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The Song

Story

By Mallika DharPublished 4 years ago 6 min read
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The tree she leaned against was called Green Mother. Seven other trees sat along the banks of the river Eliha. They were Red Mother, Rosy Mother, Blue Mother, Golden Mother, Silver Mother, Orange Mother and Brown Mother. Ruhee could have selected any of the trees for her ritual, but from the beginning, she was pulled towards the Green Mother.

She recalled the story of her own mother. Her mother had also come to the Green Mother, more than eighteen years ago, before Ruhee’s birth. She came to this same spot, where the song of Ruhee had entered her heart.

A strange sensation trembled Ruhee, as if she had suddenly gone back to that time, when she had no physical existence, when she was only a song coming from a world indescribable.

What was that world like? Was it like light, like air, like sky? Did she come from the heart of the Sun or did she come from the heart of a starry midnight?

All of sudden Ruhee heard a whispering sound from the back of the tree, a very loving voice was calling her by her name, “Ruhee, Ruhee ee ee.”

Ruhee was really surprised, it was Arush.

She said, “Arush, is it you? Did you follow me all the way? ”

Arush came out from his hiding place, came near Ruhee. He sat by her side and said, “Ruhee, what will be her name? ”

Ruhee smiled, “How do I know? They will tell themselves, through their song, as you know. I haven’t got even a touch of their song yet. ”

Arush’s eyes became strangely sad as if some forgotten sorrow floated up from the bottom of his heart.

He said, “My mother received my song and my name, everyone says that. I don’t remember my mother. She died when I was only few months old. She left me alone on my father’s arms. My song is lonely. Without a mother, a child’s song is like a lonely flower, parted from the tree, floating along the waves.”

Ruhee saw the teardrops falling from Arush’s eyes as he was telling the story of his lonely song.

Ruhee wiped his tears with her veil. Her eyes also welled up with tears. She whispered, “No, you are not alone. Am I not with you? Don’t I sing your song? How can you say that your song is lonely? Don’t we all sing your song in every big event of your life? Your mother is not with us, but your father is. Your grandparents are also with us. And you know Arush, your mother is also here, inside the heart of her son. You know that, don’t you?”

Arush was silent, he looked at the eyes of Ruhee through his tears. Then he whispered, “Ruhee, I wish she comes to us as our child. Meditate Ruhee, you might receive her song, the song of her soul. ”

Ruhee’s soft voice almost became a motherly one when she said, “Arush, don’t worry, don’t ever be sorry. Be happy. We might receive the great gifts from the world of spirits. We might get back all our lost loves from there. Don’t lose your hope. I never ever lose my hope, even when the time is stormy and dark.”

Arush, like a man in a trance, whispered, “I know. You are a source of strength. You are like a bright flame in the dark. You are the one who is constantly supplying me the elixir of life, keeping me from falling into the crack of death. ”

Then he paused a little. When he resumed, his words faltered, “Ruhee, what will happen if the spirit would not choose me as the father?”

Ruhee smiled and said, “Don’t worry. They will.”

Arush freed a deep sigh from his chest. Then he said, “Thank you Ruhee, thank you. Let me go now. Forgive my interference, I just couldn’t stay calm without coming to you. I’ll have to go to work now. Good wishes for your meditation. Bye for now. ”

Arush went to begin his daily works. During the morning they work on the fields where they plant three crops together, squash, maize and the beans. The three crops help each other. The maize provides a structure for the bean to climb. The beans provide nutrition to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking sunlight to prevent weeds to grow. The squash leaves provide shades to retain moisture in the soil. The prickly hairs of the vine deter pests.

As Arush walked towards the field, Ruhee closed her eyes to begin her meditation again. As her mind calmed, she heard a very familiar song, Arush’s own song. A sweet, lovely song which they all sing during the important events of his life. On his birthdays, on the day of his first adulthood, on his engagement day – the whole village sung that song as they do for each and everyone.

Then her mind slowly came to the memory of her own song. Like a sacred mantra, she sang the song with a very low voice. As she did, she felt a strange touch of wind on her face as if wind wanted to whisper something. She clearly recalled the voice of her mother. She could even see her in her mid-twenties, how kind and lovely were her eyes in those days, till now they are so beautiful …

On the branches of the tree, one bird began to sing. It was so sweet, so melodious! Ruhee wondered whether any human could ever be able to sing like a bird. After a little while another bird began to reply from a tree nearby.

Listening that wonderful duet, Ruhee sank deep into her meditation. It was a journey inward, deep and peaceful. She was walking down the valley of her mind.

The valley was green, all the trees were smiling in golden sunshine. All of them were covered with tender spring leaves.

As Ruhee walked pass them, she heard the rustling of wind in their leaves and branches, as if they whispered something to Ruhee. Ruhee walked slowly towards the horizon, far away where the blue sky seemed to lean over to green Earth.

She heard the sound of a creek nearby. Guided by the sound, the reached the creek. It was a tiny creek, full of brown and black rocks exposed through the streams of water. Sunshine and shades of trees from the banks were playing on the streams.

She walked along the side of the creek. Two butterflies appeared in front of her, one bright red and another shining blue, as she walked, they kept flying in front of her, keeping the same distance ahead. They were guiding her to a destination she did not know yet.

Finally, after a long walk, Ruhee reached the end of the creek where it joined to a lake. The lake was so large that she could not see its other end, all she saw was misty horizon far far away.

There were beautiful waterlilies at the near edge of the lake. Two butterflies rested on a rosy waterlily.

Ruhee sat on a rock near the edge of the lake. To her own astonishment, she began to sing an unknown song. She began with a soft, low voice with a few easy notes and fewer words. Soon her inhibition melted away and she began to sing with all her heart. That red and blue butterflies were flying around her, flapping their wings with pure joy.

When Ruhee woke up from her deep meditation, she saw the red sun near the west horizon. The sky was full of orange and pink clouds floating slowly from west to east, as if returning to their nests like the birds. The flocks of birds were also flying from west to east, towards their home-trees.

Ruhee watched the sunset calmly. There was a feeling of inner peace which engulfed her. Then she got up. It was time to go home. Her first day of mediation was over.

happiness
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About the Creator

Mallika Dhar

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