How a Cat came of age (A Catwoman origin story) Chapter 13 : Swept up by the cold desert

Smuggling vessels are ideal for travelling undetected, if one is adept at sneaking in and out without being noticed. The whole point of such transportation is that it isn't searched, on account of the smugglers having greased the palms of the officials. Even if they haven't, experienced smugglers don't let their merchandise get discovered. And so, it was with the merchandise, a large shipment of tobacco, that Selina was hiding.

Immediately after she arrived in Busan, South Korea she checked into a small motel. It was a far cry from the luxury she had gotten accustomed to, but for the time being it would have to do. For one, she wanted to lay low. For another, she wasn't carrying a lot of cash with herself. Her small backpack only held a change of clothes, some books, toiletries, a few diamonds hidden in a compact box, a sharp knife and her whip.

The bulk of her earnings was safe in a Swiss bank. She had decided not to access any of it until she was finally secure. She intended to go to Moscow, for the next leg of her education. But not directly, not before making a few stop overs, starting with Vietnam. There was always a possibility that the Hasigawa clan members may have followed her, and she didn't want to leave a clear trail behind.

Eiko probably wouldn't. But that didn't guarantee that some other loyalist of Tatsuo or Asahi Hasigawa would not try to track her down and finish her. After all, Selina was only blackmailing Eiko. The two of them were the only ones who knew why it was in Eiko's best interest to not pursue her. The other's didn't. They may still try to avenge the family's dishonor.

Selina could only hope that Eiko had the sense to issue clear orders that no one was to go after her.

She had stayed in her motel room all day and headed to the harbour at midnight. She was familiar with the kind of boats smugglers used, the barely noticeable signs on them that indicated where they were going and where they had come from. Signs that even law enforcement wouldn't spot, and were only known to those who had been involved in the business. Selina had been to this part of the world before. Either stealing vessels owned by Hasigawa rivals, or spying on smugglers associated with the Hasigawas to make sure they weren't up to any funny business.

She knew the route and the schedule of the boat she had chosen and snuck on to it just minutes before it left the harbour. She endured the smell of tobacco for hours before they arrived at Vung Tau at Vietnam. She sold one of her diamonds at a pawn shop and checked into a half descent hotel. After a shower and a nice breakfast she decided to go out and buy some essentials like clothes, luggage etc, and also a ticket to Bombay*. From there she planned to go to Tashkent and finally, Moscow. There, she needed to find a certain expert and come up with a way to get him to share his expertise with her. But that would come much later. For now, she just needed to focus on the current phase of her journey.

Selina had tried and failed to not think about what she ran away from. The good and the bad. The near maternal kindness Sakura had always shown her, and all the valuable lessons she had taught. What she and Eiko had shared. It wasn't love. As far as Selina was concerned, if wasn't even a true friendship. It was a relationship of convenience for Selina. But for Eiko it had obviously been something much, much more. She probably thought they would be together for the rest of their lives. That they would rule the Yakuza together. She had probably planned out how they were going to keep their relationship hidden. All those dreams Eiko had, died a quick death when Selina stabbed her in the back. She didn't deserve that. But that was how it had to be. It's what Selina needed to do to ensure her own freedom and survival. Come to think of it, Eiko's only fault was that she was a Hasigawa. It isn't as though they would have lasted if she wasn't, but at least Selina wouldn't have had to go through such lengths to break her heart.

Selina's mind kept replaying the last thing Sakura had said to her.

"I hope that someday you will know the pain of losing a child."

Selina didn't understand why these words bothered her, haunted her so terribly. She doubted she would ever have kids. Certainly not while she was in the line of work she had chosen. So why did it scare her so much to think about it?

She decided she needed to hear a familiar voice, otherwise she would lose her mind. She reckoned it would be safe to give Holly a call. She dialled her boarding school from a pay phone, wondering how the kid was holding up in what was very posh and proper company.

"Selina!" Holly exclaimed excitedly into the phone as soon the Assistant Housemistress handed it to her. The lady had to place a finger on her lips to remind the lass that her voice was above the permitted decibel levels.

"Sorry! Holly whispered, before addressing Selina again, "Selina, are you doing ok? How is everything...?"

"Things are just fine Holly. You don't need to worry. I'll be moving into my new home soon."

Holly understood that it meant that Selina had successfully escaped from Tokyo and was about to get to her next destination.

"Ok, well can you give me the address to your new home?"

