Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 20) The Warning Whispers

Dharma was surprised by the summons from Rashika. What she didn't expect though was the other woman's scathing attack on her.

"Oh, you have consented to come to the office today? Should I be pleased or honoured?"

Dharma regarded Rashika's flushed face with perplexed eyes, "I come every day to the office."

Dharma’s dignified composure provoked Rashika further. "So, where were you the last few days? Did you take permission from me for leave?"

"I was in Modhera officially. I thought you knew that I was going there with Mitali and Nikhil," Dharma frowned at Rashika's displeasure.

"You thought? Really? You are supposed to inform me before taking off to some wild town," Rashika rebuked, running her eyes over Dharma. This was the first time that she was actually taking note of Dharma. She pondered what attracted Maurya to this tramp.

"Sorry, I assumed that Sonia would have..."

Rashika interrupted, "I am your boss, not Sonia."

"Right! Next time, I will certainly inform you," Dharma replied, observing Rashika's long open hair, her light eyes, and her immaculate outfit.

"There will be no next time if the fashion show flops. You will be out of Index the minute the show does not meet our expectations," Rashika blustered, her resentment apparent to Dharma.

"Yes, ma'am!" she complied and marched back to the door but Rashika's next words made her pause in her steps.

"And stay away from Maurya."

Dharma viewed Rashika thoughtfully. Rashika feigned to concentrate on the file in front of her.

"Don't you trust your fiancé?" Dharma's soft query enraged Rashika and her face shot up.

"It is women like you that I don't trust," Rashika snarled.

"Women like me? Care to explain?"

"No, I don't have to explain anything to you. Get out of my office."

Dharma's wilful spirit did not allow her to retreat quietly.

"Fine by me. But next time, before you point your finger at women like me, have a word with your fiancé first," Dharma's retort managed to wipe off that self-righteous look from Rashika's face.

Rashika stood up violently, and for a moment Dharma thought Rashika would assault her physically.

"What do you think of yourself, you desperate woman? And what do you mean by alleging that I should ask my fiancé first?" Rashika's face took on an ugly expression and Dharma balked from the venom she espied in the other woman's eyes.

"I don't have to explain anything to you," mustering courage, Dharma walked out of the office.

She expected Rashika to barge into her work room anytime and fire her, but Rashika did not make an appearance and Dharma heaved a sigh of relief as the day drew to an end.

On her way to the hostel that evening, Dharma mulled over Rashika’s warning to stay away from Maurya. Why did Rashika think that she needed to be warned? Had Maurya conveyed something godawful about Dharma to Rashika? If so, Dharma was angrier with Maurya than with his fiancée.

Beleaguered at the unfairness of life, that tended to put her in a spot without any provocation, an indignant Dharma strode to the hostel. She noticed that the spell of Spring had faded and a warm cloak of aromatic air surrounded her. The zephyr carried the sweet-smelling fragrance of tender mangoes. At once, Dharma was reminded of Parijatpur where the heady fragrance of Coral jasmine flowers left one with imperceptible longings. Coral jasmine flowers, also called the night-flowering jasmine bloomed only at night. According to folklore, a princess called Parijataka was in love with the Sun and she tried to win his heart but the Sun rejected her and she committed suicide. A tree sprung from her ashes. Unable to stand the sight of the Sun, the tree flowers only at night and sheds them like teardrops before the Sun rises. Hence, it was also called the sad tree or the tree of sorrow. Sighing, Dharma wondered what made her ruminate about those flowers. It was probably the shifting seasons and the balmy night.

One foot inside the hostel, Dharma paused. The gust of wind sweeping over her filled her ears with hoarse whispers.

"Save him! He is yours..."

Chilled to the bone, Dharma froze on her feet, trying to understand the enormity of those words. She searched around her, for a glimpse of an image that warned her sporadically. Last time, when she had heard those whispers, Maurya had been in danger. However, now it seemed more like a foreboding. At a loss for words, she pondered if she should check with Maurya. She then recalled Rashika's threat. Discarding her fears, she gave up trying to fathom the secret messages that she heard.

Reaching her room, she began to collect her things from the washrooms and kitchen. In a couple of days, she was moving to Brahim's house, and she should be excited. Yet, she was restless. A primitive fear gripped her. As the night deepened, her tension grew. Not bothering to analyse her actions, she called Maurya because she knew that her anxiety was centered around him.

His phone was switched off. The nebulous unease stemming from a feeling that something was going to happen to him, refused to disappear. She walked back and forth on the terrace, calling Maurya without success. She considered checking with Rashika but dismissed the idea as ridiculous. What if they were together? They would think that she was paranoid.

Despite the assurance that Maurya might be with Rashika, Dharma was impelled by an irresistible force that could not be quelled, to find out if Maurya was doing fine.

She called Tapan.

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

Maurya left the sprawling resort of Neemrana and headed towards the Jaipur-Delhi highway. There had been a conference of the Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Association, and attending the conference had been mandatory. He mailed the minutes of the discussion to his secretary and left the venue. There was an unusual pile-up of traffic on the highway and it took him many hours to reach the outskirts of Delhi. Switching on the music system, he drove steadily, enjoying the pleasant night. There was a junction ahead and he noticed the long queue of vehicles. To avoid the jam, Maurya took a short cut but unexpectedly, the road he took was bumpy and dark. He switched on the fog lights however a tractor coming from the blind alley on the left, hit Maurya's car. Swearing aloud, Maurya tried to stop the car from swerving towards the opposite direction. A bike riding behind him knocked into Maurya's car. To avoid a head-on collision; Maurya veered the car towards the open fields and the car tumbled forward into a ditch. Maurya's head hit the steering wheel and the splintering pieces of the windshield sailed around him. The jammed door and the seat belt locked him inside the car. Maurya shuttered his eyes close at the nick of the time and the flying scraps pierced only the skin around his eyes. He tried to catch sight of the biker, realizing that the other man had been thrown off the vehicle. The driver of the tractor had jumped out when Maurya endeavoured to avoid the crash. The searing pain on his face and the impact of the steering wheel on his head rendered him unconscious. His last hope before he lost all senses was that someone would drive along the deserted road and alert the traffic police.

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

After Dharma's call, Tapan tried Maurya's number but it was unreachable. He called Maurya's secretary from whom, he learnt that Maurya had left Neemrana some hours ago. Tapan checked the time and expected Maurya to have reached home by now. Recalling Dharma's anxiety, he drove to Maurya's apartment and discovered that Maurya had not reached home. His hunch that something was not right urged him to inform Vasukinath Krishna. A search was organized at once and Maurya and his vehicle were found forty minutes later. All three, Maurya, the biker, and the tractor driver were rushed to the hospital, and the vehicles were towed away.

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

Dharma made an effort to sleep but it eluded her. She lay on the bed, waiting for Tapan's call. Around four in the morning, when she had just closed her eyes, Tapan called her.

"Hey, sorry to bother you this early. But you were right to be worried. Maurya met with an accident," and Tapan went on to explain the extent of Maurya's injuries.

