Narayan

Grandsire went past, barely focusing his notice on me as I had concealed myself enough. As the route cleared, I sneaked out of my hiding and began my exploration.

I strode along the corridors, not worrying about being lost because I kept a firm track of wherever I was heading to. Some of the guards had even dozed off, but neither I had the wish nor will to retire to my chamber.

The huge pillars, the high ceilings, the vast balconies, the intricate, expensive--Everything was something which we had never imagined, luxury. Luxury of living in a palace. I had merely heard the title of being a Prince back in Shatasringa, but never had the urge to imagine what would be the life to spend in a huge palace.

Though vast, it wasn't unending like Shatasringa. Neither there were restrictions. I knew there were, even though we already were taught the etiquettes as a Prince, there wasn't any requirement to implement them in those forests.

But here it would be, demeanor would be required.No more chaos and running along wildly. Lest you collide with any of the elder royals-I reached a rather quiet area of the palace, where even guards weren't even visible .

The corridor had ended, I found myself in the corner of the room. My pupils dilated automatically to adjust with the night sky, as cool and soothing winds brushed across my curls.

A small smile bloomed on my lips as it felt I was back again in the laps of nature, the smell of the wet ground and that of the leaves.

My fingers felt the rusty leaves and twigs as I swept past them, developing an unknown urge to tread along the path which I wasn't aware of. An immediate sensation, a spasm of calmness and tranquility swiveled around me, descending in me as my feet pushed back against the moist soil.My heart felt that.

That unending draw, that restlessness yet the halcyon, that unending thread of correspondence. Following where my intuition was leading me, my eyes detected a mellow illumination from amidst the trees and bushes, I felt my soul being drawn upon without any effort.

Why does it feel, why every time, that my soul always belonged to Him? Beyond what stood in front of me was an intricately carved open temple, with white marble pillars on all the four sides and decorated with fluorescent flowers.

Moonlight dripped upon the milky textured stone, causing it to reflect and glow faintly. But what my eyes were epoxied upon, made my heart scurry with tumultuous emotions.He was there, in His full glory, the Shiv Lingam.

Unmoved and still, with drops of water dripping on its tip due to the brass pot which was attached on the top of it so as to regularly allow holy water to trickle down.

Again on tenterhooks, I felt my lashes dimly wetting as I rushed towards the two staircase that would lead me to--To my home.

Calmness descended in my senses subtly, as my feet rested on the contrastingly cool and wet marble steps, drawing in deep breaths.

That tranquility I yearned for, the longingness, that feeling of warmth.I felt that again.

There was not a single soul lurking nearby, it was just me, completely jammed to where I was halting, my eyes not daring to remove itself from the view of the Lingam. A few days ago I felt shut and close, though the reminiscence of the divine mantras throughout the days of the inevitable ceremony did make me feel stable but not calm.

My mind was not at peace, continuously as the flashes of the pyre appeared to descend in front of my eyes each time I shut them.

But now it was neither, no pyre, no weeping people, no lingering sadness at where I was halting. There is, only Mahadev. And Arjun.

For now, My lips shifted towards the corner into a smile, as I sat down on my half knees and folded them, my royal fresh lower garment being wet due to the moistness as I kept staring at the divine carve of the Lord.

A feeling of daze swept past me, making my eyelids heavy, too heavy to keep them even open and apart. My lashes unknowingly gave long lazy blinks, mind filling with something I wasn't aware of.

I wasn't aware of it, as I heard faint whispers. Whispering, whispering voices laid with an unknown emotion.

Sucking in a deep breath, I stretched myself on the cool and moist marble floor, leaning on it upside down. Endeavoring hard to keep my eyes open, I crawled up towards the Lingam and instantly wrapped my arms around it, a movement happening so swift and inadvertent that I didn't appear to realize it.

I felt my body relaxing, as my cheek rested on the cold edge of Lingam, a feeling of tenderness swirling in my senses as I gave up on it.Consciously or unconsciously I couldn't figure out but a name escaped my lips, "Narayan..."