Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 31) The Show-Stopper

Dharma viewed her reflection with cautious eyes. The full skirt was gathered at the waist and it flounced with flourish as it fell to her feet. Made of fine mulberry silk, the azure blue of the centre-piece fabric glowed on Dharma. Dark and bright shades of yellow, green, and orange represented the floral and leafy designs. The blouse in the same fabric buttoned down with tiny potlis in the front, dropped to a deep V at the back. Tiny mirrors dangled from the hem at the sleeves and the waist round of the blouse. Similar to a cropped top, the blouse ended at the midriff. A braided floral hip band was draped on one side of her waist. The crowning glory of the collection was the long scarf that Dharma wore on her head. The long train was filled with motifs that depicted the story of Modhera while the metal threaded heavy border fell over her forehead like a veil.

The show began as the heat rose off the paved platform. The wind shrieked, stripping the trees of leaves. The half-moon rose higher, struggling to peer out of the scattered clouds in the overcast sky. Somewhere close behind the ancient tower, the storm lingered, ambivalent about the course of the journey. The contorted streaks of lightning flashed, gleaming on the timeworn temple with luminance. The twilight seemed suspended on tenterhooks as if it waited with bated breath for the storm to spill out an eternal secret. The guests sighed in pleased anticipation as the enigma of the temple blended with the exotic night, evoking sighs of unfamiliar longings from the river and the surrounding greens.

One after the other, the models walked the ramp, their sway matching the strains of flute, sitar, and the beats of tabla. The musical piece that was called 'the secrets of the Cosmos' matched the theme of the show, 'A Walkway into the sunny past".

After two rounds of the catwalk, the lighting and the music changed. From backstage, Dharma began to narrate the story of Jalindra while a puppeteer dressed in traditional Kediyu and Chorno entered the arena to welcome the girls who had changed their outfits. They moved from one side to another transversely on the runway. The puppeteer demonstrated Jalindra's story through his art to the girls who sashayed around him. Dharma had added a twist to the story by concluding that Jalindra had been waiting for the love of his life and many decades later, he stumbled upon her as she walked out of the sun temple. She recited the verse that had been found on the cenotaph. Thereafter, Dharma handed the microphone to Sonia and prepared to make the grand entrance as the show-stopper.

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

Maurya sat with the guests on the first row, however at the sound of the rumbling sky, he excused himself and strolled to the end at the back. He felt an unspoken tension and deduced that he was feeling edgy due to the weather. Yet, like the building up of a climax, he sensed the advent of something very significant.

So far, the show was moving at a fabulous pace and Dharma's narration about Jalindra had captured everyone's attention. One more round of display and then it would be time for the center-piece and finale. He had learnt earlier that Jina had fallen sick and expected Dharma to display the final piece.

The lights went off for a second, plunging the area into darkness. A moment later, they were switched on, illuminating the steps of Sabha mandapa, and the spotlight zoomed on the entrance.

Dharma stepped out of the Sabha Mandapa and descended the steps with stunning poise. Her long skirt glittered as the special effects of the lighting focussed on her. With her hands on her hips, she posed at the midpoint of the runway.

Like a demigoddess, her compelling aura struck one with its power and effortless grace.

A standing ovation restored her confidence. Maurya was reminded of the first time he saw her in Parijatpur. Then, he had felt a sense of déjà vu. Now, he felt as if he had known her all his life.  Dharma reached the end of the ramp and pivoted on her heels unhurriedly as she displayed the headscarf. While she perched on the edge of one side of the Kund, a bolt of electrical discharge across the sky lit up Dharma's face. There was a collective gasp of consternation from the audience. Following the stroke of lightning, the crashing sound of thunder resonated from somewhere nearby.

Every part of Maurya's body went on a pause; including his brain. He felt like someone had punched him hard. He paled, and as the exclamations from the heavens reverberated on the Earth, Maurya's brain made a strange and forceful connection.

Without being aware of it, he whispered the name, "Hanneli"

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

When Rashika did not find Maurya, her eyes wandered around the area. Disgruntled at Maurya, she saw Dharma enter the ramp. She had to agree, albeit grudgingly that Dharma had indeed done a remarkable job of putting together the show with perfection. Nonetheless, Rashika envied the competence of Dharma. As the guests showed their appreciation with applause, the inklings of a potential danger plagued her. Her searching gaze fell on Maurya. He was staring at Dharma, arrested by her appearance. Rashika's body turned numb with shock as she noted his reaction.