At least tell me which country.

"I will Holly. Once I've moved in. You tell me, how's everything over there?"

"Everything's great Selina. Really. I had some trouble adjusting to all these rules but most people here are really nice."

"Ok. And how are your studies going? Remember child, you must bring honour to the non-House of Kyle!" Selina's fake English accent made Holly burst out laughing. She immediately placed a hand over her mouth as her loud cackle could get her into trouble. Again.

"And Selina, I'm going to a Ball. It's this big annual event, and I actually have a date! His name's Jonathan Foster."

"Hmmm..... tell me this posh boy doesn't eat soup with a fork!"

"Selinaaaa!! John's really nice. He's not stuffy like a lot of the other boys here."

"That's ok darling. I'm just teasing. So when is this Ball?"

"Three weeks from now."

"You're gonna need a dress, and shoes and a bag too. I'll send you some money. I think five hundred pounds ought to be enough."

Holly wasn't sure what Selina's financial situation was like at this time. And didn't wish to burden her.

"Selina, I really don't need money. I have those Prada shoes you got me. And I'll just borrow a dress...."

"No, Holly! If you're going to this thing, you're going to look better than any of those princesses."

"But Selina, you probably need it more right now....."

"Holly, listen to me. No matter how much of a spot I'm in, I'll always have enough to take care of the ones I love. Money will never ever be a problem for us. That, I can promise. So stop worrying and have fun. Also, I'd suggest getting a Christian Dior."

"Ok Selina. You take care of yourself."

There were no flights to Bombay available, and Selina would have to wait until the next day. She wired the required sum of money to Holly through Western Union, before returning to the hotel.

Selina woke up early, as she had a 7 am flight to catch. She was just heading to the airport in a cab when the cab driver told her the money she had paid "wasn't right". Confused and annoyed, Selina leaned forward to examine the bills when she felt a sting in her neck.

In the seconds before her world went dark, Selina's last thought was "fucking hell!"

It was pitch black when she first came to and opened her eyes. Her hands and feet were tied up with what felt like nylon ropes. Whoever had bound her knew that she would be able to pick the locks of cuffs or contort her body to get out of chains.

Hasigawas? Had to be. Did Eiko not care about their affair bring exposed? Or did one of her underlings decide to bring in Selina Kyle?

Selina was still groggy and her head hurt when she tried to move it. The Sensei had had her develop an immunity to common sedatives. So this was obviously something potent and not easily available. Once again indicating that her captor knew her abilities well.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness and her mind cleared a bit, she realized she was on a plane, half lying down on a seat. Her mouth hadn't been gagged, though. She considered using her voice, but then decided to close her eyes again. If they thought she was unconscious, they might divulge something about what was going on and where they were taking her. She had begun to suspect that it wasn't the Hasigawa clan that had nabbed her.

Selina lay back when a figure approached her. By opening her eyes a millimetre she saw that the person was wearing all black and had a back cloth mask covering their face. From their gait and structure, she deduced they were male.

"Wake up!" The man spoke as he shook her, "wake up. You will soon meet our Master." Selina couldn't quite place the accent. Not from anywhere in East or South Asia. Eastern European, perhaps. Maybe from somewhere in West Asia?

Definitely not the Yakuza, that was for sure. Selina didn't know whether to be relieved or worried.

The plane landed and Selina's feet were untied, but not her hands. She was given a coat, made of what felt like Yak wool. She was escorted by three masked men, with their swords drawn. Curved swords that she recognized as Scimitars. A kind of Arabian sword.

It was snowing when they stepped out. Selina looked at the imposing mountains nearby. This had to be the Himalayas. But which country? India? Nepal?

"Where are we"? She asked the men. "And who the hell are you?"

"We are in Tibet." One of them answered, "and we are loyal servants of the League of Assassins. "

League of Assassins. Selina had heard of them. Sensei mentioned this organisation and said that it was run by, in his words, "a mad genius". The League's name was mentioned in Yakuza circles as well, though no one, except the bosses seemed to know much about them. And the bosses didn't divulge much.

The Himalayan mountains were right there, which meant they were in the South of Tibet.

The men led her to a what looked like a compound, inside of which were stone steps leading to an underground passageway.

"Do not get any ideas, woman." The same guy who spoke earlier said to Selina, "escape is quite impossible".

Selina believed him. Where would she even escape to? The coat she was given offered some protection from the cold, but Selina was still shivering and craved some warmth.

