Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion

Wheel of Time

The Present Era:

Time is defined as the irreversible progress of existence and events from the past, through the present into the future. But in the conscious experience, is it possible to stop the passage of time and retreat to a moment that would change the course of one's life?

It was precisely what Dharma was thinking as she jogged in the nearby park. The incomprehensible whispers once again caught her attention and she paused, bending to stretch her arms to her toes. She took a long breath and tried to listen to those whispers. Winter had blossomed into Spring and Nature cheered happily with a riotous burst of colours. Flowers of all varieties bloomed in the garden and Dharma admired them, hoping to understand these unheard whispers. When the whispers stopped, Dharma observed that men and women from all walks of life were continuing with their activities like skipping, running, and yoga. She wanted to ask them if they too heard the whispers. But none looked distracted. It was the second time that Dharma heard these whispers and this time too, she felt as if she was standing between two periods of time as if the whispers were urging her to understand her life.

Jogging back to the hostel with a towel around her neck and a bottle of water in her hand, her thoughts swirled to the moment when she saw Maurya on stage in Parijatpur and pondered if that moment had changed the course of her life. It was true that she was impelled to leave Parijatpur due to Chaitanya's stalking. However, was it not possible that deep down, she had Maurya in her mind when she decided to come to Delhi? Truth be told, she was disheartened by Maurya's brusque behaviour in his office. She did stay back in Delhi to look for other jobs, trying resolutely to forget Maurya. But the haunting dreams that began after Maurya's visit to Mohandham continued even now. Would she be willing to turn back the clock and retrace the moment to avoid meeting Maurya? No, she didn't think so. That point in time was etched in her memory and she guessed that even if the wheel of time changed its direction, the occurrence of events in one's life remained the same.

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Maurya watched the dawning sky with a mug of black coffee. He couldn't get a wink of sleep last night. No amount of paperwork was enough to keep him occupied. He went from one visit to another, meeting buyers, negotiating with smaller firms to stock their products, and sometimes trying to merge with export houses to expand the business of Krishna Industries.

Index Fashion House was one such export company. They used to export apparel to East European countries in the late 80s and 90s but now there were no takers for their products and their business was collapsing. The owner of the firm was an old acquaintance of Maurya so he had approached Maurya to ascertain whether he would be interested in acquiring the firm. After many discussions and brainstorming sessions with his team, Maurya was visiting the firm that day for the final decision. He had earlier dismissed their poorly conceived samples but his friend convinced him to take a look at their latest collection which he assured, would surprise Maurya.

Glancing at the sea of people coming out of the Metro station, he recalled his conversation with Rashika last night. The dinner she mentioned took place a week ago at her relative's house. Her family planned to go to their ancestral village for an annual festival and they had invited him along but before he could give his answer, Rashika had confirmed his acceptance. Later, an incensed Maurya and an apologetic Rashika had a fallout but Rashika, being herself, had come around the next day to his office, seeking an end to their cold war.

Maurya, at times, regretted his frequent indifference towards Rashika. He took her for granted and most of the time he disagreed with her plans. He wished he was nicer and kinder to her but of late; he balked from spending time with Rashika. Even her family was starting to annoy him with their constant demand for his presence at dinners and functions.