The Story of a Princess-7

Look at how you've grown, little one! You were but a dream just a while ago, an idea, a concept, a hope. And look at you now, with dreams and plans and hopes of your own! You were born of a tear from your mother's eye, when she could no longer bear the degradation of her human children. Like a piece of light you had floated down from her, taking all her pain in your own tiny little heart. You had given her hope, you had restored her faith for a while longer. She watched over you, nervously, as you grew up; she tried to teach you, little by little, of the purpose of life, the purpose of your life, the purpose of all life, all the while afraid that she might slip and reveal too much, or explain too less. And now, you, my daughter, know everything. There is nothing more I can, or rather I should, tell you.

Yes, you are my daughter. You are a Dharti-putri. Don't be amazed, or ashamed, or proud of this. I am the mother of all beings. They are born of me, I nourish them and when they die, they come and sleep in my lap. But you are different too, in the sense that you can feel what I feel, and you should never forget this. You were born of my pain and sorrow. I am sorry that I could give you nothing besides. I am sorry that you will have to deal with more than your fair share of pain. I am sorry that in spite of being your mother, I cannot help you. This pain is your destiny.

But not right now. Tonight I have come to give you a gift that I give to all my daughters, be they she-wolves or hens, the ability to create life, to give love and to nurture, the way I have nurtured you all these years. Always remember, any of my children can destroy existence, but only you, my daughters, can bring it into being.

But you, Sita, Queen-to-be, have an additional burden. You have to make sure that the children of earth live together in harmony, that the strong protect the weak, not oppress them. And to do this, you might have to fight either a battle or a war. That depends on how soon the lesson is learnt by those who need it. I also charge you to remember that justice must prevail at all costs, since you are going to be the Queen of more than a mere earthly kingdom. And to this Queen I give these: the freshness of morning air, the experience, stability and tolerance of earth, the wisdom of the stars who see all, the resourcefulness of a river, the brilliance of fire and the swiftness of lightning. May they be of use to you.

When you wake up, you will remember this meeting only vaguely, but it will come back to you as time progresses. Meanwhile, enjoy your married life that starts tomorrow. Ram is a good man. Even I couldn't have chosen better. Farewell child. Be happy, while you still can.

I don't remember the words, only their meaning. I couldn't say what language she spoke. I only remember the sound of a mountain stream and twittering birds, perhaps a bee or two, a strange scent, like that of grass. Even now she speaks in the same language.

CL

CL, as the Central Library is known to us KGPians, has just undergone a facelift, and it is looking beautiful.I went there today, and I realized, I have just one year left to enjoy it. Now, I am not a 'muggu', not by a long shot, but I think I am really gonna miss our CL. I mean, which other library allows its users to keep the books for months? Usually they need the books to be re-issued every 4-5 day, or a week. And yes, it is the biggest technical library in Asia. One could spend a lifetime in there if one wanted to. I'll miss the freedom it gave me and the opportunity it offered me. I'll miss the sofas in the newspaper corner. I'll miss the journal section. The collection there has always amazed me. God, it's the end already!!!!