"You mean there were three vehicles that crashed into each other?"

"Yes, luckily Maury was the only one who escaped with the least of the injuries. The man on the bike was grievously injured. He is in the intensive care unit. It was the tractor driver's fault, and when he jumped out, he fractured his arm. He also has a gash on his head."

"And Maurya?" Dharma asked breathlessly.

"The windshield broke and shards of glasses pierced his face. Thankfully, his eyes are fine. There are some bruises on his arms and one on his forehead."

"Thank god!" Dharma heaved a trembling sigh of relief.

"Yeah, don't know if he would need an operation but I guess Maurya will survive."

Unbidden, the tears flowed from Dharma's eyes. She shuddered at the image of an incapacitated Maurya, left on the road. The thought of him lying motionless tautened her nerves.

"Thanks, Tapan, for informing me..."

"Dharma, wait!" Tapan halted her from ending the call.

"What?" she asked tremulously, pondering if there were more injuries to Maurya, that Tapan had not told her.

"How did you realize that Maurya was in trouble? What made you call me?" his curiosity disconcerted Dharma but she answered him, without revealing her premonitions or the whispers that warned her regularly about the dangers that surrounded Maurya.

"I don't know. I tried to call him about the fashion show and when I didn't get him, I called you," Dharma made it sound very casual but Tapan detected strong emotions that Dharma strove to conceal from him.

When the call ended, Dharma wept silently. The long night, the omnipotent instincts that had kept her awake and the dreadful foreboding about an imminent danger to Maurya, left her exhausted. The lack of sleep and exhaustion made her tearful and she sobbed helplessly. Tapan's description about the accident scared her stiff and she thanked the Almighty for keeping Maurya safe.

Finally, she fell into a fitful sleep.

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

There was a constant stream of visitors. Maurya got tired of staying awake. During the last couple of days in the hospital, Rashika had become a permanent fixture beside Maurya's bed.

Fortunately, the glass fragments had only grazed his skin and had needed minor stitches. However, he had dislocated his elbow, so he had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. In addition to Rashika, Vasukinath, and his wife, most of Maurya's employees visited him. Tapan did not reveal Dharma's timely call to Maurya due to Rashika's presence.

"Tapan, how did you know that Maurya was in trouble? If you had not alerted Dad, Maurya would have been on the road for hours," grateful for his help, Rashika questioned him curiously.

"I called Maurya for something related to designs and when I didn't get his number, I was worried. Maurya's phone is never switched off usually," Tapan made up a story. He was actually intrigued by the bond between Maurya and Dharma. Even now, he could not get over the fact that Dharma had sensed danger to Maurya, and hence she had tipped off Tapan. He suspected the presence of a silent attraction between Maurya and Dharma. From the moment Tapan saw Dharma with Maurya, he had realized that the two were drawn to each other. In fact, he would be happy if they got together. He had often felt that Maurya deserved someone much better than Rashika. Tapan had always considered Maurya as his idol, and now, he had started admiring the determined and beautiful Dharma. He was convinced that Maurya and Dharma were perfect for each other.

Rashika pressed, "The staff of Index want to see you, so they got my permission to come this evening. Is it ok?"

"You have already given the permission. Then why ask him?" Tapan asked, a wee bit annoyed with Rashika over her 'I know what is right for Maurya' attitude in the last couple of days. He had been visiting Maurya every day, and every time, he wanted to talk about Dharma, Rashika was invariably present.

"Well, I can say no even now," Rashika mumbled, somehow unable to answer back to Tapan as smartly. Secretly, she was in awe of his talent and confidence, and consequently, it made her less assured with him.

"No problem. I don't mind them visiting me," Maurya intervened, his weary body and mind jolting with life at the thought of seeing Dharma. He waited anxiously to see her but to his utter disappointment, there were a couple of staff from Index who could not make it and Dharma was one of them.

He hated the feeling but it riled him that Dharma was not concerned enough to visit him.

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

Dharma shifted the bag and baggage to Brahim's house. Some of her hostel mates, with whom she had become friendly, bid her a warm farewell. Brahim and Kamya welcomed her cheerfully. Dharma was pleased that Kamya had made efforts to clean the room. Usually, Kamya hated the whole process of sweeping and mopping. And if she had made such efforts, then it meant that Kamya was truly delighted to share the room with Dharma.

Unable to sleep that night, Dharma's thoughts circled around Maurya. She had wanted to visit Maurya with other staff members but since she was shifting, she had given it a miss.

She recalled the distinct whispers, "Save him! He is yours..."

Her blood rushed at the thought that Maurya was hers...Once again, Rashika's caustic warning reminded her of their relationship.

Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 19) The Intricacies of Love 

Rashika looked at Maurya in confusion, but she was beside herself with joy that he was not attracted to anyone else.

Under Maurya's scrutiny, Rashika cast about for a logical answer, "No, I thought you would want to postpone the date."

"Do you want to?" he asked, hoping that she would answer in affirmation.

"No, of course not! It is just that...I felt that you were drifting away from me," Rashika faltered, not mustering enough courage to confront him about Dharma.

Maurya shrugged, his attention returning to the glass.

Delighted that he had no intention of putting off their wedding, Rashika rose from her seat and rushed to Maurya, "Oh god Arya, I love you so much. I thought I had lost you,"

"Why would you think that?" he asked, tugging out of her embrace gently.

"I thought...Never mind! Anyway, I told Dad that if you are not interested in continuing with Krishna Industries, I would take over the business," hurrying back to her seat, she spilled the beans out.

Maurya regarded her guardedly, "What makes you think that I would lose interest in the business?"

"I thought you had other interests to focus your attention on...." She murmured, grappling to get out of the trap that she had caught herself in.

"Like?" he asked doggedly

"I don't know Arya. I just thought that you were losing interest so I told Dad that I would happily take over the reins of the business."

Maurya tossed the question very casually, "Did your father agree to it?"

"Oh yes, when I asked him if he was willing to hand over the business to someone other than you, he said he would hand it over to me," Rashika answered proudly, not considering that her answer would create irreparable damage to her relationship with Maurya.

"Really? Did he say that?" the mildness of his tone should have warned Rashika but she was too engrossed in the thought of being the only recipient of Maurya's affections.

"Yes, but of course, I am sure that he would never even think of handing it over to anyone else other than you, let alone me..."

The waiter arrived with their order and they fell silent.

"So, what have you been doing these days?" the sudden change of topic puzzled her.

"Oh, I have been doing this and that. Index Fashion is keeping me busy," Rashika answered, trying to remind Maurya in her subtle way that she was already involved in the business.

"And what exactly is keeping you busy? I hadn’t expected you to be so interested when I suggested to your father that you head Index Fashion …"

Rashika's eyes skimmed over his face sceptically, making her wonder if he was reminding her deliberately. Frowning, she replied, "Day-to-day matters, also Sonia guides me about the functioning of the business."

"Good, you and Sonia have become friends," Maurya observed aloud.

Rashika felt it in her bones; the widening rift between them. She felt helpless and was desperate to mend the growing chasm.

