Echoes of the Lost Song

Chapter 4: The Dancer's Legacy

The evening had come, and the entire town gathered at the temple for Shanthi's performance, as they did every day. But tonight was different. The tension in the air was palpable, for something about Shanthi seemed distant, her eyes filled with a mix of determination and sorrow. As she took her place and began her performance, the melody carried an unfamiliar weight.

In the middle of her performance, she sang the song she had written for Mahendra:

"Oh Monkey, don't you misunderstand me,

I am not what you are thinking.

I love you, and I have always loved you,

From the first time we met,

And I wouldn't stop loving for a thousand years.

Please wait for me in the cave behind the mango orchard.

I will return to you in the spring.

I have a business to take care of."

Mahendra stood at the back, his eyes filled with confusion and hurt. He didn't fully understand what she meant, but he could sense that something was changing. Her words were not just a song; they were a message. She was leaving him, at least for now, but her heart remained with him.

After the performance, Shanthi quietly left the village with her new troupe, heading toward the capital. She had a mission far greater than love, far greater than herself. The kingdom was in danger, and only she had the power to warn the king before it was too late.

As Shanthi entered the court of the king, adorned in her performer's attire, she felt the weight of the kingdom's future on her shoulders. She began her performance, weaving the warning of an impending attack into her song. The court, captivated by her voice, believed it to be a song of war, bravery, and heroism. But the king, a man of deep wisdom, sensed something deeper. There was an urgency in her voice, a message hidden beneath the melody.

After the performance, the king requested a private audience with Shanthi. In that moment, she revealed the true nature of her song. She told him of the conspiracy she had overheard, about the feudal lords planning to overthrow the Chalukyas and establish their own Hoysala kingdom. The king, though shaken, acted immediately. He summoned his generals and began preparing for the attack.

The attack came as foretold, but Shanthi's warning had saved countless lives. Although the kingdom fell and the new Hoysala Empire was established, the people were spared from a massacre that could have ravaged the land. The damage was lessened, and the chaos that could have engulfed the kingdom was averted, all because of Shanthi's courage.

Yet when Shanthi returned to her village, the story of her "private" performance for the king spread like wildfire. Mahendra, hearing the rumors, was devastated. His mind filled with doubt, jealousy, and sorrow. Unable to comprehend the magnitude of what Shanthi had done, he felt betrayed. He could not shake the image of her singing for the king, nor the thought that she had left him behind.

In his despair, Mahendra withdrew from the world. He remembered her song about the cave behind the mango orchard and, one day, he simply disappeared. For days, he stayed in the cave, lost in his thoughts, waiting for the spring she had promised.

Shanthi, now back in her village, could not bear the separation. She sought out her younger sister, Vaidehi, and told her everything. She spoke of Mahendra, of the kingdom, and of the song that had carried her through it all. She begged Vaidehi to pass down the story, to keep their legacy alive through the generations. Shanthi gave her sister the money she had earned from her performances, instructing her to give it only to the firstborn male child of the family, for generations to come.