There was a slight drizzle and the streets were mostly dark, but they didn’t care!

They had been warned about the risks that awaited them, but they were ready to break free.

“It’s a party! It’s a party!”

They rushed out dancing, intoxicated with magical juices running through their bodies. There was music in the air, in their heads, in their groins…

It was as if they were being pulled by something that held them in a trance, something very primordial and laden with desire. They moved in a mass, hypnotized. Moving slow? Moving fast? That did not matter. All that that mattered was the fact that they were on the move. Searching for that one partner who would shed their inhibitions and all layers that were completely unnecessary for them in the future.

The new life that they would choose demanded a lot of changes. But did they choose that life or were they the few chosen ones? Nothing mattered!  All that mattered was the path ahead as their vision tunneled and they were drawn inexplicably towards something they did not understand completely…

The air was clear. The rains had washed clean all old dust, dirt and debris and everything around was signaling a new beginning.

They moved in a mass, throbbing in frenzy.

He was faintly aware that his comrades they were falling one by one.

The enemies too waited in the dark as this troop walked the gauntlet, so to speak. Bullet-like spears swooshed past, missing him several times, but he was too heady to care. It was a call unlike any other. Nothing but the journey mattered for now.

He felt her beside him even before he saw her.

The current that flowed through his body was beyond belief making him delirious. He turned towards her and closed the little distance that remained between them. Her scent made him hum as they intuitively pressed their bodies to each other and fell to the ground, shedding vestiges of their old selves to dance a cosmic dance that they had been part of in some earlier life perhaps.

They were destined to be together to rule as monarchs, following the old ways of their ancestors and taking their tribe forward. One day, this whole world would belong to them. But till then, they had to function in the darkness of the night, lay low in the shadows, and keep themselves hidden from enemies. Being quiet and being sly, while they slowly grew in numbers.

***

She did not know how many days she had been imprisoned in this chamber. Sloth had turned her heavy, she could feel it. She tried to move her hands to relieve the scratch on her nose.

But where were her hands? What had he done?

She knew he was close. She could hear his body shuffling in the dark somewhere close to her. He watched her all the time. How could she escape? Thoughts of escape often crossed her mind whenever she was lucid, but…

Her breath came in wheezes as spasms of pain wrecked her body again.  Servants came rushing to wipe away sweat from her body. And they fed her something that seemed to give her just enough strength to push.

She had never imagined that the new life that she opted in for, so greedily, would turn this way. No one had warned her! It was like a contract that could never be terminated.

The spasm took over again. It was painful, her body writhed. Her servants rushed to her side on his command. They fanned and kept her cool.  In fact, they waited on her hand and foot. Most others envied her perhaps. A magnificent, cool and comfortable chamber, servants to cater to every reasonable demand, farmers and chefs working round the clock to keep her on a nutritious diet. According to the others in the tribe, she was living the life. But what if she wanted to break free. She did not like who she had become. She owed service to her society, but what about her freedom as a unique individual? Was it too much to ask for a little of that? 

***

He still remembered the first time he had seen her. In his gut, he knew she was his queen. He had to raise his kingdom and fulfill what his destiny had in store for him. That was his prime directive. Not everyone got that chance. Not everyone was built equal. Not everyone was special. But, like him, she was! It was that strange core of rebellion in her that bothered him a little. He had sensed that even in their first few days together. But he would deal with that when the time came. For now, he just had to shower love on her and treat her like a queen that she was destined to be. Love could tame the wildest of them. He had seen that earlier.

***

She had lost track of time, and over the years, she had lost the fight in her. Slowly, but surely. Now, she just lay there. Partaking of three of the seven deadly sins on a regular basis: gluttony, lust and greed. She did not think of escape anymore!  Not after what happened the last time …

She had tortuously dragged her heavy frame to the edge of her chamber. The labyrinthine system of passageways that stretched in front of her made her gasp… then came that ominous clacking sound. It was the guards! There was a whole army of them with sticks that they clacked loudly as a warning before they took any action. That menacing sound reverberated through the walls of the maze.  More and more servants and guards trickled in to form a thick, impenetrable wall at the gate of her chamber till… he came.

The guards had ceremoniously made way as he slowly approached her humming a disjointed tune. Head tilted; he had circled her slowly till he came to a sudden halt near her face, and without warning, he had stooped down to give her a kiss.

“No, Darling. Never again!”, he hissed as he bit her lip hard in full view of the others. As the blood dripped from her lips, the others seemed to look at her with a hunger in their eyes. The guards had gone on overdrive with their clacking sticks.  Were they warning the others or egging them on?

And then, he had mounted her. Right there, in front of them.

***

The servants were getting tired. Waiting hand and foot on an old queen on her death bed was tiring. She had begun to smell lately. That stench made them jittery.

Life for them had been nothing but arduous work. Building the ever-expanding maze, farming, foraging, taking care of young ones. Their patience was wearing thin by the day! Whatever happened to the promise that some of them could be chosen to wear the crown and be queen? All that they had to do was follow the rules and wait their turn patiently.

They had worked towards the prime directive without questioning. It was high time they got their reward! The queen’s magic was wearing off slowly. The king seemed to be distracted these days or maybe, he was growing old too. Old and powerless.

The seasons were changing. The workers at the outer fringes of the colony had sent news that winds were blowing from the west and bore a lot of moisture.  The first showers would pour down soon.

Yes, it was time for a change.

***

She was burning up with fever and could not keep any food down. Maybe, the chef was trying to poison her. Food had been tasteless lately, and the workers did not rush to her side at every discomfort.  The worst part was that… he had begun to keep a distance from her too. Not really leaving the chamber, but just choosing to roam at the extreme fringes rather than hovering around her like he used to.  She hated him!

She retched, but could not throw up anything. She could not remember if she had eaten anything. And what was this terrible itching? Did they poison her? Her eyes could not focus on anything. Everything around her looked blurry. Like dark clouds… circling her. It would rain soon. 

She retched again and this time, the pain that ran through her body was excruciating. She let out a silent scream and that’s when she noticed that all movement around her had stopped.

All of them seemed to be just standing still and looking at her… waiting for a cue.  A vague memory from many seasons ago suddenly flashed through her mind.

No! that could not be!

That could not happen to her! She screamed! "No, I don’t want to go that way. Please let me just leave! Please just give me my wings and let me fly away!"

But it was too late. They were already chewing at her body. One bite, two bites... and then all of a sudden, a million bites all around. She was being devoured alive. That was the way of the colony. Her pheromones would pass on to the others now, and they would develop wings.

“It’s a party, It’s a party”

The colony hummed together as they transformed into alates to escape the maze.

Glossary:

Alates:  Termites with wings (also called swarmers). They are the reproductive members of the termite colony that leave the nest. They find a mate and shed their wings to start new colonies.