The village was decorated with lights, garlands, and colors, as the long wait of the villagers was about to end. Finally, the auspicious hour came when the chief priest called his son to prepare himself for the grand event. After the aarti was done, Vivaswan turned to the crowd of devotees who were waiting to…

Vivaswan was thinking of the moon-clad girl whom he met last night. He spent most of his life dedicating himself to learning scriptures and mantras and earning ancient wisdom. He was told by his teachers that they would all help him worship God. The more he learned the acts of worship, the more he would…

It was a full moon night, the night when Yamini used to sing her song of devotion to God, seeking His blessing. Every Purnima, Yamini used to sing a verse composed by her, as an offering to her aradhya, the deity she worshipped. The forest used to wake up at midnight; the birds would start chirping,…

Yamini remembered what her mother told her once. “The light hides a little flame, sleeping inside the deepest chamber of darkness, only to be set ablaze when it meets another source of light. And that light sometimes comes in the form of compassion, sometimes hope, sometimes love, or perhaps, with all of them together.” Mother’s…

Vivaswan was sent to the Gurukul at the age of nine, and today, after twelve years spent at the ashram, he was returning home. He emerged as a wise nobleman whom everyone admired and abided by because he was a man of the rare combination of intelligence, innocence, and bravery. His eyes were like the…