Samsāra

Chapter One

Muladhara

Imbalance

Chapter one

'I swear Jo, she looks just like you. Are you sure none of your ancestors was from India?'

'Hmm,' Ajiona Barris said distractedly. She was hunched over her laptop, hammering rapidly at the keyboards only pausing once in a while to push her curls impatiently away from her face only for it to fall after a few, obscuring her vision. What she was doing had nothing to do with herself but rather her mother. Ditsy Diane Barris had recently in a supposed stand against racism and discrimination egged Mrs Trestle's mansion where the white neighbours' meeting was taking place, after she had lobbed eggs at the members as they exited the building. Diane has been subsequently arrested for disturbing the peace and in holding had verbally harassed her cell mates and wardens, giving grandiose speech about the slave period and the march for freedom.

It had been Jason, her father's brother who owned a dojo, that called her and told her all these. He had secured her bail and the charges were dropped but the neighbours were still incensed with her so Ajiona had to draft various apology emails all the while trying to squash her guilt.

She wasn't angry with her mother. Diane Barris was at most times child-like and thoughtless. She acted and reacted without thinking but there was no single malicious bone in her body. Susceptible to what she saw or heard Ajiona knew her behaviour was influenced by the movies she had been seeing. Ajiona knew that, but the others didn't so she had to apologise to them. If she had been home it wouldn't have happened. Ajiona has always been there to curb her mother's excesses. She had been the voice of reason to her mother's impulsive nature. But she wasn't there this time and Henry had failed to look after her.

Ajiona suppressed the guilt that rose to her throat. Running off to India was a spontaneous idea but it was the best idea she had ever had. She had been a parent to her mum for as long as she could remember and never having a time to herself. Her childhood was about taking responsibility early for the both of them and pining after a father that was away most of the time. He was a trucker and spent most of his time on the road, visiting once a few months. Ajiona had grown completely matured for her age, taking care of both herself and her mother and all the while being a straight A student. It wasn't easy, but at least Diane's inheritance had put food on their table, paid the bills and ensured they kept the swanky big mansion in Beacon Hills California.

It had actually been Juliana's idea to go on a world trip. They had recently just graduated from High School and before they became college students, Juliana wanted to see the world and convinced Ajiona to come with her. It had been easy convincing Diane to let her go and their first stop was India. They toured Hyderabad and were now in the ancient city of Mahishmathi. The three days Ajiona spent away from her made her freer than ever, but now the yoke was winding around her neck again. In that moment after the phone call, she felt a resentment so deep it was almost hatred for her parents, her father who was almost never around and a mother who was a child. Why couldn't she have normal parents? She was a child herself. As quickly as the feeling arrived, it left leaving her with shame at her thoughts. She had called Diane after and had a long talk with her, surprisingly with all Ajiona's calm rational explanation about the wrongdoing of her behaviour, Diane was not remorseful. She stubbornly insisted that she was right and Mrs Trestle and the others were being racists. If Ajiona got one thing from Diane, it was the stubbornness and when the both of them clashed, it took days to repair the damage.

But Ajiona did not want to argue so she told Diane she would call her back and while Juliana went out sightseeing at the ancient ruin of the palace, learning Mahishmathi's history and great kings and queens, Ajiona was stuck trying to rectify her mother's mistake. Now, Juliana was back talking about a devious king Bhalla something and resemblances.

'What?' Ajiona asked finally looking up. She pushed her hair back from her face deftly twisting it into a thick braid.

Juliana was staring at her with a soft sympathetic look in her eyes. Ajiona flushed and looked away. She hated pity of any kind and refused to accept sympathy for her situation, indeed she challenged rather aggressively that said sympathy until everyone learned to keep their nose and pity out from her affairs. She was ha...content with what she has and would never exchange her mother for anyone.

'I was saying,' Juliana continued. 'That are you sure you don't have an Indian ancestor?'

Ajiona shook her head and stretched her bones popping while she groaned with bliss. She closed her laptop and stood to stretch her legs. 'None,' she answered closing her eyes and slid into an easy split.

'Show off,' she heard Juliana mutter and smiled.

'Although mum is a one percent Mongolian, five percent Russian, twenty percent Israeli, five percent Spaniard, forty percent Caucasian and the rest percent African. Dad is mostly African and part Caucasian so I'm pretty certain.' She moved from split to a handstand and bent her lower body until her feet were almost touching the floor.
'What did you see by the way?'

'A portrait. Why are you stretching and twisting your body? It's not time for your morning exercise.'

Ajiona peeked at her through one open eye. 'I'm stressed. You know I do this when I'm stressed.'

'Yeah, yeah!' She said dismissively but she did not take her eyes off her friend's lithe body. She stared mesmerized at a little envious at her flexibility. Juliana was a staunch opposition to exercise. She loathed the very idea of it, thanks to her high metabolism the amount of junks she consumed daily did not show her in body. Despite her dislike for exercise or sports or anything that has to do with strenuous physical activities, she could not help to admire her friend's dedication to exercise and martial arts. The fact that she had an uncle who taught martial arts helped her. She did yoga and there was taichiChaun on Fridays and Sundays. She also learned silambam, an Indian martial art her uncle Henry picked up from one of his Indian friends. It was safe to say, Ajiona Barris wasn't going to get mugged soon. She was quick and light on her feet and the mugger would find himself knocked out before he could utter the words: 'gimme your money.'

Apart from being a proficient martial artist and an exercise nut, Ajiona was very pretty too. Not as pretty Juliana as she had been told she was beautiful all her life. Ajiona had this calm matured look that drew people to her, they knew at first glance she was competent and responsible and the steady look in her green-gold eyes assured them she got it under control. When she smiled, which was rare, sometimes Juliana was relegated to the background. Juliana didn't mind that, she loved her friend to pieces and would do anything for her.

'So? A portrait?' Ajiona prompted. She was on her feet, rather on one foot, the left foot. Her right foot was on her inner upper thigh, her hands pressed together like she was praying and she was staring intently at Juliana who recognised the pose at the Tree. She had read enough fitness magazines to know yoga and Pilate's poses though she would never try them out.

'She looked exactly like you, only she is thousands of years older. She has that little secret smile of yours and that look you get when you are pleased.'

Ajiona merely said hmm.

Juliana pressed on. 'The guide called her Bhavani Devi and she was wife to the devious king Bhalla or in some accounts sister.' Ajiona said nothing but Juliana knew she was listening intently so she continued. 'No one really knows where she came from, some speculated from lands far away from India maybe Persia or Greece, some said she came from the future that she had objects foreign to that time. Anyway she is a local legend, represents goodness and protection, some even pray to her as well as this Bahubali guy. They said there are two of them, it gets confusing but the guide directed me to a bookshop where I can get a book on the local legends.

Ajiona quietly switched feet.

'I took a picture of the portrait if you would like to see. You must come with me tomorrow. You missed quite a lot; the palace has so many hidden chambers. I feel like I'm walking back in time. Some of the rooms have been restored to how they thought they are...'

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Ajiona replied. 'Sure.' Then she disappeared into the bathroom.