Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 30) The Geoglyph

Bilaval Singh pulled away from the computer screen with a sharply indrawn breath. The skin on his bare arms was tight and tingling with goosebumps. He didn't know how to describe his state of mind. He wanted to call his boss but he remained speechless. He needed water to wet his parched throat but he was rooted to the spot.

Once again, he peered at the satellite image on the screen. With disbelief, he pumped his fists into the air. He had made an astonishing discovery, and when his findings become public, the independent research center would gain immense publicity. His boss would be ecstatic. He captured the images on his phone and mailed them to the director of the research center.

What a discovery he had made! Who would have thought that the simple boy who had never stepped out of his town would find something as astounding as a geoglyph on Indian ground? He was certain that he was going to be named in the annals of Indian history.

The only geoglyph he had heard about in India was the one discovered in the Thar desert. They were a cluster of sinuous lines found in the Jaisalmer district. The clear-cut geometrical lines and arranged motifs were the largest ever graphical depictions by humans in the world even though they were believed to be only 150 years old.

However, the ones Bilaval discovered in the deforested Baspa valley of Kinnaur district were much older, even if they were not as huge as the ones found in the Thar desert. Like the Nazca lines of Peru, the geoglyph Bilaval found that day could be as ancient. What he detected was a huge circle, and inside the circle, there were two lines intersecting each other at the center.

Due to the river and the grassy slopes, dense with pines and cider trees on the upper valley, it took time for him to discern the design. And yet, he was amazed at the ancient design that had been created on the valley.

Roused beyond words, he called the director of the institute.

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

At Modhera, Dushyant remarked, "Maurya Verma? Very unique name!"

Maurya quizzed politely, "So, you are here on holiday?"

"No, I am working on something...Thanks to Dharma, I found something that I have been searching for my whole life."

Maurya's glance shifted to Dharma, noting her crimson face.

"Remember, I told you about a local hero here," Dharma stated, reminding Maurya of the story she had heard from the caretaker of the temple, "Well, he was looking for Jalindra's cenotaph."

"Are you a historian?" Maurya asked, regarding the classically handsome face of Dushyant. Something about the older man's features nudged a distant memory.

"No, quite the opposite," Dushyant replied, as his phone buzzed. He ignored it and answered, "I am only making a record of important events in history."

"Which period of history?" Dharma asked, her interest piqued by Dushyant's answer.

"Well, I am tracing events that happened more than a thousand years ago."

"Do you have records of the events?"

"No, it is very difficult to find records but we are a perseverant lot.  I have been searching for the cenotaph for more than fifteen years and I had almost given up. And suddenly, I find Jalindra's memorial."

"Interesting!"

"Let me not delay you," Dushyant's gaze moved to Dharma, "All the best young lady! I will be there to cheer you."

"Thank you!"

"Do not be afraid of the storm. Learn to sail your ship."

His words boosted Dharma's confidence and she smiled tentatively.

With Dushyant's departure, Maurya broke the silence, "So, how are things here?"

"So far so good," looking up at the darkening sky, she added, "However this storm is messing my head."

"Seriously? I thought it was a messed one already."

"Having fun?" Dharma's sarcasm transformed his playful smile into a smirk.

"Three things cannot be hidden..." he uttered enigmatically.

"What are they?" Dharma knew she should not have asked the question the moment they slipped out.

"Well, the Sun, the Moon, and the truth..." his answer brought a glimmer of a smile on Dharma's face.

"Oh, so we are in a pleasant mood, are we?"

"You bet! I couldn't have asked for a better location for the show because every guest on the list has been calling me non-stop to know about this mysterious Modhera and the accounts department has been berating me for the exorbitant cost that is accumulating..."

Dharma's face flushed guiltily, "I am sorry. I should have thought..."

"Hey, chill...Did I complain? Sometimes, we have to take chances."

"Right, even if it turns out to be stormy," Dharma quipped.

"Well, one has to be like an eagle then."

"What does an eagle do?" Dharma asked, her anxiety dispelled by Maurya's affability.

