The Acrimonious Veracity

The Acrimonious Veracity Part 1

The Mahakaleshwar Temple, situated on the Beas river in Pragpur, Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh is one of the most ancient temples of the Himalayas, dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity, Shiva. This temple enshrines a unique ‘lingam’, a symbol of Shiva, found deep below the ground level. The walls of the temple are decorated with magnificent monuments and hold several antique tombs. There are important settlements on the bank of Beas river, two of them being Kullu and Mandi.

Radhika Singh, a Rajput lady of twenty-five years lived in Kullu with her middle-aged parents. On the other hand, Pranjal Vaidya, a young lad of thirty-one was an inhabitant of Mandi who lived in a joint-family. Both of them were very good friends since childhood and their families were also on good terms with each other. They studied in the same renowned school of Kangra district and attended the private classes lectured by one of the reputed teachers of that district. The journey of both their student lives were very similar, intertwined with one another and the frequent interactions, encounters and precious moments brought them closer throughout the years, right from childhood to young adulthood. The Mahakaleshwar temple was one of the many tourist spots as well as the place where both Radhika and Pranjal would meet almost everyday. Priceless memories and golden moments between them were etched in the surreal collection of the pages of history of this temple, cherished by each of them always and forever.

But destiny frames its own rule and marks the fate of all of us. Caste-based prejudice had long been a fact of life in the Himachal. Pranjal belonged to the so-called scheduled caste family whereas Radhika was from a well-off royal Rajput background. Radhika’s family would not accept Pranjal for anything and hence, declined the proposal of the Vaidya’s, asking for Radhika’s hand in marriage with Pranjal. Eventually, the two lovers were strictly prohibited by their respective families from even going to the temple so as to lessen the chances of facing each other incidentally.

Two months passed. Radhika’s parents had already chosen Dhruv Kumar for her to be engaged with in the month of February. With just one month left in hand for her engagement, Radhika sought the blessings of Lord Shiva and thus, decided upon worshipping the deity alone for the last time before her engagement with Dhruv. In the meanwhile, she had come to know that she was already carrying the baby of Pranjal in her womb for the past three months but somehow managed to keep this pitch black truth only to herself, away from the discovery of anyone else lest matters get more convoluted. Nevertheless, she was struggling deep inside, incessantly trying to figure out means to confide in Dhruv such a bitter truth!

The air was a bit plaintive that day, the sky being overcast with dark ,gloomy,coppery clouds, which apparently mourned with Radhika’s grief-stricken heavy heart and seemed willing to absorb all her sorrows in one gulp, sympathizing with her melancholy. It was afternoon, ten minutes to five and the sun was about to set. Radhika was standing on the balcony of her life-long favourite temple, reminiscing the romantic instants spent with her beloved exactly at that spot. She felt an irresistible pain persistent in her aching heart, led by an inexplicable mount of tears smashing her vocal cord and shattering all her hopes within herself, trying to forcefully erupt her soul out of her physical self. She was engrossed in her daze, engulfed in the vivid evocation of her perennial acquaintance, familiarity and intimacy of her very own Pranjal. Radhika was suddenly awakened from her trance by a familiar voice followed by the sound of the sacred temple bell her ears had been used to, all her life. Hesitatingly turning around, she couldn’t believe her eyes which rested on someone who was probably the closest to her, someone she had been knowing for ages but her ill-fate deprived her of his company for the last few months. To her awe, a tall, gaunt man in the traditional kurta-pyajama stepped into the temple who was none but her ‘Pranjal’. Her presence didn’t go unnoticed by Pranjal’s eyes either and after a few seconds, both their eyes met each other from a distance.

A stream of uncontrollable tears dripped from Radhika’s eyes, wetting her bland cheeks with a faint fervid smile on her face, expressing all the love and evoking all the emotions for Pranjal deeply buried in the core of her heart which only Pranjal could perceive, fathom and comprehend. Forgetting about everything for a moment, putting long footsteps towards his sweetheart, Pranjal almost ran into Radhika. A solemn silence pervaded their still mutual glances, somehow resisting their ardent desire to embrace each other. However, the intense, passionate love that prevailed in their hearts finally gave way to a fervent kiss, when Pranjal caressed Radhika’s shoulder and held her arm with a tight grip. Pranjal’s lips halted right above Radhika’s puffy, pale, succulent lips. She pressed her mouth to his and the ineffable kiss interlaced both their lips together, like two people disappearing into one, taken over by sheer passion and lust. Both of them vehemently kissed their hearts out till Radhika blossomed like a fresh flower with earnest contentment. They embraced each other with tears rolling down their eyes. Pranjal pecked Radhika’s navel when for the first time, Radhika revealed that she was going to be the mother to his child since the previous three months. Pranjal was taken aback by Radhika’s blunt choked voice with sobs of despair interrupting her confounding words. He could not believe his ears. Being reassured once again of the acrimonious veracity regarding the matter by Radhika, Pranjal could not help but ask her hand for marriage with himself in that very evening. Radhika melted at his offer like warm honey and dismissing all restrictions from her mind, she instantaneously agreed to be united with him that night. They became determined to break through the shackles of the society and to rise above all communal norms in honour of their mutual undying love, empathy, respect, trust and loyalty.

The love birds then asked the priest of the temple to get them married that night. Putting the holy, crimson red ‘sindoor’ on Radhika’s head, Pranjal vowed in the presence of Lord Shiva as witness, to always stay with hertill oblivion, no matter what. Both of them were therefore, united in eternal love, taking oath to stay together forever, breaching the customary caste rules prevalent in the valley of Himachal Pradesh, solely to be combined with their unborn child, shielded by the seraphic and beautiful sheath of divine, sublime and soulful love.Thus, the tree standing behind the historical Mahakaleshwar temple, the mighty Lord Shiva and the tranquil water of the sacred river Beas were the sole guests and witnesses of the marriage of probably the best couple of the world, both their hearts being entangled with each other in blissful eternal love which was as pure and translucent as the reflection of the temple in the water of Beas river.