Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 34) The Baspa Valley

Arjun and Rashika waited for Chaitanya's arrival. Arjun had contacted Chaitanya through his informers and had asked him to meet them near an isolated farm on the outskirts of the city. Despite having ill feelings about the whole thing, Arjun agreed to Rashika's plan only because she had promised to break her engagement with Maurya and accept him.

While Rashika remained in the car, Arjun moved about the deserted street. About fifteen minutes later, Arjun received a call,

"Hey, it is from him..." Arjun cried out.

"Answer the call...and tell him we are waiting for him."

Arjun did as he was told. Then, he gave the phone to Rashika, "He wants to talk to you..."

Scowling, Rashika grabbed the phone, "What are you playing at? We are waiting for you."

"Yes, I know. I am here and I can see you. What I want to know is why you want to see me?" Chaitanya inquired.

"It is about Dharma. If you meet me, I can reveal her whereabouts."

There was a sullen silence. Rashika rolled her eyes, smirking at Arjun.

"Why do you want to tell me her whereabouts? How do you know I am looking for her?"

"Look, I don't have the time to get into the nitty-gritty of how I know this and that. I know you escaped police custody. You have been hovering around the office of Index Fashions, where I happen to be the boss. Now, you get it? If you don't meet me in five minutes, I am leaving and you will never know where Dharma is..."

"I am coming..."

Sighing, Rashika gave the phone to Arjun, "He is coming..."

Moments later, Chaitanya appeared. Rashika was surprised at the sight of the handsome man. She had imagined Chaitanya to be a scary-looking loafer but this man seemed educated and good-looking. He was fair, a little muscular perhaps, and arrogant in every way. His attitude reflected his conceit. Rashika was puzzled over Dharma's rejection of Chaitanya and thought spitefully that Dharma was being over ambitious if she preferred Maurya over Chaitanya.

Rashika slid out of the car and faced Chaitanya whose lecherous eyes roved over Rashika's face and figure. Arjun considered punching the pompous face of that man.

"Hello, I am Rashika..."

Chaitanya nodded and pushed his palms inside his pockets, waiting for Rashika to continue.

"I hear that you are searching for Dharma. I can tell you where she is, on one condition..."

Chaitanya's eyes widened in scorn and he rasped gratingly, "Well, I don't think you are in any position to dictate terms to me."

"Hey, watch your tongue..." Arjun warned and took a step forward but Rashika held him back.

She pressed, "Look, we know Dharma filed a complaint against you. Regardless of that, I can see true love in your eyes for her. And I am certain that she would be happy with you. I think she has not yet realized her feelings for you."

Rashika's assessment made the desired impact on Chaitanya. He went quiet, acknowledging her wordlessly.

"I will tell you where she is; and when you can get her; but on one promise from you..."

"What is it?" Chaitanya asked.

"You will have to take her away from here and never bring her back to this city. Keep her out of reach from us."

His eyes narrowed at her demand, goading him to question, "Why? What did she do to you?"

Shrugging, she said, "Dharma has become a nuisance to us."

"Why do you say that? She is working her ass off for you. Does she not deserve some respect?" Chaitanya growled, surprising Arjun and Rashika with his consideration toward Dharma.

Rashika bristled contemptuously at him. For a moment, she forgot that Arjun was with her. Her temper got the better of her and she thundered, "Respect? How do you think I should treat the woman who has been chasing my fiancé from the moment she joined the company? You say she is working hard? Well, for your information, she is prepared to work only with my fiancé. He is the chairman of the group of industries and is well-known in the country. For an orphan like her, who could be a better catch than him? You pale into insignificance compared to my Maurya...No wonder she dumped you."

Furious, Chaitanya took a threatening step towards Rashika but Arjun stepped in front of Rashika and blustered, "Don't you dare...."

Chaitanya halted and regarded Arjun's face with disdain and pity...Then, glancing at Rashika, he complied, "Alright, you have convinced me. If you give me Dharma's location, I promise that I will take her away from the city. You will never have to see her again."

A triumphant smile spread across Rashika's face and she nodded, "She is right now travelling. The moment she is back in the city, I will inform you. However, be careful to keep away from the sight of the police. They are searching for you desperately."

