Sunil R P Sethi
She was stone. No movement except movements of thoughts. Thoughts of past. Of her divine birth , of forced marriage , of deceit in love, of curse without reason. Waiting for her salvation which is very near. She could hear the sounds of footsteps of salvation. Coming from Ayodhya. Lord was coming.
She was reminded of her divine birth. She was not born out of love but to show down the most beautiful female. She was told by Sapatrishis that Lord Brahma created her out of water and by adding all beautiful material to show down ultimate beauty…. Apsara Rambha who was very proud of her beauty and habitually was insulting and embarrassing Gods, Angels and saints all. She was born divine beauty…. more beautiful and attractive than Rambha. Rambha was subdued by Lord Brahma.
She grew up to be the most beautiful young girl coming of age. A mere look at her and King of gods Indra was smitten by love bug. He was in love with her. Love at first sight. He wanted nothing other than her. She accepted the proposal of him and their courtship started. Two lovers lost in each other oblivious of rest of the world. But destiny has its own ways. Her creator, her father Lord Brahma decided to marry her and looked for best match but was not satisfied. He left it to God and destiny. She was to marry one who could take the roundabout of all three worlds earlier. She was happy and consented. Nobody could beat King of gods. She would be married to her lover. All dreams coming true.
Who could had come between her and her destiny. None. On appointed day Indra did win. He was first to circumvent all three worlds. All gods lost as also human warriors. She was finally going to get married to Indra. All heavens. Entered Saint Narad , her brother with his weird reasonings. She always despised her brother who always was mischief monger. Trying to prove his superiority by logic by be fooling all and engineering fighting and battles.
She was afraid. Fears have uncanny property of taking shape if person get obsessed with them. Saint Narad was his own best. He declared that sage Gautam was in fact the winner. She laughed. For first time Narad would be ridiculed. How dare he even thought of her getting married to that old and horrible looking Gautam whom no girl could even imagine as husband. His logic stunned all. During the time of competition Sage Gautam had taken three rounds around cow. As cow was described as manifestation of all three worlds so in fact Sage Gautam had taken round of all three worlds, much earlier than Indra. All agreed. She looked helplessly to her father with hope in eyes that he would save her. He was also like others. Convinced with Narad. She was given in marriage to old Sage. Her dreams shattered. She entered her home of hermit on the banks of river Mandakini. To her great relief her husband was not bit interested in physical attributes of marriage. She was saved by God from humiliation of surrendering herself before the person who could only get her hatred for being reason of her separation from Indra.
She adopted herself to new life. Resiling to her destiny. Gautam used to get up early morning for his prayers and bathing in Mandakini and used to finish routine things before he used to come. This routine was unwritten settlement between them. One day Gautam left as per routine but came back in no time. To her most dreadful fear he demanded his right of matrimonity—Her body. She had to agree. He possessed her without even looking to tears in her eyes and her cries which didn’t get voice. She turned in stone.Lifeless. Emotionless. When she regained her composure. She could smell a strange and known fragrance , the celestial one , she always found when she used to be with Indra. She saw through her divine eyes. Gautam was nowhere and standing before her was Indra. Her Indra. She was shocked. She never thought she could be cheated by Indra. The person she loved and respected. She cursed him of never living in peace.
She was remorseful and felt cheated and humiliated. When Gautam arrived she told him everything, all minute details. She opened her heart out of being cheated. Gautam was ragging in anger. He poured water in his hands from water carrier and cursed Indra of becoming crow. He again took water and cursed her of becoming of stone. She cried foul. She was being humiliated twice. By one whom she loved and by other with whom she married. Gautam realised she was not on fault but it was too late. Curse could not be undone. He modified by using power of his penance. She would remain stone till Lord Vishno would take incarnation as Lord RAM and by touch of his feet she would be free from curse.
She had waited for centuries. Waited in stone. Gautam used to visit her everyday. More out of remorse than love for her. Now time had come. Gautam had informed Lord RAM was arriving to free her from curse so that she could again live with Gautam , the inflictor of curse on her body and soul. She had become stone inside and out both and had no desire to become Humane again. She got no one’s love. She was always alone. True to her name. Never ploughed. Ahilya. Never ploughed by love. Subject of ridicule without fault. Daughter of Water. One of Panchkanaya. Devi Ahilya.
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