Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 Epilogue

The next morning, Dharma, Maurya, and Dushyant made their way to the forest. Owing to the fact that the gale had crossed the mountains, and was hovering across the state border, it was a windy day. In a day or two, a gust of wind was expected to blow over the region. 

As the dark woods yawned open to them and the naked earth gave glimpses of giant roots that had taken refuge in the forest long ago, Dharma's fingers sought Maurya's instinctively. Their skin brushed each other's, allaying their fears and soothing their nerves with comfort.

The kind of forest that Dharma had seen or been to before was only on the outskirts of Parijatpur. Those woods had not been inaccessible; however, there was a stillness here that was disquieting.

The desolation of the forest affected them as soon as they entered the area. Nevertheless, the familiarity that invaded Dharma surprised her. She felt as if she had known the woods all her life. The unease that had clutched Dushyant when he last visited the forest seemed futile that particular day. He guessed it was probably due to the presence of Dharma and Maurya.

"Who had the heart to burn down such an enormous forest? And then we keep complaining about environmental degradation," Maurya grumbled, shocked by the withered jungle and scorched earth.

Their feet crunching over the dried debris ricocheted around the deserted land. Like a firebolt, a cluster of impressions burst forth in Dharma's head; a flourishing forest where long canopies of trees giving shelter to many; billowing whorls of smoke drifting towards the blue sky; a ring of fire inside which she was trapped. The flickers of images appeared in flashes. She wasn't sure if they were pictures, she had seen somewhere, or recollections from her childhood.

Retracing her thoughts back to the present, Dharma trailed after Maurya and Dushyant. At places, charred stumps protruded from the ground. If one was not careful, one could get hurt by the sharp edges of the charcoal sticks. As they ventured deeper into the forest, it grew darker. The forest seemed bare of any spirits or life forms. The savagery of the early act destroyed not only the forest but the entire ecosystem. None of the habitants had escaped the brutality.

The three of them made their way through thorny and sun-dried bushes, decayed and uncultivable land.

"Is this Alaka?" Maurya asked, his heart weighing heavily at the sight of such devastation.

"This is the forest that had been a significant part of the kingdom. The river Yakshagni passes through this forest. I am taking you there," Dushyant explained.

"The flames must have engulfed the forest completely."

"It is believed that the fire raged for years. None of the citizens or army could rescue it. Those who tried to extinguish the fire had been swallowed by the flames."

"It must have been a terrible time in the kingdom," Dharma reflected aloud.

"Apparently, the air in Alakapuri, that was the capital of Alaka, had become so toxic by the forest fire that people had begun to leave in exodus. The city was abandoned without delay," Dushyant stated what he had learnt from his forefathers.

Dharma tried to catch a glimpse of the sky and hence, she did not see the jutting driftwood. She would have tripped over it if Maurya had not grabbed her waist in time.

"Watch out. It is sharp..." he warned, steadying her.

A bird fluttered across the area, flapping its wings, its shriek amplified by the quietness of the forest. Startled by the sound, they paused and let their gazes drift around the woods.

"Do you know, Yakshis are dwellers of the forest? I think I must have lived here. Everything here seems homely to me, and I can vaguely recall images of animals grazing here," Dharma professed to Maurya. "I feel my friends could have been giant trees and mammals that might have protected me from sinister humans."

"You might be right. And I suppose I chased you across this forest then."

"Ha, you are good at chasing," Dharma teased.

Dushyant stopped, staring at the river that meandered its way through the coppice. He said, "This was Yakshagni, once a mighty river that had been worshipped for a long time. There is a story about how even the Sun and the Moon paused on their passage to salute the river. Earth had such wonderful children that even the cosmos was amazed by them."

"The river has become a stream now..." Dharma murmured, rivetted by the crystal-clear waters.

"Times change and the most powerful things shrink to a vulnerable state. Yakshagni's grassy banks welcomed poets and artists to produce great works. Under the moonlit sky, art in all forms was celebrated and conferred with awards. Here, in the forest, rituals were conducted to marry a flourishing tree to a fragile plant so that the young plant would survive...."

The beat of the drums reverberated around the forest... Moving in rhythm, the dancers laughed at his clumsy efforts... She grabbed his hand and led him away from the celebrations to introduce him to her best friend... Aranyani, princess of the forest...

Dharma blinked...In a daze, her glance fell to the ground. Instead of the designs that she had visualized just then, the land was discoloured in black and grey. Her chest constricted and an aching numbness clutched her.

The sense of a piercing loss... the heartache at the death of love... the distress at the ruination of her home...

The collective grief rendered Dharma forlorn, and without her being aware of it, tears flowed. She couldn't put a finger on her anguish but the feeling of immense loss overwhelmed her with its intensity. To Maurya's shock, Dharma fell on her knees and wept. The sorrow of yesteryears accosted her with excruciating pain. She did not remember her life in the forest but the hazy sketch she had formed was of a happy life, a loving family, and a blissful existence.

"Dharma, why are you crying? Do you recall something? Is that why you are distressed?" Maurya grilled, wrapping his arms around her. He stroked her head gently, trying to soothe her pain. Feeling helpless, he wanted to assuage her sorrow desperately.

Dharma burrowed her face into his shoulder and clutched his shirt. The searing grief did not dissipate. The painful sensation gripped her with nostalgia and homesickness.

"She is probably grieving only now for the loss that occurred long ago..." Dushyant interjected thoughtfully. He knelt at a spot near the river and began to shove away the lumps of clay. Brushing away the last layer of soil from the stone, he got to his feet, staring at the spot he had dug.

