Queen Chandra Devi did all that was asked of her by Manohra. Now facing the ultimate ordeal, a bonfire burning brightly right smack in the middle of an open air stage by the palace grounds, Manohra began the first slow steps of what was to be her last dance, the Dance of Fire. Her wings and tail now back on her courtesy of the queen, so that she would be able to give the perfect final performance in front of the king and his entire court, Manohra's languid dance steps gradually picked up in grace, pace and power.
First she swayed this way and that well away from the bonfire, circling around it from afar. The whole audience, including the king, was mesmerised by the elegance of Manohra's dance. Then she started making light intermittent darting moves toward the fire and away from it, then back to dancing around it again.
Manohra's moves became more purposeful and deliberate. The audience started murmuring in anxiety every time she approached the fire. As the fire grew bigger, Manohra's dartings became surges, while the audience's murmurs turned into gasps. Eventually, the king himself began to look disconcerted. While his queen sat silently beside him, patiently watching everything.
After several surges, Manohra galloped at full speed toward the fire and made like she was going to leap into it. "No!" King Maha Dhana blurted, his voice carrying over the entire palace grounds. Manohra stopped herself at the last moment, as if obeying the new wish of the king, who now seemed to have changed his mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo7fmQ6bG_0
"This is sick!" someone shouted. "No, it's much worse than that. It's evil!" another screamed. "Whose idea is this?" another yelled. "It must be the Counsellor's, he has always wanted his own daughter to be the prince's bride!" another one proclaimed. "Then let's get him," yet another demanded, "he should be the one thrown into the flames!"
Many in the audience began to look around among themselves for the Counsellor, who just moments before was seated a row behind the king. But now he was nowhere to be seen.
As the dance reached its climax, Manohra leaped high into the air, flapped her wings robustly, and flew away nimbly out of the palace compound. Nursing a wounded heart, fighting back her grief at having been treated so badly by a tribe calling themselves 'humans', she made to find her way back to her homeland.
During the dance, however, mere moments before making her escape, Manohra had managed to slip to a supporting dancer a secret note to be conveyed to the queen, to be passed on in turn to her husband Sudhana Kumara when he returned. She had also earlier left a ruby ring with the queen, to be given to Sudhana Kumara as a momento of her love for him. She would wait for Sudhana Kumara at Mount Kailasha, on the condition that he must arrive there before a period of seven years, seven months and seven days had passed. If he were to fail, then they would be doomed to separation forever.
§
Prince Sudhana Kumara gained victory in battle, and he led his army on a proud march back to Hastina Pura. When he reached his family's palace, however, Manohra was no more there. She had returned to her family's home on Mount Kailasha, in her own kingdom, Kinnara Nagara. Told the story about Manohra's torment and final escape by his now loyal friend, the hunter Halaka, Sudhana Kumara was overwhelmed by sadness and hurt at the fate of his bride. After three sleepless nights of brooding contemplation, he asked Halaka to accompany him to Mount Kailasha.
They stopped by the cave of the sage monk to get instructions left to him by Manohra on how Sudhana Kumara could find his way to Mount Kailasha. Their journey took so long. By the time they reached the foot of Mount Kailasha, seven years, seven months and six days had passed. There was only one day left, and Sudhana Kumara was yet to find Manohra, whose father's palace lay on an immense ledge on one side of the mountain. Time was now of the essence.
As Sudhana Kumara sat slumped against a rock, tired and exhausted, a big Jatayu bird passed by him. He leapt with all his remaining strength, and hung on to one of the bird's legs as it carried him up toward the palace of Manohra's father.
The giant bird dropped Sudhana Kumara by a pond well away from the palace grounds. He saw several Kinnari court maidens fetching water with pitchers from the pond. He offered to help, and was told by the lead maiden that the water was for a princess' bath. After enquiring further, he found out that the princess' name was Manohra. Sudhana deliberately dropped the ruby ring that Manohra had left for him into the water pitcher of the lead maiden, to let Manohra know that he had arrived.
