again. “Damini told me you were something of a lothario.” I keep my hand in his. 

    “I like to have company,” Himank says. “And just because I date doesn’t make me some sort of philanderer.” He rolls his eyes. “Nothing has just been a good fit for me.” He then scowls. “So don’t let my sister go filling your head with that sort of nonsense. I am a gentleman first and foremost. Or well, doctor before all that.”

    I giggle and nod. “Ok. I trust you.”

    There’s a knock on the door and Himank answers. I hear him whisper to who is outside and he turns to me. “Soo-jin, they just arrived.”

    I stand up as the door opens, a woman walks in and my heart nearly falls out. She looks older than I last remember, but it’s her. Her eyes fill with tears and her jaw drops.

    “Allie?” I step towards her.

    She rushes towards me and we hold each other for a long time. We both cry and are so happy to see one another again. For her it’s been decades, but for me only a few months. We sit back and talk for the longest of time. She tells me about her life, her husband whose name is Odd and of their daughters. We sit and laugh, going on about old memories, which for her are a lifetime ago.

    I take my purse and show her the old picture of us I still keep in my wallet. “I just can’t believe you’re here. Out of all the people…” Allie whispers.

“I wish I could have come sooner,” I whisper. “We could have found some way to go home.”

Allie look seriously at the picture. “I tried to once,” she whispers. “But soon, this world became my home. Odd became my strength and I just stopped looking.”

“You gave up?” I whisper.

Allie shakes her head as a clam smile spreads on her lips. “After a while I forgot. Like I said, this world became my home.”

“But I-” I close my mouth and sigh. “You never found any way to go back at all?”

“There are ways but there is a lot of sacrifice involved in them. There are things you’d give up that may not be worth it in the end.” She takes my hand and squeezes it tight. “Sometimes, fate has different plans for you out of your control.”

I hesitate as I remember what the pink haired witch said. Allie and I continue to talk late into the night. She leaves to go to bed with her husband and I stay awake, sitting at the open window.

The door opens and Himank walks in. “I don’t mean to bother you. I just noticed your window was open.”

“I’m fine,” I gaze outside. “Just lost in thought was all.”

Himank sits on the other side of the window seat and leans back against the wall. “Did you enjoy seeing your friend again?”

“I did.” I nod while I smile. “It was an unexpected surprise to see Allie again.”

“So what’s wrong?” Himank asks.

He’s wearing a robe and was probably going to bed when he saw my shutters wide open. I sigh and lay my cheek on my shoulder. “Allie said there’s no way to go back.”

Himank’s eyes widen. “You want to go back?”

“It’s my home it’s…” I close my eyes. “That’s where I belong after all. But Allie said the ways to get back aren’t worth the cost.”

“What do you want to go back to?” Himank leans forward. “When you think of home, what is it you focus on?”

“I have a job-” I start but realize that sounds weak. “I have a car and-” I hesitate again and lean back. “My step-mom is-” I scowl. “My mom and dad are back there. But they’re dead.”

“But what do you imagine when you think of home?” Himank asks me again.

I close my eyes. “I don’t know.”

“What’d you do back in your world?” He moves closer to me. “Better yet, what did you enjoy doing there?”

I sigh. “My job was just in this small restaurant,” I grumble. “But what I really liked doing was writing.”

“Like what?” His ears perk up. “What did you write about?”

I look into his bright eye. I chuckle and look down, tucking my black hair behind my ear. “It’s not important.”

“It is.” He slips his hand under my chin and lifts my head. “What did you write about?”

I smile and lay my cheek into his palm. “Lots of things,” I confess. “All sorts of stories. Just anything that crossed my mind.”

“I’d like to read them.” Himank says.

I gasp and shake my head. “Oh gosh! That’d be too embarrassing!” My voice squeaks. “I’m not even that good!”

Himank scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Then why do you enjoy doing it?”

