Beloved’s Beloved- 16

On the roof,in moonlight,I kept sitting.There was a light breeze and dew.The sky was clear.The stars were shining.The cool breeze was full of longing and it did not allow the sleep to come.I kept sitting in this peace and bliss.Hours passed by, sometimes feeling of love, tranquility, eagerness and longing and I realised only when it was morning.

Somebody came from downstairs and said: One Sadhu has come and is standing.He says,He is your Beloved’s beloved and came to meet you.

Mother heard this and hurriedly came upstairs and said : Get up daughter.

Your Beloved’s beloved has come.

I listened but I couldn’t get up.

I asked: Where is he?

Mother said : He is standing downstairs.He has sent a message,”I have come.” Come, let’s go and bring him inside.

I laughed.I said: Someone is playing a joke on us.Do Kings come like this ? They will not wait at the door.He,who can pierce and enter your heart,how can he stop at a gate ?Then,I am not getting any pull.My feet are not moving.Love will have a magnetic pull.

Mother was astonished and said: We should not be wrong.

I said : Send somebody to ask him,”What is his name and for what purpose has come.?”

The maid went and came back with a reply.My name is “Waheguru” and I have come to bless.

I said go and tell him.We are not free at the moment.You sit in the lounge.We shall come in a couple of hours.

He listened to the message and sat in the lounge waiting.We sent food.He ate.We sent five gold coins.He took those.Then we sent a message come tomorrow.

He said: “All right “,and went away.

Now my mother laughed and said : your love is true.

In the afternoon, Father came and brought the news that he was some ordinary sadhu.He got some information from one of the maids and played a trick.

The owner of the inn where he stayed has given all the information about him and he is now in Jail.

My mother embraced me and said: O, daughter, you have got faith now.You will certainly meet your Beloved’s beloved.

My longing to meet him increased and whenever we sat together we were talking of him only.

In the evening I went to the forest.I saw two men sitting under a tree and singing I sat down where I was standing.The singing stopped but I couldn’t move.I moved only when both gentlemen, who seemed to be very cool and full of happiness came and asked: Are you a saint lady meditating in this forest?

I said: No,I am not a saint lady.

They asked: Has any saint visited here?

I said:”No”.

They said: Is it the same forest where about six years back,the king’s daughter shot a traveller unintentionally?

I trembled.

My heart throbbed and with tears in my eyes,I said:Yes.But you tell what are you looking for?

They said: “Nothing more”.And went away.

I went and sat in my hermitage. Remembering the past,I cried a lot.I couldn’t understand what these persons were looking for,who they were and what they wanted.It was night now,and somebody was singing a song.

Today,I forgot to go to the palace.My father got worried.He brought a palanquin to take me to the palace.

My father had arranged some people for my security without my knowledge.They used to stay at a distance and guard me.

They could not leave me alone.So,they were there as security men.

Now I went to the palace.But my longing increased.I told my parents about the people coming to the forest and enquiring.

We all were thinking and longing.At night we kept on singing with love.

Early in the morning,I came to the forest.My parents also came along to listen to the divine songs in the forest.

When we came, there were four gentlemen standing and looking towards the north and singing….

To be continued…