Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion

Embedded in the mind

The Present Era:

Dharma perched on the steps outside the door that led to the basement of the auditorium. Brahim had set off to the canteen to buy coffee and Kamya had offered to help another friend. Dharma lounged on the steps, tugging each flower from the trimming of the skirt. Wishes and hopes aside, Dharma desperately wanted to be accepted by the company for an internship. She had selected Chamba Rumaals to impress the guest, after perceiving the company's interest in Peruvian embroidery on their web page. She bought dozens of Chamba rumaals and patched them on the muslin cloth to give it a unique look. These square and rectangular pieces of cloth were made of fine silk and threadwork depicting folk tales, ceremonies, and epics that were stitched on the pieces. A distinctive feature of Himalayan art, Chamba rumaals were part of special gifts during marriages and ceremonies. The embroidered technique called double satin stitch created distinct patterns on the face of the kerchief. The silk untwined threads purchased earlier from Sialkot in Pakistan, were obtained now from Amritsar and Ludhiana. Promoted under the patronage of Chamba rulers, the earliest creation of it emerged in the Sixteenth Century. Dharma loved the exquisite threadwork. Hoping to create an impression, she had come up with the idea for the show.

Noisy chatter of the participants reminded Dharma that the evening of entertainment had almost come to an end and it was time for the chief guest to announce the names of the winners of the fashion show.

Dharma straightened up from the steps and strolled to the door as members of the cultural committee ushered the guest to the stage. She glimpsed the back of the tall man going up the steps to the stage. The spotlights focussed on him as she ambled back to the basement steps to retrieve the clutch she had left behind.

The deep baritone of the speaker sounded attractive and it tempted Dharma to take a look at the guest. She hastened back to the doorway, from where she could view the speaker without attracting attention. A couple of the participants, curious to learn the result, stood in front of her.

"Most of the designs that were displayed today stunned me. Such talents deserve huge applause...."

The auditorium broke into loud applause and the man paused...

Dharma's first impression was that he was quite young; she guessed around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years of age. Tall and suited in dark grey, he was immaculately dressed. When he swung his face towards the audience on that side of the hall where Dharma was standing, the utmost confidence and dynamism exuding from him surprised her. Slick black hair that was brushed back neatly glistened with vitality while the square cut of his jaw and the Roman nose hinted at a strong personality; his taut shoulders spoke of a fit lifestyle. Dharma could not read his eyes from that distance.

Thanking the organizers for inviting him, he read out the result finally.

Incomprehensible curiosity compelled her to watch him steadily. He announced the names of the three winners but she was not one of them. It did not bother her but unable to look away, she watched him unwaveringly. He spoke about the winners' choice of unique colour schemes and bold designs that impressed him. The prize winners went on the stage and he handed them the trophies and congratulated them. They took selfies with him. Brahim brought the coffee and stayed next to Dharma in silent consolation and yet she could not tear her eyes away from Maurya Anurag Verma. The ceremony concluded and members of the cultural team scrambled to guide him back.

Maurya's confident strides down the steps were paused when one of the winners asked for another selfie and he obliged with poise. Noting his curious eyes taking in the surrounding with casual interest, Dharma shrunk back in flushed embarrassment. Suddenly, his dark eyes caught and held hers in a lock that seemed timeless. As they stared at each other across the passage, others in the background faded into oblivion. Dharma's pulse raced as she caught the imperceptible flare of interest in his eyes but the fleeting look was gone before she could recognize it. A shudder went through her and she flinched at the rousing excitement in her.