Epilogue
The next morning, Dharma, Maurya, and Dushyant made their way to the forest. Owing to the
fact that the gale had crossed the mountains, and was hovering across the state
border, it was a windy day. In a day or two, a gust of wind was expected to
blow over the region.
As the
dark woods yawned open to them and the naked earth gave glimpses of giant roots
that had taken refuge in the forest long ago, Dharma's fingers sought Maurya's
instinctively. Their skin brushed each other's, allaying their fears and
soothing their nerves with comfort.
The kind
of forest that Dharma had seen or been to before was only on the outskirts
of Parijatpur. Those woods had not been inaccessible; however,
there was a stillness here that was disquieting.
The
desolation of the forest affected them as soon as they entered the area.
Nevertheless, the familiarity that invaded Dharma surprised her. She felt as if
she had known the woods all her life. The unease that had clutched Dushyant
when he last visited the forest seemed futile that particular day. He
guessed it was probably due to the presence of Dharma and Maurya.
"Who
had the heart to burn down such an enormous forest? And then we keep
complaining about environmental degradation," Maurya grumbled, shocked by
the withered jungle and scorched earth.
Their
feet crunching over the dried debris ricocheted around the deserted land. Like
a firebolt, a cluster of impressions burst forth in Dharma's head; a
flourishing forest where long canopies of trees giving shelter to many;
billowing whorls of smoke drifting towards the blue sky; a ring of fire inside
which she was trapped. The flickers of images appeared in flashes. She wasn't
sure if they were pictures, she had seen somewhere, or recollections from her
childhood.
Retracing
her thoughts back to the present, Dharma trailed after Maurya and Dushyant. At
places, charred stumps protruded from the ground. If one was not careful, one
could get hurt by the sharp edges of the charcoal sticks. As they ventured
deeper into the forest, it grew darker. The forest seemed bare of any spirits
or life forms. The savagery of the early act destroyed not only the forest
but the entire ecosystem. None of the habitants had escaped the brutality.
The three
of them made their way through thorny and sun-dried bushes, decayed and
uncultivable land.
"Is
this Alaka?" Maurya asked, his heart weighing heavily at the sight of such
devastation.
"This
is the forest that had been a significant part of the kingdom. The river Yakshagni passes
through this forest. I am taking you there," Dushyant explained.
"The
flames must have engulfed the forest completely."
"It
is believed that the fire raged for years. None of the citizens or army could
rescue it. Those who tried to extinguish the fire had been swallowed by the
flames."
"It
must have been a terrible time in the kingdom," Dharma reflected aloud.
"Apparently,
the air in Alakapuri, that was the capital of Alaka, had become so
toxic by the forest fire that people had begun to leave in exodus. The city was
abandoned without delay," Dushyant stated what he had learnt from his
forefathers.
Dharma
tried to catch a glimpse of the sky and hence, she did not see the jutting
driftwood. She would have tripped over it if Maurya had not grabbed her waist
in time.
"Watch
out. It is sharp..." he warned, steadying her.
A bird
fluttered across the area, flapping its wings, its shriek amplified by the
quietness of the forest. Startled by the sound, they paused and let their gazes
drift around the woods.
"Do
you know, Yakshis are dwellers of the forest? I think I must
have lived here. Everything here seems homely to me, and I can vaguely recall
images of animals grazing here," Dharma professed to Maurya. "I feel
my friends could have been giant trees and mammals that might have protected me
from sinister humans."
"You
might be right. And I suppose I chased you across this forest then."
"Ha,
you are good at chasing," Dharma teased.
Dushyant
stopped, staring at the river that meandered its way through the coppice. He
said, "This was Yakshagni, once a mighty river that had
been worshipped for a long time. There is a story about how even the Sun and
the Moon paused on their passage to salute the river. Earth had such wonderful
children that even the cosmos was amazed by them."
"The
river has become a stream now..." Dharma murmured, rivetted by the
crystal-clear waters.
