A Different Path

Mountains

The sun had completed half of his journey across the sky and yet her husband had not come. She shrugged it off. Something must have come up. Her husband might have been running late. Maybe he went directly to the palace.

But when evening came, the sky darkening even as the last tip of the sun felt ready to bid them farewell, she started to worry. Her husband was never late and even if he was, he would always send a message. Her eyes were glued to the door and her mind began to gallop like a wild horse at all the frightening possibilities. What could have happened? He had simply gone for his daily puja by the river. Had something happened there? She wanted to go out and look for him...but this wasn't the appropriate time for women of respectable homes, to step out. She dashed to the idol of Goddess Durga and prayed to her for strength.

Immersed in chanting the mantras, she didn't hear the door open behind her. It was only when her husband called out to her did she notice he had arrived.

"Radha! Where are you? Radha?"

Adhiratha's voice was hysterical. Bowing for the final time to Goddess Durga and thanking her for paying heed to her prayers, she ran out back. Her husband broke into a large smile when he saw her, but Radha was caught by the basket in his hands. Draped in red silk, adorned with bewitching kundals, embellished with golden armour, a little baby peeked at her.

"What....what is all this?" She could barely speak as she was caught up by the baby. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She was arrested by his eyes, those beautiful grey-blue eyes that sparkled like the drops of water when sunlight hits them at just the right angle. He was looking at her keenly and Radha felt like her heart would burst from the emotion that she felt deep within herself. She reached out, to hold that baby boy in her arms but then hesitated. How could she possibly even be in the presence of such a divine being. How could an old, ordinary woman like her comfort that child? No, he was ethereal............he should be in the arms of a beautiful woman, a lady of high standing, an apsara or a queen. Not a plain, insignificant woman such as herself.

"Oh Radha! You wouldn't believe...........you wouldn't believe ......I found this basket by the shores of the Ganga and when I looked within..........I found this beautiful boy! Here take him in your arms, Radha! "

Adhiratha pushed the basket towards her and this time she was not strong enough to resist the temptation of holding that child in her arms. Gently, she picked the little thing off the basket and enveloped her arms around it protectively. The baby stared at her with a serenity that was unreal and Radha felt a powerful surge of emotion within her, so compelling, so forceful that she knew........she just knew......that it was destiny that had brought her this child.

"Radha, I immediately went to the administration wing and informed them about it. I.......I...spent the entire day with them as they tried to locate the mother. There were no missing reports. It is all so strange.......one of the officers suggested that the baby must have travelled up from the north.......look at him......it is obvious that this child belongs to an aristocrat....just look at him"

She was looking at him. In fact she didn't think it was possible for her to look anywhere else except this lovely child. She couldn't think, she couldn't speak.........she was entranced by his eyes. This feeling, she had never experienced before. It was like she was finally whole. Like a piece of a puzzle completes the picture, she too was now complete.