Maurya rose, helping Dharma to her feet. She had calmed down a bit. Dushyant gestured him to move closer, to where he was standing. Frowning, Maurya strode to the spot, only to stiffen and go rigid at the sight of the cenotaph.

"Do you know what is inscribed there?" Dushyant challenged Maurya. Since the script was unfamiliar, Maurya shook his head in denial.

"Our beloved Prince, Ekveer Bhadra – prince of Alaka."

Dharma's head shot up and she rushed forward to the spot. Maurya felt as if someone had squeezed the air from his lungs and knocked him dead. He felt his throat go dry, and the blood rush to his face. He wondered if it was really happening...

"This is where he was supposed to have died. But, the folklore around this area tells a different story. The songs extol his bravery and pay homage to his life, concluding that he and his princess jumped into this river and travelled to another era."

Lost for words, Maurya got down on his knees and ran his fingers over the inscription reverentially, brushing aside the fine dust. Someone had honoured him with this cenotaph. Unlike Dharma, he couldn't recall any memories of his past life. Only the nightmares had given an indication of his past.

"I can read the script..." Dharma threaded her fingers into his, "The beloved prince of Alaka, Ekveer!"

"I don't remember anything about the life of a prince..." he fretted.

"You don't have to...Time has revealed your past...You have come back to rescue Alaka," Dushyant pronounced.

Although evil had triumphed, and Saugandhika had been violated, unblemished love had defeated malevolent intentions. Even those who had prophesized the odyssey of an uncorrupted love could not have foreseen the return of the soul mates to Alaka. Maurya and Dharma had transcended all barriers conquering the relentless time.

Finally, time had set them free. It had untied them and let them loose into the arms of the universe. Maurya and Dharma had come together to face the storm, and their entwined fates had connected them at a matching span of time.

The darkening clouds and the sudden streaks of lightning halted the approaching storm. The huge drops warned Dushyant to leave the forest at once. They reached the hermitage just in time as the drizzle became heavy.

Maurya and Dharma watched the downpour in amazed silence – it was of a kind they had never seen before. It rained in sheets. The storm subsided as a result of the showers. By the next morning, the clouds had disappeared, and bright sunlight sheathed the mountain peaks in a golden halo. When Dharma and Maurya returned to the forest the next forenoon, a rainbow appeared right above them, flaunting its arcs of shades in the sky.

The magical sounds of life began to emanate once again from the ravaged forest. A frog croaked from somewhere, a dove flew across, and to Dharma's delight, a tiny squirrel perched on a lifeless stick of a tree.

Dharma's teary smile drove away the worries from Maurya's head. He learnt what true joy was when he saw the radiant smile on her face. His world exploded into a frenzy of colours.

Drawing her into his arms, he sealed their love with a deep kiss. Unbeknown to them but witnessed by the river and the forest a long time ago, it was the same spot where Ekveer had sworn to return from the battle, and where he and Hanneli had consummated their love.

Saugandhika smiled, her good spirits inching back into her domain. At last, goodness had won over evil.

A new movement had started in the world, to save forests. There were organizations and groups fighting to regrow forests and help save the planet. Dushyant founded a company whose members regrouped every month to discuss and verify the operations of projects that seemed to pose a threat to the environment. If they did, the members launched campaigns to stop it or make it more sustainable.

Maurya and Dharma began their new phase of life in New Delhi soon. Dharma left Almora on the advice of Dushyant. To Maurya's surprise, Vasukinath Krishna left Krishna Industries to Maurya in his will when he moved to Mauritius with Rashika. Hence, Maurya had no time to start a new company immediately. He made Sonia the head of Index Fashion House and Dharma as his head designer. Tapan became a Managing Director at Krishna Industries.

Once in two or three months, Dharma, Maurya, and Dushyant visited Saugandhika Forest to plant saplings or spend a day in the forest to ensure its growth.

With the help of Bilaval, Dushyant chronicled the story of Alaka and its prince.

Rashika did not recover much from the accident. She yearned for the life she had messed up and spent most days in remorse. Furthermore, her health remained a case of worry for her father.

Maurya and Dharma's life was what the ancients had prophesized. They were the protector and defender of each other. Together, they found peace. With every new dawn, they discovered a different side to their love. With every breath and touch, they climbed greater heights of happiness and contentment.

They travelled to Anuragnicheri every year to meet the residents of Avadhi. The women who stayed there, waited eagerly for Dharma to bring them new stories and gifts. Shankaran enjoyed the importance he gained during Dharma and Maurya's annual trips to Anuragnicheri.

Rivers, forests, and mountains became an integral part of Maurya and Dharma's lives. Sometimes with friends like Tapan, Brahim, and Kamya, and at other times only the two of them, Maurya and Dharma explored new places that were wonderful creations of nature. They trekked to rugged mountains, swam in warm oceans, and idled on ivory beaches.  Sunsets and Sunrises at remote corners of the world were captured in their cameras. Snorkelling, Canoeing, and underwater diving were some of the activities that Dharma learnt from Maurya. He, in turn, learnt to enjoy simple pleasures of life; like plucking a bunch of wildflowers for her, eating street side food with her under a moonlit sky, and sharing meals with the staff occasionally. There was nothing more right or precious for them than being with one another. When they were away from each other even for short hours, their souls felt their absence and yearned to be closer.

And time...well, time moved on; but very rarely, it stumbled upon such breath-taking love like that of Maurya and Dharma or rather Ekveer and Hanneli.

Love like theirs happened only once in a lifetime or twice in many lifetimes. Like the river that flowed endlessly, their love continued to grow with eternal bliss.

The End