Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion

A Guiding Spirit

The Present Era:

"Dharma, what will we do in an art exhibition? " Kamya fussed.

"Exactly! We could have gone for a movie instead," Brahim chaffed.

"Chill guys...You will be surprised!"

As soon they reached the venue of the exhibition, Dharma spotted Kedar. She introduced him to Kamya and Brahim. While Kamya eyed him with interest, Brahim glowered at his brawny frame. The ebullient Vishu Marco took Dharma in a bear hug. He drew her to the center of the hall and pointed out the masterpiece of his show. Her friends followed but they came to a grinding halt at the exquisite painting.

Dharma was riveted by the symbolic art. Like Vishu had promised, he had depicted her as a lodestar of hope in the midst of a ravaging storm. The work was called, "A guiding Spirit"

"Do you like it?" Vishu asked her and she nodded in a daze, overwhelmed by his brilliance. Pleased by her response, Vishu moved away to attend to other visitors.

A man admiring the painting spied her and made his observation blithely, "Hey you are the one in the painting. The artist has definitely done justice to you."

His scrutiny flustered Dharma and she surveyed the hall to see if others had recognized her but thankfully none noticed her.

Kamya nudged her and whispered, "Dharma, it is sold...."

Surprised, Dharma saw the sticker, "SOLD" below the picture.

***************

A few Hours Earlier:

Preoccupied with Mahendran's letter and Shankaran's request, Maurya listened to Rashika half-heartedly as he drove to their destination; an art exhibition. The artist Vishu Marco was known to both Maurya and Rashika. Vishu and Maurya had been classmates but had lost touch after passing out of school. It was Rashika who connected them through her social circle. Vishu had called that morning to invite him personally.

"Maurya, I don't think I like Sonia Mittal much," Rashika rasped, mainly to gain his attention.

"Why? What is wrong with her?"

"Nothing is wrong but she does not consult me before taking a decision."

"That is because I have given her the right to make decisions. She is a capable administrator and she deserves a better role in the company than she was given earlier."

"She also likes you. Have you seen the way she looks at you?"

Maurya sighed in annoyance, "Rashika, why does every topic end here?"

"I am just stating facts. Not that it is going to make much of a difference."

"Hopefully, you will not confront her..."Maurya reproved.

"Of course, not honey. I trust your judgement. Why would I bother about someone like her?"

"Someone like her? What do you mean?" Maurya probed as he manoeuvred the vehicle through the narrow lane.

"I mean someone with experience like her..."Rashika was going to say someone working under her but considering the mood Maurya was in, she thought it wise, not to voice her frank opinion.

Maurya contemplated if she was really the one Mahendran meant because he was certain that Rashika was going to say someone who worked under her. And that spoke of snobbery that he had not been aware Rashika possessed. Lately, there were a lot of things that he was discovering about her; every day, he was peeling a layer off her personality that startled him with its unpleasantness.