She was led into the passageway and through a maze of underground tunnels, and down several poorly lit flights of stairs which sha made sure to memorize. The further they went, the warmer it got. They finally arrived at a large door. A small window opened the same guy one who had been speaking to Selina, spoke into it. It sounded to her like Arabic but she wasn't sure. The door opened and they entered an enormous and well lit area. It seemed like the entrance of some kind of palace. The floor was possible the most beautiful mosaic Selina had even seen. The ceiling must have been at least fifty feet high. There were gorgeous tapestries on the walls.

Selina's hands were finally untied and the first thing she did was remove the heavy coat. This place was quite warm. She nonchalantly handed it to one of the men surrounding her. She was led through a hallway towards a large door. She was even more awestruck by the majestic architecture and sheer opulence of what was sure an underground palace. They waited outside the door for several minutes before an old man, with very little hair on his head and wearing a green heavily embroidered silk robe, came out and spoke to one of the men leading Selina. Again it was the same man who had talked to her. Selina wondered if the others were even allowed to speak.

At long last they entered the room. It was a study, with huge wooden shelves containing rows and rows of books. A huge fireplace was on the opposite side. In the middle of the room was a desk at which a middle aged man was seated, pouring over some documents. The men escorting Selina got on their knees and bowed, before being waved off by the old man who had invited them in. The exited without a word. The man at the desk lifted his head and his piercing brown eyes regarded Selina, taking a good look at her. At first instance she felt as though he was leering at her, but then she realized his gaze was contemplative, not salacious.

"Bow, woman!", the old man said to Selina rather sternly, "For you are in the presence of the Demon's Head, Ra's al Ghul!"

Selina had never heard that name before. And she sure as hell wasn't going to bow before some guy who had her brought to him in captivity.

"I don't bow.", she replied.

The old man got angry and was about to admonish her when this 'Ra's al Ghul' finally spoke. In perfect English, with the faintest hint of an English accent along with the seemingly Arabic one. "There is no need, Rustam."

His voice was a deep baritone. Ra's stood up and Selina saw just how imposing he was with his broad shoulders and his height of around 6 feet two inches. As he approached Selina, Rustam bowed his head and stepped backwards. He stood near one of the shelves, awaiting further orders.

"Selina Kyle" he said "surely you are wondering why you were brought here."

"You're in the ballpark!" Selina retorted.

"You are here so you can impart your special skill. The skill of seduction. Of driving a man to near insanity with desire, to the point that he is willing to do anything to have your body as a reward. Isn't that what you did to Jiro Fujiwara and so many Japanese politicians and gangsters?"

Selina didn't say anything. This man obviously knew a lot about her. His organisation had probably been watching her for quite some time. She reckoned it was best to stay silent for now.

"You were trained by the legendary geisha Sakura Sato herself....."

Sakura was a legend? Selina supposed she must have been.

"And now....." Ra's went on, "you are going to teach those skills to my daughter, Talia."

Now Selina was caught off guard.

"You want me to teach your daughter how to seduce men?" She wondered what kind of a father could even think that.

"Yes" Ra's said, ignoring Selina's obvious shock, "You have four months to turn my Talia into a temptress and if you succeed, you will have one million US dollars. Rustam here will tell you the rest of what you need to know. For your sake, Selina Kyle I hope you will obey our rules and will be at your best behaviour. Otherwise your end would be.... unpleasant."

He then gestured to Rustam, who asked Selina to follow him.

"So, Rustam" Selina said in a casual tone, "what's this Talia like? And how old is she?" Selina was hoping like crazy that the girl was a legal adult.

"LADY Talia", Rustam said with a hint of anger in his voice, "is our princess. She is the Demon's favourite child. She is nineteen years old. And you are to treat her with the utmost respect."

Nineteen. Ok, so at least when she was teaching her, Selina wouldn't feel like she belongs on a list somewhere. Small favours.

"So why does Ra's al Ghul want his nineteen year old daughter to learn seduction of all things?"

"Lady Talia is to be married soon. Our Master wants her to be able to please her future husband who is a powerful warlord, and the ruler of Khadym."

Khadym. A country in West Asia that, about a decade ago, had been declared a failed state by the United Nations. From what Selina knew, it was one of the most brutal, most dangerous places in the world. And this "warlord", or rather a dictator was Jamal al Qureshi. The guy made the likes of Mugabe look tame in comparison. A former army officer, Qureshi rose in rank at a rapid pace and ultimately staged a bloody coup which saw every single one of those who oppose him put to death. Selina again wondered what kind of a monster this Ra's al Ghul was, to send his young daughter to such a place.