§
As Manohra bathed with the water brought for her, a ruby ring slipped out of one of the water pitchers. Manohra was at once very happy and terribly anxious. As soon as she had finished bathing, she dressed up quickly and went to see her father.
"Father," Manohra approached King Druma Raja. "Sudhana Kumara is here in Kinnara Nagara. He will be in the palace any moment now. Would you see him?"
"Of course," answered the Kinnara king. "I'm going to chop him up into small pieces, for what his family has done to you. Then I'm going to send his remains back to his kingdom."
"Father, he's my husband," Manohra countered. "If you love me, you must spare his life. If you kill him, that would be as good as killing me, for I am going to jump into a big bonfire, or drink a phial of poison. Sudhana Kumara had no part whatsoever in the atrocity that had happened to me in Hastina Pura."
"A man must account for the deeds of his family. Let this be a lesson to all his kith and kin. For messing up with a daughter of mine."
"Father, if it weren't for his mother's help, I might not have been able to make my escape. And his father at last regretted his decision."
"He did, did he? Well, he was ages too bloody late!"
"Father, if it weren't for his mother's help, I might not have been able to make my escape. And his father at last regretted his decision."
"He did, did he? Well, he was ages too bloody late!"
"Females!" Druma Raja glared at his queen, then his daughter. "What do you all know about pride and honour?" At first he felt fully justified in his intention. Then he began to feel doubt and confusion creeping into him.
"I have had to live with your version of pride and honour for all of our life together," the queen held her ground. "Believe me, it has not always been easy." The king's face flushed.
Sensing that her father had begun to soften a little, Manohra searched for a solution. "Sudhana Kumara is a brave, strong and intelligent man," she broached. "You will be proud of him, Father. You could set him some tests that he has to pass, as the conditions for winning me back."
§
"I am Sudhana Kumara, husband of Manohra," totally unruffled, Sudhana Kumara whipped out his scimitar in response.
"Guards!" just then a voice boomed from the direction of the palace staircase. "Let him pass!" It was Druma Raja himself. Unbeknownst to anyone, the king had been observing everything and everyone, especially Sudhana Kumara, from his own hidden vantage point. He looked as valiant as any Kinnara warrior, Druma Raja had considered.
"My apologies, Your Majesty, for the debacle that happened to your daughter in our home, " Sudhana Kumara wasted no words. "I was away at the time."
"You had the gall to take a bride without making any effort to get her father's blessing," Druma Raja jumped straight to the point, giving the prince neither quarter nor respite. Now he sounded terse. He had that withering look.
"I got caught up ... in the excitement ... of the wedding preparations, Sir," Sudhana now looked uncomfortable. "It then became a frenzy. We had not had a royal wedding for a long time. Our people demanded a grand affair. By the time I realised my error ... the wedding was already over. And then ... I assumed that ..."
"That what? That I would be delighted to have a daughter of mine marry into a family of callous, heartless brutes?"
"Then this same family believed that she carried a curse, and wanted to kill her, based merely on some jealous counsellor's malevolent advice," the king continued. "Only my daughter's courage and intelligence saved her from an execution by fire. What kind of an arrogant tribe is yours? You must think you own the world!"
"It all occurred ... without my knowledge ... Your Majesty."
"Your father presided over the ... ceremony," Druma Raja retorted. He spat the last word out.
"But he ..." Sudhana Kumara thought to say something.
"Found his conscience ... or just lost his nerve ... at the last moment?" the king cut him off, sneering. "What a wimp."
"I was going to make mince meat out of you," Druma Raja's face betrayed no emotion. "Fortunately, at least for you, my daughter and the queen counselled me against it. You might want to thank them both for saving your arse. For now."
"You did not really believe that I was going to be an easy animal to slaughter, did you?" Sudhana Kumara smiled. It was an unexpected smile. The king thought it rather inappropriate.
