Betrayal -Why sunflower faces the sun?

There are many things which mankind is unaware of. Some stories which are not discussed in the history perhaps because they were infamous and not known to the people of its own time. One such story is of Surya and Meenakshi.

Long ago in the year of 1896 there lived a girl 16 years old with the name Meenakshi, beautiful and adorable. Her education was discontinued at an earlier age as the attitude of people of that time remained. But she was fortunate enough to at least study till initial girls gurukul schooling. She was beautiful, elegant with thick long braided hair almost touching her knees, fair complexion, and big eyes resembling lotus petals, sharp nose and sweet voice. She had all qualities required for a beautiful Indian bride pre-installed in her. Her life went on smoothly with no complaints and no regrets, happily swaying away with the tune of fate and destiny. She used to giggle and have fun with her friends (girls). She was not allowed to talk to boys except for her father and her younger brother. The girl in fact was utterly crazy, naughty and full of life, spreading smiles across faces of the people she encounters. Among all her friends Padma was a kind of bestie for her. She would sneak out of home at times just to have and make fun along with Padma.

 Days went on well until she and her friends thought of doing something crazy. They decided to try going to temple in the mango farm which was believed to be powerful but haunted. Meenakshi was not so courageous but loved doing such daring deeds along with her friends. They worked out a plan to get Meenakshi out of her home and they succeeded in its implementation too. “Ssshhhh!!! Padma don’t make sounds and put those anklets away. My father may get up.”Meenakshi feared her dad a lot. In fact the whole family did. But she never knew probably of how much her father cared and loved her. In no time she was on street walking brisk fully along with her friends. Within 5 minutes they reached the place of haunted temple through a shortcut discovered before day. With the fear of being caught they completed their offerings and prayer in 10 minutes. Then something strange happened. Suddenly they heard a kind of weird noise and were terrified. According to the village there was a belief that whoever turns back and casts their vision back on the temple after completing their worship will die a painful death, though an exception persists that a person can revisit the temple any number of times.

 On hearing the noise they started walking quickly on toes in a line with Padma at the beginning and Meenakshi at the last in a row of five friends. Suddenly something made Meenakshi’s breathe to be halted. A hand pulled her back by her waist. She dint open her eyes and kept them closed tightly with a fear of casting her sight over the temple knowingly or unknowingly. She dint know who it was. She was drizzling in sweat of fear dripping by her brow. She sensed that all her friends have left. She was unable to speak as a hand covered it up. She could hear her heartbeat and her breath. Now the person holding her came so close to her that she was able to hear even his breath. It came close to her and whispered in her ears”shshshshs!!! There is nothing to fear. Don’t make noise. I am removing my hand.” it was a male voice. As he did she took a gulp and asked him in whispers with a trembling voice.” who...who are you?” “I am a guy whom you will never forget in your life once known, who will even disturb you in dreams and whose thoughts will always linger around you and I don’t like boasting but have lots to say about myself. You will surely curse yourself for not opening your eyes and seeing me this night.””Don’t worry that will never happen, “said Meenakshi pushing him away from herself with the force of her two beautiful palms. He immediately pulled her close by her waist and whispered again in her ears” by the way you are beautiful.” He was so close to her that she could feel the puff of his breath over her cheek. Saying so he set her free and walked away. There were mixed feelings hitting upon her instinct. Fear, fascination, adventure, excitement, innocence, happiness and above all confusion. With this all stuff happening inside her head she opened her eyes all of a sudden with great zeal throbbing her from inside to once check out who that guy actually is. In the darkness with faded light being cast upon by the rising sun it was very unclear and misty. She could only find out that he was tall and of slim personality with great build. She allowed her silly smile of fascination for that guy to let free on her face. Thinking about the guy she walked away to home silently. She has done something that should not be done actually. She had casted her eyes upon the temple as soon as she opened her eyes to look for that guy. If it was the guy or the temple no one knows but for sure it was the night that ruined her life.

She went home and tried to sleep back but the thoughts of the guy kept disturbing her. At that moment she remembered his words. ‘What he said is true probably!’ she thought for herself. That very morning as soon as daily puja was done at Meenakshi’s home she ran to Padma to tell about everything that has happened.” And before leaving he even said that I was beautiful!!” “But Meenakshi till now many people have given you compliments for your beauty. What’s so special in this?” asked Padma with a puzzled expression for she has never seen Meenakshi so excited and lost in dreams.”I don’t know about all that, but he was different for me and I loved that feeling. I want to meet him again. Probably today night near the same old temple?”Meenakshi’s level of dare seems to be soaring high. To Padma she was not the same Meenakshi who used to fear her father to the peaks even to ask him to go out for a walk with friends. A night has brought many changes in the innocent teenage girl.