"Arya, I will stay at your place tonight," Rashika offered as an olive branch.

"Why? Isn't Arjun waiting for you?"

Rashika's face paled and their eyes clashed, one cool and the other agitated.

Thrown off balance, Rashika asked, "What do you mean Arya? I didn't know you were stalking me," Rashika implied.

"Your idiot friend has been posting photos of both of you all over social media. I am surprised that you haven't checked them yourself," Maurya's words and eyes, both expressed sardonic amusement.

Looking at him, her pupils were dilated with disbelief. Good lord, Maurya was jealous! Her single most objective to gain his attention had been achieved without her knowledge. Her heart swelled with happiness. No wonder he was so aloof. Oh dear, all her frustrations and worries had been for nothing. Maurya was envious of her friendship with Arjun, she savoured the thought with relish.

"Oh Arya, I didn't know you were jealous. Arjun is nothing but a friend," she claimed, her fingers stroking Maurya's arm softly while her gaze appealed to him with earnestness. But what repelled Maurya was the gleam of triumph that he caught on her face.

"Is he?" Maurya placed the fork and knife on the plate and leaned back. His eyes pierced into hers with a deliberateness that flustered her. Her gaze fell and narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Why are you so desperate to marry me?"

"What? I am desperate?" she asked, her rising indignation threatening to burst out.

He shrugged, waiting for her answer quietly.

Labouring to rein in her temper, Rashika burst out, "How dare you! Remember, you were the one who proposed to me and I thought we were in love. But all of a sudden, I find you distancing yourself from me as if I am this castaway that has been bothering you."

His glance mocked her accusation, however, she continued vitriolically, "Arjun was the only one who understood me. I tried to talk to you but you never bothered. And why am I desperate?... Because I love you, Arya! Don't you get it?"

"No, I don't get it, Rashika. If you love someone, you don't cheat on them. At least, that is what I have learnt in my life."

Maurya's answer rendered Rashika motionless. Her face blanched; her nerves went rigid with bewildering shock. How did he know? She had been careful when she stayed with Arjun. Did Arjun tell Maurya?

"I think this has gone too far. Let us leave," Maurya signalled for the bill.

Rashika excused herself to rush to the washroom. She had been planning to lead Maurya into her game so that he would feel guilty and confess to being wrong. But for all her preparation, she had miscalculated Maurya's acumen. As a result, here she was, regretting her dalliance with Arjun.

When she joined Maurya, she urged, "Arya, I did not..."

"Stop it, Rashika. Don't add to the lies. Just accept that you have feelings for Arjun," Maurya stated, steering the car out of the complex carefully.

"I have no feelings for Arjun, Arya. Believe me, I was lonely," she laid her palm over his arm, a tear dropping from her eyes, "It is you I love Arya. You are the only one I have ever loved..."

Strangely, Rashika's tears or her confession did not appeal to Maurya. He didn't know why he had become so indifferent to her. But what bewildered him was, how one could love someone so passionately, like Rashika did or professed to love him, and then cheat on him. It made a mockery of the emotion. Even if he didn't believe in love, it was baffling to discover that in the name of love, one could betray that very same love.

 "Let us give it a break, Rashika, and then decide."

"You won't tell Daddy?" she asked urgently.

"No, although he deserves to know," Maurya murmured, fed up with these silly games he played with Rashika. He really didn't care if she went with Arjun or married him.

"No, Arya please..."

"Relax, I won't," Maurya assured her finally.

"And please allow him to carry on with the announcement Arya," Rashika pleaded, hoping that she would have enough time to win him over once again.

Maurya nodded, stopping the car in front of her house. Rashika leaned forward to drop a kiss on his cheek but he drew back and she slid out of the car.

Maurya drove around the city, lost in his own thoughts. He had wanted to use their relationship to his own advantage, to get out of his commitment to Rashika and to make a deal with Vasukinath Krishna. But now, he doubted that he would do it. He knew Rashika would come up with more tricks to get back into his good books.

And it made him shudder. He just couldn't think of being married to her. Vasukinath's willingness to hand over the business to his daughter troubled him. Maurya was aware that the other man could have said it on the spur of the moment to please his daughter. And yet, it hurt him.

He recalled his mentor's letter, "Only your true love will guide you in the direction to accomplish your task." And Shankaran's response, when two souls seek each other to fulfil a Karmic debt!

Did he have a karmic debt in this life? And who was going to help him with that?

He was startled by his spontaneous ability to conjure up the image of Dharma and her soulful eyes. The only thing that stirred his feelings!

For the first time in his life, he realized that he had been nurturing a dead soul inside him. Other than his career and ambitions, he was left untouched by everything else in his life. For a brief time, Mahendran Namboodri's demise had made him sad but he had not been affected by it greatly. He had been sailing through life without an emotional anchor. Acute loneliness wrenched him. He wanted to lay bare his lifeless spirit to Dharma, whose luminous eyes carried lush promises. He recalled the painting, 'The Guiding Spirit'.

Sighing wistfully, he wondered what Dharma was doing in Ahmedabad. Probably, poking her nose around some other ruins of a monument. The corners of his mouth upturned with warmth. Not caring to give another thought to his action, he called Dharma as soon as he was out of the shower.

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

When Dharma reached her hostel, she got the news that two police officers had come in search of her. 

"What?" In search of me?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, dear. They said they just want to inquire a few things about someone who was troubling you," the warden explained.

"Oh?" Dharma mulled if someone had made a complaint against Chaitanya.

"Is someone troubling you Dharma? You should have told us. We would have kept an eye for you," the warden probed.

"No, he was, but I think, after my last warning, he would stay away from me."

"I heard you are shifting?"

Dharma nodded, and the warden opened up, "You bring sunshine to everyone you meet, child. Always stay that way and God bless you!"

The warden's unexpected words touched Dharma and she gave an affectionate hug, "Thank you!"

Settling on her bed, Dharma called Kamya to recount her trip to Modhera. 

When she ended her call, there was another call and it was from Maurya. Scrambling to answer the call, Dharma dropped the phone twice before answering him.

"Hello," she greeted breathlessly.

There was no answer for a moment and then Maurya asked, "Are you alright? You sound out of breath."

"No, of course not! I just came down from a run," she concocted a harmless lie, rolling her eyes at the absurd answer.

"Run? At this time? It is almost twelve," he said doubtingly.

"Sometimes, I take a brisk walk or run on the terrace," Dharma sighed at her foolishness. Why was she making up stories without reason?

"Oh right!" his distant-sounding answer reminded her that he must have called her for a reason and here she was babbling ludicrously.

"You called for something?"

"Yes! Have you drawn a plan for the show?" Maurya questioned.

Dharma glanced at the phone and grimaced.

"No, I need a couple of days to work on it," finally she gave a truthful answer.

"No issues but make sure that you highlight the historical facts about the temple. It will add intrigue to our show."

"I will sketch the plan and show you."

"Cool, meet me at my office when the entire plan is ready."