I blink a few times. “Well..I uhm-”

“Do you do things you like simply because you’re good at them? No.” He points in my face. “You do them because you enjoy it and have a passion for it.” He pulls his fingers back. “You write, because you like it and you have fun, right?”

I nod.

“Then what does it matter if you’re good?” He smiles brightly at me.

I smirk back at him. “I guess it doesn’t.”

    The next morning when I wake up my breakfast is delivered along with a package and note from Himank.

    “I’m going down to do my visits with the village today. But I wanted to give you these.” Inside the package there is ink and pens and a large stack of paper bound by ribbon. “Today, while I’m away, I want you to write. I want you to use your passion and write something for yourself. Use every page, use every single drop of ink. But write and love every second of it as I have loved every second with you.”

    My heart jumbles around inside my chest. I can’t help but read his note over and over again. I haven’t written by hand in ages but once I sit down to do it, I don’t stop. 

    “Look at you, hunched over your desk like that!”

    I nearly jump from my skin. I turn around as Himank walks into my room. “What time is it?” I gasp.

    “Quite late, I just returned home.” He leans over my shoulder to stare at the mess on the desk. Pages and ink everywhere. “You did it.” He hugs me from behind and kisses my cheek “Can I read it?”

    “Uh-” My nerves and self-doubt tell me to say no. “If you want to. But you don’t have to force yourself.” I gather the pages and make sure they’re in order.

    Himank takes them and sits down on the big chair before the fireplace. “I asked them to bring our supper up here. But feel free to go downstairs if you like.”

    “I’d hate to leave you alone like that.” I touch my cheek where he kissed me, my heart is practically roaming free at this point.

    Our meal is brought up, but Himank doesn’t touch it. He sips his tea but he remains focused on the pages I wrote. I eat sparingly, feeling nervous as his eyes dart back and forth on the page. 

    Himank then stands up and lays the pages back on the desk. I watch him from my seat as he turns back to me. He bends down, cupping my face in his hands and he kisses me. I lean into him and forget how to breathe.

    “You have talent,” he smiles at me as he pulls back. “Had you not stopped writing I would not have stopped reading.”

    “You liked it?” I gasp.

    “Very much so.” He kisses me again. “Almost as much as I like you.”

    I hold his paw on my cheek, sitting up to meet his kisses more. “If you’re just teasing me-” I start to whine.

    “I don’t kiss to tease.” Himank sighs. “I kiss to make a statement.”

    My lashes flutter as I try to catch my breath. “What’s this statement?”

    He kisses my cheek then moves his lips to my ears. “I’m falling for you, Soo-jin,” he whispers. “Ever since I met you my heart has been pulled to you.” 

    “Really? Me?”

    “You sound surprised?” Himank chuckles. 

    I swallow and shake my head. “No one like you...well,” I stumble to find my words. “No one like you has ever gone for someone like me.”

    “Because they weren’t me.” Himank kisses me again. 

    “I like you too, that’s the thing,” I whimper as his kisses trail down my neck. “I never expected you to reciprocate.”

    “Oh trust me,” Himank purrs. “I’ve wanted to reciprocate for a long time. I didn’t want to scare you. And after you said you wanted to return back I-” He sighs and sits back. “I don’t want you to go. I want you stay. But-” he takes hold of my hand. “I can’t make you stay and I wouldn’t force you to.”

    “I may be stuck for a long time.” I move closer to him. “And home can change.”

    Himank’s tail whips back and forth. “I’ll help you find a way home. Just don’t expect me to be happy about it if we find it.”

    I squeeze his hand and stand up, leading him over to the bed. His ears perk up and his tail twitches erratically behind him. We fall onto the bed together and I wrap my arms around him. We kiss as the heat grows and grows. 

    He strips away my clothes and kisses down my body. I whimper, knowing he’s a prince and able to see the most beautiful people in the world, I have no way to compare. I worry I’m not good enough for him.

