LOSTANDFOUND INPARADISE

BY SREELEKHA CHATTERJEE

aya wasn’t at peace ever since she had discovered that her wedding ring was missing. Where on earth did she drop it? She mentally cursed herself for not being careful. Her husband, Vaibhav, was making soft ice balls and throwing them toward her, while she was engrossed in her own investigative deliberations distant, eyes dwelling among the sunbeams falling on the snow of Gulmarg

“What’s the matter, Maya? You seem to be unmindful ” Vaibhav asked her, while an ice ball hit her long, black overcoat A vague disinterest stared at him from her eyes

Maya was jolted out of her train of thought

Suddenly alerted, she tried hard to appear pleasant, but all she could do was smile wanly, and her black tresses touched her lips as they attuned to the cold breeze A feeling persisted as if a pair of eyes was following her everywhere she went She wished to tell Vaibhav about her concerns, but then decided it was best to hidethem from him After all, she had known him only for a few months, ever since their marriage “Let’s ride the sledge ” Vaibhav said, pointing to the series of sledges standing on the ice The locals in phiran costumes were ready to receive the tourists and ride along with them

“You go ahead. I’ll wait over here for you.” Maya said with a plangent cadence, somehow resisting the call of traveling to an alternate abode the spellbinding clouds soaring above the breathtaking snow-clad mountains, the elusive mist roaming around the trees, and above all, the revivifying pine-scented, mountain air that never failed to refresh the mind and soul. The wraith of the lost ring thwarted to such an extent that her inner disquiet impeded her way to soaking in the pure solace and joy in that heavenly land

Vaibhav wished to coax Maya to join him, but she seemed to be reluctant and no amount of persuasion would change her mind A group of excited men whom Vaibhav had met over there waved at him, motioning him to join them As soon as Vaibhav was out of sight, Maya aimlessly lolled around, planning to go over their trip so far

A quiet, rejuvenating vacation had started off well The great staycation packages accompanying the opportunity to embrace nature seemed more than alluring Two days ago, they had landed at the Srinagar airport From there, they reached the Dal Lake by car to spend two days and one night on a houseboat. Encompassed by lush jade foliage and the distant great, snow-capped Himalayas, resembling white marble, tidied with vegetation below, the vast expanse of pristine water of the Lake surrounding the houseboat was like living in paradise The halcyon atmosphere and the quiet mountains were like zen Buddha, witnessing thousands and thousands of years of exhaustion–replenishment of civilizations their flourish, disappearance, environmental collapse, followed by the birth of new lives, new communities yet remaining unbroken, unperturbed She had never been imbued with such purity, such elegance in her life Folding her hands in prayer, she offered her deep obeisance to one of the greatest shrines on Earth Kashmir truly was a heaven on earth

The stay at the houseboat, having all the luxury and comfort, exuded the splendor of a bygone imperial era Draped in hand-woven carpets of intricate embroidery and delightful colors, the creak and groan of the wooden floor transported her to a sublime world Perched on the balcony of the houseboat, she wished to continue to be amazed by the changing panoramas and shades of the mountains on Nature’s magnificent canvas

As far as she remembered, the ring was there when they entered the houseboat to spend the night The evening was as splendid as the day that ended in a sumptuous dinner comprising of eye-soothing, mouth-watering dumolav or aloo, modur pulao, match and, Rogan Josh, girda or flatbread, kong phirni, and basrakh

The next day they traveled on a Shikara from one end of the tranquil water of the Lake to the other a quintessential experience of a relaxing journey. Gliding through the calm waters, they came across an entire floating market, glimpses of vegetable gardens, vibrant houseboats, and traditional Kashmiri homes. Colorfully decorated boats selling kesar or saffron grown in Kashmir, dry fruits, and other handicrafts like shawls, carpets, strolls were seen all around. She had purchased kesar from one of those boats. She wondered whether her ring fell into the water while she was purchasing the item or touching and combing the Lake water with her fingers She was not destined to have a fate like that of Shakuntala who lost in the river the only ring that her husband Dushyant gave her, leading to erasure of her memory from his mind But the news of the absence of the ring was bound to invite her husband’s displeasure

