Hallucinating Hampi- Chapter 2

#3 

The thoughts and conflicts of Sahasra when she crosses the banks of Tungabadhra to Virupapur Gadde, from Vijayanagara to kishkindha and how Schizophrenia turns out to be a boon will be continued in the this chapter. Hold your breath till then...

Left, Right and Go, like a teenager she splashed the water until the water wetted the sadhu, meditating on the rocks clad in a dhoti over his waist, he looked furious with dreadlocks. From there, her thoughts began to conceive every one with its own interpretation, the characters in her hallucination had no resemblance to any normal people from the 21st century.

Luckily, her attitude and habits remained to be the same. To an extent that helped the people to not get surprised by her strange reactions. Only time she got back to her senses were when she got distracted. She was going through a strange phenomenon which she had never gone through. Exactly, eight hundred and ninety steps she walked according to her fitness app before she saw the boats docked on the river bank as there was not enough water for the boats to sail.

Maybe, Ramu had felt something special about this 5'8 tall, thin and bold girl that would persist him to stand by the banks of Virupaksha until he made sure that Sahasra reached the other side safe. She had her rooms booked in a traveller’s hostel which was seven kilometres from Virupapur Gadde.

The affordable way to travel within the place was hiring a scooter. The modern girl from the 21st century did not yet realize that schizophrenia has taken over her, and so seeing people riding a bike in the costumes from history looked funny to her. She kept her thoughts to herself or believed it to be real. She hired the bike after surrendering her license copy and left the place to the hotel.

She was warned to be cautious about the petrol level for every seventy kilometres because of the fine-tuned mileage trick, two litre for every seventy kilometres was the count. By then her hallucinating thoughts where on and off and slowly she realized that the disorder is taking toll. This time, she choose not to give up and find a way out of it in her favour. 
She rode the hired scooter to Jungle tree, where her rooms were booked. On the way she, was already making friends with the people who were carrying heaps of hay for their cattle and the kids who were training themselves for the Dusshera performance. She vroomed in the places where she felt unsafe. Which, later she came to know that there is no such unsafe place in the whole of Hampi.

The sulking shrewd programmer was becoming more of a fun loving and motivational human in the due course of time. She checked in around 8.00 am in the morning. Not a clean place for the hygienic girl she used to be but she rather chose to accept it and made herself comfortable with the place. Being the only tourist in the hostel and being a girl was more of a concern for her.Biswas, a 21 year old guy who was in the reception escorted her to the room, eventually understood the nervousness in her face and assured her this place is safe for her to stay.

Breakfast was ready for her, and the hospitality by Biswas and his boys in the restaurant made her feel home. She opted to have Bread and Jam with a cup of black coffee sitting on the specially arranged beds unlike other restaurants. The restaurant hall was actually an open entrance to the hostel.

Unusual tracks appeared on her playlist as she was listening to music. With her eyes closed, she opted to listen to the Bharatanatyam padham. Memories of her winning laurels for her performance to the Tani avarthanam padham crossed her mind as she smiled.

Sahasra opened her eyes to see a pair of beautiful foot, highlighting on the fair skin tone was a richly decorated traditional design using mehandi and a thick ankle chain of gold in two layers which had little pendants and a green stone which looked like emerald, cut into a shape of triangle in the center of every pendant. She was not surprised and looked as if she has been anticipating her arrival.

Sahasra, offered her a place to sit and with the legs folded to the sides she found her place there. Clad in a green Mysore silk saree, costume of the lady reminded her costume that she chose to wear while performing Tani Avartanam. Though her lips movement were evident as she spoke to the lady, thanks to the headsets and the privacy. Biswas and his boys felt she was singing along with the song, while she had already started talking to a character who never existed.
                                         
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In the fort complex of Raja Krishnadevaraya is a Mahanavami Dibba, a tall structure built exactly in front of the royal courtyard for the dancers to perform so that the king and his people can witness the performances. Every year at the time of Dusshera, dancers and performers from places in and around the Vijayanagara kingdom poured in to showcase their talent. 
                                               ***

It was 10.30 am and the lady had offered to stay with her throughout the trip. Promising Sahasra that she will answer all her questions and doubts, she wanted to be the guide, to which Sahasra readily accepted. In fact she was infatuated to the looks of the lady and didn't want her to leave.
                                                ***
Chinna Devi, considered to be one of the most amazing dancers of the time and the most beautiful lady who could attract any one to herself and her dance. Obviously, one of the  main reason for why she became the Queen of Raja Krishnadevaraya. Soon to be realized, it was not the stories of Raja narrated by Ramu Batti but the small portion of Rani Chinna Devi the long lost dancer that influenced her.
                                                ***

The imaginary character who would talk to her for the next few days was already set and it was time for the long lost dancer to find more similarities with Chinna Devi. Sahasra had to start her exploration but with priorities set. Three days from then was Dusshera and she did not want to miss any corner of the place to be unexplored.

Biswas was amused in the way he was being looked at by an educated, bold and beautiful girl. But, he did not realize that she was looking at him as Chinna Devi alone. That is when she asked him to explain about how to prioritize the schedule, she was particular in visiting all the places before the dancers start their nine days arpana for Dusshera starting from 3rd October.


He gathered all his knowledge about the tourist interests and its details in and around the place, looking at this as a chance to impress her he described in his words…
“Madam, Hampi alone is not the tourist place, both the sides of Tungabhadra are of same historical importance. While one is from the 15th century the other is from pre-historic period. The side which you came from was the capital city of Vijayanagara Empire and it flourished during the Krishnadevaraya period and the decline happened soon after internal tensions and communal clashes started, out of misunderstanding. The moment you crossed the river you are in the place called Virupapur gadde, which was the Vanara Kingdom called Kishkindha considered to be the birth place of Lord Hanuman and the resting place of Bali brother of Sugreeva and in here you have places like Chinthamani, Bali Guha, Rakshasha Guha, Durga Temple and the Hanuman temple which also has one of the best sunset views.”

Biswas was surprised when he found her staring at his fingers and smiling at him in a strange way which he is not used to be treated. Sahasra never wanted Chinna Devi to stop briefing and she was so much fascinated by the jewels and looks of her. Things were already becoming awkward, neither Biswas understood that Sahasra was looking at him as Chinna Devi  or Sahasra understood that it was Biswas who is explaining and not ChinnaDevi 

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