THE GOLDEN MOON- MANEET FF part 5 updated pg 26 - Page 4

Love Buds Bloom

Dhimaan was tossing restlessly in his bed. He could not sleep at all. Every time he closed his eyes, the tear stricken sad face of Geetika played before his eyes. Her words ringed in his ears constantly. The whole day was a total mess for him. He could not concentrate in a single work and he had also committed numerous mistakes too- more than he had done in his entire life. With the passing of each moment, he was becoming more and more restless and also angry with himself. He could not justify any reason for his anger- he was just tremendously angry. The courtiers did not dare say any word to him the whole day. It made him more agitated. Usually his subjects and courtiers face his wrath if they had done anything wrong, but it was entirely his own fault that he could not manage his mind and acts. At first he was angry with what had happened to Geetika, then with her brother who was so much moron that he could not take care of his sister properly, but now he was angry with everything that had occurred in the whole day.

He had lied to a complete stranger, he had hidden his own identity, and moreover he had failed to convince her to stay in the palace. In spite of being a princess she was staying in the temple and this self-imposed hardship of her bothered him too much. She should stay in the palace- she should be taken care of. Suddenly his own self-imposed vow of celibacy came across his mind- that day seemed to take place in another earthy plane. His wish of lifetime celibacy, his prayer to sun god to guide him through that, his refusal to his mother's request of marriage-everything seemed to him a distant memory. One look at her face, the swift blinking of her eyes, the soft musical voice coming out of her cherry red lips seemed to crumble his every resolve. He thought now was the perfect time he needed the blessings and guidance of his lord. No war had made him feel so vulnerable. He got up from his bed and went to the sun temple.

As he came near the temple he suddenly remembered that the cause of the turmoil in his life was residing in the temple. How come he could have forgotten that??? He could not determine what had urged him subconsciously- the wish to see her once more or truly the wish to pray to his lord. He thought about turning back-one meeting with her had messed up so much of his mind, lord knows what another meeting would do!! But then again, it would be great blasphemy to turn back from the doorstep of the temple. Sighing loudly he moved forward and entered in the holy premises. He sat in front of the idol of sun god and tried to meditate to calm the turbulence in his mind. After nearly an hour he got up frustrated. The entire hour was wasted. Every time Dhimaan tried to imagine his lord's face and concentrate on that, Geetika's face danced in front of his eyes. He could not humiliate himself anymore before his lord. He came out from the temple and searched for Geetika. At first he could not find her; and just the thought of not seeing her again gave him cold feet. He panicked so much that he was about to call the guards- just then he spotted her sitting beside a jasmine tree in the garden.

He rushed towards her and nearly shouted- "Where the hell have you been? I was so worried; I could not find you anywhere."

She was surprised at his outburst. How could she know what was happening inside of him. She smiled and said-"But I just came here. I could not sleep."

"So do I", thought Dhimaan.

-"I always find the sweet smell of jasmine very calming. So I thought to rest here little bit. But priest, you did not come to the evening prayer in the temple? Now you are roaming here in the garden, while everyone is asleep. You have very strange timing."

Now of course Dhimaan had no answer to that question. He thought avoiding the topic was his best option .so he asked a completely different question-"Do you always come in the garden whenever you fell messed up?"

-"Yes, but why are you'.."

She seemed to look closely at Dhimaan. His disheveled hair, messed up dress, the protective glance at her literally took Chandrika's breath away. She thought-"Maan, I think I am falling for you. But are you ready to know that yet? After all you are still the devoted follower of my brother. Though you look concerned about me, still I have to be sure about that. It may be the protective glance of an emperor towards his subject, though I doubt that."

As she could not voice her real thoughts she decide to tease her Maan some more. She leaned towards him and said in a husky tone-"Why, you really look messed up, priest. Come, sit here. May be you can find you mind's calmness too."

Dhimaan really doubt that! Sitting beside her and talking in suck close proximity would do anything but calming his mind. But he could never resist that. He sat down in the ground and looked at the sky. The sun and moon both were shinning there, but while looking at the moon closely it seemed to him that the moon was glowing more brightly than usual.

After some moments of silence, Dhimaan stole a glance at Geetika and immediately get caught. She was staring straight at him. Her bright hazel nuts like eyes were shining in some unknown mischief.

He felt as if she could read every thought of him through his own eyes, as if his each feeling were being reflected in his eyes. But how can that be? He had mastered the art of a poker face long ago, a ruler had to be very good at that. He became tensed and as if to relax his tensions she spoke in her melodious voice-"Priest, if your lord can not give you the peace of mind, seek it in nature. Mother Sristi will provide you with everything, what her son could not. She had always sheltered the lost minds, healed the bereaved souls always soothed the ones who needed it and showed the chosen path to the fellows who seek it."

