Suvarana: The Flickering Flame
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Under the guidance of the temple priest, she performed the Shiva Puja with proper rituals alongside her parents and received blessings from the gathered subjects. Throughout the day, a festive atmosphere prevailed in the palace; donations, food, and clothes were distributed to the needy as per their requirements.
As evening fell and they were free from dinner, all the friends gathered in the Princess's chamber, and the laughter and banter began. Just then, one of the Princess's friends, Bhama, sat down with a mock pout. Noticing her, Madhavi teased, "Hey Bhama! What are you thinking about with such a long face?"
Acting even more dejected, Bhama said, "What choice do I have? I feel like crying."
Chanda snapped back instantly, "I’ll hit you! If you cry on a day like today... It's our dear friend’s birthday, and all she can think of is crying. Did you not get enough puris to eat?"
The Princess came closer and took Bhama's hand, saying worriedly, "Is your health alright? Tell me, should I call the physician? Why are you talking about crying? Did I make some mistake?"
Bhama placed a hand on her head and said, "Oh my! You won't even let me pout a little... Look, I was just calculating that our dear friend has turned seventeen. Soon, a groom will come and take you away to your in-laws' house. So, I was just practicing how to cry during the farewell... otherwise, you know me, I start laughing even without a reason!" Saying this, she grinned widely.
That was all it took! Chanda and the other friends pounced on her in irritation— "You wretched girl! You want to practice now? Wait, we’ll help you practice crying!" Chanda ran to catch Bhama, and Bhama ran away, sticking her tongue out. Seeing all this, the Princess burst into laughter, and the entire room echoed with the friends' giggles.
In the sudden chaos, the friends didn't notice that the tall silver lampstand in the corner was wobbling. Suddenly, Bhama’s veil got snagged on it, and the heavy lampstand fell straight onto the thin silk curtains of the window. In the blink of an eye, a fire broke out. Although the fire wasn't very massive, seeing it suddenly appear before her eyes made the Princess freeze in shock.
While the friends rushed to fetch water and blankets to extinguish the flames, Suvarna... Suvarna’s body felt as though it had turned to stone. Instead of the burning curtain, a 'blazing bonfire' began to dance before her eyes. She felt as if there was a smell of burning feathers in the air. She heard the painful cries of birds in her ears—piercing her heart. No sound came from her throat; she simply covered her eyes with her hands and collapsed onto the floor.
The friends showed quick thinking and put out the fire with water, but hearing the commotion, the Queen Mother arrived. She scolded the friends into silence and pulled the trembling Princess to her heart. The friends were also filled with guilt that they had unintentionally frightened their dear companion so much.
By then, the Princess had composed herself and, smiling as much as possible, began to reassure her mother, "Mother, please calm down. I am fine, just a little startled. Please don't say anything to my friends; it isn't their fault. They were just entertaining me, and I was enjoying myself with them. My friends made my day today; if you scold them now, I will be very sad." Saying this, the Princess feigned a sad face.
Seeing the Princess sad, the Queen Mother’s heart melted. She said, "Oh my dear child! I am not saying anything to your friends. I was just scared for you. When your father, the Maharaja, hears of this, he will be angry, but I will handle him." Then, turning to the friends, she said with maternal affection, "You all play and have fun, but be a bit more careful. Not just Suvarana, but all of you are like my daughters. You have grown up before my eyes since childhood; I don't like scolding you either."
Chanda and the other friends came and sat near the Queen Mother. Chanda said, "Please forgive us, Queen Mother! We had no idea something like this would happen. We will take full care from now on."
Bhama said emotionally, "And your scolding can never feel bad to us, because you have never seemed different from our own mothers. We became careless in our playfulness; we will be alert in the future."
The Queen Mother lovingly placed her hand on their heads and said, "Alright, alright... you’ve played enough now. Look, it's late at night. Now you all go home and let the Princess rest too. Save the rest of your fun for tomorrow."
"As you wish, Queen Mother!" the friends agreed and, after hugging the Princess one by one, departed for their homes.
'To be continued....'
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In the next episode: What old fear did that tiny spark on her seventeenth birthday reignite in Suvarna’s mind? What will be the consequence of Suvarna’s growing 'fear of fire'? And finally, what will be that 'inspiration' or 'compulsion' that leads Suvarna to make the harsh decision of blindfolding herself? Don't forget to read the next chapter of Suvarna’s mysterious journey!
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