"I will," Dharma answered. Recalling that she had wanted to thank him, she expressed hesitatingly, "Thank you for convincing the collector to have the show in Modhera."

"It is Index's show and the company deserves a place in the fashion scene."

Maurya's answer established the fact that he was doing it for the company.

"Right! I agree."

The sudden coolness in Dharma's tone reminded him that he was calling her at a godforsaken hour. Nevertheless, he didn't end the call.

"Has that bumbling wastrel bothered you again?"

Dharma's face beamed in hilarity, at his description of Chaitanya.

"No, but two officers had come by this evening at the hostel, to talk to me," Dharma stated, speculating if Maurya had made that complaint.

"Good! Someone needs to keep that dog on a leash," Maurya answered, without confirming if he had been the one to lodge a report against Chaitanya.

"You are insulting dogs," Dharma conveyed, provoking Maurya to laugh aloud.

"Totally agree on that..."

Dharma liked Maurya's laughter. He seemed more approachable when he was amused.

"So, you lodged that complaint?"

"Not directly. I asked a friend to take care of him."

"To take care of him? What do you mean by that?" Dharma asked suspiciously.

"Meaning, I asked him to see to it that the scoundrel does not trouble you again."

Unsure, Dharma began, "Thank you for intervening but...."

Before she could complete the sentence, Maurya snapped, "The company has to take care of the employees' welfare and security. So, don't get into your head that you are given preferential treatment. Goodnight, Dharma!"

When he ended the call, Dharma glowered at the phone with pique.

Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 18) The Mind Games

Dushyant Bhadera was disappointed that he could not find anything useful in Chanderi. Sighing, he sat wearily on the bench in the garden of the monument called Shahzadi ka Rauza. The elegant structure was a symbol of unfulfilled love. It resonated with his own story. In his youth, Dushyant had fallen in love with a girl from another religion. When her father found out, he had got her married to a boy of his choice. It took a long time for Dushyant to get over her. The grand mausoleum in front of him echoed a similar tale of love and anguish. Mehrunisa, the daughter of a 15th-century Governor, Hakim, fell in love with an army chief. Her father disapproved of the alliance and when the army went to war, Hakim asked his soldiers to make sure that the army chief was killed. However, the severely injured army chief survived and rode toward his love in Chanderi. Sadly, before he could reach her, he fell down from the horse and died. When Mehrunisa heard about it, she rushed to see him, and after finding him dead, she also ended her life. A heart-broken Hakim built a tomb for the lovers in the same spot where they had died. It was named, Shahzadi Ka Rauza.

Shaking off his melancholy, Dushyant concentrated his vision on the structure. There were also Jauhar Kunds (a place where widowed women gave up their lives through self-immolation) erected in the same complex.

The other cenotaph that Dushyant visited in Chanderi, was built for the Dhrupad maestro Baiju Bawra. The legendary classical singer, Baijinath Mishra who was later known as Baiju Bawra composed Dhrupads, sung by singers even today. The annual Dhrupad festival conducted at Raja Rani Mahal in Chanderi was a tribute to the almost-forgotten musician.

Other than these two monuments, Chanderi had many stories to tell its visitors. From the history hidden inside the fortified walls, the victory gate of Sultan of Malwa, the Kati Ghati gateway cut out of the rock, the Badal mahal to the miracle water of the Jageshwari temple, the city of Chanderi was entrenched in folklores, battles, and romance. The locals believed that the city was established by Lord Krishna's cousin King Shishupal of Chedi. Despite such historical significance, Dushyant could not find what he was looking for.

He had visited most of the towns where cenotaphs for ancient kings and rulers had been erected. Many of them were built in places like Jaisalmer, Udaipur, and Bundi in Rajasthan, and some were found in places like Indore and Vadodara. Although they had been erected for kings and royals who had ruled later than the timeline he probed, he was searching for a cenotaph built in memory of someone belonging to the earliest centuries of the first millennium.

Dead on his feet, Dushyant decided to return home to Almora where his father and the rest of the family lived. Thoughts of his family brought a bout of homesickness. His uncle who, from the previous generation, had been entrusted with the task of locating the cenotaph, had confided once that Dushyant would find the cenotaph in a town built on the banks of an ancient river. Hence, he had come to Orchha and Chanderi which stood on the banks of the river Betwa.

Finding himself clueless, Dushyant returned to his sprawling bungalow in the hill town of Almora. Many generations ago, the family had moved from Vaishali in Bihar to Bhagalpur to Kolkata and now to Almora. Dushyant's family believed that their ancestral kingdom Alaka had stretched from modern-day Bengal to Himachal Pradesh. They believed that the entire mountain range of Himalayas had been under their ancestors' control.

Refreshed from the long journey, Dushyant strode through the dew-laden pathway to the main house where his father and the other family members stayed. Dushyant stayed separately in a smaller house in the same compound. The house was built on a hill slope, from where one could see the majestic peaks of Kumaon hills.

His father was having breakfast when he met him.

"What a surprise Dushyant! When did you return?"

"Last night... How are you?"

"Old age problems. That is all. You tell me all about your visits. What did you find out?"

Dushyant's brother joined them for breakfast and they greeted each other.

"I went to many places, Father. Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Orchha, Chanderi... None of the places had a cenotaph that indicated that there was a secret hidden in them."

"Were all the cities found on the banks of the river?" his father inquired.

"Jaisalmer is in a desert," Dushyant's brother put in.

"I know but I still carried on studying the cenotaphs erected there."

"Didn’t your uncle tell you that you will find the clue in a city built on the banks of an ancient river?" Dushyant's father reminded him.

"Father, if I get the name of the river, I can at least trace its course. But none of us even have an idea about the river or the city or where the cenotaph is or the name of the king who escaped into another time..."

"Don't waste your time visiting random places. Go to this library in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. It is called Saraswathi Mahal Library. I believe ancient texts on various subjects are preserved there. They have stored palm-leaf manuscripts. One of them is about the ancient rivers and cities of India. Find it. You might get some idea," his father advised.

"You could have suggested this earlier, father. I would not have wasted so much time running around Chanderi and Orchha."

"I came to know about it only recently. Remember my friend at Banaras Hindu University, who used to teach you Pali script? He told me that this library is restoring their palm leaf scripts with the help of modern technology."

"I will take the help of my friend Shankaran Murthy. He knows the region better."

"So, when will you leave again on this quest?" his brother asked, irritating Dushyant further.

"Not immediately."

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

Dharma was once again in the vicinity of the Modhera Sun temple. She was drawn to the place. After returning to her hotel the previous evening, Dharma had studied the inscription. She had found the stanza incomplete. And for that reason, she was loitering in the complex once again the next day. Maurya and the others had fixed a meeting with the district collector in Mehsana and they left that morning to meet the collector.

Built out of stone, the cenotaph of Jalindra, erected like a temple was one among the clusters of temples around the stepwell. She ran her fingers over the epitaph,

"Fair of face and heart of gold,

Mistress of love and goddess of happiness,

My heart will hold you forever in gratitude..."

