The Divine Beauty

v   

‘I will come to this earth as your daughter,’ declared the Goddess of divine beauty and love. She floated in the air with joy and exhilaration.

King Talish stared at the delicate face. He could not believe in his ears. Words failed to form in his mind. Despite the joy in his heart, he could not answer the Goddess.

The Goddess, however, did not have any such compulsion. She gloated and floated in air. ‘This world needs love and peace. I will have to incarnate in human form to thaw the violence. And you king Talish, you get the honor of parenting me.’

Joy flooded free into Talish’s heart.  His mouth broke into a smile. But, the delight was short lived as the voice of the royal physician came echoing back to him. ‘Your wife’s womb cannot carry human seed. If you want a child, you will have to marry again.’

Talish looked up at the Goddess in dismay. His heart felt barren as a desert. Blinking the tears, he said, ‘But, the royal physician had said…’

Before he could finish the sentence, the Goddess threw her head behind and laughed. Young leaves of the trees, danced along with the sound. She fixed her eyes on the mortal standing before her.

‘I am the creator of this world. I want you to parent my human incarnation.’ Her blue eyes dances with joy. ‘And, you doubt my words?’

Talish bowed before the goddess, despite the casual and affectionate tone of the voice. He shook his head with regret. ‘Please forgive me my dear goddess. I did not doubt you. I dare not doubt you. I was just repeating what the royal physician had said.’

‘Look at me, my child.’ Talish obeyed the order. ‘Never question the creator. Nothing happens without the wish of the creator. Nine months from now and I will incarnate as your daughter. Name me Ragini.’

Tallish jolted up from sleep. At his side queen Adhrita slept. His ears still buzzed from the words spoken by the goddess. Images of the dream were still too vivid in his mind. He looked around the royal bedroom to assure himself that the goddess had been a fragment of his wishful dream. Perspiration rolled down his back. He tried to control his shallow breathing lest the queen woke up from the sleep.

He did not want to share this dream with anyone. He did not want to raise her hope. They had spent ten long years together waiting for a child. The throne demanded an heir. But, he was unable to produce one. The ministers pressurized him to get married again which he ignored. Not for the sake of love. But, he could not find another woman as beautiful as Adhrita. Ugliness was forbidden in his kingdom.

v   

Tallish paced before the labor room. He could hear Adhrita’s cries of pain. He could not wait to hold his daughter in his arms. The promise of the goddess came true. Adhrita got pregnant and was about to give birth to a baby. Dawn was about to break free. Any moment now and the first ray of sun would explode. He threw an irritated glance at the labor room. How long would it take? Had it not been for the royal priest, he would have invaded the room and inquired about the delay.

Couple of hearts occurred and the tranquility shattered. Shrill cry of an infant roared into the air. Talish halted in his track. Joy, relief and pride all crowded into his heart and threatened to burst it open. He had become a father. After waiting what it seemed like an eternity, he would be able to look down at his own child.

A smiling maid came rushing towards him. His gaze fell upon the bundle into her arms. His daughter. The heir to his throne. He could not believe it. Dream comes true sometimes.

The young maid handed him the bundle and he looked down at the face of the baby. A round, chubby face with blue eyes and a small button nose stared up at him. She blinked twice as if she could see her father. Dark curly hair covered her tiny head. Talish bent down and kissed the forehead of the infant.

‘The Goddess,’ he breathed.

That moment, another shrill cry rose and once again shattered the peace which was about to settle. Talish looked up, startled. What was that? He wondered. The Goddess did not say anything about a twine.

He waited with his daughter into his arms for another maid to appear with another bundle of joy. Clock ticked. The king stared at the door with eager anticipation. But no one came. Tranquility once again spread its warm wings over the fortress. Golden sun ray peered through the branches of the trees. Birds started singing with joy, welcoming another morning.

‘Why are they taking so long?’ Talish asked. He handed over the baby to the waiting arms of the young woman and made his way towards the labor room. Despite the protest of the royal priest, he walked into the dimly lit room.

