Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 

26) Déjà vu

"Why not?" Shankaran asked Dushyant.

"Well, all these theories about the ancient rising and regaining the lost glory are exalted thoughts. They don't mean anything to me. I believe in a pragmatic approach to everything. History is not some 'lost and found' object. The glory comes first and degradation follows it. Subsequent generations of rulers learn from the mistakes of their forefathers and move with the times. However, if there was a secret buried somewhere in the past which is detrimental to our posterity, then we do have to find it."

"Right! Still, it intrigues me that there existed a wormhole in those times."

"A wormhole might have existed even a billion years ago. But as a theory, it came to light based on a special solution of the Einstein field Equations. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, mass and energy corrupt the fabric of space-time and an unusual arrangement of matter and energy allows the formation of a tunnel, a shortcut between two otherwise distant fractions of the universe. It is said that a wormhole can connect a billion light years or short distances like a few light years or even different points in time. Its two ends are separate points in spacetime."

"So, this river had a wormhole and it could be present even now, Isn't it?"

"Unless the river has disappeared," Dushyant noted.

"Agreed! Is this the secret that your family is honour bound to discover?"

"Yes, this is it but there were also many more stories associated with our past, like the prophecy of a love that was written on the banks of an immortal river; although I am not fully aware of it."

"Dushyant, your ancestors had such colourful lives, so many secrets, prophesies! Interesting."

"True! There is always a story or an anecdote to be shared when there is a family gathering. Most of my family members think that he or she is a reincarnated version of a bygone king or queen. You must see their attitude," Dushyant went on to paint a queer picture of his family, evoking rich laughter from Shankaran.

The next morning, they made one last trip to Saraswathi Mahal before they left Thanjavur. They were able to collect more information on River Maitsaya than River Yakshagni, probably due to the fact that Maitsaya was a later name for Yakshagni.

They noted down the tributaries of River Maitsaya and the towns built on their banks. One of the tributaries of River Maitsaya was River Pushpavati on whose bank, the town of Modhera rose.

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

"So, he followed you from the office and got into your auto?" Kamya's eyes expressed her outrage.

Dharma was narrating her ordeal to her friends. She had gone straight to the office from Maurya's apartment in the morning; fuming at the way he had offered the painting as a gift to her.  

"How long is he going to stay in the lock-up?" Brahim inquired.

"Until the next hearing..."

"Seriously, the man must be locked up in a mental institution," Brahim sputtered in indignation.

"What if he is let off before that? How safe are you Dharma?" Kamya raised a point that troubled her.

"We have to take a chance. I can't be frightened of him all the time."

"I agree," Brahim admitted.

Kamya deliberated if it was the right time to share the good news with Dharma.

"I am going for a wash..." Brahim announced, tossing an uncertain look at Kamya. Thrusting her problems aside, Dharma paid heed to their exchange of glances and let her eyes drift over Kamya's face. There was a newfound joy in her visage.

Now that Kamya had got her friend's undivided attention, she lifted her hand and showed her ring finger to Dharma.

"Kamya, what am I missing here? Where did the ring come from?" Dharma's eyes flew to Brahim and his face turned red.

Kamya giggled furtively, "Brahim proposed to me last evening and I accepted his marriage offer."

"What! Oh, my god Kamya," Dharma jumped from the couch, rushed to her friend and hugged her warmly. With mock hurt on her face, Dharma protested, "And you are telling me this now? You should have called me at once and informed me."

"I know but Brahim took me out for dinner and it got late."

"Aww… still you should have messaged me, idiot," Dharma shrieked in excitement. The girls savoured the moment of happiness. Rarely had such giddy and worthy moments touched their lives. Growing up in Mohandham, Jaydev Mohan had often stated that children like them were a gift to society, and that, they had to give unconditional love and care to the needy in the world. However, none of them had received unreserved love, except from the founders themselves. Some of the children had turned bitter, for lack of love. A few like Kamya and Brahim had learnt to take care of themselves and others like Dharma had made efforts to not allow the negativity to affect them. She had learnt to be resilient and hold the loneliness at bay.

"Have you decided on the wedding date?" Dharma's enthusiasm was palpable.

