Chapter 29 The Lake of Lights
The temple pond was a serene, quiet place. Wide, rectangular granite slabs were laid in a stepwise fashion along its three sides, descending to the water, so that the devotees could reach the edge of the holy waters of the temple pond without getting wet.
On its fourth side, the pond maintained a free connection with the River Tripti, potentially a source of flooding in heavy monsoons were it not for the presence of a dam upstream.
Today was a special day, however. The waters of the pond were lit with thousands of lamps. Shallow saucer-like “deepa,” filled with oil and lit with a wick, were set on small floats made of lotus leaves. They undulated in the serene waters of the pond.
Veer hadn’t meant to come here, but it was either this or staying inside the hut that they had been provided. After entire days spent cooling his heels, he wanted the freedom to move about and not encounter a wall.
Veer leaned back against the sun-warmed stone and tucked his hands behind his head. It had been a good couple of days, notwithstanding his recent escape from the jaws of death. And now, that he had healed, it was time to take leave of this place.
Vihari had retrieved the key piece yesterday and he planned to have Chandra join it to the lotus key this evening before they left the temple city for good. The news his uncle had given him regarding Surasen had cheered up his spirits too.
A flock of egrets flew directly overhead, dazzling white against the pure blue of the sky, their raspy croaks bouncing across the temple pond. But dusk was encroaching at the edges of the horizon, bright orange shot with purple and periwinkle.
If there was a single cloud shading Veer’s contentment, it was that they couldn’t find any information regarding the wizard who had called up the storm.
Vihari had nothing to report. Shota had sent scouts immediately afterward to the place where the wizard appeared.
They couldn’t find anything other than traces of heavy weather magic.
It occurred to Veer that if not for the wizard, they would’ve never found the key piece at all. He didn’t know what to think about that, but knowing there were other players with hidden motives across the board, filled him with a vague disquiet.
He was tempted to investigate the place himself but stopped when Shota reminded him that it had only been days since he was grievously wounded and had regained consciousness. Seeing him roaming around would make the temple elders suspicious.
The jingle of anklets made him tilt his head. He had thought he was alone since all the devotees were at the temple for the start of the evening festivities.
Chandra set the plate of shallow earthen lamps down on the stone, their flames gaily dancing in the gentle breeze.
She wore a deep blue saree with a red border that was handspan thick.
The light from the lamps gave her dusky skin a luminosity, delineating her large sloe eyes over expressive brows.
Her dark hair was bound into a plait, with loose strands framing an oval face and a thick snowy-white garland of jasmine was tucked into her midnight tresses.
The red and blue glass bangles on her wrists clinked gently.
“You’re wearing the earrings I made for you,” remarked Veer.
Chandra reflexively touched her hand to her ears, as if abashed.
Her regular jewelry was limited to a simply designed hairpin, some glass bangles, and nondescript gold studs that she had now replaced with the ones Veer had gifted to her.
The hair pin seemed her favorite, since she never took it off.
Something about the ornaments niggled at his intuition but Veer silenced his doubts today.
“It seemed like the right time to wear something new,” she said, shrugging, busying herself with rearranging the contents of her ceremonial plate.
“What did you do with your old ones?” asked Veer. He felt a primal satisfaction at seeing his hand-crafted jewelry on her. He knew himself to be possessive, but not until his wife did he realize that it extended to people.
If left to him, he would try his best to have her wear nothing but stuff that he’d make for her. Veer blinked, wondering where that distinctly compelling thought came from.
“Matangi needed some heavy incentive to go disguised as me to hoodwink your kite,” answered Chandra oblivious to his inner thoughts.
Veer paused for a bit, then asked, “Was it really worth it? Vihari wasn’t obvious.”
“I value my freedom,” she said firmly. She took one earthen saucer lit with a wick and gently placed it on a shallow float made with lotus leaves. “I would’ve allowed it if you’d told me beforehand and the reasons behind it, but I don’t appreciate being watched without my consent.”
“Why do you do this?” he asked, ignoring what she just said.
Privately, he thought over her words, conceding she had a point.
Chandra had changed a lot since the events of seven years ago.