Smell of rose water greeted his nostrils. He heard the sound of agonizing sobs. Turning his gaze to the bed, he saw his queen. She sat with her knees drawn up. Her head rested on the top of her legs.  Her shoulders trembled. At her feet lay playing a tiny baby.

Tallish pounced upon the bed. He froze at the sight of the baby lying there. Gaping with horror, he turned eyes away. The baby had a square face. Her eyes were dark and narrow. She turned her twisted mouth and smiled up at the king.

Pale faces loitered everywhere in the room. The royal priest followed the king inside and now stood at the threshold, wide eyes, mouth hanging open.

‘Demon,’ he muttered.

‘Guards,’ Talish yelled as he came out of the terrifying trance. Couple of young men rushed inside at the call. ‘Remove this…this child from my sight. Take her to the forest and…….’ He allowed the word hang in the air. But, the guards understood. They seized the baby with rough hands and disappeared before anyone could utter a word.

v   

Sixteen years later

‘My lord, we found another dead body this morning,’ the wary faced guard told the king.

‘Male?’ Talish asked.

‘Yes my lord, same bloodless young male body.’

Tallish waved his hand in dismissal. He leaned his head against the high throne, tired. Closing his eyes, he tried to escape from the grime situation for a moment. Sixth dead body in one week, he sighed. Who could be behind this serious of cruel murder?

‘My lord.’ the royal priest bowed before the king.

‘Yes,’ Talish said in a heavy voice. He was not in the mood to endure the lecture of the priest. Yet, as the king, he would have to sit through it.

‘My lord, it is the work of a demon.’

‘Demon?’

‘Who else will drink human blood my lord?’

‘What do you suggest me to do?’ Talish rubbed the heel of his hand over his eyes.

‘You search for the culprit my lord. Do not trust anyone.’

That night, Talish saddled his black stallion and disappeared into the darkness. He would keep his kingdom safe. With careful deliberation, he prowled through the lonely streets. Unaffected by the chill of the winter wind, he kept going.

After inspecting the locality, he headed towards the forest. Something caught his eyes. A white horse was tied to a tree at the border of the forest. Someone went inside. Talish descended his horse and entered the forest by foot. He did not have to search for long. Few steps later, he reached a wide glade.

A fire blazed in the middle. Beneath one of the trees lay a young man. He appeared to be unconscious. A human being attired in a golden robe leaned over the young man and drank his blood.

Talish drew his sword and pounced over. He gave a sharp yell and the person in golden robe stilled. Without delaying another moment, he thrust the sharp metal into the back of the murderer.

A gasp of pain stirred the air as the sword penetrated the lungs. the blood drinker slumped over the unconscious man. Talish wanted to see the face of the murderer. He leaned forward and turned the person’s face.

‘No,’ he gasped at the sight of the face. ‘No, no, no.’ The tormented shriek echoed into the silent forest. He staggered back, lost his balance and dropped over the ground. To block the sight before him, he buried his face into the grass. He could not look at the still feature of his beloved daughter.

‘You said you are incarnating as my daughter,’ Talish accused the Goddess. He has performed a rite and summoned the Goddess.

‘So I did,’ she said. ‘Came as your daughter.’

‘You were performing the demonic act?’ Talish yelled. ‘You were drinking the blood of young men.’

The Goddess laughed at the accusation. ‘You really believe I can do that?’

‘I witnessed it with my own two eyes.’

‘Dear king, recall how many daughters you had?’ Goddess smiled.

‘One……oh.’ Talish’s jaw dropped as the realization dawned in.

‘Yes, you have denied me and accepted the demon. You could not see the beauty my human incarnation had. It was the beauty of heart.’

Talish froze. He stared at the Goddess for a long time. ‘How can I amend the mistake?’

‘Sin,’ the Goddess said.

Talish nodded.

‘Bring her back.’

‘Where do I search?’

‘Search the same forest where you have ordered to abandon her.’

Talish did not wait a moment longer. He saddled his stallion and went into the forest. It was the last time anyone saw the king. The legend says that he still stalks the forest, searching for his daughter.