They entered a small hall, Rustam pointed at a sofa and said "you sit over there. Lady Talia will be with you shortly." Selina looked around the room that was just as opulent and luxurious as the rest of this palace. She had thought that the Hasigawas were wealthy, which they were with their net worth being well into tens of billions of dollars. But the Al Ghuls were clearly on another level. She was just contemplating just how foolhardy planning a score would be, when one of the doors opened.

A young woman entered, accompanied by a few veiled women. She was truly beautiful with her long brown hair, almond shaped brown eyes and olive skin. The phrase that came to Selina's mind was "desert rose". She was in a stylish navy blue dress, which Selina guessed was Versace. She had a slim figure but her well toned arms and calves suggested she did a lot of strength training. It seemed that she mostly favoured her father in appearance, but Selina was willing to bet that her mother was from somewhere in East Asia.

One of the veiled women gestured towards Selina and said, "Lady Talia, this is the woman your father has hired to train you. Her name is Selina Kyle."

The woman then turned to Selina and said "Selina Kyle, this is Talia al Ghul. Daughter of the Demon's Head"

"Greetings" Talia said in a soft, yet deep voice.

"Hello Talia, it's nice to meet you."

"You as well", Talia said politely as she sat down on the chair across from Selina.

A few seconds of awkwardness passed between them, as they just looked at each other. Selina was sure that Talia wasn't completely comfortable with this whole thing, but had little choice.

"Um... maybe you'd be more comfortable if we were alone."

"Yes, I think I would be." Talia then spoke to one of the women who had accompanied her. After a brief conversation the woman she was talking to stood near the wall, watching Selina and Talia intently, while the others left the room.

"Talia, I think before we begin, you need to tell me why you want to learn seduction. Is it so you can make your future husband fall in love with you? So you can gain his trust.....?"

"I want to be able to persuade him to do whatever father wants him to" Talia replied.

So she would be used as "negotiation" tool. And she's well aware of it. Lovely.

"Ok, for that you're going to need his trust. What do you know about this man. What's he like?"

"I don't really know him that well. We've only met a few times. From what I have learned, he is as dominant and unrelenting as one would expect. However, he has been known to reward loyalty. And he seems to value his close advisers."

"I've heard that he has an appetite for beautiful women too."

"He does. He has five or six women in bed with him every night. They are taken from pleasure houses all over the world."

"Talia, what kind of experience have you had with sex?"

Talia seemed taken aback by the forwardness of the question but did answer.

"I.... I'm a virgin."

Now Selina felt even worse. This young beauty, this desert rose was going to be uprooted and replanted in such hostile conditions.

"Shall we begin our lessons tomorrow?"

"Sure. No problem." Selina replied.

"Zarina here will take you to your living quarters." Talia said, gesturing towards the veiled woman standing near the wall, "Please make yourself comfortable and if you need anything, let her know without hesitation."

"I will. Thank you Talia."

The woman, Zarina led Selina to a small but comfortable apartment. Her backpack was there, it's contents intact. The apartment was quite a long walk away from the room they had been in. Selina saw several other women around there, going in and out of other apartments. They were all wearing veils.
She deduced these were the staff quarters. And the employees, maids probably, seemed to work in shifts. In her closet she found about a dozen sets of clothes - shirts and pants. They were all exactly her size.

After dinner, which she brought into her own apartment, Selina lay in bed thinking about exactly how much of a mess she was in now.

This organisation was dangerous. There was no doubt about that. And quite possibly as ruthless and brutal as the Yakuza. She could try and escape. The place was heavily guarded but it wouldn't be impossible for her to breach their security. However, she wondered just how far she would get in the unforgiving cold. Getting lost in the Himalayas even in the month of August was a scary thought.

Or she could stay, do what Ra's had asked and then walk away with a million. That would mean spending the next four months here. It wasn't an attractive prospect either, but definitely better than freezing alive.

What really made Selina uncomfortable was Talia al Ghul. Not that there was anything wrong with her. Not that she could see, at least. But just the thought of a beautiful, intelligent young woman being "given" to a cruel dictator/warlord made her stomach turn. It forced her to to remember what she ran away from a decade ago, when she threw that chair through a window and was forced to leave a friend behind as she escaped. Now, seeing a father trade his daughter for influence and political clout, Selina felt physically ill.

