It was a cold night, resplendent in the light of the moon and countless twinkling stars. A woman stood in the balcony gazing at the sky wistfully. She was decked in royal finery, the golden threads in her flame red lehenga shimmering in the moonlight; her odhni trailed carelessly behind her.
She breathed in the scent of luscious roses from the palatial garden. A nightingale sang hauntingly in the distance. Spring would be here soon. The cold fingers of winter were retreating, she could feel it in her bones. The woman wore no jewels, except for her precious silver anklet – a gift from her mother two winters ago.
Her birthdays were grand celebrations in Kishangarh, bringing people from all over India to the kingdom. Even Gods had been known to visit, curious about the enchanting woman that had the heart of one of their own. When she had been borne, a sage had taken one look in sleepy amber eyes and declared her a goddess reincarnate. Her destiny had been branded on her like her given name.
Mohana.
It was a destiny she refused to accept in this lifetime.
Princess Mohana looked like a painter’s dream, a poet’s muse this blessed night. Her form was lithe, movements graceful as she twirled, long dark hair swaying in the wind. She loved nights like these, quiet with a promise of something more. Her heart brimmed with inexplicable joy.
She halted mid twirl, as the lilting tune of a flute reached her ears. Her eyes widened in recognition. No, it couldn’t be. The tune became louder, playing on her senses like an intoxicating drug. She backed away, her heart thudding painfully. The flute called to her, urging her to come. Eager feet rushed her downstairs, past startled servants.
Mohana broke into the palace gardens, her chest heaving. Her doe like eyes searched the darkness, looking for one who enticed and terrified her at the same time. The music brought her closer to the Kadamba tree; stopping when her gaze landed on a figure leaning against the trunk, his back towards her. Dark curling locks of hair teased the nape of his neck, the shadow of a peacock feather swaying in the breeze.
She waited with bated breath as he lowered the instrument.
“Mohana…” The whisper of her name on his tongue sent shivers down her spine. “Were you waiting long for me?”
His question sparked her ire. Stepping closer, she glared at his back, the skin almost blue under the moonlight. “I think I waited forever, my Lord. And you never came.”
“I am here now.” He turned towards her, the perfection of his features stunning her momentarily. A boyish smile on his lips, he fixed magnetic eyes on her. “Will you not forgive me, Radha?”
She gasped, stepping back in affront. “That is not my name! That will never be my name again.”
Undeterred, he walked towards her leisurely. “Call yourself whatever you wish. You will always be mine.” He caught her wrist as she turned away; his touch a burn, a longing, a deep hurt in her soul.
She swiveled towards him, a sharp retort dying on her lips at his chuckle. He tugged her closer, the energy of the whole universe radiating from him. “I have come for you tonight. Won’t you forgive me, Mohana?”
His eyes were blackholes and the sun and the galaxies, and if she looked into them anymore, she would be lost. Tugging her wrist free, she nursed it against her chest. He had marked her again. He should never have touched her. “No,” she told him, looking away. “Never will I forgive you, Kanha.”
“What is the meaning of ‘never’ in infinity, my sweet?” His hand caught her chin, forcing her to look into his enigmatic eyes. “You and I…We are one and the same. Just like your name is a part of my essence, Mohana, so is your soul woven from mine.”
“I refuse to let you be my destiny…not this time,” she whispered, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I wrote my love for you on my palms and you gifted me with a lifetime of loneliness, a tormenting wait that only ceased at my dying breath. I refuse to be yours anymore.”
His hand shifted to cup her cheek, thumb tracing the lines of her cheekbones. “You waited only because you searched for me without. Had you searched within, you would have found me in you, with you, in every step, in every moment.” His forehead touched hers, his warm breath mingling with hers. “We are not separate, my love. So why did you wait?”
“You may have a honeyed tongue,” she breathed shakily, eyelashes fluttering shut. She could drown in his fragrance. He smelled like the earth, the sky, the very stars. “But this time-“
His lips on hers silenced her. It was a soft, insistent brush of his mouth against hers that sent a piercing yearning through her. She gasped as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Her one hand pushed at his hard chest, even as the other one tangled in his dark curls. He laughed against her lips, breaking their kiss.
“Resistance is futile, my love.” She opened her mouth indignantly, but he placed a finger over her lips, mirth shining in his eyes. “Look around you. Basant is here.”
She followed his gaze, watching in shock at flowers blooming all around the garden. The nightingale had picked up a merry tune, adding to the chirruping of insects. Beside her, some of the orange flowers of the Kadamba tree fell at her feet.
“How did…Did we-?” When she turned towards him, her question lodged in her throat. No one was there.
Look for me within, Radha. For you, and I…are one and the same.
She shivered at the whisper near her ear.
Radha closed her eyes in surrender and sighed, and her one sigh gave breath to new life all over her kingdom.
Basant was indeed here.
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