Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 18) The Mind Games

Dushyant Bhadera was disappointed that he could not find anything useful in Chanderi. Sighing, he sat wearily on the bench in the garden of the monument called Shahzadi ka Rauza. The elegant structure was a symbol of unfulfilled love. It resonated with his own story. In his youth, Dushyant had fallen in love with a girl from another religion. When her father found out, he had got her married to a boy of his choice. It took a long time for Dushyant to get over her. The grand mausoleum in front of him echoed a similar tale of love and anguish. Mehrunisa, the daughter of a 15th-century Governor, Hakim, fell in love with an army chief. Her father disapproved of the alliance and when the army went to war, Hakim asked his soldiers to make sure that the army chief was killed. However, the severely injured army chief survived and rode toward his love in Chanderi. Sadly, before he could reach her, he fell down from the horse and died. When Mehrunisa heard about it, she rushed to see him, and after finding him dead, she also ended her life. A heart-broken Hakim built a tomb for the lovers in the same spot where they had died. It was named, Shahzadi Ka Rauza.

Shaking off his melancholy, Dushyant concentrated his vision on the structure. There were also Jauhar Kunds (a place where widowed women gave up their lives through self-immolation) erected in the same complex.

The other cenotaph that Dushyant visited in Chanderi, was built for the Dhrupad maestro Baiju Bawra. The legendary classical singer, Baijinath Mishra who was later known as Baiju Bawra composed Dhrupads, sung by singers even today. The annual Dhrupad festival conducted at Raja Rani Mahal in Chanderi was a tribute to the almost-forgotten musician.

Other than these two monuments, Chanderi had many stories to tell its visitors. From the history hidden inside the fortified walls, the victory gate of Sultan of Malwa, the Kati Ghati gateway cut out of the rock, the Badal mahal to the miracle water of the Jageshwari temple, the city of Chanderi was entrenched in folklores, battles, and romance. The locals believed that the city was established by Lord Krishna's cousin King Shishupal of Chedi. Despite such historical significance, Dushyant could not find what he was looking for.

He had visited most of the towns where cenotaphs for ancient kings and rulers had been erected. Many of them were built in places like Jaisalmer, Udaipur, and Bundi in Rajasthan, and some were found in places like Indore and Vadodara. Although they had been erected for kings and royals who had ruled later than the timeline he probed, he was searching for a cenotaph built in memory of someone belonging to the earliest centuries of the first millennium.

Dead on his feet, Dushyant decided to return home to Almora where his father and the rest of the family lived. Thoughts of his family brought a bout of homesickness. His uncle who, from the previous generation, had been entrusted with the task of locating the cenotaph, had confided once that Dushyant would find the cenotaph in a town built on the banks of an ancient river. Hence, he had come to Orchha and Chanderi which stood on the banks of the river Betwa.

Finding himself clueless, Dushyant returned to his sprawling bungalow in the hill town of Almora. Many generations ago, the family had moved from Vaishali in Bihar to Bhagalpur to Kolkata and now to Almora. Dushyant's family believed that their ancestral kingdom Alaka had stretched from modern-day Bengal to Himachal Pradesh. They believed that the entire mountain range of Himalayas had been under their ancestors' control.

Refreshed from the long journey, Dushyant strode through the dew-laden pathway to the main house where his father and the other family members stayed. Dushyant stayed separately in a smaller house in the same compound. The house was built on a hill slope, from where one could see the majestic peaks of Kumaon hills.

His father was having breakfast when he met him.

"What a surprise Dushyant! When did you return?"

"Last night... How are you?"

"Old age problems. That is all. You tell me all about your visits. What did you find out?"

Dushyant's brother joined them for breakfast and they greeted each other.

"I went to many places, Father. Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Orchha, Chanderi... None of the places had a cenotaph that indicated that there was a secret hidden in them."

"Were all the cities found on the banks of the river?" his father inquired.

"Jaisalmer is in a desert," Dushyant's brother put in.

"I know but I still carried on studying the cenotaphs erected there."

"Didn’t your uncle tell you that you will find the clue in a city built on the banks of an ancient river?" Dushyant's father reminded him.

"Father, if I get the name of the river, I can at least trace its course. But none of us even have an idea about the river or the city or where the cenotaph is or the name of the king who escaped into another time..."

"Don't waste your time visiting random places. Go to this library in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. It is called Saraswathi Mahal Library. I believe ancient texts on various subjects are preserved there. They have stored palm-leaf manuscripts. One of them is about the ancient rivers and cities of India. Find it. You might get some idea," his father advised.

"You could have suggested this earlier, father. I would not have wasted so much time running around Chanderi and Orchha."

"I came to know about it only recently. Remember my friend at Banaras Hindu University, who used to teach you Pali script? He told me that this library is restoring their palm leaf scripts with the help of modern technology."

"I will take the help of my friend Shankaran Murthy. He knows the region better."

"So, when will you leave again on this quest?" his brother asked, irritating Dushyant further.

"Not immediately."