"Sometime next month. As soon as Brahim registers at the court and they give a date. The only thing is they require two witnesses."

"Simple, one me and..." Dharma thought of other friends who could attend the court marriage. She was about to take the name of Garima however Brahim forestalled her, "I thought I will request Maurya to be the second witness."

"Maurya?"

"Yeah, he has been here. Also, we suspect that Maurya was Kamya's benefactor during her accident. I think it is only right that we invite him to the wedding."

Dharma was speechless. When did Maurya become so important to her friends? It irked her but she refused to let it dampen her spirit. All the same, exceptional occasions like this warranted celebration.

"We will go out tomorrow night. It will be my treat," Dharma suggested.

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

Dharma sent her assistant Pooja with the finished garments to Maurya's office for approval. She needed his final nod before she packed them for Modhera. There was also another pressing matter at hand. Rolls of threads of a particular colour had run out of stock and Dharma had to visit the emporium to choose and pick from the available stock.

Additionally, the errand made it easier for her to avoid Maurya. Somehow, the surreptitious way in which he had stashed the canvas, had left her disgruntled. Added to it, was his presumptuous offer to her.

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

Dharma paced the room restlessly. She waited eagerly for Pooja's return. Her anxiety stemmed from her decision about the show-stopper piece. Some days ago, during a discussion with Tapan and Maurya over the phone, she suggested that they should go for a different colour for the final piece. But Maurya had disagreed. She had tried to convince him but he had been adamant. She decided then to show him the final piece in blue, and if it still did not, please Maurya, she would accede to his advice.

Pooja burst into the room. Her long face forewarned Dharma that Maurya had not approved the final piece.

"Dharma, you should have told me why the colour blue was selected. Do you know how angry sir was? And added to it were Rashika Ma'am's comments. There was so much tension," Pooja grumbled, kicking a fuss about Dharma's choice of colour.

"I didn't know he would react so strongly. Don't worry! I will talk to him. I have got the thread rolls. Tell Masterji about it before you leave office."

An hour later, Dharma was engrossed in organizing the coloured buttons when a furious Maurya barged into the room. Swallowing nervously, she waited for him to speak first. Her first thought was that he was going to cancel the Modhera show. He regarded others in the room and bit out, "Can I have a word with Dharma alone?"

Soon, only Dharma and Maurya were left in the room. Dharma struggled to remain unaffected by the flickers of fire in his eyes.  She stayed silent, waiting for the explosion.

Maurya moved stiffly to the work table and perused the fabrics strewn on the table. She followed him, hovering beside the table.

"Why did you change the colour of the final piece without my permission?" a livid Maurya grilled.

"I wanted to convince you!" her poise forced him to look at her. His eyes were frigid. Dharma scrambled to give an explanation, "I just wanted you to have a look at it. If you don't approve, I will scrap it. I have the other fabric ready."

"Stick to the one I told you. If I see any more changes to the original collection, you are out of the show."

Maurya's warning incensed her. Why was he so unyielding?

"The entire collection in different shades of just yellow will not stand out if we don't present a unique final piece. You are not receptive to experimental ideas," Dharma pointed out, prepared for his outburst.

Seething at her impudence, Maurya snarled, "Has anyone else given you freehand to come up with a new collection? That too a raw designer like you. Don’t you think I am taking a huge risk by allowing you an entire collection? So don’t give me a lecture about open-mindedness."

Dharma did not cower at his verbal onslaught. She carried on, "Our theme is Sun and Autumn. In India, autumn is just after the monsoon, the waters in the rivers are settled and the sky is finally clear, giving us a perfect view of the blue. The tiny creatures have disappeared into the earth with the arrival of autumn."

She picked the controversial dress from the stand and showed it to him. "This blue is the colour of a clear sky. The Sun is glad that it can finally come out and serenade the Moon in the blue yonder. The Earth's parents, the Sun and the Moon are ecstatic that they can finally get a view of their offspring."

Maurya went deathly white at her words. Was it a figment of his imagination or had he heard it before? And he was certain that it had been her who had said those words to him. His eyes froze on her, her beauty, the dreamy sparkle in her riveting eyes, and the familiar curve of her lips that tantalised him with its promise.

He went still…He had loved her once... in another time.