Recap: Valli, a fortune teller, arrives at Queen Parvata Vardini’s palace and impresses her with insights into the queen’s past. Valli hints at intertwined curses in the queen’s future. She then narrates the story of Kandika, who is told she will give birth to a divine child. Kandika’s child, Narobha, is born and faces a difficult early life, eventually becoming a robber.

Chapter 5/26: Evocative Maiden

Part 1/2 of the novella ‘The cursed keris of Taravati’

Valli’s face bloomed with happiness. “O queen of boundless compassion, listen to me.” she began, “this valley’s beauty lay not only in the rain-laden clouds and lush greenery that danced in the mountain winds, but also in a maiden of unparalleled kindness: Tara.”

“Tara was a special girl in that village. She embodied the virtues of the goddess for whom she was named – limitless mercy and divine compassion. Her benevolence knew no bounds, embracing humans, animals, trees, and the very earth. She spent much of her time at the Bodhisattva temple, which was a serene and beautiful place. Within the temple grounds, there was a lotus pond that mirrored her grace. The lotus buds, as she passed, seemed to stir, yearning for her touch before they were plucked as offerings. Their silent plea reached the swans gliding on the pond, who would ‘kwaark… kwaark…’ to draw her gentle gaze.”

“These calls would capture the attention of the nuns gathering flowers. Seeing Tara, they would smile, captivated by her soft-spoken nature and flawless, almost divine beauty. ‘Look, Tara,’ they’d often laugh, ‘even the swans are longing to talk to you!’”

“Tara would turn and offer a smile, and in that instant, the sunlight would catch the bloom on her cheeks, outshining even the sunflowers by the pond.”

“Her father, Purvadasa Nagadutta, the temple’s head priest, held her in immense affection. He marveled at how so young a girl could possess such devotion. He beamed at her keen intellect, her swift mastery of scripts, and her ability to read epics from the palm leaf manuscripts. Indeed, a Vaishnavite priest from Durgavati, upon seeing her assist in reading the scriptures, was moved to declare her a very form of Saraswati.”

“At home, Tara nurtured two beloved pets: Suga, a parrot, and Manju, a gentle country cow. When she journeyed to the grasslands with Manju, Suga would flutter and perch upon her shoulder or head. Growing restless, Suga would then hop down to sit between Manju’s horns. Manju, unfazed, would continue grazing, her bell tinkling ‘kin.. kin.. kini..‘ softly.”

“With Tara’s patient teaching, Suga learned to speak her name. Whenever someone entered the house, Suga would repeat, ‘Tarra.. Tarra..,’ the sound endearing at first. But Suga, sensing the attention, would become emboldened, repeating it incessantly.”

“Manju, however, was not always a fan of Suga’s squawking. Eventually, her patience wearing thin, she would shake her head to and fro, attempting to dislodge the parrot. Undeterred, Suga would merely fly about her ears, continuing his chorus of ‘Tarra… Tarra…’”

“Tara’s beauty, wisdom, and compassion spread throughout the valley and beyond. It is no wonder that Tungabhadra knew of her when he came to the village in search of Narobha. Upon visiting the temple, he found Tara reading manuscripts with her father, Nagadutta. Tungabhadra was truly astonished by such a radiant girl within his domain.”

“During his visit, while conversing with the influential Nagadutta, their discussion turned to casual matters. Tungabhadra mentioned his habit of taking an afternoon nap after his meal. Nagadutta advised that a brief rest was fine, but a long one was not. When asked about his own afternoon routine after the temple closed, Nagadutta shared that he would go into the forest, filled with jambu trees, to meditate.”

Valli’s eyes grew sad. “Oh, my queen,” she said, “Nagadutta spoke of this casually, with pride. But he did not realize that Tungabhadra had taken careful note…” Queen Parvata Vardini turned her head sharply towards Valli, her movement like the swift turn of a snake’s hood. Valli paused, gathering her thoughts.

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Note:

• This fiction is a retelling of a mythology.
• Images generated with ImageFx of Google Gemini.
• Awkward sentences are removed by AI for a smoother reading experience.