A Bend in the River of Life (14 page)

The timing of the visit was planned to coincide with the full moon so that the beauty of the Tajmahal and its immaculate minarets could be enjoyed during the bright daylight as well as in the flowing moonlight. When Mita, Keka and Rana arrived, it was midafternoon. The lovely mausoleum looked sun-drenched against the backdrop of the clear blue wintry sky, a perfect harmony of the natural beauty and the art at its supreme best. It was not long before the shadows of the Tajmahal and its splendid minarets started growing longer and the daylight becoming paler. Gradually, the radiant sun which dominated the brilliant blue sky through the day said its goodbye to the planet earth one more time. As the slanted rays of the setting sun of the prevailing winter disappeared below the horizon, dusk pervaded the landscape for some fleeting moments before giving way to the domineering darkness. The full moon was approaching just a few steps behind. On raising her head above the horizon she proclaimed to the darkness, “I am the queen of the night. I come to see my mother earth only once a month. I take pride in my mother and delight in her mankind. I want you to stay away when I enjoy the pleasure of my presence with them.”

As the darkness stepped aside in unreserved reverence, the queen of the night illuminated the earth with the glow of her gentle touch. While the mother nature kept on changing her appearance during the course of the day and night at the turn of every hour, so did the mood of the queen of mausoleums from solemnly sparkling to somberly sober to mindfully mystique. When the evening turned into night shortly and the queen of the night, who is also the queen of romance, began her heavenly trek through the night in her majestic measured strides, she bathed her mother earth with her celestial light soothing every blessed object in her bosom. With the tender touch of that extraterrestrial luminary, the Tajmahal, which became somber at dusk raised her head with a glimmer of smile that
stood frozen on her enchanting face in great gratitude to the emperor for offering his unconditional, unstinted and timeless love to his beloved Mumtaj who remained laid to eternal rest in her sanctum sanctorum.

During the daylight Rana kept Keka and her mother on their toes taking their photos at every vantage point, especially at the Tajmahal, where every point was a vantage point. When dusk descended, that was the time for rest, reflection and refreshment. Immersed thoroughly at the dazzling display of that masterful work of art, Rana was wondering how beautiful and charming Mumtaj could be that inspired a monument of such refined grace that transcended human ingenuity and took away breath at the mere sight. The mother and daughter were exchanging their delight to be fortunate enough to witness that amazing relic of history. Suddenly, Keka asked Rana, “What are you thinking?”

Rana replied, oblivious of her mother's presence, “If Mumtaj was as beautiful and charming as you are.”

Keka was not prepared for that riposte in presence of her mother. She blushed and chuckled. Mita burst into laughter and said, “I always thought Rana to be romantic. But it seems under the shadow of Tajmahal his romanticism has found wings to fly.”

The two ladies and Rana got up on their feet again and went round the spacious courtyard to have a glimpse of the Tajmahal from all sides in the moonlight. After a while, Mita found a marble bench and said, “I am feeling very happy, contented and a little tired. Let me sit here and relish the moment of my life. You two go round and enjoy yourselves. This opportunity may not come every now and then.”

Rana knew Mita was trying to re-live her dream through her daughter. She wanted her daughter to seize the opportunity which never came her way when she was her age. She wanted Keka to drink her life to the lees. Keka and Rana walked over to the other side of the Tajmahal which was full of young couples. There was hardly any place to sit. However, Keka always had good-seat charm in public
places. One couple got up from a marble bench in a corner and they occupied it. Rana gently pulled Keka to his side and said, “Thank you very much that you took the trouble to come here and give me this wonderful company. This day will forever shine in my memory.” He embraced her and planted a kiss on her lips.

Keka said, “No words of thanks are enough for you. But for your bold plan, I could not come here now.” And then, for the first time in their relationship she took the initiative to kiss him very passionately. They clung together for a long time.

A little later Keka said, “My mother is also grateful to you for this trip. My father is always busy in his cases. He never thinks of this kind of romantic trip with her. He came to Supreme Court so many times to plead his cases, but never brought my mother with him.”

Rana said, “I am happy that your mother is enjoying, albeit in her lonely way.”

