#8
Excitement and anticipation where high in the town
of Hampi or the Vijayanagara Empire. Six hours before the Ambiguous
event Sahasra would have to encounter the jealousy Sadhu’s
Tungabadhra, did not have enough water to submerge a 5'8"
tall Sahasra. It was 3 am in the morning when Sahasra had gone to take the holy
dip. The terrain looked pitch dark while the sky was unusually cloudy. She was
never bothered, because even if it rains cats and dogs she was determined to
perform until her legs wear out.
She wasn't performing for the audience but for Lord Shiva. With
folded hands pronouncing "Ohm Namashivaya" her eye lids blinked for
one last time before she took the dip. One, two and three, she took the dip and
with each dip she looked so brisker than before. Her wet hair shined, even with
the minimum light from the moon which remained hidden behind the clouds.
Her hands looked so beautifully decorated with mehandi. She
never expressed her excitement but looked so determined. She smiled so little
and spoke less to the people who she had acquainted in the past 9 days, and
near the mandap she met Chinna Devi.
***
Before Anjali met Sahasra the last day, Ramu was giving her
company during her idle time, and that is when Ramu explained her about the
Portuguese Invasion of Goa. Goa being 196.3 miles away from Hampi, the laurels
and richness of Vijayanagara Empire was so much spread in the towns of Goa even
at that times.
It was in 1510, that Alphonso de Albuquerque captured Goa during the reigning time Raja Krishnadevaraya.
One after the other, Ramu explained how travellers who had visited Vijayanagara
were inspired and influenced by the rich culture and architecture of Hampi. He
continued to explain that the performers of Hampi were invited to dance in
their functions.
After Biswas it was now Ramu, who misunderstood
the sweet and lustful looks of Sahasra. It was her interest in women that was
becoming so evident, with her lustful looks on Ramu it was clear that Chinna
Devi appeared again in the eyes of Sahasra, Poor Ramu never knew.
Had anyone understood about the thoughts of
Sahasra she could have been distracted. The disorder had completely taken a
toll on her. Influenced by the Portuguese
invasion stories, the last soul from the 21st century that she interacted
was Anjali, when she had come to discuss about the costume.
Respecting her request on prioritizing her
privacy, no one was allowed to interact with her until she completed the
performance.
A new plot unfolded in her mind as her life had
a different story to tell. She smiled looking at the two body guards who stood
at the doors of her grooming room near the stage as she walked inside around 4
am. From Jasmine flowers to jewellery, everything were ready and arranged on
the dressing table. Anjali had done the preparations but Sahasra did not bother
to know who did it.
She stretched her toe, as her calf muscles
contracted when she leaned forward to tie the four lined ankle bells stitched
on to the red cloth in her ankle. She blushed like never before while she tied
her long hair into plaits. The costumes looked so bright on her fair skin. The pyjamas had
handcrafted dwaraka designs stitched on to a cotton fabric with a mix of yellow
and sky blue background. The blouse and pallu repeated the colors in pyjamas,
borders were blue while the pallu was yellow with a red shade.
Her pinkish lips needed no lipstick while she
used charcoal as eyeliner. 5.30 am and with half hour for her performance Anjali
took care of the background check. Anjali's volunteering was so much
appreciated as she was also pretty famous after the jaw dropping performance
the previous day.
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