43

It is the summer of new beginnings, of renewals of a bright, green blanket covering the earth

It is the summer born anew, of ripe mulberries and blue skies filled with singing birds

It is the summer on a song, of sunbeams dancing in streams and rivers

It is the summer of waking up with a smile the laughter of children a joy to the ears

It is the summer of welcoming nights sitting under the stars and spinning fine tales

And, it is the summer of love, of kisses stolen under the shade

Saahas looked up, ‘You write good verse, lad,’ he said to Prem, his gaze resting on the earnest face. He felt a pang in his heart, for Prem had mourned Ashwath as he had his father, building a monument in the main square and dedicating it to all those who fell in the battle for Aum.

‘Come,’ he said, ‘let us exercise our horses. They are beginning to get lazy.’

The summer days rolled lazily by and Saahas persuaded Dharaa to put aside her grief, to meet the dazed citizens and offer them tender succour as only she could, for she understood loss and renewal differently, as only a woman, a mother, a warrior could.

Striding through fields, a sheaf of corn tucked in his belt, Saahas laughed and smoked with the farmers, racing Tota’s little daughter in the meadows. He watched over little Saahas, tickling him under the chin until the child gurgled and when Lushai and Bhuma bickered, he deliberately sang out of tune, for it was the one thing that united them, both clapping their hands over their ears, begging him to stop.

When Amsha brought down the invisible wall, he cheered the loudest and helped Ashish draw up plans for the new palace to rise from its charred remains.

And when summer glided into burnished autumn, he took Dharaa to the temple, whistling merrily through its vacant shrine. ‘We should tear it down, sire,’ she remarked.

‘Or,’ he drawled, a smile in his voice, ‘we can make it what it should be—a temple where every citizen, man, woman and child comes, to imagine and create his version of Aum.’

The temple reminded him of the monastery, and he rode through the tender saplings of the copper pods one cold evening, astonished to see a colourful tree peeping amongst the burnt ruins. ‘Shami! We meet again,’ he exclaimed, throwing his arms around its trunk. A warm sigh tickled his cheek and he looked around quickly.

‘Surprised?’ A monk in ochre robes looked back at him, his expression one of deep interest. ‘The roots of the first Shami that you met, ah, such a long time ago, travelled all the way here, to grow out into this magnificent tree.’

Struck by the sweetness of the voice, he asked, ‘Who are you?’

The monk raised his eyebrows, ‘Do you remember the story of King Yajatha?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Ah, well, I am the abbott-who-got-away. But I never left. I have been here for centuries, watching the events unfold as I knew they would.’

He told Dharaa about the strange meeting and she immediately said, ‘Sire, Rrum must be installed there. It is the place most worthy of it and people can go there, look at it and get some peace of mind.’

And so Rrum was placed on the only standing pillar, its rainbow fire flickering night and day, drawing crowds to it by the hundreds. They lost their fear of the monastery, turning it into a picnic spot under the winter sun, the bright flowers of the Shami helping them forget their nightmares.

The season changed again and the palace was finally complete.

‘The coronation will be on the fifteenth day of spring,’ Saahas announced, studying the calendar, ‘when Sundernagari is decked out in flowers.’

‘At last,’ Dharaa and Tota exclaimed together, their faces lighting up. ‘All of Aum has been waiting for this day!’

‘Come, let me show you something,’ and he led them into the spacious hall, as yet starkly bare except for the throne on the dais. It was a simple wooden seat, its arms carved into the heads of the peacock, their tails fanning out behind the chair. ‘Prem sculpted it,’ he said with pride. ‘What do you think? Fit for a queen?’

Queen! ‘Yes, I was as shocked as you,’ Destiny nods.

‘Are you thinking of marriage, sire?’ Dharaa and Tota looked at him stunned.

He laughed, ‘Marriage is not for the likes of me. This throne is for you, Dharaa.’

‘In the pin-drop silence, I was certain they could hear my heartbeats,’ Destiny smiles wryly. ‘You see, I had always planned for Saahas to be king. The Saade Saati, the trials, the tribulations, I had gone to so much trouble to create obstacles for him. Just so he would become the king Aum deserved. So, I couldn’t bear it anymore and joined the story.’

‘Sire, you are joking,’ Dharaa’s face had turned unnaturally pale.

He shook his head, ‘I have performed my duty of reclaiming the kingdom, but the wheel has not turned full circle. The circle will be complete only when Aum returns and only you can bring it back, Dharaa. Your mother’s heart and warrior spirit, your selflessness and sacrifice, these are all exceptional qualities rarely found in one person. Never once has the thought of revenge crossed your mind, so firmly have you held on to one ideal, the ideal of Aum. You, Dharaa, are the true queen of the people.’

Destiny tiptoed in, whispering in Tota’s ear. He frowned. ‘But, sire—’ then his gaze caught Saahas’s brightness and his brow cleared. ‘Little sister, sire is right. The people adore you. You are both mother and daughter to us. You are the essence of the kingdom that is yet to be.’

‘Besides,’ Saahas added, ‘Agraj’s khanda was fashioned for the monarch of Aum and you wield it just like an empress.’

The countdown to the fifteenth day began and Sundernagari went into transports of hectic activity. It was a time for cleaning, for decorating, for endless discussions and celebrations. Destiny ran helter-skelter, upsetting carts and curdling milk but all her efforts were met with cheerful laughter. She even tried to change the weather, but spring refused to budge, blossoming even more radiantly. Frustrated and exhausted, she slunk into a corner, biting her nails to the quick.

Swept up on a current of joy, the people cheered loudly when Saahas placed the pagdi on Dharaa’s shining head, the seven emeralds sparkling once again in a triangle.

‘I take the name Yashodhara,’ she declared, and delirious shouts of ‘Hail Queen Yashodhara’ resounded in the throne room, every person jubilant. No, not everyone. Destiny hid behind a curtain, weeping furious tears into it.

Removing Vasuket’s signet ring from around his neck, Saahas smiled at the assembly. ‘This ring was bestowed upon me by our beloved king. I believe now that I was only its keeper. In presenting it to the new queen, I know I fulfil his every wish. My work is done here, my fellow citizens and the life of adventure once again beckons me.’ Anguished gasps and protests interrupted him, but his firm gaze soon hushed the hall. ‘Now your duty begins, to rebuild this kingdom and usher in Aum. But remember, first awaken Aum in your hearts, only then will you perceive it outside as well.’

Destiny straightened her back, the light of battle returning to her eye.

The Saptarishi streaked through the night sky, and Saahas raced after them, his heart singing joyously. ‘This is what I love best,’ he patted his horse, ‘a journey with no end. You, me, the stars, together on a new adventure.’ He rode out through the north gate, but soon pulled up his horse. Beside the road, sat a woman weeping inconsolably.

‘Madam, can I be assistance to you?’ She lifted her head. In the clear moonlight, he discerned a face so beautiful and so fraught with distress that his heart contracted with pity.

‘Yes, you can,’ she whispered rising to her feet and in one swift movement was beside him, her hand holding his wrist in a vice-like grip. ‘You cannot leave me, Saahas,’ she hissed, the tears drying up in a trice. ‘I am your Destiny.’

He looked into that determined face, a soft laugh escaping his lips. ‘I have touched the infinite. Now nothing can contain me.’

She drew a sharp breath, her eyes widening in sudden comprehension and her hand fell away.

He urged his horse into a gallop and she watched him disappear into the night, the thunder of hooves coming back to her faintly. And as she turned away, she caught a glimmer in the far distance, the lightning flash of a steel sword shining bright. Destiny smiled.