Beauty and the Beast

26

"I don't they will be expecting a bride by the Chenchu standards, Dorra. She is the bride of Devadeva. He will be decorated in the brightest jewellery and silks. We Chenchus get married decorated with just flowers and simple metal jewellery. Not even the shiny ones. How will we be able to set her to the standards of Devas?" The hunters asked.

The argument began in the tribe regarding to how the bride had to be made ready. Chenchita felt a bit worried and just wondered how would this be solved.

"Well, how about I solve this argument?" Vinayaka arrived at the Penta.

Everyone bowed down to the elephant headed deity. He reached up to Chenchita.

He handed her a silk saree that was gifted by Varuna to her. She came out wearing the saree in the way that Chenchus general do.

"Sagara, give me the jewellery you have brought for her." Vinayaka asked. The chieftain handed it to her. Vinayaka put them around her. Then paired with some gold jewellery. Vinayaka then put flowers around her. Braiding her hair with flowers and hair jewellery.

When Vinayaka arrived out and Chenchita followed behind, the tribe was quite shocked.

Never had they ever seen her in that form. Almost as divine as the shine of gold. She almost seemed like a Goddess. Jaya bowed down before her. She seemed exactly like she did that in the cave.

A beautiful basket was made ready by the tribe decorated using flowers and leaves. Sagara gave her a lotus flower and had her sit in the basket.

Sagara almost tear. Had she suddenly grown so fast that now she was soon to be the bride of Narasimha? She was soon to become a wife to someone and become the woman of that household. The girl he watched grow up around in the tribe. Playing in the lake and with tiger cubs. Sometimes with rabbits and deers. Teaching parrots to say Chenchita. The girl who was always hyperactive. His best hunter. The dearest child in her eyes.

"Just a moment." Vinayaka asked her uncle to wait. Soon, on a peacock, Kartikeya arrived. With a Rishi along.

They got down. The Rishi saw Chenchita and stood stunned. The grandeur of the Goddess. Her divinity and beauty surpassing the nature's own beauty. He joined his hands before her and offered her a shaashtanga namaskaram.

"Maharishi..." Chenchita instantly felt worried and got up. Rushing to the sage. "What are you doing?"

When he got up, she saw his eyes lined with tears. It confused her. Why did a great sage fall by her feet? "Forgive me, maata,"

Although she was a bit confused, she smiled at him. "I do not understand for what you wish to apologise, Maharishi. I'm just a forest girl. What could you ever do to offend me?" She asked.

"It surely has to be to your play, maa, or what should I say to Jaganmata?" He answered. "I request you to stop deceiving me with your play, mata. If you are still angry with me, I would be ready to do whatever it take to appease you."

She chuckled. "Me? Offended with a great sage? What business do I have to be angry at anyone?"

"Mata, earlier when you were getting married to Narayana after Samudra Manthan, I had missed your wedding. In rage, I had cursed your father and mother, Samudra and Tarangini Devi to be born as tribals. I request you to forgive me, mata. Who knows me but you? I simply desired to be present at the great event of your wedding. When I did not get to see it, I felt devastated."  Like how the waves of the oceans wash off the imprints left by people on the sand, the shield of Maya that she herself willed to be there was washed away. The memory of putting the varamala around Narayana retained in her mind. The beautiful memories she had with Narayana retained in her mind.