Dulari's two princes

Dulari’s princes……

Dulari, like all the little girls her age, grew up listening to fairy tales and stories that featured princesses and princes and happily ever afters. She, like all those other little girls, wondered what her Prince Charming would be like? What would he look like? Would he really be charming? Would he make her feel special? Where would he live? The only thing missing in this scenario was her mother singing ‘Que sara sara” in answer to all her questions!

Dulari grew up meeting many princes – some were nice, some were mean, some were clueless and some were just sad. But this story is about the Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness.

The Prince of Darkness came in with guns blazing, like a comet hurtling toward earth. He came in with so much intensity that she could not help but get swept up in that blaze of glory. She should have known better than to get caught up in that blaze because blazes will always burn whatever comes into their path. Thus started the darkest age of her life. He wooed her, serenaded her and completely swept her off her feet. She had never met anyone quite like him and she most certainly had never been serenaded like that - poems, unexpected flowers, songs dedicated to her, surprise visits to her work, surprise lunches and dinners etc. If his serenading was a technology company, then he was the Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin & Larry Page all rolled into one. Life, for that period, was filled with clandestine meetings, intense, never before experienced sex (the bed even broke on one such amorous occasion) and long rides. A blaze by its very nature cannot be permanent and has to die down at some point. When it does, it leaves ash and a sense of what once was. After the short proverbial honeymoon period, the nightmare began. The serenading stopped and she started getting discarded like a soiled diaper.  He managed to bring out the worst in her – things that even she did not know she was capable of - insecurity, jealousy, neediness etc. People around her had never seen this side of her so they were trying to get her out of the whirlwind that was swallowing her but they could not. And then she shattered.

She found herself unable to pick the pieces. She succumbed to the evil voices in her head and let herself free fall. One day, strong arms caught her during that free fall. Those arms belonged to an old friend of hers from college. He began healing her and started restoring her piece by piece, thought by thought and word by word. She needed to empty herself of all emotions. It was only then that the goodness could be pored into her. It was only then that her true self could be revealed to her.  And it was only then that she could be whole by herself. She learned that she must forgive herself and the princes and only then could she move forward. And she did. She surged ahead with this renewed energy and her life shone bright again. All she saw was happiness and peace. Her friend’s strong arms still remain around her albeit with a loosened grip which tighten every time she loses a footing.

It is said, that when you are completely at peace with yourself and you allow the goodness to course through your veins, miracles happen. Dulari started experiencing these miracles and fell in love with life and all that it has to offer. One such miracle was the entry of the Prince of Light into her life. He came in like a lazy flowing river. He came into her life at a time when she needed nothing. He meandered in demanding nothing but friendship. He does not believe in wallowing in the past nor worrying about the future. He believes in the Present. He lives in the moment, is simple and lives honestly. When he laughs he envelopes all those around him in that happy moment. He knows no games and he knows no deception. He loves the sea and is a sailor. And their relationship is like the relationship of the sea and its shore. The sea demands nothing of the shore and the shore demands nothing of the sea and yet they have a relationship for where there is a shore they must be a sea. Dulari loves him for what he is and for what she is when she is with him. Theirs is a steady, laid back love born out of a deep friendship and respect for each other. They do not know what the future holds for them nor do they care about it. They build their life day by day, one giggle after another, one magical and mesmerizing night after the other and one conversation after another.

The ghosts residing in Dulari’s head are still there but she has control over their appearances and when she does allow them to appear, she only allows them to show her the happy memories – of laughter, long drives, joyful dancing, conversations well into the night, long walks and the love that she shared with each of them.

About the author:

Radhika is passionate about life, loving, learning and living. She is an avid reader, fitness enthusiast, loves to travel and has co founded Mythopia, a special interest group that is fascinated by the wonderful world of mythology. This is her first short story.