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There was a Pandya King called Nedunchezhiyan. When he realized that he had handed out injustice to a subject, he gave up his life! He had been a great king and a just ruler all his life! But that did not matter! What did was the miscarriage of justice that he had perpetrated!
What a beautiful moment it was!
Such is the tradition of kings in this glorious country! Coming from such an illustrious lineage, how could Rana Indravadhan Singh Deo be any different? Although he did not give up his life, he died at least for a moment when he realized that he had been unjust to his subjects! He did not give up his life but instead, he gave up his ego, his sense of self, his pride and admitted to a crime that he had committed even if unwittingly. Gayathri became a witness to his confession and she had to grant him absolution. She had to grant him pardon. That was what he was seeking, pardon, forgiveness!
He was not seeking catharsis. He would have shed copious tears if he had! He wanted to keep the knowledge and pain of a mistake alive in him, so he could ensure that he never wavered from the path of justice again! But he needed confidence and support that he could and he would be able to achieve what he needed to! It was this confidence and support that he sought from Gayathri.
He apologized to Gayathri as a husband and as a King. She had chosen the wrong man to fall in love with and the wrong king to repose faith in. For he failed as both, that was what he was confessing to her.
Each of those dry sobs was trying to say all of this and more! I think Gayathri understood. And she told him it would be fine! That he would be fine, they would be fine, and their state would be fine!
His heaving sobs were his apology and her gentle caress was her way of granting absolution!
We may all have our opinions on how good it was, how it could have been even better and so on!
But there is no arguing on one thing!
What a beautiful moment it was! When a man sought pardon not just for his own peace, not just for his failure but rather to gain the strength to continue fighting the battle! When a woman gave him that pardon, not just for herself but for the subjects that she was equally sworn to protect!
What a beautiful moment it was!
Udne Ki Aasha