"Times
change and the most powerful things shrink to a vulnerable state. Yakshagni's grassy
banks welcomed poets and artists to produce great works. Under the moonlit sky, art in all forms was celebrated and conferred with awards. Here, in the
forest, rituals were conducted to marry a flourishing tree to a fragile plant
so that the young plant would survive...."
The beat
of the drums reverberated around the forest... Moving in rhythm, the dancers
laughed at his clumsy efforts... She grabbed his hand and led him away from the
celebrations to introduce him to her best friend... Aranyani, princess of the
forest...
Dharma blinked...In
a daze, her glance fell to the ground. Instead of the designs that she had
visualized just then, the land was discoloured in black and grey. Her
chest constricted and an aching numbness clutched her.
The sense
of a piercing loss... the heartache at the death of love... the distress at
the ruination of her home...
The
collective grief rendered Dharma forlorn, and without her being aware of it,
tears flowed. She couldn't put a finger on her anguish but the feeling of
immense loss overwhelmed her with its intensity. To Maurya's shock, Dharma fell
on her knees and wept. The sorrow of yesteryears accosted her with excruciating
pain. She did not remember her life in the forest but the hazy sketch she had
formed was of a happy life, a loving family, and a blissful existence.
"Dharma,
why are you crying? Do you recall something? Is that why you are
distressed?" Maurya grilled, wrapping his arms around her. He stroked her
head gently, trying to soothe her pain. Feeling helpless, he wanted to assuage
her sorrow desperately.
Dharma
burrowed her face into his shoulder and clutched his shirt. The searing grief did
not dissipate. The painful sensation gripped her with nostalgia and
homesickness.
"She
is probably grieving only now for the loss that occurred long ago..."
Dushyant interjected thoughtfully. He knelt at a spot near the river and began
to shove away the lumps of clay. Brushing away the last layer of soil from the
stone, he got to his feet, staring at the spot he had dug.
Maurya
rose, helping Dharma to her feet. She had calmed down a bit. Dushyant gestured
him to move closer, to where he was standing. Frowning, Maurya strode to the
spot, only to stiffen and go rigid at the sight of the cenotaph.
"Do
you know what is inscribed there?" Dushyant challenged Maurya. Since the
script was unfamiliar, Maurya shook his head in denial.
"Our
beloved Prince, Ekveer Bhadra – prince of Alaka."
Dharma's
head shot up and she rushed forward to the spot. Maurya felt as if someone had
squeezed the air from his lungs and knocked him dead. He felt his throat go
dry, and the blood rush to his face. He wondered if it was really happening...
"This
is where he was supposed to have died. But, the folklore around this area tells
a different story. The songs extol his bravery and pay homage to his life,
concluding that he and his princess jumped into this river and travelled to
another era."
Lost for
words, Maurya got down on his knees and ran his fingers over the inscription
reverentially, brushing aside the fine dust. Someone had honoured him with this
cenotaph. Unlike Dharma, he couldn't recall any memories of his past life. Only
the nightmares had given an indication of his past.
"I
can read the script..." Dharma threaded her fingers into his, "The
beloved prince of Alaka, Ekveer!"
"I
don't remember anything about the life of a prince..." he fretted.
"You
don't have to...Time has revealed your past...You have come back to rescue
Alaka," Dushyant pronounced.
Although
evil had triumphed, and Saugandhika had been violated, unblemished
love had defeated malevolent intentions. Even those who had prophesized the
odyssey of an uncorrupted love could not have foreseen the return of the soul
mates to Alaka. Maurya and Dharma had transcended all barriers conquering the
relentless time.
Finally,
time had set them free. It had untied them and let them loose into the arms of
the universe. Maurya and Dharma had come together to face the storm, and their
entwined fates had connected them at a matching span of time.
The
darkening clouds and the sudden streaks of lightning halted the approaching
storm. The huge drops warned Dushyant to leave the forest at once. They reached
the hermitage just in time as the drizzle became heavy.