While talking about Mita, it occurred to them that they left her alone for a long time. So they briskly walked back to her. Mita said, “I am really glad that you two are enjoying. These occasions are very few and far between in life. Try to make the most of it.”

The next leg of their journey was Udaipur. The following morning they began the long drive through the desert, skirting the Aravalli Mountain Range, the ravines and crevices of which still reverberated with the heroic lores of the Ranas and Maharanas of Rajasthan, the land of kings. Udaipur was named after Maharana Uday Singh, the ruler of Mewar and was founded in the sixteenth century after the Mughal Emperor attacked his site of Governance Chittorgarh and occupied his Citadel Chittor Fort. Udaipur was located at the foothills of the Aravalli Mountains. It is famous for its lakes and palaces. There are five major lakes created by the accumulated rain waters cascading down the slopes of the Aravalli Mountains. However, the Pichola Lake is the most well-known of them all. There are a number of palaces in and around Udaipur. But the two most important are the City Palace and Lake Palace. The City Palace,
located on the eastern bank of the Pichola Lake is the oldest, largest and full of historical significance. Nonetheless, the Lake Palace stole the show at a later date due to its strategic location and pristine beauty. It was built on one of the islands of the Pichola Lake and was constructed with white marble. As such, from the shores of Pichola Lake and the heights of Aravalli Mountains it looks like a white pearl jutting out of the black water. On the other hand, the view of the lake, the city and the mountains from the palace is breathtaking. The third much talked-about palace around Udaipur was the eye-pleasing summer palace on the mountains of Aravalli.

Keka was very excited with the prospect of seeing so many palaces, especially, the Lake Palace about which she heard so much. As for Rana, from his own family history he learnt that he was of Rajput descent. He was delighted to be back to his ancestral land and was looking forward to savor the sights and sounds of that bygone era. They began the tour of the palaces together. But in a short while, Mita drifted away, presumably to respect the need for privacy of her daughter. Rana always held her in high esteem for this discreet trait of her character. Mita always knew the bounds of her interaction with her daughter.

Walking through the various wings of the palaces, Rana's mind was unwittingly comparing between the Rajput and Mughal art and architecture having just visited the Mughal palace-forts and mausoleums. He was an ardent admirer of both schools of art; both were touching and romantic in their own way. But to him Rajput art was an embodiment of simplicity and inspiring and the Mughal art was intricate and appealing to the finer instincts of mind. As his mind was resonating with these thoughts, Keka leaned over Rana and said, “I am very fortunate that I have found you in my life. In some ways, your mind is very modern. In other ways, it remains intertwined with history.”

Rana laughed generously and admitted, “I cannot agree with you more. I do not know how you have penetrated my mind, but I will
not hide the fact that when I come to these palaces and see the king's court, the curved corridors, the arched passage ways and ornamental parapets, I get lost in them. It appears that I have seen them before. They seem very familiar to me and I feel at home and comfortable surrounded by them.”

At the last lap of the tour of Udaipur Palace, Mita appeared from nowhere. Rana asked her, “What happened? Are you tired of us that you have begun to stay away most of the time?”

Mita smiled and responded, “I want to make sure that I am not coming in the way of your enjoyment. These trips will not come very often. Seize the moments and treasure them as much as you can. As for myself, I am really enjoying the trip and I thank you for that.”

Soon the Udaipur tour came to an end, leaving an indelible mark on them. Especially, the Lake Palace was so fascinating that Rana felt like staying there a few days more.

Apparently, their hearts and minds were on the same wave-length. Bubbling with enthusiasm Keka said what was on Rana's lips, “Time permitting, we could have stayed here few more days, exhilarating the exceptional charm and beauty of the marble palace.”

Rana said, “Keka, I cannot agree with you more. But the problem is, the saints of the past said that if one stays more than two nights in a place, one develops a deep affection or ‘maya' for the place, which would make us too sentimental to leave even after those few extended days.”

Keka lamented with a sigh, “Yes, you said it right. May be we will come back sometime in the future.”

Rana said, “I promise that whenever you want to come back, I will bring you without any hesitation. After all, this is my ancestral land.”

