Karnak saw Suvarna from afar. She was sitting under the tree at their favourite spot near the rivulet, silently humming to herself. She turned waved at him as she heard him approach.
As Karnak came nearer, he saw a garland of flowers around her neck. She had more flowers in her hand and was weaving them into a pattern.
“That looks nice!” Karnak complimented her.
She beamed.
“Thank you,” she said with a wide grin, “some of were watching a video from the Federation earlier this morning. Apparently this is the height of fashion in those parts of the galaxy these days.”
Karnak nodded.
“You’re making something else too?”
“Oh yes, these are for my hair. Here, would you help me put these on?”
Karnak took the flowers from her and began dressing her hair with them, as she told him to. He felt his heart flutter, being so close to her. He could smell the faint smell of her body and the smooth, golden white skin of her neck was uncomfortably close. He wondered if she’d planned to ask him to do this all along.
Suvarna smiled when he was done.
“How do I look?”
“Beautiful.”
Her eyes twinkled. She looked away towards the rivulet in simple pleasure.
Karnak realized he was staring at her. He looked away too. A group of four people was walking towards them from upstream.
“Who might these people be?” he asked, “I didn’t think anyone came here.”
Suvarna turned to look towards where he was pointing.
“I think I know who they are,” she said, “Mahaguru Gorakhnath is visiting the ashram today. They must be his chelas.”
She pronounced the word as if it was a profanity.
“Gorakhnath?! What is he doing here?!”
“He wants to set up a wing in the ashram. Can you imagine?!”
Honestly, Karnak couldn’t. Acharya Svetaketu’s ashram was one of the oldest continuing guru-shishya traditions in Aryavart. That they held on to their beliefs, ideals and principles like a lioness holds on to her cubs. But Karnak knew the kind of political support Gorakhnath was enjoying these days and the fact that he now had courage enough to make such a proposal was testimony to his power.
The chelas had come neared and Karnak could make out their clean shaved head and faces. They wore saffron coloured robes. They seemed to have noticed Karnak and Suvarna and were now approaching them.
“I think we should leave,” said Karnak, starting to get up.
Suvarna held his hand.
“Stay,” she said.
The chelas approached them. One of them came forward. He was taller and more heavily built than the rest of them.
“Devi, arya,” he said in an irritatingly sweet voice, “Pranam!”
Suvarna neither got up in respect, nor returned their pranam but merely nodded her head. The tall one glanced back at his companions.
“It saddens me that the daughter of one of the senior-most acharyas of this ashram should choose to ignore my greetings,” he said with a grin that Suvarna could only describe as a leer.
“That is because the daughter of Acharya Suvarnketu, the Rajacharya of Aryavart wishes to make it clear that you and your ... cult ... is not welcome in this ashram.”
Suvarnas voice was icy cold.
The tall chela’s smile disappeared, his face assuming a stern expression.
“The chelas of Mahaguru Gorakhnath shall not be spoken to is such manner,” he said, “Now, why don’t you get up and greet us in manner befitting and aryavarti lady?”
At this, Karnak stood up.
“I suggest you make no such demands of the lady!”
“Or what? And who might you be anyway?”
One of the other chelas came forward and whispered in his ear.
“Oh, so you are that mlechha they’ve admitted into their ranks, have they? Who are you to speak in matters of aryavartis? Step aside!”
“He is a shishya in this ashram and will speak as he wants to!” Suvarna declared.
“Yes, of course,” said the tall chela, jeering, “only this ashram would ever admit an unclean, unpure person of dubious lineage as a shishya. And only the ladies of this ashram would ever indulge in such immoral, promiscuous behaviour!”
“If you dare say one more word!” Karnak took a step forward, clenching his fists.
“Wait, Karnak” Suvarna said, “I want to hear what part of my behaviour he finds immoral and promiscuous.”
The chela leered again.
“Such self righteousness! The thief admonishes the lawkeeper! I ask you, devi, does it befit you to dress like a mlechha harlot and go out alone with man who is not related to you? Is this what the culture of the ashram has degraded to?!”
Both Karnak and Suneeti looked unbelievingly at him.
“I think we should go now,” said Suvarna, standing up.
She walked away and Karnak followed her, wary of the chelas. They laughed behind their backs.
“This ashram’s culture needs a change, you know. Mahaguru Gorakhnath will ensure that all residents follow the great tradition and conform to the culture of aryavart once he starts his peeth in this ashram. The ladies of aryavart will learn how ladies ought to behave!”