-"Is that why you came here? Are you a devotee of her?"

She seemed to think before answering-"She is everyone's mother. She is my mother too. I always find peace and solace in my mother when I need it. Everybody finds the strength to be themeselves in their mother."

-"I had heard about Lady Sristi but I did not know how to pray to her. I know no other path than to serve my lord of sun, Lord Aditya."

-"Do you want to try, priest?"

Maan looked at the sun temple and then said in a doubtful tone-"Yes, maybe. I just want to try once, that's all I guess."

-"There are only two conditions to pray to her."

-"What?"

"You have to be honest and pure hearted for offering prayers to her. If you can manage that, I will show you how to do it properly through rituals."

Dhimaan now looked at her straight in the eyes and suddenly kneeled in front of her. He bent his head and said slowly-"I want to apologize Princess Geetika. The lies I said was to you. I am no priest. My name is Dhimaan, the emperor of this land. I could not bear the burden of lies anymore, it's killing me."

He then raised his head proudly-"What I said were the things I was ashamed of, but what I am going to say now is something I deeply feel and truly believe. It is not you whose destiny had been changed by coming to this land, rather its mine. And you are the reason for that. Your face is what I saw everywhere in this whole day, your voice is the sound I heard in every voices I had heard today. Your eyes seem to follow me everywhere, like you are watching me closely and you know it's like I can feel your breath on my skin every time wind blew on me. You would think it to be inappropriate to say such things to you; I hardly know you. We had only met once. You might also be thinking that I'm a pervert and is trying to take advantage of a damsel in distress. But believe me; I am swearing in my Lord's name that I had never said such things to any woman in my whole life. I had almost decided to follow the path of celibacy. You had damned me from my lord's path princess. But if I hadn't told you these words, I'll be much more damned- that I know for sure. Give me a chance to know you and to prove myself."

Dhimaan was surprised at his own words. He could say such things were beyond his own imaginations, but was even more surprised that Geetika was silent after hearing everything. She suddenly ran away from there leaving a bewildered Dhimaan on his knees. He slowly got up and for the first time in his life he felt the fear of rejection; but how could she at least not give him one chance. He followed her and found her standing on the banks of river Ganges. The sun was on the other side of the sky, so only the reflection of the moon was making the water glittery. She was looking at the water. Dhimaan approached her-"Don't judge me please. Say something, Geet."

She turned towards him and Dhimaan saw her face was glowing literally-"who am I to judge you? How can I? Those were the best words I have heard ever. The honesty and pure heartedness were just ritualistic conditions; but you had laid bare your soul to me. I'm' I'm' I have no words. It seems that my existence was incomplete until now. You had just made it perfectly complete. I had heard this love at first sight thing among human, but never thought that I'll be among those lucky few to experience that."

-"Human? Why would you say it like that, Geet?"

-"Among all the things I had just said to you, you only heard that! You truly are a good king, Your Excellency! That was just an expression. And what did you just called me?"

Dhimaan once more faltered in his words. Without realizing at all, he had voiced the name which he had only thought in private. He was again caught in front of her- what was in this girl that he always reacted without thinking.

-"Umm, I called you Geet. I did not mean to offend you."

-"And why would you call me that?" Chandrika was smiling secretly seeing the condition of Dhimaan. He was so embarrassed.

-"It's what I call you in my mind. It sounds more musical; it also means 'music', you know. I think, it suits you perfectly."

She felt like drowning into his lovely words, his voice seemed to wrap her from inside out-"Your words seem to fill up my void world, Maan. Each thing you just said to me added a new hue into my colourless existence. Until now, as if I did not know the meaning of living. You gave meaning to my being here."

-"Maan?" Dhimaan arched his brows in a teasing manner.

-"You are my pride, and you know 'maan' means pride. So it suits you."

-"You are good at teasing Geet."

-"Not at all. I'm dead serious."

Maan gently put his long and slender finger on Geet's lips-"Ssshhh'' don't you dare utter the word 'dead' before me. I'll do anything to keep you from harm's way and I'll embrace death before it touches you."

Geet leaned close and rested her head on Maan's shoulder-"No, Maan. I will keep death at bay. You have nothing to fear in this universe as long as I'm with you. And I'll always be there for you."

He laughed-"what can you do that I can't?'

-"You don't know mw, Maan."

-"That's true and I would like to know you very much. When can we start?"

Geet blushed and hid her face in Maan's muscular chest. Maan embraced her tightly. The shimmering lights of the moon glowing more brightly bathed them both. If only Maan knew that the source of this ethereal light which danced upon them, was in his arms.

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