She had never seen that expression on Maurya's face. All through her growing-up years, she had desperately wanted him to look at her with that need, but she grappled with the realization now that Maurya had never been in love with her.  Resentment arose as she watched him.

In his gazing eyes, she glimpsed the loverlike adoration, the craving for intimacy, and a man's pride for his woman. The realization defeated her with its unmitigable truth. In despair, she sensed that Maurya had never been hers. Like the quite recent thunderbolt, the thought came crashing down on her.

The music reached its crescendo. The models filed in a row for the finale, posing on the terrace and the steps of the water tank. The last model swaggered on the runway with the star of the show, Dharma. The guests rose in acknowledgement on learning that she was the designer. They gave a resounding applause.

Pictures were clicked and the lights were switched on. While the sky groaned with another rolling thunder, the clouds burst open; quelling the storm and cooling the scorched land.

There was chaos all around. The guests ran helter-skelter, looking for shelter. The models and Dharma rushed back to the halls.

Amidst the confusion, Modhera had awakened a moment of epiphany for Maurya. From an indecipherable memory, he recognized Dharma as Hanneli. He didn't know if it alluded to a haunting dream or another life. In consequence, that night took him on a backward journey on the timeline. Like Jalindra, he became haunted, unable to recall the place and time when he had met Dharma as Hanneli.

Since Ayesha, Dharma, and Sonia had expected the rainstorm, they provided the guests with an umbrella and an escort to their vehicle. Each one of the guests sought Maurya to express their gratitude and appreciation for the show and the location. Most of them promised to get back to him. Some of them wished to meet Dharma and Sonia introduced them to Dharma.

In spite of the rains, Tapan did not fail to meet the press members to declare, "So here is our designer Dharma. As you have witnessed, she is going to create ripples across the fashion industry."

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

Dharma was overwhelmed by the response. There were notable guests who sought her out to congratulate her; some of them handed their business cards to her. Others sounded rapturous about the choice of location even if the storm had given rise to a glint of primal fear. Apparently, the fearsome weather had added an otherworldly fascination to Modhera.

She saw Dushyant waving at her. He was carrying an extra umbrella and offered it to her.

"See, the storm waited for your show to get over."

Smiling fondly at his remark, Dharma thanked him for coming over to watch the show.

"I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great work. I am sure I will see your name soon on the papers."

"Oh, she will definitely appear there..."

Both Dushyant and Dharma turned around as Tapan made his observation aloud.

"This is Tapan, the star designer of Krishna Industries," Dharma introduced.

"You are the star now. It was a good show, Dharma. You were splendid..." He drew her into a friendly embrace. Dharma was touched by Tapan's words.

Despite the numerous compliments, Dharma's eyes searched for Maurya. She hadn't met him after the show and she was eager to know his opinion.

"The way you depicted Jalindra's story was amazing. Keep up the good work Dharma, and if God is kind enough, we will meet once again. I must take your leave," Dushyant patted her arm and took his leave. Other guests rushed back to their hotels before the weather deteriorated further.

The wind had slowed down so Ayesha and her team were able to dismantle the makeshift structures. Tapan took care of the press members, and Sonia ensured that all the guests left safely. Maurya requested Rashika to accompany the director of the state tourism development corporation of Gujarat to her hotel in Ahmedabad. He stayed back to oversee the wind-up. The models, makeup artists, and technicians left on the bus. Dharma, Pooja, and the rest of the team stayed behind to pack up.

"Thankfully, we didn't have to alter the settings due to the rain," Ayesha commented as her workers carried back the chairs from the halls.

"It was organized meticulously, Ayesha. Thanks so much. I hope we will work together for the next show."

"Oh, you bet! And you looked gorgeous Dharma. Best wishes for the next. Time to go now. I will see you in Delhi. I need to settle the bills at the office."

"Sure! I will take you out for a treat then..." Dharma's suggestion was received with a bear hug.

"I am looking forward to it. Bye and take care, Dharma!"

