Suwa Bai had a basket next day with scintillating moon rays in it. It was an amusing sight for onlookers when they saw a young woman calling out in a musical tone "Moon rays! Moon rays, Buy some Moon rays!" People giggled, laughed and mocked at her. But she continued calling "Moon rays! Moon rays!" Little boys on streets threw marbles at her. Young men teased her. Everyone called her mad and some abused her. "Till yesterday, she sold wood, today moon rays. How can anyone sell moon rays?" The crowd murmured.
Udairaj Singh, the King of Marwar strolled in his terrace garden in his palace. When he saw below something shone in a street hawker's basket. The king asked his guards to let her inside the palace. He saw the moon rays they shone straight in his face like a diamond or even better. He hadn't seen anything like this before. He asked her the price. Suwa Bai she said didn't know. He knew this was priceless. So he opened all seven treasuries and told her to take anything she wants till the sunset.
Misrimal, Suwa Bai's second brother had come to pick her up. His wife Sumitra had delivered a boy baby. So there was a big ceremony and all relatives and villagers were invited. And he wanted to call her sister to prepare the meals. He searched for the thatched hut across the Banyan tree. But there was no trace of any hut. He called a passerby and asked "O Tau, there was a hut here, where did it go?" "Hut, which hut? This is no more a village now. This is a town. Who are you looking for?" He asked.
/kXPNBc$)0���>
YOU ARE READING
Moon rays
Historical FictionSuwa Bai was the only daughter of Kishorimal amongst her four brothers. As the children grew up Kishorimal found a bridegroom for Suwa Bai and wives for his sons. All the children were happily married and he was at peace. Then Kishorimal passed away...
