Bhagavati

3

2 weeks later

Guwahati, Assam

"Vandana." A voice boomed.

"Vandana."

"haan baba." The reply came softly

"Jaldi chalo, warna Aaj tum sabse akhiri mei pauchogi beti."

"Nahi." The curtains jerk apart quickly and the girl sighed fixing her pallu quickly.

"Mai aagyi baba, chaliye chaliye." Keshav smiled and nodded.

They quickly reached the pandal, where everything was beautifully decorated.

"Devi prasan hongi na baba?" The girl asks

"Meri Devi toh tum hi ho, prasan ho?" Keshav asks her

"Offo baba. Mai nahi hoon Devi, kitni baar bola Maine." Vandana says shaking her head with a small smile.

"Betiyan Deviyan hi hoti. Devi saman, Devi roop. " Keshav repeats the same thing which he has been saying from the past few years.

"Aapse nahi jeet sakti mai, chaliye baith jaiye. Mai aati." She makes sure he sits down properly and walks away to check all the preparation for Puja.

____

"Toh aaj ki katha shuru karte hain." Achyut the famous storyteller says and the audience's face lights up with excitement.

This was a every year program. After the yagya every navratri, Achyut made everyone travel to another land.. the land of stories, mysteries, history..

Story of devtas, goodness and the spirit which binds this Universe.

"Aaj hum kaunsi kahani sunenge?" A random kid asks

"Bahut saari kahaniya, lekin iss baar keval sunna nahi hai, samajhna bhi hai aur Amal mei laana bhi hai. Toh kya aap sab taiyaar hain?" Loud cheers erupted.

"Lekin aaj mai kahani Khali sununga nahi, aapse sawal bhi karunga. Agar sawal ka jawab bata paye toh hi kahani aage badhegi. Shart manzurm?" He asks

"MANZUR!" Everybody agreed

"Toh chaliye shuru karte hain." He clapped and everything fell into dark.

"Andhera." His voice boomed in all silence.

"Srishti mei bhi pehle andhkar hi aaya tha. Jeevan mei sabhi ke andhkar bahut jaldi ghera daalta hai. Lekin iss andhkar ka bhi ek mahatva hota hai. Jante ho kya?"

"Kya?"

"Andhkar yahi jab Roshni na ho, aur vo rahasya jo chupe hue hain.. vo rahasya jo aap nahi jante, jo mai nahi janta.. jo shayad abhi tak koi nahi janta.

Andhkar matlab ye nahi ki srishti, duniya, samay hai nahi. Hai, lekin adhkar ki wajah se dikhai nahi de rhi hain .

Aapke jeevan mei bhi andhkar aayega.. lekin iska ye matlab nahi zindagi khatam ho gyi. Bahut saare log hain, bahut saari kasmei hain, bahut saare nazare hai jo aap abhi nahi dekh sakte. Lekin hosla nahi chodna hai.

Kyuki andhkar hain, isiliye roshni bhi hai.

Roshni vo zariya hai jisse aap umeed jagiye. Ki andhkar ke baad umeed hai ujale ki.

Isi ujale ko hum Devi maa ka swaroop kehte hain.

Jo hume andhkar se durr le jati hai, jo hume hosla deti hai, jo aage ka maarg deti hai." Light comes back and was displayed Himalayas.

"Devi ne manavjati ke uddhar ke liye manav roop mei janam liya. Jante hai pehla roop kya tha?"

"Shailputri." Vandana says like it was at the tip of her tongue.