After Ayesha left, Dharma sauntered outside to view the surroundings of the temple. The rain had abated but the sky was still leaden. She went down the steps and watched some of the workers loading trucks with chairs and poles. Pausing near the tank, she felt the cool breeze brushing her cheeks softly.

For the first time in her life, Dharma experienced blissful contentment. She looked up at the sky and bestowed a lovely smile on the infinite stretch of velvet.

"Careful! The steps are slippery..." Maurya's voice jolted her. She thought he had left with Rashika. She turned to him, and in the prevailing darkness, she observed his eyes searching her face.

"Good job!"

His simple words of praise exulted her. Her radiant smile clutched his heart. Except for one or two lights near Gudhamandapa, the rest of the place remained dark, refreshed from the rainstorm but raring to etch a place in the odyssey of the moving time.

The night closed in on them, enticing Maurya to brush her chin with the tip of his finger. A startled Dharma shrank from the desire that leapt in his eyes. Her reticence snapped something inside him. He leaned forward and drew her lips in an intimate kiss. The success of her show, the rain-washed greens, and Maurya's attention wrung her emotions erratically and she convinced herself these were what persuaded her to respond. The languorous pleasure that washed over Dharma, induced her to surrender her senses to him. Maurya's arm went around her waist and drew her closer. In an undertone, he called out longingly, "Hanneli!

Dharma’s mind reeled, absorbing the name with profound shock. She went still in his arms, her senses screaming in revolt. She pulled away from him abruptly and took a couple of steps back.

Bewildered by her rejection, Maurya regarded her in confusion, still dazed from the sensual assault.

"Who is Hanneli?" Dharma asked, outraged, and yet curious. She would have understood if he had called out Rashika's name but who was this Hanneli.

"What?"

"You said Hanneli. Who is the woman?" an irate Dharma questioned again, realizing that Maurya had not been aware when he had called out the name.

He ran his fingers through his strands and muttered, "I don't know."

Scowling at him, Dharma burst out, "You don't know? What do you mean?"

"I don't know who Hanneli is...It just came out of nowhere. When I saw you in that outfit, it dawned on me that I had known you as Hanneli."

Tremors of shock rippled over her. Abandoned images and their agonizing veracity once again shook her to her roots. Many times, she had undergone a similar perception, that she had known him before, and now that he was confessing that he confused her with someone called Hanneli, she wanted to flee from the tortuous world that had thrown them together.

"Are you saying that you mistook me for another woman called Hanneli?"

"Do I look like an idiot? Though it may sound cliched, I must say that I would remember distinctly if I had met a woman like you before."

Dharma didn't know if she was more offended or exasperated but the turmoil on his face conveyed his anguish.

"I am as puzzled as you, Dharma. Maybe I was remembering some character from a movie or a book I had read long ago..."

"Do you believe that?" Dharma questioned. He shook his head, "No, I don't."

Sighing, Dharma turned around to leave. He caught her wrist, "I am breaking up with Rashika."

Dharma's eyes searched his handsome face. The torment in his eyes galvanized her to disclose her innermost belief, "I believe we loved each other in another time... or in another life. I have often felt it." Unaware of the courage in her words, Dharma spelt them out with an innocent candour.

Her words wrenched his heart with their clarity. Maurya felt as if he had stepped out from the shadows of the night into a sparkling morning.

He pulled her into his arms and scalded her lips with broiling fervency. Threading his fingers into her glorious mop of hair, he said, "Come with me, Dharma... to a place that I want to take you..."

"Where?" she asked, pressing her face into his shoulders while his lips caressed the soft skin near her temple.

"There is a place in the South where my mentor wants me to go. He had advised me that I should take only the right person with me," he paused, and then cupping her chin, his warm eyes pleaded, "Will you come?"

"What about Rashika?"

"I told you I am breaking up with her."

"Will she accept it? And what about the company?"

"I am ready to abdicate my role in the company."

Perplexed, Dharma gaped at him, "Why would you?"

"To start anew with you."

A quiver went through Dharma at the explicitness of his words. One stormy evening was transforming her life. Was the universe conspiring to bring them together?

Maurya's phone buzzed. Irritated, he pulled it out of his pocket and scanned the number. Frowning, he answered, "Hello!"

Dharma watched as his face turned angry and then furious.