***
As Karnak came nearer, he saw a garland of flowers around her neck. She had more flowers in her hand and was weaving them into a pattern.
“That looks nice!” Karnak complimented her.
She beamed.
“Thank you,” she said with a wide grin, “some of were watching a video from the Federation earlier this morning. Apparently this is the height of fashion in those parts of the galaxy these days.”
Karnak nodded.
“You’re making something else too?”
“Oh yes, these are for my hair. Here, would you help me put these on?”
Karnak took the flowers from her and began dressing her hair with them, as she told him to. He felt his heart flutter, being so close to her. He could smell the faint smell of her body and the smooth, golden white skin of her neck was uncomfortably close. He wondered if she’d planned to ask him to do this all along.
Suvarna smiled when he was done.
“How do I look?”
“Beautiful.”
Her eyes twinkled. She looked away towards the rivulet in simple pleasure.
Karnak realized he was staring at her. He looked away too. A group of four people was walking towards them from upstream.
“Who might these people be?” he asked, “I didn’t think anyone came here.”
Suvarna turned to look towards where he was pointing.
“I think I know who they are,” she said, “Mahaguru Gorakhnath is visiting the ashram today. They must be his chelas.”
She pronounced the word as if it was a profanity.
“Gorakhnath?! What is he doing here?!”
“He wants to set up a wing in the ashram. Can you imagine?!”
Honestly, Karnak couldn’t. Acharya Svetaketu’s ashram was one of the oldest continuing guru-shishya traditions in Aryavart. That they held on to their beliefs, ideals and principles like a lioness holds on to her cubs. But Karnak knew the kind of political support Gorakhnath was enjoying these days and the fact that he now had courage enough to make such a proposal was testimony to his power.
The chelas had come neared and Karnak could make out their clean shaved head and faces. They wore saffron coloured robes. They seemed to have noticed Karnak and Suvarna and were now approaching them.
“I think we should leave,” said Karnak, starting to get up.
Suvarna held his hand.
“Stay,” she said.
The chelas approached them. One of them came forward. He was taller and more heavily built than the rest of them.
“Devi, arya,” he said in an irritatingly sweet voice, “Pranam!”
Suvarna neither got up in respect, nor returned their pranam but merely nodded her head. The tall one glanced back at his companions.
“It saddens me that the daughter of one of the senior-most acharyas of this ashram should choose to ignore my greetings,” he said with a grin that Suvarna could only describe as a leer.
“That is because the daughter of Acharya Suvarnketu, the Rajacharya of Aryavart wishes to make it clear that you and your ... cult ... is not welcome in this ashram.”
Suvarnas voice was icy cold.
The tall chela’s smile disappeared, his face assuming a stern expression.
“The chelas of Mahaguru Gorakhnath shall not be spoken to is such manner,” he said, “Now, why don’t you get up and greet us in manner befitting and aryavarti lady?”
At this, Karnak stood up.
“I suggest you make no such demands of the lady!”
“Or what? And who might you be anyway?”
One of the other chelas came forward and whispered in his ear.
“Oh, so you are that mlechha they’ve admitted into their ranks, have they? Who are you to speak in matters of aryavartis? Step aside!”
“He is a shishya in this ashram and will speak as he wants to!” Suvarna declared.
“Yes, of course,” said the tall chela, jeering, “only this ashram would ever admit an unclean, unpure person of dubious lineage as a shishya. And only the ladies of this ashram would ever indulge in such immoral, promiscuous behaviour!”
“If you dare say one more word!” Karnak took a step forward, clenching his fists.
“Wait, Karnak” Suvarna said, “I want to hear what part of my behaviour he finds immoral and promiscuous.”
The chela leered again.
“Such self righteousness! The thief admonishes the lawkeeper! I ask you, devi, does it befit you to dress like a mlechha harlot and go out alone with man who is not related to you? Is this what the culture of the ashram has degraded to?!”
Both Karnak and Suneeti looked unbelievingly at him.
“I think we should go now,” said Suvarna, standing up.
She walked away and Karnak followed her, wary of the chelas. They laughed behind their backs.
“This ashram’s culture needs a change, you know. Mahaguru Gorakhnath will ensure that all residents follow the great tradition and conform to the culture of aryavart once he starts his peeth in this ashram. The ladies of aryavart will learn how ladies ought to behave!”
***