"Better wipe that silly smirk off your stupid face," Druma Raja commanded, "or I might be tempted to do it for you."
The king and the prince regarded each other for a few heartbeats, like two warrior strangers. Then Druma Raja held out his enormous hands. For an instant, Sudhana Kumara wondered if they were going for his throat. After satisfying himself that they were not, he held out his own hands in response, and the two men embraced each other.
"Welcome to Kinnara Nagara," at last Druma Raja seemed to lighten up just a wee bit.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Sudhana Kumara felt his chest breathe relief.
"But don't you dare bet on your luck yet," the king warned. "There's still plenty for you to do. You'll have to earn my confidence and respect. It won't be a stroll in the park for you. This time you're not dealing with a lone captive princess, but an entire royal household who can decide whether you live or die."
The Kinnara king then guided Sudhana Kumara into his palace and gave Sudhana Kumara a most gracious albeit brief royal tour and welcome. The building was immense. It stood three storeys high. Its style was lavish and ornate. The main body was of fine gray granite, while the domes were of flawless marble of mixed green, turquoise and purple hues. It was filled with exquisite and expensive looking things. Polite smiling servants went about performing their duties in good cheer or stood ready to do any bidding of the king or his family.
As time was short, Druma Raja immediately demanded Sudhana Kumara to prove how genuine his love was for Manohra. As the king reasoned, if Sudhana Kumara truly loved Manohra, then he should be prepared to face any challenge to win her back.
"And what action have your family taken on that evil Counsellor of theirs?"
"He has been caught, and my father has given the instruction for him to be sent into exile. After he has been flogged in public to my father's satisfaction."
The king seemed satisfied with the prince's answer. Druma Raja then insisted that Sudhana Kumara had to undertake and pass three tests. The first was a test of strength, the second a test of skill, the third a test of wile.
§
For the first test, the prince had to lift a massive block of mountain rock. He did that successfully. For the second, he had to shoot an arrow through seven planks of different woods and hit the target. He performed that satisfactorily too, with his trusted longbow. The third, final and most difficult test now loomed over Sudhana Kumara. He had to identify Manohra from among seven Kinnari princesses in a parade, with all of them wearing the same attire, without speaking to or otherwise communicating with any of them.
Sudhana Kumara gazed at the seven Kinnari princesses lined up before him. He could not differentiate between them to the slightest degree. Talk about birds of the same feather, they all looked absolutely exactly alike.
As time passed, Sudhana Kumara's heart began beating increasingly faster. There were only moments left before the period allowed him to find Manohra would expire. Would that there be no other outcome, except that he would bear the punishment for what his family had done to Manohra, that perhaps, despite all his efforts, he had already been doomed to fail?
Sudhana Kumara thought and thought. He jogged his memory back to the day he first met Manohra. He recalled his first attempts to win over Manohra, how at first she repeatedly rejected him, and how only much later she gradually warmed to him. Then he thought to when she first started to reciprocate his feelings for her, then to their months of courtship, which eventually ended with their wedding. And then he remembered that glittering purple hued diamond ring. He had placed it on Manohra's finger as they sat on their wedding dais, and she had beamed with happiness.
As luck would have it, the ring was firmly bound around the ring finger of the princess standing in the middle. Even though they had been separated for virtually seven years, seven months and seven days, Manohra was still wearing the ring. Sudhana Kumara rushed over to Manohra and proffered his hand, and Manohra accepted it most lovingly.
Moments afterward, a young boy holding a toy bow complete with arrow struggled to break free from the protective restraint of his maidservant, and ran toward Sudhana Kumara.
"Father! Father!" the child screamed aloud.
"Oh, my son," Sudhana Kumara's voice shook with emotion, while Manohra and her father both looked on glowingly.
"What is your name, young man?" moments later Sudhana Kumara found his poise again.
