“I think I dreamt last night.” Chandrika said in her morning raspy voice, stretching her arms.
“What?” Aparna groaned adjusting her glasses. “That lotus flowers, blue water lilies and that beautiful synchronization of butterflies and fireflies…. Hmm I can’t forget that!” Chandrika laced her hand on the knee tapping her feet. “Yeah, it is indeed a dream kind of reality….” Aparna sighed in a little dreamy voice. “You guys are swooning already?” Ritu said chuckling, leaning on a pillar, Varshika has an amused smile on her face listening and collecting the event f night, while she was also sitting down on the floor of a huge black stone mandapa…
The early sunrays were falling elegantly through the stone mandapa and showcasing how beautiful the architecture of that place is, the fine craftsmanship with every detailing like the vines, Datura flowers are carved beautifully on the pillars, with lotus and bulls designs intricated fabulously. Ritu who leaned on a pillar started to run her fingers on those exceptional sculptures and designs feeling them “By the way Appu, do you know that this is the same temple we were asked to be far from?” she said and Aparna and the other three were shocked.
“What!” Aparna yelled. “Hey!” Chandrika squealed. “But wasn’t it different in the picture? Wha re you saying” Varshika knitted her brows. “This is the Naatya mandapa of the temple wher very Maha Shiva Raatri was celebrated with devotion and as a tribute to that Nataraja form of
Lord Shiva. And yes, this is carved out of one single black stone.” Ritu explained. “But last night we-” Varshika stopped asking as Ritu started to speak again. “I don’t know what king of magic this cursed temple holds, yes, we were drifted to here and I also don’t know how but… I think we need to search for who had done this…” Ritu crossed her arms brows twitching.
All of them fell in remembering last night’s incidents…...
FLASHBACK……
They were watching the beautiful synchronization of butterflies and fireflies that combined with the faints, sweet smell of the blue water lilies and lotuses in the hands of Aparna and Chandrika…the moonlight…everything looks like a beautiful magic… Those fireflies move towards a grand entrance from the shrine. Ritu followed that way…while the other three were just awe struck looking at sight.
Ritu was guided to the East side of the temple where she found the "Naatya mandapa" which was standing tall carved out of a single black rock which is having a dominative silhouette, the moonlight highlighting its beauty and the fireflies luminating the main hall of the mandapa with showcasing its centuries old yet captivating beauty. That main stage is round and highlighted with carvings of humans in different dance poses (Bhangima) and playing different types of musical instruments. The fireflies shown her a place where there is a little space to sleep and Ritu was still fascinated watching what was unfolding in front of her.
“You are really beautiful creatures… you are showing us a way?” Ritu mumbled and that fireflies moved around her like they understood what she said! Ritu chuckled in fascination “So you understand me?!” They moved in sync like they do. “So can we sleep here?” She asked and those little creatures made a little formation like a yes. “But isn’t it dangerous?” They stalled for a moment like they were saying a no. “But who will tell my-”, “Ritu Papa! Oye, will you leave us alone?” Aparna stepped in along with Varshika, while Chandrika’s head was spinning around taking the mandapa’s architecture in the faint glow of the fireflies. “WoW!” Varshika was amused by the way mandapa was looking inside with the fireflies...
“So, you say we are safe?” Ritu asked those fireflies for the nth time for which, those little self-laminators made a big twirl around her, and she chuckled while the other three who sat on the "Naatya Mandapa" floor looked at the sight of their nerdy history geek talking to little creatures like they never imagined in their wildest dreams everything looks like a magic. But they didn’t utter a word because they are truly tired for the day. The Anantha Padmanabha swamy temple, the trekking and this unknown yet not strange and eerie place… except Ritu no one knows what it is… but most importantly now they need some rest, so they laid down on the floor sleeping.
FLASHBACK ENDS….
“You told this is cursed, but looks like not?” Varshika’s fingers delicately stroking the flower vine designs on the walls of the same mandapa… “I don’t know this one actually. Maybe we need to go inside the temple?” Ritu adjusted her glasses speaking meekly and walked out of the mandapa only to witness there is almost a pleasant and radiant atmosphere around the area.
she turned her gaze towards the shrine in the entrance which they saw last night. It was magnificent… just like the detailing on the Naatya Mandapa this too has its own detailing like the height of the shrine will be equal to the modern day three stored building, with grandeur carvings of Lord Kubera stories form the various puranas and even some important parts of Shiva purana were carved at entrance...
“Ritu! What are you looking at? The architecture? But please I don’t want to listen to your very history guide lecture like how awesome everything is, because I know it is fine. But I want something else!” Chandrika approaches with a sly smile, looking sheepish, meanwhile Aparna and Varshika were also walking towards the shrine where Ritu was standing.
“Hmm... someone wants to know or…go around someone?” Ritu teased her. “I mean… you now, it’s destiny, yesterday when we asked that old man about this temple, he asked us not even to think about it, but look by the same evening we accidentally came into the temple’s outer mandapa and then the Shrine…officially stepping inside the premises from behind and, slept inside that big dance area and now… aren’t we already officially gonna go inside?” Chandrika gestured around smiling cheekily, only to hear a scoff from behind and she knew the source of it (Aparna, who crossed her arms and totally unimpressed in the situation they are in).
“But you talked like this place is something forbidden and cursed? Yeah, it is not getting any attention and is in the ruins… still we literally witnessed a fantasy last night?” Varshika aske like a questioned lingered in the background. “I too don’t know, it wasn’t even mentioned that much, right? Getting bare info about this place is more than enough I thought but looks like more research is needed. Come let’s go inside.” Ritu gestured and Varshika followed, and Chandrika was sprinting like a rabbit behind and Aparna was really, really wanted to run away but still she can’t say no to her friends, “saying no won’t change anything” she thought to herself before reluctantly following them inside the Sanctum of the Kubera temple.
“Hmm… Looks like my devi is in her with her Sakhis... should I meet her now?” A faint chuckle “Hmm…they need sometime. Exploration is important before the meeting...” Bhairava who was standing in the same outer Mandapa where they halted last evening in the storm thought to himself, calmly leaned on the ruined white marble pillar, in his same pale clothes, his eyes are distant looking for his woman who is now already inside the temple, but his black orbs were drifting into more distant things far from the temple.
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