Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

33) Avadhi's Hopes

Other sounds in the aircraft grew dim as Maurya became aware of his own heartbeat. His mind reeled from the shock of what Dharma revealed. No word came out of him except, "What?"

"Save him, he is yours... Those were the exact words. Often, I wondered if it had been my hallucination but it happened thrice. So, I don't think they were my imagination."

"And the warnings paid off. Didn't they? I did meet with an accident," Maurya dispelled her doubts.

"I think there is an unseen power aiding us. Maybe for a purpose..."

"There may not be any purpose. It was probably gravity that pulled us here."

"Gravity?"

"Didn't you say some unseen power? I presume we are drawn from a parallel universe to the earth by gravity. How does that theory sound?"

Dharma punched his arm playfully and he yelped softly, "Ouch! That hurt..."

"I am serious Maurya..."

"Ok! Listen, even if it has been a slow process, we are learning that there is some mystery hidden in our past. Likewise, I guess when the time is right, we will know about the whispers too. Have patience!"

Dharma nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with Maurya. However, she was gripped by a strange fear. Their love seemed too perfect. After the loneliness, the haunted dreams, and the childhood abuse, she dreaded that by falling in love with Maurya, she was striving for something beyond the bounds of possibility. And what about Rashika? Wasn't Rashika entitled to an explanation? She was sure that Maurya would know when and what to say to Rashika but would that be enough? What if Rashika got hurt badly, would Dharma be able to live happily with Maurya after hurting her? The question lingered uncertainly on her mind.

When Maurya took a catnap, Dharma feasted her eyes on his reposed face. His face was angled towards her, and his shoulders were crouched slightly. She itched to smoothen out the worry lines on his forehead.

While she debated silently about the ramifications of her love for Maurya; miles away, Rashika braced herself for a meeting with Dharma's stalker, Chaitanya.

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Dushyant Bhadera was stunned to see the formation of the compass on the ground from the helicopter. He was incredulous that the ancients had carved a geoglyph on the land with such precision. The chopper made a circle over the hill and landed on a strip of the table-top. A car picked them up from the helipad. As the car drove along the slopes, Dushyant noticed the abundance of pine and oak forests on either side.

"Sir, remember, you asked me to find information on Saugandhika forests?" Bilaval asked him.

"Uh-huh... did you check?"

"Yes, I believe they were somewhere close to this area..."

"I thought so too," Dushyant answered measuredly. He wound down the window glass and listened to the silence of the valleys. There was a primitive quietness that spoke volumes to a discerning listener.

Once they had crossed the numerous hair-pin bends and reached the lower terrain, the driver began to chatter about the best places to stay in Kinnaur. Annoyed with his chatter, Bilaval asserted sharply, "We already have accommodation. No need to tell us about these guest houses."

"I know sir. But if you don't like the palace accommodations, you can check these places." After a pause, he asked pryingly, "You must be close to the royal family to get access to the palace so easily?" He glanced at his passengers curiously. The older man looked very distinct but he was not sure of the younger man.