    His rough tongue laps between my breasts and his eyes flick up to me. They’re dangerous and heady as they gaze at me. He kisses down my stomach, those same eyes locked on me. I reach down, rubbing the top of his head as he kisses.

    “Himank, wait,” my voice squeaks.

    He sits up. “What’s wrong?”

    “I uhm-” I fidget in place. “You should get naked too.”

    Himank smirks. “How rude of me.” He rises and strips away his tunic. His body looks perfect and godlike. He’s thin but fit with hint of muscle. He takes down his pants and I stare at him. His cock is already thick and hard. It’s pink but almost red at the tip, curving slightly upward with strange bumps along the shaft.

    “I’m excited, can you tell?” Himank purrs as he snuggles up close. He kisses me and rubs his paw down my body. “One look at you and my whole body lit on fire.”

    “At me?” I pant. I then squeak as his fingers slip between my thighs.

    “Is that a question?” He bites my neck and I moan out loud. His fingers rub along my slit, opening me and finding my molten core. He groans into my ear. “You feel so good already.” His fingers rub more, finding my clit and teasing it slowly. “I’ll make you feel even better.”

    I clamp my thighs around his wrist and writhe at his touch. He kisses and nibbles on me, whispering the sweetest things. I don't understand how he can breathe since I barely can in this moment. His fingers rub me and tease me, both inside and out. He deep rumbling voice purring in my ear and his touch make a sweet concoction. I turn to kiss him as a heated spike rakes through my body. I tremble and twitch, sloppily kissing him. He pulls back his paw, his fingers drenched from me.

    “Sorry,” I pant. My head is swimming and I feel dizzy.

    “Sorry?” He scoffs and licks his fingers. “This was exactly what I wanted.” He moves on top of me. “I’ll do it again too.”

    I reach up, pawing at his chest. “You wouldn’t dare,” I tease.

    “I would dare.” He grabs my hips and lifts them from the bed. “I’m a doctor, I know how.” He leans over me, kissing me while I feel his cock rub against my folds. His rough tongue licks mine and his mouth opens. A low moan escapes his lips as he starts to ease inside.

    I clamp my legs around him and press against his chest. He moves inside me and the small bumps rub my insides in a strangely wonderful away. Hi slow moaning in my ear is enough to send me spiraling. 

    “How dare you feel so good?” He rolls his hips. “How dare you?” He smirks lustily at me.

    “I should say the same thing, my prince.” I tangle my fingers in his fur. I take a sharp breath as he starts to move. He rises again, looking down on me. He moans and purrs as he rolls his hips, grinding himself inside before slipping out and pushing in again. 

    I watch him, awed by the spectacle of such a beautiful creature above me. His body moves fluidly and his eyes are glazed over with lust. Just the tip pink tongue peeks out from his mouth as he moves. He starts to go faster, moving harder.

    I gasp and sigh, rolling my head this way and that as I grunt and moan. I squeeze around him, wanting to feel every inch of him inside me. I start to feel that powerful spike again, it grows and grows, shooting out through my body and out the top of my head. The arches of my feet ache and my legs kick out. I’m not sure how loud I’ve gotten, all I can hear is my blood rushing in my ears. The heat spikes again, this time from Himank. His hips jerk and bounce as his heat floods me all at once.

    I look up at him, both of us dazed and sated. He falls onto the bed, kissing me lazily as we both succumb to the dulled haze of the afterglow. He purrs in my ear and I can feel the rumbling of my chest against me.

    After some recovery he gets up, naked, and fetches water from the pitcher. He steals bites from our cold dinner and returns to bed. I gulp down the water and kiss him softly. 

    He cups my cheek and brushes my hair from my face. “How do you feel?”

    I bite my lip. “Well...I feel like I want more.”

    Himank kisses me. “I’ll give you the rest of my life. Will that be enough?”

    I drag him down into the bed with me. “It’ll be a start.”