WANDERERS – III

In the lamp lit darkness and an aroma around him, slowly a face was appearing and filling his vision. A bright face, a chanting voice, she looked like an emerging Sun in the dark cave! What she chanted, he didn't quite understand but was hooked onto. He waited as she slowly opened her eyes. She had a smile on her face that would never die and also a sigh of worry as he read her deep eyes. She might be just out of school or some college or was mocking a saint he thought none of which was true!

She looked straight at him and he smiled back. Throwing a gesture of acceptance she got onto her feet and walked out of the cave saying nothing to the stranger nor asking his whereabouts and name or purpose! He stayed unmoved for a while but felt the voidness of her absence and puzzled to see a young girl in an avatar that was meant for sanyasins. After a brief meditation which he failed at, he went crawling out of the cave. The world outside now looked normal and nothing as extra-ordinary as it was inside!

She was not seen outside anywhere in the surrounding while the boy again came running back to him.

'Do you want to come to the lake?' he asked.

He noticed that the Sun was sinking behind and followed the boy.

'Where have you come from?' the boy asked.

'From a city... can you take me around this town?' the boy was not really excited.

'There's nothing in this town. Where are you staying?'

'Can I stay with you? I just need a place to sleep and I don't know anyone in this town' he said to which the boy was happy and they were at the lake by then.

To the other end of the lake stood a big gang of trees aping a forest and the Sun was half eaten by them. Sky looked red and blue wearing the setting Sun's colors. Though there was no sea, he thought this was the most beautiful sunset he ever saw. The waves were strong from the lake and the boy was playing along with his friends enjoying the water splash while he sat on a small rock and exclaimed louder than intended.

'Yes, it is beautiful. All that's natural is!' said a voice from behind. It was the same girl in same avatar who also sat on one of the many rocks in the mini jungle behind the lake.

'Where do you come from?' she asked with the same blend of half smiling and half worried eyes. He stared again since he had not seen someone with this strange mixture.

'I come from a city and I don't know anyone here'

'Who told you about this place?'

'I had read about it somewhere and wanted to visit once. Do you stay at the cave-house?' he asked.

'Yes. You don't have anything in this town and if you've come in search of something you might just be disappointed. How long do you intend to stay? It doesn't matter because you can wish to stay at one of the rooms as long as you like it here' she said and started to leave while the Sun had also left for the day to serve another part of the world.

'Wait. You look very young to be a sanyasin, can you tell me your story?'

'I can't tell you because it’s not written by me and I don't have any rights to share it. I have to respect the author. See you later for the dinner' and she had gone.

'Strange place, strange people' he thought. But him coming to this town had also been a strange story which he wished to keep a secret and thought he shouldn’t have asked her anything about her past. But it still aroused curiosity in him about the girl who was younger than him but seemed to be on a mission which he was in...

Continues...