Dharma searched for more lettering, but she found none. She pondered if the incomplete stanza depicted a love that was lost or if it was a dedication to something else. If Jalindra did not remember anything of his earlier life, then how did he recall a love? Or had he fallen in love with someone later in his life and died pining for that love? Her inferring and possibilities went around in circles, driving her crazy. Finally, she gave up and decided to concentrate on the temple art.

Traipsing around the stepwell and the halls, Dharma relished her time in Modhera. She associated the monument with Maurya, not because they met the previous day in Gudhamandapa, but because Maurya had confided the truth of his childhood to her. It reflected the parallels in Maurya and Jalindra's lives. The previous morning, when the priest had recounted the story of Jalindra, she had found a similarity to her own life. On the other hand, when Maurya talked about his childhood, she connected his life instantly to that of Jalindra. Was there a kinship between Maurya and Jalindra? The question amused her, and she chuckled at the thought of Maurya pleading with magicians and witch-hunters to release him from his nightmares.

When she reached the hotel, Mitali and Nikhil were back and she learnt from them that Maurya had obtained the necessary permission for the show. Elated, she hoped that she would be able to thank him. The three of them spent the evening driving around the city. During the drive, Dharma heard that Maurya had left for New Delhi. She had hoped that she would see him for dinner but when she discovered that he had already taken a flight, she felt her good spirit sinking.

But that was life! Wasn't it?

A bit of hope, a chunk of reality, and a dose of despair!

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

Maurya went from the airport, directly, to his office. He pondered over the unsettling conversation he had with Rashika last night. There was something about her tone that he didn't trust. It made him wary. Vasukinath Krishna called him and what he said rendered him furious.

"Maurya, can you come home this evening?"

"Of course! Anything urgent?"

"Yes, we decided to consult the priest and he has given us an auspicious date to announce your wedding date. You and Rashika can also exchange rings that day," Vasukinath suggested.

When Maurya was silent, he continued, "I know Maurya, I should have asked you first before fixing a date but you see, as a father, I am anxious that a formal date be announced for the wedding. Hence, the urgency. I hope you don't mind Maurya."

"No, of course not..." Maurya replied, his thoughts assimilating the reason for Rashika's call last night and the subsequent conversation. So, Rashika must have called to tell him about the latest development and when she learnt that he was not in the city, her thoughts would have scrambled to resolve the mess she had gotten into by going out with Arjun.

An hour later, he knew how to deal with the situation. He planned a dinner date with Rashika.

***********

Rashika was more furious with Dharma than with Maurya. Her heart jumped jubilantly when Maurya invited her for a dinner date. She dressed carefully for the evening. No one knew Maurya like Rashika did and she could guarantee that, for Maurya, nothing was more important than his career and ambitions. He would never let go of his dreams for an ordinary tramp like Dharma. Rashika was particularly certain of it.

When Maurya arrived to pick her up, a tense and excited Rashika greeted him with restraint. He seemed more attentive to her than ever and Rashika was definite that he was going to talk her out of agreeing to the official announcement.

Unusually roused at the mind games they were going to play, Rashika's light eyes danced with devilry and anticipation. When they entered the club, many heads turned at the sight of the stunning couple. Rashika revelled in the attention.

Maurya waited for Rashika to open the conversation and he wasn't disappointed.

"So, what did you do in Modhera?" she asked, fiddling with her stole. Somehow, Maurya's calmness unnerved her.

"The usual; taking permission for the show," he answered, studying the menu card.

"You could have informed me before going," Rashika complained, losing her cool.

"It was sudden..." he smiled at her. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, unable to gauge his mood.

"So, what do you want to eat? I am famished. I want to taste their Lasagne,' Maurya conveyed.

Rashika waited for the waiter to take their order and leave. She fluctuated between asking him and not asking him. In the end, she gave in to her urge, "Maurya, did Dad talk to you?"

Maurya looked up, a gleam of surprise entering his eyes, "Oh yes! His decision to announce a wedding date officially... Yes, I wanted to ask you about that. What do you think?" Maurya asked and she stared at him unbelievingly.

"What do I think?" she flared at him.

"Yes, what do you think of his decision Rashika?" Maurya repeated patiently.

"Of course, I think it is great," she responded, bewildered by his reaction.

"Good! So, what is the problem?" he asked, sipping his drink.

"You don't have a problem?" she asked dubiously.

"Why would I have a problem, Rashika?"

Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 17) A Dive into his Childhood

"You look as if you have seen a ghost," Maurya observed aloud.

With a start, Dharma heard Maurya and dismissed her absurd realizations. In the wake of the stories that she had heard from the priest; her imagination had run riot. From the moment she heard that like her, Jalindra too had been found by the river, and that, he too had been haunted by obscure nightmares, she had felt an affinity with the unknown Jalindra. And it was probably her wishful thinking that had made her visualize Maurya as a man who had loved her in another life. Maurya would most likely chortle at her whimsical thoughts.

She scanned his face for some sort of long-established familiarity but even now, he seemed an enigma to her.

"How come you are here?" Dharma asked finally.

He shrugged, "I dreamt last night that you were howling for help, probably to escape from that rat who was stalking you. Hence, I thought I would be of help..."

Dharma regarded him, not at all amused by his words. He waited for her reaction; his eyes curious but guarded from her discerning gaze. Dharma was certain that Maurya was eager to know her answer. A faint sneer that was fleeting but recognizable to him, swept over her face and she replied, "I am sure my boss, Rashika would be thrilled to know that you jump at every chance to play the knight to your employees."

His face remained impassive. Turning around, she concentrated on the engravings. She hoped that for her job's sake, she would not antagonise Maurya. She loved her work and also the artistic freedom that Maurya accorded her. But somewhere deep in her heart, she registered the flaring interest of a hunter that recognised its prey.

"I am glad that you think so highly of your boss, and in such a short period, you have understood her so well. I must share this with Rashika."

Dharma's saccharine sweet smile amused him but concurrently, it also annoyed him that she was not susceptible to his wit. Most of the women he had met, tended to be appreciative of his sarcasm and humour but he realized that it was not working on Dharma. And that made him irritable.

"Please do so. I am sure that Rashika, being such a warm and amiable person, would be proud of your actions."

Maurya could not help but grin at her description of Rashika. Damn! She was funny in a cute way. He dropped his masquerade and asked, "Have you worked on the concept for the show? And how are you going to present it here?"

"We haven't got permission yet. Nikhil and Mitali are there talking to them."

"Yeah, I know. Nikhil called me. He is finding it difficult to convince them."

"What? Really?" she grimaced; worried if her plans would be shelved because of administrative refusal.

"No issues, I will make an appointment with the head and convince them," Maurya assured her, taking note of the dismay on her face.

