On the summit of Logodama hill, under the lonely pine tree, Bhuvan gets yet another message in verse.
A hundred years, I’ve been waiting still,
The lonely pine on a lonely hill,
For souls that have but lost their way,
Far removed by time’s sway;
To make them meet is my sacred task;
Whatever it takes and what price it asks.
Now that you are here at last,
Take a vow that you’ll hold fast.
And then -
“That’s all? All that talk of treasures and destiny, comes down to this?”
Unable to make head or tail out of the last set of verses, Bhuvan sits down with his back rested against the blue pine tree, tired and confused. Convinced that he has been set up for a wild goose chase all morning, he laughs out aloud. Closing his eyes he tries to feel the cool mountain breeze on his face. The whispering sound of the wind sounds like a symphony of a thousand sighs.
A soft hand on his shoulder brings him out of his trance. Mr. Phillips has left the classroom. School is over for today. Most of the guys have left the classroom. Some are still packing up.
He turns his head around and is stupefied to see Kalpana looking curiously at him. Kalpana is a parallel entry from another school. She has enrolled in Bhuvan’s class just a couple of weeks back.
She removes her hand from his shoulder and with a kind smile on her face asks, “Aren't you coming home?”
Tongue tied by this unforeseen development Bhuvan stutters, “Yes yes, I am, of course.”
Kalpana takes an unruly lock of hair and disciplines it behind her ears. Then she looks at Bhuvan with big eyes and enquires, “Do you mind if I walk with you?”
“No, not at all.” mutters Bhuvan feeling abashed.
Bhuvan packs his satchel and walks out of the class, with Kalpana by his side. They walk silently past the corridor, down the flight of stairs, across the assembly ground towards the school gate.
Bhuvan is unable to comprehend how all of a sudden he was in the class. Was he dreaming then all about the treasure and the quest? Or is this one a dream- Kalpana asking to walk home with him? Even in this confusion, he senses that the girl beside him is looking at him with curiosity. He looks at her for an instant and as their eyes meet, finds her expressive eyes and her puckered lips exhibit amusement. But it is not the amusement of the cruel sort that he is used to seeing. This amusement is wrapped in a kind layer of understanding. Bhuvan drags his eyes away from her’s.
As they approach the school gate, something catches Bhuvan’s attention. It is a pink scarf fluttering from the branch of a willow tree.
“Do you mind waiting here for a minute?” Bhuvan asks Kalpana.
“No, what is it?” She asks lifting one of her eyes quizzically.
“I'll be with you in a jiffy,” says Bhuvan as he takes off.
There's a pink envelope wrapped in the folds of the pink silk scarf. As he draws the envelope out of the folds he notices it has no name and no address. He opens the envelope and finds a neatly folded piece of handmade paper inside. He unfolds the paper and reads.
Aeons ago, two souls did wander,
By providence, were thrown asunder.
This day they meet as God has willed,
As bounteous harvest, for faith fulfilled.
By magic beneath the solitary tree
Their worlds shall meet, was fate’s decree.
Today they meet as the stars foretold,
Two hands for each other to hold.
Bhuvan folds the paper and puts it into his pocket. He is convinced he is still in a dream. Inside his pocket Bhuvan’s fingers encounter something familiar. He wraps his fingers around it and draws it out. It is a bunch of four neatly folded pieces of handmade paper with the verses that have been driving him across the valley all morning. This is surreal; Bhuvan is unable to find his actual bearings; he is literally in a daze.
As he approaches Kalpana, she asks of him, “What did you find?”
“Ah! Nothing of much worth.“ Bhuvan shrugs and they start walking side by side.
After a moment of silence she asks “Do you believe in magic?”
Rolling his eyes in bewilderment, Bhuvan looks at her dumbfounded and says, “Yeah, I guess so.”
She looks at the funny expression on his face, throws her head back and breaks out into a laugh.
Bhuvan looks at her mirthful countenance and something in it strikes as very familiar, maybe something from the past, or maybe it is just a feeling.
As her laughter subsides, Kalpana looks into Bhuvan’s eyes and extending her hand towards him she says, “I am new to this town; I don’t know anyone here as yet. Will you be my friend Bhuvan?”
This is a story written in five parts. For going on to Part IV, click on the link - The Lonely Pine
For Part I - Daydreamer
Part II - The Silk Route
Part III - On Black Rock Mountain
