prāṇācārya - (n.) Physician
━━━𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏.𓇢𓆸
❛. . .You might now be able to see them,
From where you are;
But look closely-
A candle flares from afar, yet...
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M I T H I L A, MATA GARGI'S ASHRAM
SAUDAMINI'S POV
Eight years,
Time seemed to flow like the river beside me, sometimes slow and gentle, and sometimes rushing forward in a torrent. I'm sixteen now. A lot taller than I used to be when I was eight and some changes here and there which people referred to as puberty.
The sunlight dappled my dark hair as I hunched over my work. Now, my fingers are no longer the clumsy things they once were. They can now trace neat lines across the parchment I was currently working on, observing and writing the properties of the wildflowers I had recently discovered.
"These purple flowers," I murmured in a soft voice to the swaying blades of grass around me, a habit I had developed in my childhood. "They seem to have properties that can soothe headaches. Maybe I'll try some next time my head throbs from all this studying."
A small smile played on my lips. Talking to the grass might seem odd, but here, beside the river, it feels perfectly natural.
No judgment, no expectations, just the quiet company of nature.
This gurukul is like a breath of fresh air after years that I spent within the imposing palace walls. The palace which was supposed to be my home was nothing but a place filled with cold silences and emptiness. There I was just like a small shadow, flitting from one deserted corner to another, afraid to draw attention.
But here, things are different- The air was more alive, the sounds were softer, and the people... well, they actually see me.
"This one shows properties of helping a sore throat," I whispered to myself, tracing the delicate petals of a red wildflower I was sketching.
"Lost in your world again, Saudamini?"
I jumped a little and looked up to see Nandini approaching me with a grin stretched on her face. She was another girl from our gurukul.
"Just finishing some notes," I mumbled, feeling a familiar blush creeping up my cheeks. I wouldn't deny, everything was so interesting I often find myself zoning out at the most embarrassing time.
"Gurumaa is calling everyone for lunch!" she announced, already bubbling with the thought of delicious food.
"And you know what? Today Mata Gargi is making food for us herself!" She squealed with excitement, making a laugh escape my lips, a sound still surprising in its existence. Eight years ago, laughter was a forgotten sound for me.
I came out of my world, a smile tugging at my lips as Nandini's enthusiastic grip pulled me towards the sound of chattering where everyone is sitting for lunch.