He inched closer and inspected the carvings that she had been perusing. The pleasant smell of his fragrance drifted to her and her nerve ends grew taut. With firm determination, her senses valiantly resisted his sensuous appeal. They remained like that for some moments, studying the beauty of the time worn craftsmanship of the artists who had left behind a legacy; for posterity to learn -  a symbol of their knowledge and wisdom that they had hoped that future generations would follow and understand. A quiet and comforting peace descended on Maurya and Dharma, a minuscule part of the ever-progressing infinity, that was exclusively theirs. The meandering breeze caressed Dharma's face first and then carried the distinct scent of her femininity to Maurya, tempting him with its allure. Acutely aware of one another but helpless to convey or understand the depth of their attraction, they stood in silence, not knowing that they would soon be hurtled into a turmoil of emotions.

"It is believed that the more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future. But, what an irony that even when we don't know our past, we still plan our future meticulously. It is a waste of effort to leave behind such exquisite wealth when no one cares about it..." Maurya drawled, breaking the silence.

"No, that is not true. Look at the way ARI is taking care of this temple. We need to know our past to learn from its mistakes, to be prepared better. History is an important part of our lives."

Maurya snorted, "You don't know anything about your childhood but look at you! You are gritty enough to confront a creep like that Chaitanya. Do you think knowing your past would have prepared you better?"

"Of course, it would have definitely made my life much better. I would know where I am coming from."

"No Dharma, I am of the opinion that sometimes, our past traps us, not allowing us to move forward. Look at this temple. It is trapped in its glorious past, always melancholic and unforgiving."

"Unforgiving? Why do you say that?" Dharma asked in bewilderment.

"This place was thriving once; the magnificence of its art is testimony to the truth. Following the invasion, it has hardly moved forward. It is stranded in a time warp neither moving forward nor shedding its past, unforgivingly reminding us that if we had learnt anything from our history, we would not have allowed it to be perished. But no, we never learn anything from our past," Maurya reiterated, strolling around the hall thoughtfully.

"But we must know what happened so that we will be more careful in future."

"My point exactly! If we had been careful or learnt from the past, we would not have allowed two centuries of colonial rule. Man looks after his own interests, he neither cares about anybody's past nor gains anything from it," Maurya returned.

Maurya's words urged Dharma to reflect over Jalindra's life. Had Jalindra been trapped between his past and the present? Was that why he was haunted? What, like Jalindra, Dharma too was tangled in a timeline where the past, the present and the future were kneaded in a chaotic mess?

"My childhood too was similar to yours. I am an orphan like you, and know nothing about my childhood," Maurya confessed. She was the first person to whom he revealed about his life. Vasukinath Krishna was already aware of it when Mahendran Namboodri left him in his care.

Dharma peered at Maurya in confounding shock and asked incredulously, "Where did you grow up?"

"I was found unconscious on the floor of a ship. Some child traffickers got hold of me and while they were transferring me, Mahendran Namboodri caught sight of me."

"Who is Mahendran Namboodri?"

"Oh, he is one of the most interesting men I have ever met. He had knowledge about everything, be it astronomy or astrology or politics, anything. He found me on that night by the coast. He threatened the child peddlers and snatched me from them. He named me Maurya and took care of me."

Dharma listened to Maurya intently as his past unfolded in front of her. In the Gudhamandapa, where the splendour of the past was captured and sheltered, where the Sun had once attempted to lord over its subjects, where the shadow of the dwindling daylight cast its unforgettable impression on Dharma; Maurya and Dharma's enforced reticence disappeared gradually.

"So, how did you end up in Delhi?" she asked in disbelief.

Mired in his own thoughts and not aware that he desired to lay bare his life to Dharma, Maurya divulged, "I guess my godfather knew that his end was nearing, so he left me in the care of Vasukinath Krishna. He is the one who sponsored my education and career."

"You mean Rashika's father?"

"Yes!"

Maurya's one-word answer confirmed what Dharma had been fearing. Maurya was indebted to Rashika and her father. Not understanding the growing anguish, Dharma was racked by the bitter truth that Maurya was unattainable to her.

"Well, that is my life. I have had no memorable past, and yet, here I am trying to build a future. To me, history is just a slice of a period that intervenes with the flow of time. A certain part of the changing cosmos that we cling to," his abstract smile allowed respite from the sternness of his expression.

Maurya's interpretation of time and past made an indelible mark on Dharma. Unexpectedly, the sour astringency that welled up, tightened her throat and for the first time, she feared the hold he would have on her if she bore deeper feelings for him.

"Sorry, I got carried away. I guess it is the effect of all these forlorn figures staring at us from another period..." Maurya joked, in a hurry to change the topic. Dharma noted that he was embarrassed to have revealed his inner most thoughts to her. Taking the hint quickly, Dharma talked about her visit to Mehsana.

"I met the priest and found some interesting bit of information," Dharma's excitement was visible on her face and she continued, "I found an inscription and cenotaph of a local hero here. I can narrate his story in between the show.

Dharma mulled if she should talk to him about Jalindra. In the end she didn't because Nikhil and Mitali arrived and all of them stomped to the ARI office.

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

"Why does Rashika keep meeting this friend of hers? Does Maurya not mind?" Vasukinath asked his wife. Rashika had just then left with her friend Arjun for a party.

"They are good friends. Maurya knows about Arjun. Rashika tells me that Maurya never stops her from meeting any friend of hers."

"Which is good I understand, but it should not be the cause for any rift. Rashika has become too nonchalant about Maurya's feelings. I think it is time we call a priest and fix a date."

"What about Rashika and Maurya? Shouldn't we ask them?"

"I don't think so. They will only ask us to wait. Get me our priest's number. We shall fix a date and set the ball rolling for their wedding."

Excited that she had a wedding to plan, Rashika's mother waited eagerly for her husband to finish his conversation with the priest.

"Well, he says 19th of next month is a good date to announce the wedding date."

"Oh my god, we don't have much time to arrange anything," Vasukinath's wife cried out, cupping her face in alarm.

"It is alright. We will have a wedding planner to organize everything."

"You don't think Maurya will mind, do you?" she asked him doubtfully.

"I don't think so. If he had wanted to wriggle out of this relationship, he would have done so much earlier," his confident answer assured her.

When Rashika learnt about her parents' decision, she was delirious with excitement. Now that it was time to become his wife, Rashika was threatened by an unfamiliar fear. Of late, she and Maurya had drifted apart but she had overlooked it, assuring herself that he would soon come back to her. Her father's decision to fix a date for the official ring ceremony had made her hope flutter uneasily.

She called Maurya. Glad that he answered in one ring, she asked, "Maurya, where are you?"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not! Shall I book a dinner date for us?" she heard his long sigh.

"I am not in Delhi."

"What? Where are you then?"

"In Gujarat. I have come to Modhera."

"Modhera? What are you doing there?"

"A team had come here to discuss the upcoming fashion show. They are having problems in convincing the officials here. So, I am here to help them."

At once, Rashika recalled the meeting where the upcoming fashion show for Index had been discussed, "You mean, my company's fashion show?"

"Yes, the very same."

"Who are all there?" she quizzed, and was certain that she had not imagined his tiny hesitation.

"There is Nikhil, Mitali and Dharma."

Rashika felt the mild tremors of an impending doom, triggering an unusual alarm in her. She glanced at her phone and realized that Maurya had ended the call.

