Barrister Parvateesam

My astonishment knew no bounds. Could it be that my desire, my imagination, both so powerful, had managed to send a message not only to the king but also to the queen of my heart? It was something unbelievable, something almost impossible to accept. Yet, all this had truly happened before my very eyes—how could I possibly deny it? Perhaps human imagination and resolve possess such strength after all. Speechless, I gently took my beloved’s hand and drew her closer to me. The moment my touch reached her, every nerve in her body seemed to come alive. Her body grew warm. She stood still, as if a little afraid to come any closer. I pulled her just a bit nearer, brushed back the curls that danced across her face, and caressed her cheeks as I said:

“All these seven days, you were wishing I would come, weren’t you? You kept sending me silent messages, day and night! How strange it is. In this short span of time, though we are so far apart, we have become one. This feeling fills me with such wonder that I cannot even express it to you, my dearest,” I said, and with that, I embraced her tightly and kissed her even more deeply. In that moment, the two of us became one.

After a while, she gently freed her hands from mine, moved a little to the side, and said, “Did I really call you? Did my call truly reach you? I too am greatly surprised. Outwardly, I said nothing. I don’t even know what I wished for in my heart. Perhaps this outcome is because I chanted your name a hundred thousand times. With the power of that mantra, my lord has appeared before me in person,” she said, covering her face with her hands and leaning on my shoulder. I was at a loss for words. What an imagination! What a beautiful description! I wondered if my Saraswati would become a great poetess. At that moment, I even said aloud, “If you become a poetess, then I have no role in it. Every thought, every response comes to me only from you. The one who makes me speak is Ramabhadra—no, Parvateesam!”

She laughed and, like a dragonfly, flitted away to the other side. “It would be good if you bathed now—my father has to leave for court. My brother-in-law will be getting ready for the meal with the family. Let’s continue this conversation after lunch,” she said.

“Well then, Saraswati! My clothes and all are with Raju. I’ll go and fetch them,” I said.

“I didn’t want to trouble you again after you came here, so I had them brought here for you. No matter how shy you feel, it seems to be your custom, as a son-in-law visiting your in-laws’ house for the first time after marriage, to stay somewhere else in the town. No one here has ever heard of such a thing,” she said, noticing that I