"Don't worry about that. I made a mistake once. I won't repeat it. I will wait for your call," Chaitanya assured her.

He waited till Rashika and Arjun left. Then, turning around, he strode back to his hideout with a triumphant grin. It was certain now that he was destined to be with Dharma. If not, why would the other woman seek him out to get rid of Dharma? Fate was conspiring to unite him with Dharma.

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

Rashika was upbeat, that she had successfully convinced Chaitanya to leave with Dharma. She didn't care if he loved Dharma or Dharma detested him. That was not her problem.

High in spirits, she glanced at Arjun. He was unusually quiet.

"Hey, I forgot to thank you for arranging the meeting. You are the best!" Rashika blew a kiss at him. She pressed her foot harder on the accelerator. Driving fast liberated her from the shackles of routine sentiments.

Arjun did not answer, instead, he turned his face away. Rashika grimaced at his sulking face, "Arjun, what is the matter?"

"Slow down, will you?" he appealed, and just to annoy him, she accelerated the speed.

"Rashi...."

"I will if you tell me why you have gone silent on me," Rashika prodded.

"Does it matter? Only Maurya concerns you. You told me that contacting Chaitanya had nothing to do with Maurya. And yet, here you are, deriding Dharma for going after him. So, Maurya is the reason, you want to make her leave," Arjun ranted, upset that Rashika was still nursing feelings for Maurya.

"Aww, Arjun...Look at you! So angry and jealous. Darling, you will always be my first and precious love..."

"But not enough to marry me...." Arjun broke in.

"Please darling, hear me out. I can't go against my father. He is set on making Maurya his son-in-law. Nothing I say will change his decision."

"But you promised me that you would break up with Maurya once I arranged the meeting."

"I know I did. I had a talk with Dad last night and he is adamant about me marrying Maurya," The lies spurted out very easily for Rashika.

"Rashi, you can't do this to me dear. We have been so close and intimate; you can't forget us so easily."

"Oh, come on Arjun. Don't make it so hard for me," an irate Rashika bit out.

"Hard? For hell's sake, don't use that tone with me."

Rashika unleashed her frustration on the car and the needle on the speedometer skittered.

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

Baspa River flowed like a little girl, gurgling and traipsing playfully that charmed anyone who touched her transparent waters. The crystal-clear river lured one to play with the smooth pebbles that were visible on the river's fringes. Dushyant hiked along the bank of the river and dipped his feet in the cold water whenever he was drained of energy. He had been on the trail since morning, leaving Bilaval in the palace to gain more information on the geoglyph.

The hills on either side of the valley swept upwards like two sentinels guarding the river. As the river wound its way through the narrow patch of land between the rising hills, Dushyant considered turning left and taking the track that went up the hill. A few feet ahead, the protruding rocks of the hills formed a natural tunnel over the river and Dushyant was not willing to risk the slippery path. Instead, he went up the grassy slope and climbed down on the other side. It was truly an uphill task and he gasped for air when he reached a plateau. He realized wryly that he had passed the age when he could trudge over the hills effortlessly.

Trekking down on the other side, he was surprised that a stream had branched out from the main river of Baspa and flowed to this side of the valley. Inhaling the crisp air, Dushyant rested on the slopes to eat his packed sandwiches. The palace chef had been kind enough to pack a lunch for him. Munching the bread, he enjoyed the vista; and while surveying the turf, he heard the sound of dangling bells and the drift of a humming voice. He finished his lunch quickly and ambled down to locate the crooner.

He found a herd of sheep grazing on the slopes. There were bells tied around their neck. Dushyant’s eyes combed the area and caught the lone boy leaning against a tree. He was playing a locally made string instrument.

Approaching him, Dushyant greeted, "Hello..."

His sudden appearance startled the village boy. The boy must be around nine or ten years of age.

"Your voice is very sweet. Can you sing for me?" Dushyant asked in the local dialect.

The boy nodded enthusiastically and began to sing an old folk song, his fingers strumming the instrument. The song sounded more like a ballad.

Dushyant was stunned when he understood the lyrics of the song, "Where did you hear the love story?"

The boy grinned at him, "Everyone in the village knows this tale. We also perform it as a drama every year during the river festival."