"When the storm is coming, all other birds seek shelter whereas the eagle avoids the storm by soaring above it..."

Impressed, Dharma's eyes widened, "Wow, I have to think like an eagle,"

"Good! Now that you have been enlightened by my wise observation, let us have a meeting at the hall. Call everyone and ask them to give an update."

Dharma was grateful that Maurya was here. At least, she didn't have to worry about every small thing. Even if Maurya was not satisfied with the arrangements, she could fall back on him for last-minute glitches.

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

Dushyant stared in wonder at the images on his phone.

"What in the name...." the rest of his profanities did not come out as he gawked at his phone. The adrenaline rushing, he called his assistant.

"Good lord Bilaval, what have you discovered man?"

Bilaval laughed, "Sir, I couldn't believe it at first. But this is some serious crap."

"Where exactly is this place?"

"It is in Kinnaur, on the Baspa Valley."

"Near the Baspa River?"

"Yes, I think it was deforested earlier. Later, over the years, the valley became green again."

"Bilaval, do you know, from where the name Kinnaur was derived?"

"No!"

"Well, in ancient times, there was a demigod race of people. Some called them Kinners and others called them Kinaras. They lived in the region."

"Did they make the geoglyph?" Bilaval asked curiously.

"Doubtful! There were also other tribes who were much more intelligent. Bilaval, do me a favour. I want you to check on an ancient forest called Saugandhika. Trace its existence.”

"When are you coming here, sir?"

"I have to attend a fashion show. I will leave after the show."

Bilaval was pleasantly surprised, "Sir, you are attending a fashion show? When did fashion interest you?"

"My dear boy, nothing is uninteresting in the world..."

"That is true. Do you know sir, this is the second geoglyph that has been discovered in India?"

"So, our research center is going to create waves!"

"Yes! Sir, we will have to fly over the region. I will arrange for it."

"Good, take care Bilaval. And don't breathe a word to anyone please..."

"I won't. What do you think that design means?"

"I don't know Bilaval. I will do some research. I found a similar one on a cenotaph here."

"Oh, you found it finally."

"Yes, I found it in a tiny village but the monument is magnificent. I will tell you all about it soon."

Dushyant returned to Mehsana, his excitement upsurging at the discovery. Geoglyphs were large designs or a type of land art produced on the ground with durable elements of the landscape so that it could be viewed from any height or distance.

The ancients had left a mark on their land. He scrutinized the image carefully. There was a circle and inside it was two lines intersecting each other. Incidentally, on Jalindra's cenotaph, he had found a ring around the inscription. The etchings had been made on a raised piece of circular stone. There was also something carved on the four corners of the hollowed outer of the ring.

All the way to the hotel in Mehsana, he speculated about the motif.

At night, around eleven when he heard the rumbling of the thunder, he strolled to the window, hoping that it would rain so that the show, the next day, would escape the wrath of nature. But to his disappointment, there was not a drop. Riveted by the streaks of lightning across the sky, Dushyant stood gazing at them. Without warning, he was taken aback by a startling connection. Rushing to his laptop, he signed in to his account of the program. At once, the images flashed on the screen. The satellite images through the Earth viewer confused him initially. But slowly and steadily, the geographical directions became clear and the man-made design over the slopes of Baspa Valley began to make sense. He understood the cardinal directions used for navigation.

Thumping his palm on the table, he called Bilaval.

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

The night was perfect. There was no natural light and at this time of the hour, the electrical lights had been switched off. Chaitanya switched on his mobile torch. There were three of them. The second man broke open the lock with the duplicate key. He pushed the grill door gently, making sure that it didn't make the usual creaking noise. Stealthily, the three men walked out of the room and tiptoed to the bathroom. As planned, there were two buckets arranged upside down, one above the other. The window at the top was open. The buckets were arranged in such a way that one could climb over them and escape through the window. First, the man who broke the lock clambered up crawled through the window and jumped down, landing on the ground outside. Next, Chaitanya tried, but the bucket could not bear his weight so it broke. Swearing at his ill luck, he asked the other man to help him go up. The third man, without thinking, obliged. He bent and Chaitanya mounted on his back and reached the sill of the window. He crawled through it with much difficulty and jumped down. They had decided earlier, that none of them would wait for the other and once they were out, they would leave without a backward glance. Hence, Chaitanya fled without waiting to see if the third man who had helped him, was able to escape.