She drifted to the window, recollecting flashes of images from the recent past; the umpteen meetings with the staff, the buyers show, and Maurya arriving at Index unannounced. What a fool she had been! All this time, she had directed her jealousy towards Sonia and Maurya's assistant Rita. An excruciating pain squeezed her heart. The metallic taste of blood on her tongue made her aware that she had bit her tongue in panic. An old habit, that refused to die.

She washed her mouth and took a deep breath, staring at the mirror. The grey eyes reflecting her torment turned furious and then slowly changed to resentfulness. Grabbing her phone, she called her secretary.

"Hi, I want some information about some employees in our company. Can you give me fast?"

An hour later, she learnt that Dharma hailed from Mohandham Welfare Home to which Maurya had visited as a chief guest some months ago.

The tramp!

It took some time for Rashika to steady her temper. A calculated sharpness entered her eyes. She should get rid of Arjun. He was not helping her relationship with Maurya. In fact, she admitted that Maurya had turned a blind eye to her friendship with Arjun. Rashika understood now that it had been intentional. Maurya wanted her out of his way.

She needed to play the game carefully so as to not allow Maurya suspect that she knew what he was up to.

Once again, the agony of her feelings brought a wave of nausea. The acerbity clawed at her insides, fetching a fresh bout of tears, its saltiness stinging her eyes. How could Maurya do this to her? Had she invested all her emotions, time and love only to let Maurya be attracted to someone else?

No, he belonged to her and only her. There was no way that she was going to stand by and let him be loved by another woman. Maurya was Rashika's man and if he ever strayed, she would make certain that he never forgot his transgressions. Rashika knew that Maurya would never disappoint Vasukinath Krishna, even if he wanted to.

Next morning, Rashika asked her father a very important question.

"Dad, would you allow anyone other than Maurya to lead your businesses?"

Her father knit his brows, "What do you mean?"

"I am asking a simple question dad. Would you?"

Her father took some moments to answer, "Yes, I would."

"Who?"

"You! Who else?"

Her father's answer satisfied Rashika.

Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 16)  Modhera

Growing up in the bosom of the Himalayas, Dharma had been excited by pictures of the sea many a time. She had often imagined how one felt sailing in the unending waters of the ocean. She would love to explore the marine world under the infinitely blue waters as she had grown up listening to folktales of water kingdoms thriving under the seas. Not surprisingly, when she boarded the train to Ahmedabad, she had been quite excited to see the coastline. To her, Gujarat represented the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization, the Arabian Sea, and a number of flowing rivers. However, it was only after reaching Ahmedabad that she learnt that the coastline was much farther away from the city.

Nevertheless, she was quite excited to travel to Modhera. In jeans and a crisp white baggy linen shirt, Dharma felt completely at ease. With her black glossy hair put up in a high knot, she felt relieved from the burden of managing her hair.

Once they left the boundaries of the city, they relaxed in the cab to enjoy the passing landscape. The broad and excellent Palanpur highway was a pleasure to travel and when they crossed the historical town of Kalol, the cab driver asked if they wanted to take a break. All the same, they continued their journey to Modhera without break.

It was nearing noon when they reached Modhera. The view of the temple complex, built on an elevated platform, could be seen from a distance and Dharma's heart raced at the sight of the architectural glory. Surrounded by a lush green park, the temple welcomed them to its serene setting. An office of the Architectural Review of India was in operation and Dharma learnt that it took care of the maintenance of the complex. The paved pathway led to the three structures in the complex; the shrine hall, the assembly hall, and the most unique of all, the stepwell called Ramakund.

The plaque erected near the gate recorded that Modhera was the second most revered Sun temple in India; the first being Konark. The temple was built by Bhimadeva -I of the Solanki dynasty (also called the Chaulukya dynasty) on the left bank of the River Pushpavati in the 11th CE. As they read the details on the plaque, it was the sight of the reservoir that caught Dharma's attention. It had a grand flight of steps and to her astonishment, there were 108 tiny shrines built around the stepwell. Mitali and Nikhil exclaimed at the antiquity of the complex and they were stunned that the first rays of the sun fell directly on the main hall during equinox days of the year.

"Can you believe that the temple is built close to the Tropic of Cancer?" Nikhil stated, reading the plaque.

"The builders were much more knowledgeable and wiser in those times," Mitali added.

Walking towards the main complex, Dharma watched the beauty of the timeworn stepwell. Built in a particular style of Maru-Gurjara, it attracted the attention of the visitors very easily.

As soon as Dharma, Mitali, and Nikhil entered through the gate, the magnitude of the temples and their architecture struck them with awe. While Mitali followed Nikhil to the Gudhamandapa, Dharma excused herself to visit the stepwell. The distinctive features of the ornate carvings and the temples built around the rectangular tank made Dharma gasp. Indeed, the sheer splendour of the craftsmanship caught her breath. The symmetrical pattern of the steps and their perfection echoed the Solanki dynasty's love for art and aesthetics. The two pavilion towers that guarded the tank were not as grandly ornamented as other structures and they were called the Kirti-Torana.

The tank, which was rectangular in shape, was paved with stones all around. There were four terraces and recessed steps to reach the bottom of the tank.  A small flight of steps led one from the first terrace to the second. The steps were constructed in such a way that when one climbed down, one had to turn right or left to take the flight of steps to the next level, and the same pattern was repeated till the bottom. These steps were rectangular or square except for the first step of each flight of steps which was semi-circular. Several miniature shrines and niches on the terrace-wall had images of gods and goddesses. Amongst the many smaller ones, there was one bigger temple constructed in the center of each side of the rectangular reservoir. Dharma was tempted to try the rhythmic variation of the steps that steered one to the base of the tank. Putting it off for a later time, Dharma strode through the pavilion towers to the Sabhamandapa, also called the dancing hall. She counted the 52 pillars that represented fifty-two weeks of the year. Every pillar was carved intricately, denoting the magnificence of the masonry of those times. The arch at the center of the hall was shaped in the form of an inverted lotus. The inner walls were carved with exquisite sculptures and scenes from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Moving to the third part of the complex, the sanctorum; Dharma studied the various engravings of the Sun God. The sanctum sanctorum was designed in such a way that the first rays of the sun lit up the main deity (Surya) on summer solstice day. The idol was missing as it was destroyed by the invader Mohammad Ghazni.

There were chiselled images of elephants on the outer walls of the temple. The number of elephants adding up to 365 denoted 365 days of a year.

Dharma wandered around the complex, absorbing the ambience of the place. Entering the museum run by ARI, Dharma perused the artefacts and books exhibited. She asked the person at the counter, "Excuse me, can you tell me where the caretaker stays?"

"There is no caretaker here."

"No, I have heard that there is a priest who comes here regularly."

"Oh, he does not stay here. He stays in Mehsana. This complex is maintained by ARI and as there is no deity in the sanctum sanctorum, the priest does not visit now."

"Can you give me his address?" Dharma asked.

Frowning at her, he asked, "Why do you need his address?"

Dharma came up with an on-the-spot story, "I am writing a book so I thought I will visit the priest to learn more about Modhera."