****************

Dharma was once again in the vicinity of the Modhera Sun temple. She was drawn to the place. After returning to her hotel the previous evening, Dharma had studied the inscription. She had found the stanza incomplete. And for that reason, she was loitering in the complex once again the next day. Maurya and the others had fixed a meeting with the district collector in Mehsana and they left that morning to meet the collector.

Built out of stone, the cenotaph of Jalindra, erected like a temple was one among the clusters of temples around the stepwell. She ran her fingers over the epitaph,

"Fair of face and heart of gold,

Mistress of love and goddess of happiness,

My heart will hold you forever in gratitude..."

Dharma searched for more lettering, but she found none. She pondered if the incomplete stanza depicted a love that was lost or if it was a dedication to something else. If Jalindra did not remember anything of his earlier life, then how did he recall a love? Or had he fallen in love with someone later in his life and died pining for that love? Her inferring and possibilities went around in circles, driving her crazy. Finally, she gave up and decided to concentrate on the temple art.

Traipsing around the stepwell and the halls, Dharma relished her time in Modhera. She associated the monument with Maurya, not because they met the previous day in Gudhamandapa, but because Maurya had confided the truth of his childhood to her. It reflected the parallels in Maurya and Jalindra's lives. The previous morning, when the priest had recounted the story of Jalindra, she had found a similarity to her own life. On the other hand, when Maurya talked about his childhood, she connected his life instantly to that of Jalindra. Was there a kinship between Maurya and Jalindra? The question amused her, and she chuckled at the thought of Maurya pleading with magicians and witch-hunters to release him from his nightmares.

When she reached the hotel, Mitali and Nikhil were back and she learnt from them that Maurya had obtained the necessary permission for the show. Elated, she hoped that she would be able to thank him. The three of them spent the evening driving around the city. During the drive, Dharma heard that Maurya had left for New Delhi. She had hoped that she would see him for dinner but when she discovered that he had already taken a flight, she felt her good spirit sinking.

But that was life! Wasn't it?

A bit of hope, a chunk of reality, and a dose of despair!

*****************

Maurya went from the airport, directly, to his office. He pondered over the unsettling conversation he had with Rashika last night. There was something about her tone that he didn't trust. It made him wary. Vasukinath Krishna called him and what he said rendered him furious.

"Maurya, can you come home this evening?"

"Of course! Anything urgent?"

"Yes, we decided to consult the priest and he has given us an auspicious date to announce your wedding date. You and Rashika can also exchange rings that day," Vasukinath suggested.

When Maurya was silent, he continued, "I know Maurya, I should have asked you first before fixing a date but you see, as a father, I am anxious that a formal date be announced for the wedding. Hence, the urgency. I hope you don't mind Maurya."

"No, of course not..." Maurya replied, his thoughts assimilating the reason for Rashika's call last night and the subsequent conversation. So, Rashika must have called to tell him about the latest development and when she learnt that he was not in the city, her thoughts would have scrambled to resolve the mess she had gotten into by going out with Arjun.

An hour later, he knew how to deal with the situation. He planned a dinner date with Rashika.

***********

Rashika was more furious with Dharma than with Maurya. Her heart jumped jubilantly when Maurya invited her for a dinner date. She dressed carefully for the evening. No one knew Maurya like Rashika did and she could guarantee that, for Maurya, nothing was more important than his career and ambitions. He would never let go of his dreams for an ordinary tramp like Dharma. Rashika was particularly certain of it.

When Maurya arrived to pick her up, a tense and excited Rashika greeted him with restraint. He seemed more attentive to her than ever and Rashika was definite that he was going to talk her out of agreeing to the official announcement.

Unusually roused at the mind games they were going to play, Rashika's light eyes danced with devilry and anticipation. When they entered the club, many heads turned at the sight of the stunning couple. Rashika revelled in the attention.

Maurya waited for Rashika to open the conversation and he wasn't disappointed.

"So, what did you do in Modhera?" she asked, fiddling with her stole. Somehow, Maurya's calmness unnerved her.

"The usual; taking permission for the show," he answered, studying the menu card.

"You could have informed me before going," Rashika complained, losing her cool.

"It was sudden..." he smiled at her. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, unable to gauge his mood.

"So, what do you want to eat? I am famished. I want to taste their Lasagne,' Maurya conveyed.

Rashika waited for the waiter to take their order and leave. She fluctuated between asking him and not asking him. In the end, she gave in to her urge, "Maurya, did Dad talk to you?"

Maurya looked up, a gleam of surprise entering his eyes, "Oh yes! His decision to announce a wedding date officially... Yes, I wanted to ask you about that. What do you think?" Maurya asked and she stared at him unbelievingly.

"What do I think?" she flared at him.

"Yes, what do you think of his decision Rashika?" Maurya repeated patiently.

"Of course, I think it is great," she responded, bewildered by his reaction.

"Good! So, what is the problem?" he asked, sipping his drink.

"You don't have a problem?" she asked dubiously.

"Why would I have a problem, Rashika?"