After hours of tossing and turning in bed and trying to ease her heart, Selina decided she could not allow her emotions to rule her. Talia's fate wasn't in her hands so there was no point in fretting over it. Besides helping people hadn't really gone well for her, or for them. Case in point, Emiko Takahashi. Selina thought despairingly that if she had just refused to help Emiko, and found some other way to blackmail Denji, the poor woman might still be alive. But she had decided to be a hero and help the caged bird fly and how ghastly the outcome had been!
Not anymore. Selina would do this job, collect her remuneration and continue on her journey. Besides, there was no way she could help Talia. The girl had obviously resigned herself to her fate. And what was Selina going to do? Tell her to rebel against her father? A ridiculous thought.

She pondered over how she would go about training Talia. A virgin, a princess who had probably lived a sheltered life. She considered what she had learned about Jamal al Qureshi's taste in women. And decided novelty might be the key.

The next morning, Zarina informed Selina that she would meet Talia in her personal study at two in the afternoon every day and would get four hours with her. Earlier, Selina had requested that she be allowed to make a few international phone calls every week. Permission for it was granted. Selina would talk to both Holly and Gwen at least twice a week. Always with the speaker on, and always with Rustam right there, listening. She was forced to talk vaguely and briefly.

Selina decided to spend her morning practicing her gymnastics and martial arts, and working on her Russian.

At exactly one in the afternoon, Zarina came to get her and led her to Talia's study. As they approached, Talia exited the room along with a middle aged man who looked as though he was from the Indian subcontinent. This was confirmed when Talia thanked him and addressed him as "Guru Ji".

The suffix "Ji" to one's name or title was a way of showing respect and was used in many Indian languages. And of course, there was the fact that she called him her "Guru". The man was in a white dhoti* and kurta*. He was tall and lean, yet presented an aura of strength. He nodded politely at Selina, who returned the gesture, when their paths crossed.

Talia's study looked just like a smaller version of Ras'. Selina had read many of the books that were on the shelves, and there were many that she had wanted to read.

"Talia, I've decided we're going to turn your inexperience into your advantage", Selina told her as they sat down, "you said he enjoys trained sex workers from exotic pleasure houses. Being around someone innocent and 'naive' would be a novelty for him. Make him think you're both of those things and you could fascinate him."

"I think I understand, Selina."

"You'd have to please him in bed as well, so I'm also going to teach you some sexual techniques, some massages etc."

Thus began Talia al Ghul's tutelage under Selina Kyle. Selina knew it wasn't possible to teach her everything Sakura had taught her over a span of several years, in only four months. So she focused on only one component. Namely the "weaponized innocence" one.

The two women only spent fours hours together. For the rest of the day, Selina was expected to stay in her apartment.
Which was obviously out of the question. Selina Kyle was not going to be kept in a cage.
Every day, she would sneak out of her room and would explore the palace. Her skills at going in and out of places unnoticed was utilized well. She had stolen one of the maid's outfits and would often she put it on so she could walk around inconspicuously. She had to walk with a stoop in order to blend in, as she was quite a bit taller than most of the women there. Thankfully these outfits were quite baggy and her stoop wasn't noticeable.

She went into several of the bed chambers, into offices, into the enormous dining halls, and into the kitchens. She stole nothing. She knew that if any valuables went missing, there was only one person these people would suspect and that would lead to a whole new set of troubles for her. She could "borrow" books however. Almost every single day, she took one of the thousands of books in Ra's study and sneaked it back into her room. She spend the day reading it and the next day she'd put it back and get another. She had gotten her hands on a treasure of knowledge and was going to take full advantage of it. She read the works of philosophers from different cultures and different eras. She read works on politics, strategy, mathematics, hard sciences and history. Absorbing all this knowledge like a sponge was the highlight of her time there.

Once, every few days, she would call Holly's boarding school and would speak to her. These were the few comfortable and informal conversations she would have during her time with the Al Ghuls.

One day, while in Ras' study, she was caught. Not by Ra's or any of his employees. But by the man Talia had called Guru Ji.

"You could get in trouble for that, you know!", a voice spoke from behind her and startled Selina just as she had picked up a book about the Inca empire. She nearly dropped it. She was sure that there was no one around. So where did he come from?

Before she could say anything, he spoke.

