He found himself once again in a helpless situation and cursed the blind
man. ‘Who would look after you once your
daughter gets married? What would you do alone?’ the wanderer had asked
while the blind soul had not said a thing. Does he want to keep her with him
forever he wondered and felt sad for the girl, particularly so looking at her
love story that was sinking! He laughed carelessly and waited to see a clear
sky next morning.
A bright Sun shined on him and the clouds had finally died into the
lake. Behind the tomb-hall, the lake flooded heavily as the wanderer bid his
good-bye to the blind man. ‘Please find
someone for my daughter’ he reminded and the wanderer nodded at her. I’ll be back he meant.
Only two buildings seemed visible from
the tomb-hall as he walked his way back towards the town - the cave-house,
which he desperately wanted to get back to and the rich man’s villa that now
looked all the more haunting. I have
tricked a powerful man. Did he visit the sanyasin next day? Or did the rains
stop anything from happening? What do I have there when I get back? He posed
innumerable questions, speculated, imagined and dreamt of what might have
transpired in his absence during the past week or so. He had lost his touch
with the calendar unable to recharge the dying batteries of his gadgets. The blind
man had mentioned some lunar day that sounded worthless to him. ‘What a world!’ he exclaimed and paused outside
the entrance of the cave-house.
As he composed himself, the small boy
ran into him and asked many questions, searched his bag and got hooked on to a device
that looked amazing. He saw the boy’s eyes brighten instantly. ‘It can talk to you and even obey your
orders’, he said. ‘No, it’s a mini
computer. Don’t try to fool me. I’ll get it recharged’, argued the boy and
left him. The wanderer felt pleasured at the little boy’s knowledge and thanked
the crooked parents of the rich man at the villa for not sending him to any school.
He walked his way in.
His eyes looked for one woman whom he
wanted to meet badly. He crawled inside the cave realizing she couldn’t be seen
outside anywhere. The chilling wind once again felt familiar, dragging and
calling. He was dissolved in its fragrance and the hymns of the sanyasin got
him easily captivated and hypnotized.
She was deep into her meditation. None could
ever disturb her and he didn’t try either. He waited patiently as she resisted
further for some more time. She finally opened her bright eyes. For once, they
reminded him of the early morning.
Like those
dark clouds that felt proud and thought of having won the battle with him
before he emerged from behind, eating them all and that he would arrive one
day. All the illusion they had will be descending on his arrival. The eyes had
opened and the Sun had smiled. Smiles that were contagious enough to get the
wanderer bonded.
She walked out and he followed her like
a disciple. She sat on one of the muddy steps and he went on to explain.
‘I’m really
sorry. I went to the tomb-hall behind the lake. And I was stuck with this
unending rain.’
‘Everything
has a reason, and I’m glad you were there’, she comforted him.
‘I thought
you might be sad, even angry at my sudden absence. Did you not think I had gone
forever?’ he questioned.
‘No, you’re
far from leaving’, she was most certain.
‘So you
exactly know when I’m going to leave this place. Don’t you?’
She smiled and said, ‘It’s your decision. Not mine’
‘But you seem
to know’
‘You won’t be
happy to know. There’s something else that I have for you. I thought you would
be keen, but you seem to conceal. Don’t you have many other questions to ask? Why
do you deviate?’ she spoke his mind and left him speechless.
‘You ask my
questions and even answer them’ he said softly.
The lady looked still, unaffected, calm,
and peaceful. Is this an enlightenment, wondered the wanderer!
Continues…
