THE RAMAYAN DIARIES

LOVE IS IN THE AIR (SHATRUGHAN-SHRUTKIRTI)

  Shatrughn was falling in love with Mithila. The lush green grounds, swift flowing rivers, cool breeze and primarily the people. Everyone was content, warm and polite. Sita Bhabhi was a Goddess. He had never met a woman as virtuous and dignified as her. Ram had decided to show them around and they had begun with his favourite place, the Gauri Temple, where he had first met Sita officially. The brothers were taking a stroll in the beautiful adjoining garden after the Darshan, eating the Prasad, when Bharat choked on his laddoo and started coughing. "Shatrughn, go get water from the river. Quick!", ordered Lakshman. Shatrughn immediately ran to do this.
He came to the banks, running wildly, when something, or rather someone, compelled him to stop. Seated some distance away from the river was a beautiful girl at the potter's wheel, making fresh diyas, surrounded by little children. Shatrughn was transfixed by her beauty. She had the lovliest face he had ever seen. Her hair were light brown, tied in a thick braid, wrapped in a gajra. She had hooded, hazel coloured eyes and soft, pink lips. She wore absolutely no makeup, yet looked surreal and angelic. She was dressed in a bright fruschia lehenga, the color complementing and contrasting her pale, milky complexion. She wore light jewels, mainly pearls and semi precious stone. He initially thought she was a princess, but put the thought away. He had met many princesses, and had learnt that none of them did absolutely anything except for gossiping, fooling around, and trying to impress some prince or the other. She was clearly of noble family, maybe a minister's daughter. A child sitting next to her asked her some Vedic verse in broken Sanskrit, which she fluently repeated and beautifully explained. She was learned. Another kid cracked a joke, and she threw her head back, laughing. Her laughter sounded like wind chimes, and it suddenly became the most significant sound in Shatrughn's world. Having skillfully made all the diyas, she stood up to wash her hands in the river. She was tall, shorter only by a few inches that Sita. The wind blew, blowing some strands of her hair over her face, which she removed with the back of her hand, transferring some clay to her forehead. As she leaned down to wash herself, a girl, clearly a made came running with bangles in her hands, but she tripped, spilling and breaking the bangles on a large stone. "I'm terribly sorry Princess Shrutkirti! Please forgive me! Ididn't mean to..." trailed the poor maid. So she was a princess, and that too Sita's cousin! Shatrughn was shocked. "Shh, Pratiksha. Its all right. We'll get new ones from the market outside the temple." Replied Shrutkirti with a smile. Shatrughn couldn't believe his ears. A princess, with such mild manners! The ones whom he had known treated their servants like dirt, always insulting them. But she was so soft spoken, so gentle. He felt his heart slipping away from his chest with each passing moment. He caught hold of a child passing by and handed him some money, whispering his errand in his ears. The child hurried away.
The maid turned around to see him, and immediately bowed her head. "My lord, Prince Shatrughn of Ayodhya" she said. Shrutkirti turns around too and was stoned to see the charming man in front of her. He was tall, well built with boisterous features. She felt herself blushing, and quickly looked away, smiling. The prince approached her and sat down beside her, holding his pot in his hand. "Greetings prince," she said, as she felt him gawking at her, making her blush deeper. "You are very beautiful", said he, sounding hypnotized. "What?" she asked, trying to sound shocked, while her body was flushed with pleasure. "I.. I mean, greeting to u too," he stammered, clearly embarrassed. "It seems you want some water. Let me help u with that", she said as she took the pot and filled it with water, and handed it back to him. "I must take ur leave now. It was a pleasure meeting you." Said she, as she turned around to leave. "Kirti!" he called out, stopping her. "I mean....princess" he corrected his folly, but Kirti didn't mind. She liked being called that by those whom she loved, there she said it, she had fallen in love with this prince. Shatrughn wet his hands with some water and wiped the mud off her forehead, his touch leaving her delicate skin burning, despite the cool water. The child returned and handed a wrapped packet to Shatrughn. "This is for u", he said, offering her the packet. Kirti opened it to find bright pink bangles in there, matching her outfit totally. She was elated. She qickly wore them and shook her hands, causing them to clink together. "They are beautiful! Thank u!" she squealed as she lunged forward to hug him, but stopped midway, checking herself. "I, um.. I must go. " she said, as she ran, embarrassed. Shatrughn stood rooted, staring at his lady love, there, he said it too. He loved her.
"Where the hell have u been?! Bharat Bhaiya almost choked to death! Had it not been for the kind woman... Are u even listening to me?!!!" exclaimed Lakshman at Shatrughn when he returned. Shatrughn paid no attention and continued walking, smiling like an idiot. "There u go Bharat Bhaiya."said Shatrughn, sounding lost, as he pored the water on Bharat, wetting him completely. "What is wrong with u?! Have u gone barmy?" snapped Lakshman crudely. "Stop it Lakshman, its nothing.", said Ram trying to calm him. "But Bhaiya..." "Lakshman!", said Ram, stopping him sternly. He looked at Shatrughn and smiled. He knew exactly what was up with him. Back in the palace, Kirti was not herself at all. She was uncharacteristically quient, and sat all day at the window, smiling foolishly, sometimes stroking her head, other himes her bangles. Mandvi couldn't take it anyomore. "What is up with u, Kirti? Why r u acting so strange?" she demanded. "The river water is soo cold Didi, and pink is the lovliest colour in the world", replied her sister, sounding dreamy. "Did u hit ur head somewhere while coming back from the temple?" asked Urmila, sounding concerned. "Girls, why r two pestering poor Kirti? Come, help me with the jewellery" she said, coming to her rescue. She too understood her state, and smiled.
That night, the young couple met in dreamland, a place beynod rationality and social norms, where they finally embraced each other. Destiny smiled, its course shaped. The youngest hearts had fallen in love, just like it had designed.

THE END.