He sat under the stars beaming a smile that mirrored the crescent moon s and not a thought played across his unruffled, peaceful brow. He was absorbed in this moment of absolute awareness.
As daylight merged with darkness he made his way back to the small cave, that he had made his own. An ancient Neem tree twisted above it, as if standing guard.
He had blurry, faded visions of an elderly couple that may have been his parents. His only strong memories were that of his Master and the few short, glorious years he had spent in his ashram.
Since his Guru had sent him out into the world, he had gone on several pilgrimages, before settling here in Shirdi.
Here he had become one with nature. It was here, he had merged into Her arms and it was here, that She took care of him, as tenderly as a mother-bird does, of her young ones.
He knew not, how long he'd been here, or how many years had passed since birth. One of the aunties from the village would wander for hours with food to find him and feed him.
But he was just as happy living on the bush foods that he collected throughout the year from the trees and bushes close by.
The villagers that had met him, loved him dearly. Some spoke eloquently to others of his beauty and divinity. Slowly a following grew.
One young girl in particular, would come and sit with him for hours. She was drawn like a moth to a flame. Drawn to his pure, radiant smile and open heart.
Although only clothed in rags, she thought him rich. She would sit quietly for hours, saying nothing, just basking in his divine sunshine.
Sometimes they would sit around the fire late at night and he would tell stories, rich with a wisdom, that were well beyond his years.
Early in the morning she would sneak back to her village and lie awake till dawn, dreaming of his stories, replaying them over and over in her pure and innocent mind.
She imagined one day marrying the boy, she prayed for it and hoped for it, her heart grew light with the thought of it.
Her wealthy Merchant Father came to hear the local gossip, of her infatuation with the boy and he forbade her from leaving the house at night.
She cried silent tears and hadn't eaten for three whole days since his command.
Her Mother who was full of love and compassion for her daughter, and trusted her implicitly, petitioned her husband to go and meet with the boy as she had done. She hoped this would put his mind at ease and he would realize the innocence of their relationship.
The father relented, he sent his daughter off to his sisters in the next village, and planned to go and talk to the boy that very night.
As night fell he headed out beyond the village gates and followed an old goat track west, to where he had been told the boy stayed.
Before long he could smell woodsmoke and rounding a bend on the rocky, time worn track, he saw the boy, sitting cross legged before a raging blaze.
His eyes were closed and he was smiling up at the sky, almost grinning. It was as if he had just been given some great news and was basking in his good fortune.
The Merchant sat quietly and rested awhile, respecting the boys peace. Only the sounds of distant goats could be heard sporadically above the the crackle of the hypnotic fire.
Slowly the boys eyes opened and he stared intensely into the flames.
The Merchants patience waned and he spoke.
"I'm Raj Govinda, I'm Lalita's Father, who I think you know very well." he said rather accusingly.
"Agh Lalita" said the boy smiling, the words spilled from his lips as if he were remembering a special moment.
"Don't worry about your Daughter, she is Gods Daughter."
He spoke with such an innocence and selflessness, that the Merchant completely forgot the speech that he had rehearsed in his mind.
He was entranced by the boys voice and his saintly presence.
Nothing more was spoken of that night.
The Merchant fell into a deep meditation and awoke in the early morning light, to the smell of the last burning coals. He was alone.
He returned home and locked himself in his study, he sobbed and cried like a baby. They were tears of joy, for having been in the company of such truth and peace and love. It had moved him beyond words, beyond explanation.
But also they were tears of an aching sadness. He realized how much the young boy had, and he felt so small beside him, so meaningless.
He had made no time for his own spiritual yearnings. He had pushed them aside and made himself busy with the world. He had left his prayers and devotion, to his wife and Lalita.
He had thought that being a merchant and making his family proud, to be more important.
He spent the whole day in his study and the next, refusing food and even water.
His wife became very worried, along with the villagers, who relied on him for work and money.
The Mother sent word for her eldest daughter, to return home from her aunts. Maybe she could coax her father from his room and his malady.
The Merchant had seen in the boy something that had created a profound longing to seek for a deeper meaning and purpose, to this merchant life that he had chosen.
He had seen that the boy was free and it made him realize how trapped and entangled in the world he had become.
He was reflecting back, to his own childhood, when his love for God had been quite earnest. But he had pushed it aside. He had put all his energies into keeping his father happy and doing what he thought was the right thing by his family.
He had followed what he thought was his destiny but it was really just a choice. A choice that he now repented on.
The youth had switched something on inside of him.
His body was an instrument. His mind was an instrument. They were well kept and exercised tools, that had aided him and not burdened him, on his journey to the Divine.
Unanswerable to anyone but his own conscience, which was clear and pure. The boy had nothing and yet he had everything.
Just sitting with him, on that one fateful night, had awoken in him, a sleeping giant.
He swayed between an unexplainable bliss, to a deep overwhelming hunger for more understanding and knowledge.
He didn't want this feeling to go away. He didn't want to lose this fragile connection.
He had lost it once before, when he had wrongly chosen to put the world first.
He answered the door upon hearing Lalita's calls.
As soon as her eyes and his eyes met, she knew everything. For she saw it was everything she had felt and was feeling.
She could see a powerful change in her fathers manner and she was deeply moved by his vulnerability and humility. It was like she was seeing him properly for the first time.
He was no longer hiding behind that facade, of the person who he thought he was.
A great love was upon them
and it had put their lives in a spin,
their world was on hold, as they adventured from within.
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