The Acheronian

The story which I m going to tell you today is different. It’s a story of a journey. Its about walking, treading, breathing, learning, loving... and of course living.

A silent journey.

A breathless journey.

A tugging journey.

A call.

A shiver.

A friend.

A love.

Well let me not confuse you more.

This is a story of a desert. A desert if you know in real it is the vast expanse of sand and nothing else, l ike life sometimes. Sand grains of moments we call life. I belong to the desert have spent all my life here. My forefathers were also the travellers across this desert. For centuries we have walked on this path with sand underneath and stars above. A desert grows on you they say, its because nothing grows there except for some cactus. If you been to a desert you know the atmosphere the different moods, the emotions of the landscape. A desert is mysterious phenomenon. A friend, a foe a lover... everything rolled into one.

The oasis in deserts are meeting points. You meet people, miss people, love people, hate people at these points. I feel a desert is just like life,  miles to walk. In life we walk in the desert of time, here in sand. So this a story of a chance meeting at an oasis.

We had camped there for night. The camels resting in the twilight made a stunning and a haunting picture. I was sitting and drinking water, a nectar in the desert, and trying to quench my thirst. The cold gulps going down my throat and making me happy. It had been a long day and had left me effete.

The evening was turning cold now. Deserts are harsh, hot during days and cold at nights. Just then I spotted another caravan on the horizon.

Seven camels were walking to this place. Slowly a camel walked at about four miles an hour. To see a camel walking you have to see it from far and notice the poetry of movement. Its like slow special notes of a melody.

The caravan came and stopped near us. The usual hustle and bustle of men women and children followed. It was after some time I noticed her. A black gypsy dress, with mirrors and lots of silver bangles. She had black eyes mesmerizing, hypnotizing, attracting deep and dark.

But her face was poised and calm, no trace of the stormy waves of attraction which I could see in her eyes. After the meals the dance began, the music haunted the landscape. The stars bright in the sky seemed like glows of some civilizations far in the universe. Just then she came towards me from the bevee. She was bold I thought. Yes she was and very graceful. She sat down besides me. Gypsy women are not ruled by inhibitions they are like free flowing rivers.

"I am Aaliya." she said. " No don’t tell me your name." she continued. " A traveler of the desert is enough."

I smiled, "Yes that is precisely what my name is, Yayavar, a wanderer a traveler..."

"Why are you looking at the stars." She asked.

"Well", I said, "I am fascinated by the darkness, am not looking at light"

"Good but don’t be too fascinated or you will..." She laughed.

"I will what?"

"You don't know that story of the princess who went through darkness to find her prince?"

"No, tell me." I said

"Lets go further and talk where we will not be disturbed." she said.

So we walked down to the other side. As we sat down she asked me if I knew that life started from a point and then proliferate like rays again becoming a point at the end. I looked at her. She laughed.

"You are really dumb. See when you are born you are your centre of your universe. As you grow there are many people in your life, some you want some you don’t. Friends, foes, lovers, relatives, children... s o many. These are like rays of a point. In your old age everyone leaves you and you feel bad but you should not. Your journey with them is complete. The give and take is over. You again become the same point which you started life with and pass away. You understand death is just a passing... may be to some another world."

I looked at her mesmerized. Her eyes sparkled with beauty of knowledge. She was on a higher plane. I suddenly felt great respect for her.

"Now that princess story." I was getting impatient.

"There was a princess who loved darkness she was called Nishali. She one day met a prince of light who promised her many things. But he had to go away he went away. She followed him but he was no where. She wandered through the darkness. She thought she saw some light in that kingdom of darkness, she followed it till infinity only to find it a kind of dream.

When you search desperately for something your eyes unconsciously see what is not there in reality. Its like when you wait for someone you hear the non-existent foot steps all the time.

"Yes I knew this. Then want happened to the princess." I asked.

"She went and was lost in the darkness."

"This is no story.' I said 

"Yes it is.' she insisted. "Its if you follow it you will understand. She did not find her prince, her light. She was a princess of darkness light was not meant for her. YOU have to accept certain things are not for you."

The moon was over us now. The sand looking white and silvery. The others were drinking and dancing far away. The haunting notes reached our ears. We sat there.

"You are going tomorrow?" I asked

"Yes" she said, "and you?"

"Don’t know. Would you stay if I asked you?" I asked.

"Why should I?" she asked.

Yes, why should she.

The breeze was getting cooler.

"What will happen if I stay?" she said.

"We might come closer." I said.

"Yes and become another ray in each others life. We will get attached we might love, hate and create all other ripples in this water of our life... Do you know reverse ripples?" She asked.

"Whats that?" I wanted to know.

"Have seen how ripples are formed when you throw stone in water, c oncentric circles. When we start life we have these ripples which take us far from the centre. And as we finish the journey, its reverse ripples when we come back to the centre. If we become a part of each others life there will be yet another reverse ripple to complete the journey till the centre."

Yes this was true

"If destiny has it in store for us I will have to stay." She said.

That night was amazing. I respected her I loved her. I learnt from her.

As the rays of the morning sun touched us i t was time to say good bye. We both had met in the desert of time briefly, touched each others life and had to continue individual journeys.

She came towards me. She took my hand, " Yayavar, now I take your leave, have to go. May be we'll meet at some other oasis in life or may not."

And then she went… with her caravan.

This happened years ago. I wanted to meet her again, talk to her but it never happened. Then one day I saw someone like her in a crowd. Y es, she was there. I went towards her but then she vanished. Or was it a mirage? Or did I see her because I wanted to meet her? Like the princess of darkness?

And somehow I found the meaning of her name.

It means an exalted one.

Yes, she was... Aaliya.