"Selina Kyle, right? You are here to prepare Talia for her.... marital life."

How the hell did he know it was her? She was veiled and covered from head to toe. Even Ra's himself had passed her in the hallways a few times and didn't know it was her.

"Umm.... are you going to call the guards? Turn me in?" She asked, trying to keep nervousness out of her voice.

"No. Of course not!", he said with a laugh, "I understand the pull all these books have. It's an ocean of knowledge and you wish you could just dive in, don't you?"

"Yeah"

"Fortunately for me, I have the Demon's permission to borrow any book I want. My name is Shankar. Shankar Upadhyay. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

They were about to shake hands, when they heard foot steps approach. Shankar quickly took the book from Selina's hands, as Rustam entered. Selina resumed her stopped posture and began tidying up the furniture.

Rustam dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Selina left quickly.

"Guru Ji," he said, addressing Shankar, "is there anything I can get you?"

"Oh no! Thank you. I was just borrowing this book. I hope that's ok."

"Certainly. Our Master has said that you shall have free access to his library."

"Well, tell him I said thank you. Good day!"

Selina went back to her apartment and breathed a sigh of relief. She changed into her regular clothes, as it was almost time for Talia's lesson. As she took her clothes put of the closet, she was surprised to see a book hidden there. The same one she had in her hands a few minutes ago. The one Shankar Upadhyay had taken from her.

Selina couldn't help but think of him as she walked to Talia's study. How wholesome and kind he seemed. His persona exuded a kind of goodness that she hadn't seen in years.

"Men like this Qureshi are used to being in control. To having all the power at their feet." Selina said to her pupil, "When their attention is captured by a woman, she can get them hooked by making them feel as though they have "rescued" her. They tend to develop a kind of hero complex, even if they're the opposite to a hero. This is what you need to exploit."

"So I should act like a helpless creature?"

"Exactly. But only for a time. The Damsel in distress act gets real annoying if it's over done. Your innocence will get his attention, your apparent need to be saved by him will draw him to you. Your submission will make him feel secure and it's what you do for him in bed that going to keep him coming back to you."

"I..... I think I understand what you mean, Selina."

In the weeks that followed, Selina taught Talia several kinds of looks, gazes and touches that Sakura had taught her. That could make a man's testosterone surge in seconds. She told her about pleasure points of the male body and how and when to trigger each of them.

Selina was starting to like Talia. She wasn't as bratty as one would expect. She was surely spoiled, but also very reserved and acted like a Lady from 19th century Europe. Selina found that both amusing and a bit sad that a woman her age had to live that way.

One afternoon, Talia seemed to have zoned out as Selima was explaining a fellatio technique.

"Talia? Talia!"

Selina's voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Pardon me. I was carried away. You were saying?"

Though she tried to appear stoic, the sadness in Talia's eyes was hard to miss. Selina had promised herself she wouldn't get involved in any of this but she couldn't help herself.

"Talia, do you actually want to do this?" She asked her point blank.

Talia didn't answer. Just stared at the floor.

Selina continued.

"Do you really want to marry this guy? You know you won't be happy with him, right?"

"That is irrelevant." Talia replied, "I must do what is needed for my father's empire."

"But what about you? Don't you have any dreams for yourself? Don't you want to travel or go to college?"

"I am in college. I've recently finished my sophomore year at Cairo University. Once Jamal and I have had a son, I'll be allowed to resume my education."

"Allowed? Talia you shouldn't HAVE to pause your education to get married and have a kid! Not at your age! And no one has the right to force you to marry someone if you don't want to."

"What I want doesn't matter!" Talia was now blinking back tears.

"Correction, Talia. When it comes to decisions affecting YOUR life, what you want is ALL that matters."

"Selina I was born with certain responsibilities. There are expectations I have to live up to. A legacy I have to help preserve. You won't understand."

"You're right. I don't understand."

For a while the two fell silent. Selina looking at Talia with a mix of sympathy and puzzlement. Talia averting her gave and staring into the fireplace.

"Look, I know this is none of my business. It's your decision and you've clearly prepared yourself for this."

"I have. I promised my father I would do this and I must honour that promise."

"I get that, Talia. I just think that you need to know that you have a choice. And a right to say no. You have the right to say no to marriage, you have the right to say no to sex. You talk about your responsibilities to your family. That's great, but what about your responsibility to yourself."

