The Goddess of the Himavan - Chapter Two
One day a young peasant from the upper mountain area entered Hintrupate.
He was on a solitary sojourn and was looking for a place to stay. He was tired of his life in the higher mountains. They were filled with scarcity and his family had perished in an avalanche.
As he entered Hintrupate, as he was passing the luscious paddy fields and coconut plantation, he heard someone singing. It was a lady's voice, almost like the voice of an angel, and it came from the paddy fields nearby. He had never heard a voice as melodious before, and the song calmed the birds of the air, and the animals of the land perked their ears and stood to attention.
He was so encapsulated by the voice that he decided to follow its trail.
The leaves danced in the wind, the waters flowed with tranquility, and the peasant decided that he wanted to make Hintrupate his new home.
As he got closer to the voice, he came upon a river where three beautiful maidens bathed. At first, he wanted to leave the place, in case they thought he was spying on them. However, the soulful voice beckoned him to stand still and listen to a maiden's angelic voice.
He saw that the most beautiful of the maidens' stood singing in the water while she faced the sun that had risen from the mountain area in the distance. The peasant saw that the maiden's thick, black hair with tiny droplets glistened under the sun's glorious rays.
He saw one of the maidens cover the tresses with jasmine and perfumed oil and guessed that she was a lady of great importance. The other maiden was holding a tray of red hibiscus, waiting to pin it onto her hair.
The peasant felt an impulsive need to touch the soft tresses of the lovely maiden's hair. He badly wanted to see her face which was turned towards the sun. He could see her outline under the vibrant sun's rays, which cast a shadow upon the waters she stood.
His heart softened, and he fell in love with her. "What beauty she exudes," he gasped, his heart melting.
He sat down, hidden from view by thick bushes, and waited to follow the maiden. He wanted to see where she lived.
After a while, he felt tired. He had walked for hours before reaching the kingdom and he was consumed with lethargy. He couldn't keep his eyes open and drifted off to sleep. When he woke up with a start, he saw the three maidens gone. The sun had set, and the river waters took on a different hue.
He saw a plantain tree nearby, plucked some bananas, and had them for dinner. He thought long and hard about leaving the place. Since it was almost nighttime, the peasant decided to spend the night there, hoping to see the maiden the next day.
The next day, at daybreak, he heard the maiden's song again. This time it drifted from nearby the paddy fields.
He slowly followed the trail of the maiden's voice and stood under a banyan tree. He watched as the three maidens made their way to the rice fields. There was that beauty, singing again, wearing a simple sarong and blouse, her steps lithe and graceful. She had her beautiful hair tied in a knot at the top of her head and walked barefoot.
The two other maidens walked one step behind her. And still, he didn't get to see her face clearly from where he stood, but his heart swelled with tenderness for her.
Some of the workers who saw them approaching bowed and smiled at them.
The peasant saw her take a sip of water before sitting down with a few workers who sat separating the chaff from rice.
She began her task with nimble fingers, and the graceful figure she presented enticed him even more.
She sang a new song as she carried on with her task, and the peasant swore that the winds danced in lyrical movements as her words flowed melodiously.
The peasant then sat down under the tree, mesmerized by her singing and beauty. When he became hungry, he ate a banana he had kept in his rucksack from the previous day.
He watched her smile, talk, and playfully tease the children who came to see her while she worked. They would never go too near her and bowed with clasped hands as a mark of respect when they saw her.
She had lunch with the workers, sharing their food and as the sun came down and it was time to end the day's toil, she gave them each some food and drink to take home for dinner.
The peasant could see the kindness in her smile and wished he could get to know her. He wondered if he could find work in the fields like the rest of them. That would give him an avenue to get to know who the maiden was, plus be paid some wages for his keep.
The three maidens got up to leave, and the peasant quickly rose from his spot under the banyan tree. He meant to follow them from a distance.
However, one of the aides spotted him and stared hard at him. He was new to the place, she could tell. Whispering something to the other aide who turned to look his way, she walked up to him while Marianetta watched her take purposeful strides towards the stranger.
Marianetta thought he looked lost. She wanted to know who he was and where he had come from. She was sure he was not a native of the Kingdom, otherwise, one of the workers would have recognized him.