"River festival?"

"Yes, we celebrate a three-day festival on the banks of the river to celebrate her."

"Which river?"

He pointed to the stream that had branched out from Baspa, "This one! We call it Maitsaya River."

The shock whipped the air out of Dushyant's lungs. He asked in bemusement, "Is this River Maitsaya?"

"Yes!"

"But this is a stream," Dushyant blurted out.

"There is more water when it reaches the village."

"Can you take me to your village?"

"Yes, wait here. Let me round up the sheep and then we can go..."

While Dushyant waited for the boy, he recalled the folk song. It was about a forest princess and a prince who fell in love. While everyone opposed their love and blamed the girl, there was one woman on the other side of the kingdom who taught her son to follow the steps of the prince. She brought up her son to acknowledge the gallant prince's love. When the boy grew up and began to talk about it, the ruling king then imprisoned him and his mother. The villagers protested against the atrocity and waged a rebellion. Many villagers across the border joined the rebellion and met the king. They pleaded with him to release the mother and son. The king agreed on the condition that they would not sing the song again. The villagers promised the king but after the king's demise, the folklore became popular once again.

Dushyant was intrigued by the folklore. Something about the story impelled him to learn more about it. So, he followed the boy to a remote and quiet Himalayan village that existed just outside the periphery of a dense forest.

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

Shankaran welcomed Maurya to Anuragnicheri graciously. He was surprised by the lovely woman who accompanied Maurya. He had seen Maurya's fiancée in a magazine and he was sure that this tall woman was not his fiancée.

"Hello, Maurya...Welcome to our land,"

"Thank you, Mr. Shankaran. This is Dharma."

Shankaran took them to his office, and explained to Maurya, "This is Chatram, a nineteenth-century construction, now used by the forensic division of the local police. It was built by the Travancore king, Sreemoolan Thirunal."

The dingy and musty smell of the old building wormed its way into their noses. Dharma sneezed softly, forcing Shankaran to toss an apologetic glance at her. Their arrival had caught the attention of the rest of the staff and they stared at them with undisguised curiosity.

"Would you like to see the house right now or do you want to freshen up and then take a look?"

Maurya glanced at Dharma questioningly, "I think we will take a look at the house first."

"Ok, let me bring the papers. I will be back in a minute."

While they trooped to Avadhi, Dharma asked Shankaran, "Is there a river close by?"

"Yes, the village is on the banks of River Agni. How did you guess?"

Smiling, she answered, "I can hear the distant sound of gushing water, and also the smell. The earth smells different when there is a body of water close by."

It was an interesting observation that Shankaran made it a point to load in his brain's database.

Maurya and Dharma were intrigued by the garland-style formation of houses around the temple. There was a common wall between the two houses, and hence the row of houses looked like an interlinked chain. At the end of the street, they saw the flowing river.

They crossed the temple and the priest who sometimes resided in the temple, called out, "Good afternoon Shankaran, busy day?"

Shankaran returned the greeting and introduced Maurya to the priest, "This is Maurya, owner of Avadhi."

"Oh, nice meeting you young man, I hope you will do something about the house. It is almost crumbling," the priest advised.

Shankaran pointed out, "This is Avadhi, Maurya. Look at the state it is in. This was the reason; I called you repeatedly."

Maurya looked askance at the house. He was appalled by the derelict structure. Reluctant to go inside, he suggested, "Do we have to open the house? You can as well sell it or demolish it..."

"No, we have to go inside," Dharma stated, riveted by the desolation of the house. As she stood gazing at Avadhi, she sensed the halo of intense grief and melancholy that surrounded the house. It looked as if it was crying for attention. She had never seen a house like Avadhi. Time had come to a grinding halt here. There was an unearthly motionlessness that swathed the house in haunting poignancy. The tree that loomed from the back of the house, had a bleakness that reflected on the barren and gnarled branches.

Dharma sensed that whoever had resided in the house had lived in extreme agony and sorrow. She felt the deathly coldness of the anguished spirit.

Dharma shivered, neither in fear nor in pain, but in acute sympathy for the tormented life. She presumed that the heartbroken soul was trapped inside Avadhi.