They had a little time in hand before proceeding toward Jaipur. So they decided to take a sumptuous lunch. Rana also invited Khushwant, the owner, guide and the driver of the tourist car. His
family travel business owned a fleet of tourist cars. Khushwant joined the family business after graduating from the Delhi University. During the lunch, he advised that they were ahead of schedule and if everything worked out well during the rest of the trip, they would be able to get back to Delhi by noon on Saturday. In that event, he said, they could take rest in the afternoon and then in the evening after an early dinner he would take them to the Red Fort to watch the Son-et-Lumiere or the Sound and Light Show, depicting three hundred years of Indian History by the effects of sound and light.

So after lunch they were on their way to Jaipur, the final leg of their tour. Jaipur was named after Maharana Jai Singh II, another revered Rajput ruler who reigned during the seventeenth century. Jaipur was the first planned Indian city following the model set by the Indian School of Architecture. Of the many spectacular tourist attractions in and around Jaipur, they had decided to visit the City Palace complex, Rambagh Palace, Amber Fort and the Garden of the Queen of Sisodia in honor of the queen of Jai Singh. The City Palace complex actually consisted of quite a few splendid palaces within a compound of over 100 acres of land. The most frequently visited palaces were Chandra (Moon) Mahal, Mubarak (Welcome) Mahal, Badal (Monsoon) Mahal and Hawa (Wind) Mahal. Each of the palaces symbolized their name and was embodiment of elegance and opulence. However, Hawa Mahal deserves a special mention for its architectural and engineering magnificence in controlling, directing and making the best use of the wind to create a cooling effect or natural air-conditioning in the heat of the desert sun.

Jaipur had its distinct identity. It was known as “Pink City,” for everything in the landscape beginning with the palaces was pink. Jaipur was also famous for its high quality Rajput art, especially, its paintings, rugs and tapestry. Rana also had a special reason to include Jaipur in their itinerary. Jaipur was one of the breeding grounds of the beautiful bird peacock. He thought, good luck prevailing, he would show Keka not only flocks of peacocks, but also demonstrate
the significance of her name that he elaborated to her soon after they began their romantic forays. On their way to Jaipur the sky was becoming increasingly gray. Khushwant said it might rain.

As they approached Jaipur, a few peacocks were visible on the roofs of the houses and trees. Gradually, more and more of them appeared on both sides of the road. Rana had seen peacocks on the trees and roofs in few areas of Delhi before, but Keka and her mother saw peacocks only in the zoo. So they were delighted to see so many of them just a few feet away from the car, showing no signs of concern even at the sight and sound of the cars and the people. However, the evening descended early due to overcast sky. Rain in Jaipur was few and far between in the winter months. Nevertheless, weather forecast for the next day was cloudy sky with occasional drizzles. Rana remained hopeful. Next morning, on the approach way to the City Palace they saw hordes of peacocks but mostly standing quietly as if in meditation.

Shortly, as they began the tour of the palaces, they saw in the court yard of the Mubarak Mahal, exactly as expected, a flock of peacock dancing with blown-up plumage, accompanied by the musical intonation resonating “Keka.” Nothing was more thrilling to Keka at that time. She stopped there for a long time watching her now favorite bird. In the early afternoon the cloud disappeared and the sky became brilliant blue again. They took the opportunity to visit the Rambagh Palace that had been built on a 27–acre land. It had a very elegant and eye-pleasing architecture and lot of greeneries. From outside it looked plain and simple, but inside its original pomp and splendor showed up strikingly. Guide Khushwant informed them that the palace would soon be converted into a hotel. Hearing this Keka cooed to him, “Next time we come to visit Jaipur, we will stay here.”

Rana said, “If that is what you wish, it is already granted.”

Next stop was Amber Fort, which was the original citadel of power of the Sisodia rulers before Maharana Jai Singh. The capital was
moved due to increasing traffic and shortage of water. Like most of the Rajput edifices Amber fort also looked rugged and frugal from outside. However, inside it was full of ostentation and splendor as in Mughal palaces. It was not just a fort, but a palace fort. Last but not the least in the itinerary was the Garden of the Sisodia Queen. This was another well-guarded Rajput secret. It had an astonishing collection of plants and flowers grown in an arid area. The garden brought relief to their eyes from an unbroken monotony of the desert gray.