THE GOLDEN MOON- MANEET FF part 5 updated pg 26 - Page 2

Meeting Of Heaven & Earth

Maharaja Dhimaan was the emperor of northern India. In very early age he took the responsibility of a ruler and he had lived up to the names of Suryavanshi kings in a very short time. He was a fantastic warrior and had never lost a battle ever. He always thought it was the blessings of the sun God, his lord, which had guided him to this destiny. His mother now-a-days was constantly pressing him for marriage, but little did Rajmata Vasundhara Devi knew that his son was thinking about the pathway of celibacy in a serious way. He wanted to devote his whole life to his country and to the Sun God. Had she known about that, she would have never let him take such a decision; but unfortunately Dhimaan was a very reserved person. He did not talk about his emotions much and if he had decided something to do, it was impossible to budge him from that.

He was also very honest and took good care of the people of his empire. Everybody loved him but at the same time was also terribly afraid of his anger, because he was a perfectionist in every sphere of his life. If anything went wrong in his presence, he would react as if hell broke loose- such was his personality.

Chandrika had gathered all the information about Maharaja Dhimaan and after one week from the day of challenge with her brother Lord Aditya, it seemed to her that Aditya was no fool. He knew Dhimaan to the core and also knew it was universe's one of the impossible task to make Dhimaan do something against his will. Chandrika sighed and thought now that she had accepted the challenge, she had to play along.

She did not accept in front of Aditya that the first looks of Dhimaan worked something over her; it was like his eyes flipped open some unknown feelings inside her. How a human was capable of arousing such strong feelings in her was beyond her wits. She could not wait any longer. She thought about a plan to meet him.

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Next day in the early morning Maharaja Dhimaan went to bathe in river Ganges. It was his daily routine, he felt connected to his lord this day. Soon after that he went to the sun temple just outside his palace. When he was entering on the temple he saw someone was lying in the floor. He went near and asked-"Why are you lying here? Who are you?"

The person woke up with a start; it was a girl. But Dhimaan could not see her face. She kept looking at the ground and her hair covered her face totally. She seemed to be afraid for being caught sleeping in the temple. Dhimaan slowly approached her and said in a soothing tone-"Don't be afraid. Tell me who you are. Are you in some of trouble? I can help you."

"Nobody can help me", she said in a broken voice.

-"Look at me. How did you come here?"

She looked at him and Dhimaan was awestruck looking at her face. It was the most beautiful and innocent face he had ever laid his eyes on, but streaks of tear were smeared upon them. She was sobbing slowly. The painful look in her bright eyes tore Dhimaan's heart apart.

-"Tell me about it. Let me try at least to help you."

-"You are just a priest. You can not help me."

Dhimaan was caught by surprise, "a priest!" Then he looked at himself and understood immediately why the girl had called him so. He was not wearing his royal cloths; he thought it sacrilegious to wear such pompous cloths which make him superior than others in the adobe of god. Only a simple dhoti and angavastram clad his royal figure. The sacred thread lay bare on his chest, which both the Brahmins and Khatriyas used to wear. The girl took him to be the priest of this temple. He smiled secretly and said in a serious tone-"You don't know the power of the priest of the sun temple."

She looked a little bit convinced at this and finally said-"I'm lost. I was with my brother, Surya. He had some business with Maharaja Dhimaan, the emperor of Northern India. But in the way here, somehow I got lost and could not find my way back to my brother. While wandering aimlessly I saw this temple from very far, I followed its directions and came here. I was sure that I am going to die in the way but then lord saved me. Now what will I do alone in this world? O lord! I will never be able to see my brother again."

She again started to cry. He tried to console her but failed miserably; he was never good at these types of talking. He felt uncomfortable himself and out of place. But after one look at her face the words seemed to rush out straight from his heart-"Don't worry. You are under Maharaja Dhimaan's protection. No one can harm you and you don't have to worry about anything. You will face no problem here and you can stay in the palace for as long as you wish. I will take every step possible to find your brother."

She looked at him and smiled slightly through her tears-"you sound so sure of yourself, priest, as if you are the great emperor himself. Don't you have to take his Highness' permission?"

He, whose sword never faltered in front of numerous enemies, whose actions never faltered in front of great difficulties, his words faltered for the first time while answering to a simple girl-"No, umm, ahem, yes, I mean you don't have to worry about that. I will talk to his Excellency and seek his permission. I give you my words that you can stay wherever you like in this empire. He hated himself for lying to a stranger, but he was sure if she had known that she was talking to the emperor himself, she would be frightened and could never be at ease. Lord knows why he did not want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. She seemed to weigh his last words and said-"I would rather stay here."

-"Here? In the temple? And not in the palace? Why?"

-"I don't want to live in pain."

-"And how would that be?"

-"I was a princess and staying in the palace would bring back the memories of my past. I'm not a princess anymore. Lord had put me in front of this great peril and he would definitely show me the way out of it. I think he had already sent you as his messenger. So, I want to follow his pathway and by staying in the temple I would serve the Lord. May be thus I would achieve my redemption for the sins I'm being punished."

-"No, you can't be sinful, I know that."

-"You assume too much, priest. May be I'm not what I look like. May be what I told you are all lies."

But Dhimaan was sure about that. He could not even imagine that this girl was capable of harming anybody. If she told lies it was not than truth for him. One look at her innocent face was enough for turning the most sinful person of this world from the path of evil.

-"I know what I believe and I don't care what others think about that."

She said nothing, but the grateful looks in her eyes told a lot. Soon that turned into the happy and peaceful look.

Dhimaan now dared to ask-"What is your name?"

She looked at the sky and said in a nearly inaudible voice-"Chandrika."

-"Sorry, what? I didn't get that."

She turned to face him and looked straight into in his eyes. With a sweet smile that made Dhimaan's heart stop she answered-"Geetika, my name is Geetika."

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