"I am Lakshmana," the child replied proudly. He had been named after an illustrious ancient warrior.
"My grandson has been enamoured with the bow and arrow ever since he was a little baby," Druma Raja interjected.
"One day he will grow up into a fine warrior," Sudhana Kumara continued stroking the head of the son whom he had only seen for the very first time.
The next day, a big party was organised, to celebrate the reunion of Manohra and Sudhana Kumara. In the evening, Manohra had the chance to showcase her sublime dancing skills in public again. But this time, it was a happy show brimming with much happiness and good festive cheer. Thus, Manohra and Sudhana Kumara, after a separation of seven years, seven months and seven days, finally came together again. And they lived together happily ever after, with Lakshmana and their other children who came after him.
§
Uda stopped for a while, sipping the juice of young coconut that Kembang Seri Wangi had laid out for him.
"Ooo," Nibung cooed. "That is a most pleasant tale." Then he turned toward Kembang Seri Wangi. "Hey, Sister. Your eyes are looking moist."
"It's the wind, Nibung,” replied Kembang Seri Wangi. "It's hurting my eyes.”
"Nibung, you idiot,” Pinang snorted. "You just don't see it, do you? Wangi was moved by the tale. The middle part of it ... was too touching for her."
"It was the ending, actually, "Kembang Seri Wangi wiped her eyes. "It was just so sweet and beautiful."
"All right, children," Utih clapped his hands for attention. "Before we proceed to the next story, does anyone have anything to say?"
"I do, Utih," Kembang Seri Wangi nudged a plate each of boiled banana and roast sweet potato toward Utih, Uda and her brothers. "My father says that every folk tale carries in it profound lessons that we can all learn from. So we'd best look for some in this one too."
"That is very true, Wangi," replied Utih. "In that case, let's have each of you give us at least one character from that tale, and any lesson that we can draw from it."
"The Royal Counsellor, Uncle Utih," Nibung munched on a morsel of potato. "It was because of his vicious jealousy that Princess Manohra was so cruelly treated. A wicked man like him should be punished in accordance with his evil deeds."
"He was," Utih dug into some boiled banana. "He got just about what he deserved."
"He was," Utih dug into some boiled banana. "He got just about what he deserved."
"The hunter Halaka, Uncle Utih," Pinang proposed. "His loyalty to his friend and master, Prince Sudhana Kumara, was what led to Princess Manohra meeting Prince Sudhana Kumara."
"He was also a patriotic citizen who sprang to the defence of his kingdom's interests the moment he felt that they came under threat," Kenanga Sari added. "And he ended up being well compensated for his good deeds."
"He was also a patriotic citizen who sprang to the defence of his kingdom's interests the moment he felt that they came under threat," Kenanga Sari added. "And he ended up being well compensated for his good deeds."
"Well, is that all?" Utih beseeched.
"Umm, King Maha Dhana," Nibung ventured. "His character was weak, even if he was perhaps well meaning and had a good heart. He was too easily swayed by sedition and false advice, leading to Manohra's mistreatment. By the time he realised the stupidity of his decision, it was already too late. This kind of character must not be emulated at all."
"Prince Sudhana Kumara, of course," Pinang spoke. "There was a man of stout heart and strong will. He was prepared to face any obstacle, wade through any challenge, to seek and find his beloved bride again. He never wavered or despaired through it all, until eventually he succeeded."
"And I admire Queen Chandra Kinnari," added Kembang Seri Wangi. "She stood up to her fierce husband King Druma Raja to defend both her daughter and a son in law whom she had never met."
"King Druma Raja was also a great man," Kenanga Sari spoke. "Although at first he was very angry and bitter that his daughter had been treated so badly, eventually he absolved Sudhana Kumara of any blame for the wrong committed in the prince's home, and accepted the prince into his family. And now I know where the Manohra Dance comes from."
"I guess we'll have to start learning it some time then, Kenanga," Kembang Seri Wangi smiled.
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