bhaskara knows nothing of loss in the way that evren must feel it now. she has lived a life of isolation, a life that is the echo of a real life. there has never been love, except the idea of it, in a familial sense. there has only been the idea of a distant family, waiting to find her as she has been searching all these years, and her dream has come true in most ways. she is lucky.

her breath hitches softly when she sees evren and though it is instinctive to close the gap between them and offer a soft touch to the shoulder or side, bhaskara cannot seem to draw herself forward. it feels like an intrusion. her dark eyes inspect the painted mare’s face and find traces of heartache. she does not know evren well enough to understand why and this alone pains her.

the bay mare feels a flood of relief when evren lurches forward, greeting her emotionally. it touches her to be leaned on in such a way and she is sturdy beside the painted mare, if not a little disappointed with herself that she had not reached out first. ” i have waited all my life and there is no better time than now to spend with my family…. with you…” i have no one else her heart whispers.

she offers the explanation honestly, bearing a little more of herself than she had intended but it feels right given evren’s state. even now, as she steps back, bhaskara can see the fresh wetness tracing her sisters eyes and the delicate expression that trembles on her face. it is not the bay mare’s way to pry, having lived a life of privacy, but she still yearns to know what causes such heartache and how she might help to ease it.