Dark though the night was, Chaitanya traipsed through the roads and alleys to the building where Dharma worked. Before morning broke, he had a few things to do. He had made lethal plans to kidnap Dharma. If he failed in his mission, he would kill her first and then kill himself.

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

Bilaval's sleepy voice did not deter Dushyant from bursting out, "Bilaval, can you guess what the diagram means?"

"What?"

"It is a compass."

Frowning Bilaval asked, "What is a compass?"

"The geoglyph, idiot."

"What? How is it a compass?"

"See the design. Inside a circle, the four points of the lines are the directions; east, west, north, and south. The paramount representation of a compass."

"Oh right! But why should the ancients mark a compass on the ground? I mean didn't they use the Sun and the Moon and the sea for directions?"

"No, this representation is spiritual. You know, Bilaval, this is not a usual compass. It is a compass rose which mystically represents the infinite possibility, the present, the past, and the future."

Bilaval was bewildered. His boss was talking Latin and Greek, also on top of it, he was half asleep.

He tried to explain, "Sir, I don't get it..."

"Oh Bilaval, this is a brilliant representation to say that, not all who travel aimlessly are lost..."

After several attempts to make Bilaval understand, Dushyant gave up. His assistant was very smart but sometimes, he failed to perceive understated theories.

Dushyant specialized in time travel. He hadn't revealed the subject of his research to anyone, not even to his family or friends like Shankaran Murthy. He wanted to prove to the world that time travel existed and that the ancients in India had evidence. If the river Yakshagni had a wormhole, and Jalindra's journey was recorded, Dushyant would be able to make a testimony.

Now that there was a geoglyph designed in the region of the Baspa Valley, it would be easier to record. Also, he was certain that the cenotaph of Jalindra had the same etching. Over the years, the clarity of the etchings had faded but the circle around the verse of the poem indicated that the design was similar to the geoglyph that Bilaval had discovered.

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

Two more hours were left for the show. Ayesha had organized everything meticulously and the area around the monument dazzled brilliantly. Running her eyes around the preparations, Dharma murmured, "There are butterflies in my stomach. I just wish that it would get over soon. The weather is giving me sleepless nights."

Laughing at Dharma's expression, Ayesha placated her, "Don't be so tense Dharma. This is your first show. It will be over soon...."

"Keeping my fingers crossed..."

Dharma and Ayesha did not go back to their hotel for a change. They had brought their belongings to Modhera and they swiftly changed into their outfits in the makeshift tent.

The late afternoon darkened ominously and the streaks of lightning over the temple towers brought a flicker of uncertainty but Dharma held on to her hope. She lingered on the top of the steps of Sabhamandapa and viewed the Kund.

It was indeed a magnificent place to begin her career. Instead of worrying over the doubtful weather, she should thank her stars for allowing her to conduct her first show here. She corrected herself; not her stars, she should be thankful to Maurya. He was the one who had given her a break. If he had not given her an opportunity in Index Fashions, she didn't know how she would have survived in the capital city. In a way, Maurya was her saviour.

The electric lights came alive, staggering one with the reflection of opulence. The first bus arrived with models, makeup artists, and technicians.

Dharma moved forward to greet them. One of the models rushed to her, "Dharma, Jina won't be able to make it..."

"Oh, why?" Jina was the show-stopper.

"She is down with a stomach infection. She has been vomiting and howling with pain."

"Did she see a doctor?"

"Yes, Sonia showed her to a doctor. I think it is food poisoning."

"Oh, dear! What will we do now?" Dharma uttered worryingly.