That last sentence Selina spoke struck Talia. A responsibility to herself. She had never truly thought of that.

"I see you have a lot of books on Aristotle's teachings. 'Happiness depends on ourselves.' Isn't that what he said? Don't you owe it to yourself to find happiness Talia? What good are all those lofty ideals of honour etc etc etc if you aren't happy?"

Talia felt as if her tears would drop any second. She didn't want to let Selina see them.

"I have to go now. Let's continue tomorrow." She said as she walked out hastily.

Alone in her bedroom suite, Talia al Ghul mused over Selina Kyle's words. Happiness. Owing it to yourself to be happy.

Talia could not remember the last time she thought of her own happiness. Ever since she was a child, the only concept of happiness she knew was pleasing her father. She excelled in her studies, at combat, in various arts all because she wanted him to be proud of her. It was all she knew.

She wondered about Selina Kyle. Who was this woman? What kind of a life had she lived? She was often tempted to ask about it, but always stopped herself. From what her father had told her, the woman was a low born and possibly a harlot. She was not the kind of woman that the Demon's daughter should interact with much.

Yet, Talia couldn't help but feel jealous of her. This woman of low station had the kind of freedom Talia never would. She was clearly well travelled and probably went from place to place by herself and on her own terms. She was sexually experienced and not ashamed of her sexuality. Talia had been taught that such women are of low morals and deserved no respect. Yet, Selina seemed so well read and educated. Her vast knowledge of various subjects made Talia wonder where and how she had learned so much. Selina was also extremely beautiful and poised. She carried herself with a kind of grace and confidence that royalty would envy.

Talia also couldn't help but feel angry with herself. She was Ra's al Ghul's daughter. Why did she envy a low born?

Selina ran into Shankar Upadhyay regularly, and not just when she was sneaking around. He was teaching Talia Hatha Yoga. An ancient yogic technique to gain complete control over one's body and mind. They often conversed and Selina felt a certain relief seeing such a kind gentle face, in a sea of hostile ones.

She had seen him enter the palace on several occasions. Each time, he wore only an airy dhoti and kurta. Even when it was freezing outside. For the life of her, Selina couldn't understand how he never felt cold. What was the man made of?

One day, she decided to approach him and ask.

"Selina Hatha Yog allows one to gain mastery of the body as a way of attaining a state of spiritual perfection in which the mind is withdrawn from external objects. You control your body, not the other way around. If you don't want to feel cold in the middle of a blizzard, you don't. You can even speed up your healing process, or train yourself to ignore pain."

"That's incredible!" Selina now wanted to know more.
"Guru Ji, how did you meet Ra's al Ghul?", she asked.

"I saved him from a snow leopard."

"A snow leopard? How did you do that?"

"I simply asked him to leave Ra's alone. And he did."

At this Selina chuckled, but then realized he wasn't joking.

"What? Are you serious? But that's impossible!"

"Young lady, one might say that not feeling cold in this weather is impossible. And yet...."

"But... but how?"

"Animals have a language of their own, Selina. If you learn to understand it and them, it enables a bond to be formed. Some people who have a spiritual connection to animals are able to learn to communicate with them. I think you may be one of those people."

"How do you know that?"

"You have an aura about you. It's what they call the Nekho Sheen."
Nekho Sheen. Her Sensei had told her she had it. Selina said nothing. Just wondered what that could mean.

"Selina," Shankar went on, "can you honestly say that you have never felt a connection with animals. Not even cats?"

"I.... I have, Guru Ji. Ever since I was a little girl, I've had an affinity with cats. They just seem to understand me."

"Well then, you shouldn't let such a gift go to waste. If you want, I can tell you where I learned it all. You will be leaving this place soon, why don't you come with me to my humble abode in the mountains? There is a lot I want to tell you."

Selina thought about it for a while. Guru Ji didn't seem shady. Even if he was, he couldn't be worse than what she had already dealt with. She agreed to go with him.

The four months came to an end. A fortnight later, Talia was to be married.

During their last lesson, Selina and Talia went over all that had been taught. All the pleasure techniques, ways of speaking, body language etc that Selina had shown her.

Talia would not go as far as to say that she wished Selina would stay. But she did wish she knew more about her. She overcame her hesitation and asked Selina to have dinner with her. The invitation was accepted.

As they ate together, conversation began to flow. Talia told Selina about her areas of study at Cairo University and her plans of attending medical school in a few years. Selina, without going into much detail, told her about some of the more exciting heists she had pulled. Talia asked how she knew all that she did. And Selina told her. Again, without divulging a lot of details.