Maurya
and Dharma watched the downpour in amazed silence – it was of a kind they had
never seen before. It rained in sheets. The storm subsided as a result of the
showers. By the next morning, the clouds had disappeared, and bright sunlight
sheathed the mountain peaks in a golden halo. When Dharma and Maurya returned to
the forest the next forenoon, a rainbow appeared right above them, flaunting its
arcs of shades in the sky.
The
magical sounds of life began to emanate once again from the ravaged forest. A
frog croaked from somewhere, a dove flew across, and to Dharma's delight, a
tiny squirrel perched on a lifeless stick of a tree.
Dharma's
teary smile drove away the worries from Maurya's head. He learnt what true joy
was when he saw the radiant smile on her face. His world exploded into a frenzy
of colours.
Drawing
her into his arms, he sealed their love with a deep kiss. Unbeknown to them but
witnessed by the river and the forest a long time ago, it was the same spot
where Ekveer had sworn to return from the battle, and where he and Hanneli had
consummated their love.
Saugandhika smiled, her good spirits inching
back into her domain. At last, goodness had won over evil.
A new
movement had started in the world, to save forests. There were organizations
and groups fighting to regrow forests and help save the planet. Dushyant
founded a company whose members regrouped every month to discuss and verify
the operations of projects that seemed to pose a threat to the environment. If they
did, the members launched campaigns to stop it or make it more sustainable.
Maurya
and Dharma began their new phase of life in New Delhi soon. Dharma left Almora
on the advice of Dushyant. To Maurya's surprise, Vasukinath Krishna left
Krishna Industries to Maurya in his will when he moved to Mauritius with
Rashika. Hence, Maurya had no time to start a new company immediately. He made
Sonia the head of Index Fashion House and Dharma as his head designer. Tapan
became a Managing Director at Krishna Industries.
Once in
two or three months, Dharma, Maurya, and Dushyant visited Saugandhika
Forest to plant saplings or spend a day in the forest to ensure its
growth.
With the
help of Bilaval, Dushyant chronicled the story of Alaka and its prince.
Rashika
did not recover much from the accident. She yearned for the life she had messed up and spent most days in remorse. Furthermore, her health
remained a case of worry for her father.
Maurya
and Dharma's life was what the ancients had prophesized. They were the
protector and defender of each other. Together, they found peace. With every
new dawn, they discovered a different side to their love. With every breath and
touch, they climbed greater heights of happiness and contentment.
They
travelled to Anuragnicheri every year to meet the residents of
Avadhi. The women who stayed there, waited eagerly for Dharma to bring
them new stories and gifts. Shankaran enjoyed the importance he gained during
Dharma and Maurya's annual trips to Anuragnicheri.
Rivers,
forests, and mountains became an integral part of Maurya and Dharma's lives.
Sometimes with friends like Tapan, Brahim, and Kamya, and at other times only
the two of them, Maurya and Dharma explored new places that were wonderful
creations of nature. They trekked to rugged mountains, swam in warm oceans, and
idled on ivory beaches. Sunsets and
Sunrises at remote corners of the world were captured in their cameras.
Snorkelling, Canoeing, and underwater diving were some of the activities that
Dharma learnt from Maurya. He, in turn, learnt to enjoy simple pleasures of
life; like plucking a bunch of wildflowers for her, eating street side food
with her under a moonlit sky, and sharing meals with the staff occasionally.
There was nothing more right or precious for them than being with one another.
When they were away from each other even for short hours, their souls felt
their absence and yearned to be closer.
And time...well, time moved on; but very
rarely, it stumbled upon such breath-taking love like that of Maurya and Dharma
or rather Ekveer and Hanneli.
Love like
theirs happened only once in a lifetime or twice in many lifetimes. Like the
river that flowed endlessly, their love continued to grow with eternal bliss.
The End