In the afternoon, Maya and Vaibhav had been to the place where the wooden boats or Shikaras were built These boats had been around for centuries, facilitating transportation and leisurely rides on the Lake After having a chat with the local carpenters who created them, they moved to the city homestay The following day they ventured to Gulmarg Maya was unable to recall any specific moment when her ring would have slipped through her finger There was no way she could go back to the houseboat and search the place If she had dropped it in the lake, there wasn’t any possibility that she would ever get it back

She wished to indulge in the calm of her environment, but this contemplation was killing her The loss of guardianship of the ring had made her upset, and she wearied from the plaguing thought of it Perhaps it wasn’t something over which she had to lose her sleep But the ring was more about the love and affection of her husband that she had inadvertently misplaced somewhere Maya kicked the ice in frustration The black boots hired from a local shop hurt her feet As she turned around to face the asphalt side road, she noticed a middle-aged man with a long beard watching her She averted her eyes from him, but the next moment she returned there, thinking she had seen him wave at her On her second glance, the man was gone Turning around, she found the man a few paces away from her. He was wearing the traditional, brown phiran.

“Madam, I have been looking for you for the past two days. Have you lost something?” He said in one breath as if he had rehearsed the lines several times before.

“Yes, my ring.” Maya said briefly.

He took out his wallet and a shiny gold ring emerged from it Maya grabbed the ring like a child snatched her favorite toy

“I wasn’t sure it was yours I tried looking for you everywhere and when finally, I found you was a bit hesitant in approaching you You and your husband had come over to our area to see how boats are made We noticed the ring while cleaning the place ” He said, with happy tears welling in his eyes “I’m so glad I found its rightful owner ” He continued with eyes lowered, directing them onto his boots

Maya wore the ring and was lost in admiring it when the man bid her goodbye and walked toward the gate On realizing that she hadn’t properly thanked the man, she called out to him

“Bhaiya, please wait ”

The man stopped Maya considered giving him some money, but perhaps that wasn’t enough for what he had returned to her A part of her had gone missing along with the ring Her thoughts like the restless sea had at last calmed She fished out something from her bag and rushed toward the man

“Please bring your right hand forward.” She said.

Bewildered, he held out his right hand, while Maya tied a red thread around his wrist

“From today onward, you are my brother ” She said while tears kept rolling down her cheeks She had not only found her precious possession but also a brother in that paradise

Her eyes basked in the glory of the fading luminance of late afternoon, amid the still snow-clad mountains exhibiting a thousand hues that cascaded down the slopes A light shined in her eyes that sparkled with contentment, as the familiar face of humanity had blossomed.

Sreelekha Chatterjee’s short stories have been published in various national, and international magazines and journals like Indian Periodical, Femina, Indian Short Fiction, eFiction India, The Criterion, The Literary Voyage, World of Words, Writer’s Ezine, and Estuary, and have been included in numerous print and online anthologies such as Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series (Westland Ltd, India), Wisdom of Our Mothers (Familia Books, USA), and several others She lives in New Delhi, India

You can connect with her on Facebook at facebook com/sreelekha chatterjee 1/,

Twitter -@sreelekha001, and Instagram @sreelekha2023

Welcome to a special interview with a revered spiritual teacher and world traveler, Indradyumna Swami Today, we dive into the remarkable journey of a man who left behind a brief stint in the US Marines to embrace a life of devotion to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at the young age of twenty-one As a disciple of A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Swami has spent over fifty years traveling the globe, spreading spiritual teachings and gathering profound experiences that have shaped his writings

We'll be exploring the inspiration behind his latest book, reflecting on fond memories from his early days as a bhakta, and delving into the impact of his spiritual journey on both the devotee community and a wider audience From heartwarming memories with Srila Prabhupada to adapting his teachings during the COVID-19 pandemic, this conversation is filled with wisdom and insight

Join us as we explore the driving forces behind Indradyumna Swami's unwavering dedication to Krishna consciousness and discover how devotees can bring more vibrancy to their spiritual practices.