She again managed to sneak out of her home and went to the temple with a hope to find the guy in search of whom she was there that night although she dint even know his name. A shadow appeared near the temple. “I knew that you will surely come” saying so he came completely into light for the girl to see his face for the first time. His face was glistering with charm, eyes of a hawk and the voice has already done its magic on the girl’s heart.  The girl blushed slightly and went behind the pillar of the temple to hide into her the pounding heart. He pulled her by her hand and made her sit on the platform of temple along with him. “So you finally came for me?”, asking so he held her palm between his hands. “I dint come for you. I just came back to revisit the temple as I felt it to charmingly beautiful” so withdrew her hand from his grip.

“Never mind Meenakshi don’t feel shy.”

“How do you know my name?”demanded Meena, with her wide and bewildered eyes staring at his lips waiting for a quick reply.

“I know everything about you and I also know that you know nothing about me, not even my name. But before knowing my name you must get to know another thing about me. I love you and I want you.”

Meena kept on staring at his lips and eyes confused about how she needed to respond at that moment. She then slowly lowered her eyes blushing her way out.

“My name is Surya. I guess you too like me. From tomorrow you need not sneak out of your home to meet me. Just behind your friend Padma’s home there is an old bungalow you can come there. “

Saying so he pulled her towards him kissed on her forehead and bid goodbye. Thus from the next day onwards almost every day she would go to meet him with an excuse of meeting Padma. Thus the love between the two lovebirds has sprouted up. She never opened up her thoughts but she loved him a lot. Whenever Surya confessed his love before her she would smile with a blush and would remain silent. Two months passed since they first met but the feeling that they both induced into each is much greater.

Surya hails from a small zamindar family who deal with the land of the village and also acted as the medium between the villagers, farmers and the English men. Once while Meena was running past Padma’s home to meet Surya, one of the English soldiers caught a sight of her and became fond of her. He silently followed her to watch her giggling and smiling with her palm in Surya’s hand. This English soldier with bad intentions came towards Surya, cuffed him and took him to a dark cellar.

He also terrorised Surya to get the girl for him or else he would kill his parents and ruin their entire property.  On the other hand Meena was worried about Surya, not knowing why he was taken away by the soldier. Two days continuously Surya was kept in cellar and was lashed to agree for the proposal. But he dint. Finally the soldier brought down his parents before him and lashed his father. Surya instantly begged the soldier to leave his father and agreed for the agreement.”

Surya met Meenakshi the other day. When she tried to inquire he simply said there was nothing to worry about and lied to her saying that he was cuffed just out of confusion. While caressing her hair he came nearer to her and said” I have something important to say which i will tell you tomorrow night. Come to the old temple where we first met at night 12’o clock. To keep the suspense I won’t meet you tomorrow morning. I will be waiting for you. Don’t make me upset.”

“Wait and see, I will reach the place before you,” said Meena smiling at him innocently without a slightest hint of what was lying ahead.

“Sorry Meena!”

“Why are you sorry?” asked Meena with a puzzled expression.

“Just felt like saying.” And within moments they bid goodbye to each other. Perhaps it was their last meeting. Meenakshi went back to her home thinking and guessing out all beautiful stuff she might be hearing from him the next day.

As planned she went to the temple and was waiting for him. Suddenly she heard some footsteps proceeding towards her. But these sounded different from those of Surya’s. She waited to look who it was and to her horror it was the same soldier who hand once taken away Surya. He gave a cold smile and starting marching towards her. With every forward step of his there was a backward step put by Meena out of terror and confusion. He then walked quickly towards her and held her hand. When she resisted he caught her by her hair and slapped her. She cried and shouted for help but there was no one to hear her cries except for the howling owls that too must have closed their eyes out of shame. She was brutally beaten up to surrender herself to him and was exploited. After the English soldier satisfied his hunger and desire he threw her away on floor of the temple and went away. Bruised and crying out of pain she dint go home. The whole village came to know of the way she was abused by an English soldier.

 Coming to know of this her father could not bear the fact and died out of heart attack. Her mother, brother and grandma decided to move out of the village and also asked Meena to come along with them. But she said she was waiting for Surya.  After the incident she didn’t go home and sat near same temple floor waiting for Surya. Being unevenly covered she did not eat ,drink or sleep but kept waiting for Surya with her eyes drenched in tears of shame. Many people came near her to persuade her to leave the village. But she kept on repeating the same thing that she was waiting for Surya and would keep looking at the sun for its brightness to fade away and for the night to arrive. She dint knew the fact that Surya and his family have left the village winding up all their assets and would never return. With a hope to meet him she kept on waiting without any food and sleep. Finally the day arrived when she had to bid goodbye to her life and her last words were” I will never make you upset Surya.  Sorry that I cannot wait longer. “She then uttered the words which she wanted to tell Surya at that night of betrayal and thus never uttered till that moment-“ I love you Surya”. Speaking all into herself her weak body breathed her last.

Her body was eventually taken away from that spot and from the very spot there grew a flower from the crack- a sunflower. It would always be facing towards the sun exactly the way Meenakshi used to when she waited for Surya. So whatever be the science behind sunflower always facing the sun, but for the people of that village it was Meenakshi soul instilled in sunflowers which is still waiting for Surya.