There were still shades of rebelliousness and impulsiveness, but both her actions and words carried a maturity that he hadn’t seen before.
“What do you mean?” She raised her gaze and tilted her head.
“Float the lights. What’s it supposed to do?”
Her face cleared. “Oh that. The lights represent unfulfilled wishes that we hope Lord Brihadeeshwar grants us.”
“Five lamps…hmm? Didn’t know a princess could have so many unfulfilled wishes. Makes you wonder if being a daughter of Amaravathi isn’t all that gratifying,” said Veer.
* * *
Chandra noticed the glint of mischief in his eyes. He was spoiling for a fight. But she was in no mood for an argument.
“One could say the same about being the daughter-in-law of Rajgarh.”
The corner of his mouth rose up in acknowledgment of her retort.
He wore no shirt today, his chest with the interestingly shaped scars on full display. The wound he got a few days ago had already faded into an uneven blemish that looked weeks old, clashing against an even older sucker-shaped row of injuries.
She couldn’t blame him for taking his shirt off.
The weather was perfect and the breeze pleasant, bringing the scent of a million flowers scattered across the waters.
And the pond was almost deserted, as people assembled at the temple for the evening festivities.
There was no one here who would question his rapid healing.
Chandra gave herself a stern talking to and avoided looking at him.
She bent down to adorn the floats with loose blooms of orange crossandra and pink periwinkle along with a sprinkling of kumkum and turmeric.
She had thought to come to the pond with Sameera and Matangi, but Agrani had more tasks for Matangi, and Sameera had to leave for Amaravathi.
She had gifted the red-and-blue glass bangle set to Chandra before her departure.
The one that Chandra had so admired in the bangle shop.
Overriding her objections, that no one would think to question it, and if someone asked, she could say it was a present from an acquaintance.
Matangi meanwhile, had fulfilled her dead mother’s wish.
Chandra had seen her walk with Radha earlier, their arms linked together, chattering away.
Chandra was happy for Matangi, having found a friend from her lonely life on the road.
She herself, felt very fortunate in that regard and missed both Kalpana and Sameera.
The distorted reflection of herself in the moss-green waters, overlaid by the floating petals, caught her eye, and she touched a hand, once again, to her new earrings, feeling…something. A mix of appreciation and gratitude, perhaps.
Earlier in their stay, Veer had made a claim to Agrani about earning enough to buy his wife something, so he had used his free time and some spare money to make the metal earrings for her. They weren’t expensive but made with care and spoke to his skill as a blacksmith.
More importantly, she liked them. She was speechless when he gave them to her, not expecting such a thoughtful gift from someone like him.
“What did you wish for?” came Veer’s voice, as he leaned back against the steps, eyes closed.
“Wishes are not meant to be shared,” she said by rote, intent on her task of adorning the floats.
“Surely, as your husband, I don’t count,” he argued, cracking open an eye.
“You use that tactic frequently whenever you want your way. It’s getting to be annoying. Why do you care anyway?”
“It’s my job as your husband to fulfill your wishes,” he said looking more interested, the more she fought his nosiness.
Chandra knew he didn’t really mean it and was saying that only because he wanted to win a point. And get her to reveal her secrets.
The half smile he sported was at odds with the tinge of hostility in his eyes. Her heart gave a disappointed beat. There was curiosity, but their every interaction was laced with bitterness on his part. And Chandra knew she was mostly to blame for that, for hiding the truth.
“The things I desire are beyond you to give, Prince Veer,” she said loftily, hoping he would abandon his questioning.
“Why don’t you tell me what they are and let me be the judge of that,” he said.
A temple bell rang in the distance, its peal resonating across the temple pond. People began to thin as the hour grew late, until even the few stragglers left, and they were the only ones on the bank.
Chandra finished putting all the floats into the water, where they bobbed gently. She dipped her fingers into the cool waters, coaxing them along. Joining her hands she said a short prayer.
Her ritual done, she sat on the steps, relaxing after the frenetic pace of the past few days.
Light was rapidly fading away. The breeze was turning cooler but carried the scent of blossoms, and the stone underneath still retained the day’s heat.
The sound of reed pipes carried over from the temple and a peaceful serenity stole over her.