Times Intertwining Destinies (On Hold)

11. Thunder In The Clear Sky

"Our hiding nook will no longer remain hidden if we laugh at this scale" Karna said in between his laughs.

"Not we. Only you" she replied with fake haughtiness "You laugh louder than me."

"What?" he replied unbelievingly.

"My god, your laughter deafens you itself. How will you know what effect it has on others" she retorted mischievously.

Karna couldn't think of a response for that and resorted to shaking his head as if in exasperation. This didn't go unnoticed by Shakthiselvi .

"Angraj Karna" she began teasingly "Admit your defeat. You cannot win in a battle of wits with me."

"Fine" he finally agreed as his friend grinned at him triumphantly as her giggles filled their nook.

"Shakthi, I think we should head back to the palace. The last rays of daylight will be gone soon. Come."

They walked quietly, breathing in the calmness engulfing the gardens. Even Shakthiselvi walked slowly when her eyes suddenly caught sight of a beautiful structure, intricately designed with a red conical flag on top.

"What's that Karna?" she asked pointing at it.

"Oh that? That is the private royal temple" he answered.

"Can we go there?" she pleaded.

"Sure we can. It is for our use only" he replied sweetly "I don't go there generally though. It is mostly for use of royal women."

The temple stood grand and wondrous as they neared it. Shakthiselvi gasped at the intricate designs carved carefully on stone.

"Karna who comes here now?" she asked curiously, slowly climbing the marble steps.

"No one Shakthiselvi" he answered, taking a deep breathe "After the former royal family of Anga was assassinated, the thone of Anga had been sitting empty for so many years until I came, leave alone the temple."

"But who assassinated them?" she asked uneasily, there were several things of the epic she had never found answers to.

"They themselves massacred each other for the throne- women, children, elders- no one was spared" he completed.

Shakthiselvi gasped and stood rooted on the spot unable to walk up the steps further. It was horrifying to think that she was standing at a place where an entire family had wiped itself off for its own greed. She heard someone taking quick steps behind and before long a hand was placed tenderly on her shoulder.

"It is alright Shakthiselvi" Karna said smiling at her reassuringly "It has been more than thirty years. Lets go up."

She nodded albeit uncomfortably. Won't the Kurus too annihilate each other later for their own greed? Then what would be left would be destruction at a larger scale than this.

A large shivling made of black stone soon emerged in sight. The servants would regularly clean ithe temple and decorate it. As a result, the place was neat and fragrant with pretty flowers everywhere but due to its disuse it lacked in the feeling of prayer. It lacked in the serenity and calm that usually marked a temple.

Shakthiselvi rang the majestic golden bell at the main entrance before heading ahead. Karna followed suit. The ringing of the bell sent a tremor of life through the halls and corridors of the temple.

"Karna won't you join" Shakthiselvi asked already seated in front of the shivling, "And leave your crown behind."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because in the abode of God no one is king or commoner. Everyone is his child" she explained "In fact, all human beings are equal and divine."

Karna had already removed his crown and given it to a servant nearby. Her words had touched him immensely. This was what he had always wanted the people to understand.

"You are absolutely right, Shakthiselvi" he said thoughtfully, smiling at her.

He knelt down beside her. He observed that she was making a wick. She brought out a clay diya from the little box of supplies kept near the shivling.

"Shakthiselvi, you don't worship Mahadev with a single diya. There are more rituals." He said.

Her hands trembled slightly as she poured oil from a large can into the diya.

"I know. But I don't know the rituals" she replied, closing the oil can "I have seen my mother do only this for prayer. Besides, it is the feelings of devotion that matter, not the rituals."

"Yes Shakthi" he agreed, again he was impressed.

She put the wick in the oil- filled diya and placed it in front of the shivling. Then she sat still, puzzling Karna.

"Karna can you light it for me" she asked turning to face him.

He shot her a questioning look.

"I can't light a fire. I am scared of fire" she explained, a little embarrassment creeping in.

"Sure, Shakthiselvi" he replied sending her a pleasant smile trying to assuage her discomfiture "We all have our fears."

The flame danced in the soft breeze illuminating whatever its light fell on, in its own little capacity. Stars had now started dotting the inky black sky, the sun had set long back and the horizon was painted in its last trace of purple before being engulfed in black.

Karna stared at Shakthiselvi's face lit in the golden light of the lamp, her gold jewellery sparkling, an unruffled smile on her lips. Imitating her, he too joined his hands and shut his eyes, whispering silent prayers.

"Shakthiselvi" he called to her after some time, drawing her attention from the diya.

"Yes?"

"Will you do this every day, Shakthi?"

It was more of a command than a question.

"As you wish. But..."

"I will assist you Shakthiselvi, always."

She nodded beaming at him as he looked on at the diya.

"Thank you, Shakthiselvi" he said before adding softly "I wish you to dispel the darkness around."

Karna might have been more specific with his wish as just then a thunder rumbled abruptly in the clear skies. The whims of the Ashwini Kumaras (Gods in Hindu mythology who expertise in medicinal knowledge and are known to fulfill wishes especially suddenly when one is least expecting it) are fickle indeed as in that one moment the wheels of fate started spinning with the motive of fulfilling Karna's wish in ways he would have least expected it.