Dharma managed to get the address of the priest and with a grateful acknowledgement, she exited the museum after informing Mitali and Nikhil.

Mehsana was a large town and vestiges of royal rule were visible at some places. The priest's house was located in a congested part of the town. The wrought iron grill enclosing the veranda of the house and the brown cat glowering at her did not look very welcoming, but steeling herself, Dharma knocked on the door. An old woman unlocked the latch and glanced at her enquiringly. Since she did not know the local language, Dharma spoke in Hindi, "I am looking for one Puroshotam Vyas ji..."

The woman led Dharma to a dark and dingy room where an old man was seated on a floor bed, with a hardbound book on his lap.

"Namaste!" Dharma greeted hesitatingly.

"Come and sit in front of me. My eyesight is weak," he conveyed after his wife apprised him of Dharma’s arrival.

Dharma squatted on the floor in front of him, "I believe you used to go regularly to Modhera temple?"

The old man's eyes turned wistful, "Oh yes, I used to enjoy visiting the place. But since the ARI took over, I have restricted myself from going there regularly."

"I am hosting a show and I would like to hear some old stories about Modhera. Anything you know about King Bhim-I who constructed the temple?"

"King Bhim-I?" he drew a long breath thoughtfully and began, "Yes, that was the golden period of Gujarat. But like they say, all good times come to an end, and for Bhim-I, the bad times arrived in the form of Mahmud Ghazni who first destroyed Somnath temple and later, charged towards Modhera with his troops. He ruined the impressive idol of the Sun god seated on a chariot, dug up the pit under the main shrine, and decamped with the wealth that was buried there."

"But didn't the king do anything?"

"Oh, the invaders had a large army. What could have our king with 20,000 soldiers done? So, before the enemy arrived, the king escaped and took shelter in a nearby kingdom. Even the residents were evacuated from the town. So, when Ghazni reached Modhera, there was only wealth to plunder. There was no bloodshed. After Ghazni left, the king returned and rebuilt the temple, and ruled here for many years successfully."

"Interesting! Thank you so much. Other than this, can you tell me something that was out of the ordinary during those days? Something that has not been talked about often or something that had been hidden? Anything?" Dharma coaxed the older man while he turned around to extract a dogeared notebook from the shelf behind him. The old woman whispered something in Puroshotam's ears. His toothless face beamed in delight. He glanced at Dharma and said, "Yes, I can tell you about Jalindra. He was the governor to Bhim-I during the king's successful reign."

"Oh! What is special about him? Did he fight against Ghazni?" Dharma asked attentively.

"No, he was found on the banks of the River Pushpavati by the king. Jalindra had no memory of his life. He did not even remember his name. Hence, our king named him Jalindra, meaning lord of the water."

Dharma listened avidly to the old man, "How old was this Jalindra when he was found by the river?"

"Don't know but I believe he was twenty or so years of age. The king and Jalindra became friends and when the king returned to the kingdom after Mahmud Ghazni left, Jalindra became his right-hand man. He advised the king on many matters and he was responsible for the crushing of the rebellion by the king's vassals at Arbuda. He also guided the king to play an important role in the downfall of Paramara king Bhoja," the old man recounted, pleased to have someone listen to him with such keenness.

"So, what was special about this Jalindra? There had to be something for you to talk about him?"

"It seems, Jalindra was haunted by something that never allowed him to sleep or live peacefully. I believe he used to visit magicians, witches and fortune tellers to find the reason for his mental agony."

Purushotam Vyas took a pause and closed his eyes momentarily. He seemed to recall something significant that brightened his face, "Oh yes it was believed that his past life was tormenting him. Apparently, he left behind a love who had been waiting for him all her life. The local puppeteers used to recount the tale to one and all. When Jalindra became ill, he wrote a poem and asked the king to inscribe it on his cenotaph."

The tiny bit of information excited Dharma and she asked, "Can you tell me where his cenotaph is?"

"One of the 108 shrines around the stepwell in Modhera is dedicated to him. He was a famous figure in the local folklores; as an unrequited lover, he was depicted as the hero who died yearning for his lover."

"Oh!" pleased that her visit had not gone to waste, Dharma planned to find the shrine and enact the poetry during the show.

"Why was Jalindra's shrine erected near the reservoir? There are only gods and goddesses there."

"Jalindra was worshipped as a tragic romantic hero. It was believed that a young man had been denied entry into the kingdom because he was in love with the daughter of a rich merchant. The girl was heartbroken. She heard a puppeteer narrating the story of Jalindra and listening to him, she prayed to Jalindra to unite her with her lover. Her young man entered the kingdom in the guise of a woman and found her. Together, they left the kingdom and lived happily in Malwa. Since then, Jalindra was considered something of a local god for young lovers. And his shrine was built later around the stepwell. I believe it was constructed by a successor to Bhim-I."

"Jalindra's story is very significant. Once again, I thank you for the valuable information," Dharma's polite words made the old man chuckle in mischievous delight, "Isn't it a pleasure for me, when a pretty girl like you comes in search of an old hag like me?"

Dharma grinned at the naughty glint in the man's eyes and took her leave.

 Armed with this bit of information, Dharma reached Modhera and rushed to the stepwell. Giving in to her temptation finally, she climbed down to the last step of the tank and began to examine each shrine. Most of them were dedicated to mythological figures and the inscription on some of them was in Sanskrit and Gujarati script. By the time she reached the third side of the rectangular tank, she was exhausted. Still, she continued like a woman possessed. At the northern corner of the two sides of the tank, she saw a temple carved differently. It looked as if it had been constructed much later. Dharma peered closely at the shrine. There was no idol inside the small chamber but the inscription on the inner wall was in Hindi, a language familiar to her. Switching on her mobile torch, she clicked a picture of it and enlarged the image. It was a verse of a poem,

"Fair of face and heart of gold,

Mistress of love and goddess of happiness,

My heart will hold you forever in gratitude."

It was crystal clear that Jalindra was haunted by a love that he could not fathom. Dharma pondered if the departed soul ever got a chance to unite with his love.

Satisfied with the discovery, and contemplating how she could use it in her show, she climbed up the stairs hurriedly and reached the main hall to study the sculptures. She hoped that she would stumble upon a peculiar idea to include in her show.

The sunlight flooding the Gudhamandapa was fading gradually, and other than Dharma, there was only a man standing near a pillar with his back to the entrance. He was perusing the carvings on the colonnade. Dharma was curious about the man. His linen trouser and cotton shirt grabbed her interest. As she stared at him, recognition dawned slowly on her. She waited for him to turn around and when he did, she feasted her eyes on the face that was awash with the warm rays of the sun. Woven strands of memories snaked in and out as their eyes regarded one another. Each thread of the anamnesis played different hues on Dharma's mind, igniting a burst of recollections that bewildered her. That face, glowing with aristocratic elegance, had loved her once with a passion that had seared her heart.

Like a ghost arising out of a foggy past, a realization hit Dharma that she had known Maurya before, probably in another life...