First meeting of Anup and Chaitali

I decided to just close my eyes and go to sleep holding a pillow between my arms. "how must have Chaitali and Anup met in the previous life?"

A sudden knock on my door rendered me awake as I jostled up to be seated.

"do you want to have dinner?"

miss. Subedar was standing with the door barely open for half of her head to peak through.

Oh right! I almost forgot about dinner, no matter what happens eating should be my top priority. I nodded as I got up from my bed.

"I don't really eat non veg, but let me know if anytime you would like to have some." she said smiling .

To be honest I don't mind having vegetarian food at all, it is really tasty and I don't think that I would ever be able to ask that of her. I could barely ask anything of my relatives, when I visit them. I don't see me asking my college director to cook some non veg food for me. My mind drifted to my dad, he would surely ask anything he needed without hesitation. I wonder where did he get his social skills from. He is always working and yet never misses a chance to socialize. Damn adults really have life sorted.

"oh right! did you visit the police station today?" she asked just when I was about to take my first bite.

"yeah, but it was in vain." I sighed.

"But you met him right? He does not remember you right?"

For some reason her tone was a lot happier, almost as if she was relieved that he does not remember me. I immediately looked up shocked.

"I- I mean, does he still remember you?" this time however her tone was lot calmer. She had a pitying expression.

Yeah I know it happens sometime, you speak in a wrong tone. I myself have gotten into trouble for this. but for some reason I did not want her to know the truth.

"He is actually away for an investigation in another city, they said he will be back next week." I lied, it was not easy, and I did feel bad, but at the same time I felt relaxed.

"Next week?" she asked, her eyes wide, almost scared. she did not have many wrinkles but there were lines showing up on her forehead.

"We have only 2 weeks of vacation left." she said in a low voice, "what are you going to do?"

I sighed, "I don't know, and to be honest, I don't think anything is worth it."

the wrinkles on her forehead increased.

"even if he does remember me, then what? I don't think our love in the past life had any happy ending, it was not meant to be, it was ill fated from the very beginning. its better we never meet in this life."

Except we did, and it was all due my persistence. I had lived my life with those dreams, I would be able to keep living on with them. but I finally realized, the only answer I could get even after meeting him, was to stay away, to go as far away as possible.

" I think we should start our holiday project. I will leave as soon as I complete it." I said getting up with my plate.

The last thing that floated across my eyes before going to sleep was Anu- officer Palash's teary eyes. I am sorry, I once again made you cry.

.....

.....

"Princess" the horse keeper yawned "why do you need a horse this early in the morning?"

Chaitali mounted the horse with an old hand stitched bag full of embroidery. hung on side of her shoulder across her body

"today is Radhashtami" she paused to smiled. "i am going to make an offering to radha rani and wish her happy birthday."

The horse keeper's wife smiled and looked at the princess. Chaitali was wearing a beautiful blue nawari sari with golden border. her pallu on the right shoulder had a beautiful lotus badge that attached it to the blouse, the pallu was streched across her back and tucked on the stomach. on her right shoulder she had a white angvastram with beautiful warli paintings, embroidered with red threads. her long hair kept in a sing braid adorned with white flowers and her jewelry consisting of both gold and pearls. her big eyes adorned with a kajal as black as a stormy night. a small bindi on the center of her forehead and a beautiful fragrance of the attar specially ordered from Kannauj.

"Your majesty, is an embodiment of all the celestial beauty. just like your mother, keeping up her traditions. your devotion towards Radha rani is incredible."

the old lady ran a finger across the waterline of her eye to have some kajal on her fingers.

Chaitali bend down as the old lady pressed that finger behind her ear making a black spot, it was supposed to ward off the evil eye.

"It is the beautiful people who have the hardest time finding true love, may Radha rani bless you with someone who sees you beyond your beauty."

Chaitali smiled at the sweet lady, her smile was sad, as if she knew there was no one like that. without another word she rode off.

"I would never ask anything from you, i am not doing this for anything, just expressing my gratitude." Chaitali said as she offered the kheer to the statue before lightning the diyas.

she had decorated the idols of Radha Krishna with flowers and performed her aarti.

she was so busy chanting a mantra with her eyes closed that she did not realize when someone came and stood beside her.

"Dear Radha rani, I hope you fulfil all the wishes of this beautiful maiden praying with such devotion."

Chaitali opened her eyes in shock to look at the man who just spoke. He was wearing was light yellow dhoti with a similar angvastram which had red borders and his white coloured janeu sticking out.

the strange man hissed and put a hand on the left side of his chest where the heart was supposed to be.

"Those brown eyes of yours have drowned me in a whirlpool of an ocean from which one can never escape"

Chaitali remembered the words of the wife of horse keeper, she did not say anything just went ahead and took the plate of the offerings. But when she turned back the person had his hands ready with the right palm over the left to receive the offering of kheer.

Chaitali sighed, she could not refuse someone the prasad of Radha rani. so she relented and placed some on the his hands. But as soon as she walked past him he spoke again.

"The cook of this delicious taste, won't you atleast tell me your name?"

she turned, one foot in the stairs of the temple pointing outside,

"yada tvam sanskritam janasi kevalam tada avam vartalapam karishyavaha"

[only if you know sanskrit shall we talk]

The smile on his face grew bigger. Chaitali was about to turn back as she did not expect him to know the ancient language. But surprisingly he did.

"aam! janami aham, yataha aham brahman asmi"

[yes! I know, because i am a brahmin]

She was impressed, although she hated to admit it, for a long time she had not met people who practiced speaking sanskrit, many people knew how to read and even write, but speaking the language on the spot made everybody uncomfortable.

Her mother was a big enthusiast of learning sanskrit and she could even speak very fluently. according to her a lot of knowledge was lost in the process of translation as there were words that just could not be translated into the local prakrit scripts. with the onset of the delhi sultanate, translating precious sanskrit literature in the language spoken by commoners became a trend.

there were only a handful brahmins left who could had a good command on the ancient lanuage. a lot of brahmins from maharashtra were migrating to the northern parts of the country, mostly benaras which had become an important center of learning.

"what happened, devi? " Chaitali flinched as she was awaken from her thoughts.

"then why didn't you go to benaras?" she asked.

"hmmm, I will tell you, but first my question." he demanded.

"Chaitali" she said.

"Anup Rao" he smiled as he moved towards her "I recently moved here, and have been assigned the duty of the priest of this temple. I had been working here with the previous priest, but two months ago..." he sighed not wanting to spell out about his death.

"yes I heard" Chaitali said as she looked at Anup who passed by her. "He was a nice man"

" It has been really lonely, people do come here, but during sunrise when I come to start the day, its dead silent." he said in a sad tone, although that quickly changed as he reached the horse that was tied to the fence "But today, before even I arrived, someone was already here." he patted the horse.

"Today is supposed to be Radha rani's birth anniversary, Despite this loneliness I was really happy, from the bottom of my heart I really love Shri Radha Krishna. and when I entered the temple I see beautifully decorated statues, the whole vibe of the temple was lovely, The place was radiating the feeling of love."

he was smiling a from ear to ear, content and satisfied as he came to stand face to face with the princess. "and then I looked at the person, Who loved Radha rani so much that she illuminated the place brightly with just her mere presence. She even got dressed and did her sringaar with love, the dark circles under her eyes indicated that she got up earlier to prepare her offering and to decorate the temple before even the sun was up. I could not stop myself from praying for her"

Chaitali was left speechless, she stared at the person talking in an illustrious way, about her. Her heart started beating faster as he praised her, with nothing but purity on his eyes.

.

.

.

"And as I looked into her eyes, I realized this is what love feels likes"