And Then There Was Love

As Pritha arrived at the humongous hall adorned grandly with flowers and bandanas, her eyes scanned the assembly of kings and princes keenly. These men, all valiant and righteous, had come all the way from their kingdoms, prosperous and flourishing, to witness her swayamvara and if it all possible, win her fortunate hand in marriage. Each one of them was decked up in the finest of robes and jewels and sat gracefully upon a lavish throne.

 
As her parents took her leave to take their seats, at a far end of the hall, Pritha suddenly grew anxious. She slowly started walking from one end of the gathering to the other, her handmaidens following her closely, perplexion painted all over her face. She couldn't quite discern who would be a suitable match for her. She didn't know if her heart would be willing to submit to any of those seemingly wise, brave and virtuous men she had to choose from. So, she kept prodding her heart, time and again, to give her an answer. Alas, she got nothing from it, save disobedience, leaving her feeling less than certain or confident. She glanced more than once at her father who looked on from his raised seat with immense pride and adoration but looking into his eyes didn't help her the slightest. Hence, she proceeded through the hall, just lost and knowing nothing.

Then, she saw him. A man she could tell was of royal descent, whose skin was pale and yet he was as resplendent as the sun and the moon. He had several scars on his arms and chest that lauded his prowess and yet in his deep, brown eyes, there was gentleness and there was compassion. Upon his glowing, handsome face, beneath his long, flawlessly formed nose was a thick and beautiful moustache, slightly upturned. His lips formed an expression rather serious and curious at the same time.

"He is the one," her heart had spoken something at last, albeit in a whisper and she at once halted in her tracks.

"I have been his for an eternity," it added assuredly, "and I wouldn't mind being his for another."

What her heart exactly meant, Pritha couldn't perfectly understand. Nonetheless, when her mind tried to interject and express its reservations, she stopped it instantaneously. Thereafter, she stepped forward gradually and promptly garlanded him.

As Pandu rose from his throne, there was a supposedly endless shower of rose petals upon the both of them. He smiled at her, his being emanating the joy he felt and she smiled back, shyness and bliss together flooding her soul. And then, between the both of them, there was love, only love.