Talia was amazed to learn that so much of Selina's expertise and skill was a result of resourcefulness and sheer will power. She also deduced that Selina must have grown up poor. The fact that a woman with a fraction of a fraction of Al Ghul resources had been able to do so much made Talia question so much she had been told about the world.

It became clear to her that there was a lot about the world, about life that she didn't know. So much that she hadn't seen. But she wanted to. She wanted to live life, to make her own decisions and wage her own battles.

At the end of the night, the two women parted ways with a handshake. They would not see each other again for years to come.

Later that night, Talia stood before her father as his gaze burned into her. It was filled with anger, disappointment and disgust. She had just told him that she didn't want to get married. That she didn't love Jamal and would not be happy with him. That she wanted to live her life on her terms.

"I will not force you to marry Qureshi, Talia. Doing so would be dishonourable. However, you need to know that you have let me down. You made a promise to me and are now going back on your word."

"But Father, doesn't my happiness matter to you...?"

"Silence!", the harsh tone Ra's used was something she always feared, "you will leave tomorrow. You will go back to Cairo and stay there. Your account will be replenished with all the money you can ever spend. You can do what you want with it. But keep in mind that you will not speak to me, or show me your face until I tell you to. If I ever tell you to. Now go! Your presence is a constant reminder that I cannot even trust my own child."

Talia's lovely face was now stained with tears. Heartbroken, she ran to her chambers and collapsed to the floor in sobs.

The next morning, as her bags were packed and arrangements were made for her departure, she requested an audience with her father. Her request was denied. Ra's didn't even want to say goodbye. Talia left her father's home with a heavy heart. She promised herself that one day she would regain her place in his heart. One day she would make him proud....

Selina Kyle too, was ready to leave. She couldn't wait to get out of this place. Rustam handed her a box of precious stones. He told her they were worth a million dollars. She hurriedly examined a few of them and confirmed they were real.

Shankar Upadhyay had already asked Ra's to let her go with him. As they walked together, he demonstrated for her his ability to communicate with animals. Wild Yaks, Tibetan Gazelles, and even a snow leopard came to him when called and walked away when he dismissed them. Selina was awe struck. This was an ability that her arsenal could not do without. Shankar took her to his cave, in the treacherous mountains. It had only a rug, some utensils, and a few clothes in a neat pile in a corner. A small fire was burning in the middle of it.

"Guru Ji, why do you live here?" Selina asked as they sat by the fire.

"Because I love the peace and serenity of this place. I've had it with material life. But were here to talk about you. What is it that you want to accomplish?"

"I want to be the greatest thief the world has ever seen."

"You answered without hesitation. I will not judge your choice of profession. But Selina, you have a storm brewing inside you. Unless you address it, calm it... your goals will remain out of your reach. There is a lot of pain and anguish inside you. By not dealing with it, you are allowing it to poison your soul. As for Hatha Yog and the ability to communicate with animals, you will find all of that at the Padiyanoor Devi Temple in Kerela, India. Ten years ago, I quit my job as an investment banker and decided to go to this Temple to find myself. I can assure you Selina, there you will find answers to questions you never knew you had within you."

Selina couldn't detect a hint of a lie in Shankar's words.

"Guru Ji, I want all those skills you just mentioned, but I need to go to Russia first. I'm looking for a man who can also teach me a lot. I'm going to keep your advice in mind ...... " She stopped mid sentence, when she noticed something shining in a corner. It looked like a sword, but also a whip.

"What's that?" She asked

"That? Why that's an urumi!" Shankar picked it up and swung it. The way the weapon sliced the air made Selina long to be able to use it.

"I've never seen anything like this." She said, as Shankar let her hold it.

"It's primarily a Kalaripayattu weapon"

"I've heard of that. It's an ancient Indian martial art, isn't it?"

"Correct. You'll be able to learn that in Kerela as well. Just look for a lady named Meenakshi Iyer. Also known as Amma."

Selina just had to go to Kerela. But not right away.

Shankar escorted her to the Ngari Kunsha Airport. Once there, Selina thanked him for everything and he wished her well. She was able to sneak her jewels on to the flight. After switching flights at a few other cities, she would be flying to Moscow, Russia.

Once in Moscow, Selina Kyle would have to find an enigma known as "the man with a thousand faces".