Darkness was spread evenly throughout the night except for
one spot. A small bright yellow light caught the attention of a dog from afar.
The light grew bigger and brighter as the curiosity of the dog when it came
near. The dog found an old man sitting outside his tent, next to a big campfire.
A small heap of firewood was placed next to him and a plate full of freshly
roasted sweet potatoes was set to cool down. It was not the light; it was the
smell of the potatoes that brought him to the tent.
The dog gently approached him while cautiously maintaining a
distance. The old man saw the dog and extended his right arm. The dog let out a
cute little noise to acknowledge him and placed his face on the man’s palm.
When their eyes met, they could feel some warmth, comfort, and hunger. He
picked a couple of sweet potatoes, threw a few to the dog, and started eating
some by himself.
After some time, the old man picked up some firewood and
threw it on the fire. The flame rose higher with more fuel and started letting
out small fire particles with crackling sounds. The flow of fire took the old
man to a pocket space in his mind. He zoned out. The dog brought him back to
his senses with a bark. With frowned eyebrows, he sighed and said a name – Sita.
The next day, in the morning, at the break of first light,
the old man got ready and came out of his tent. He had a huge axe tied at his
back. Though the dog was excited, he was a little concerned about the axe. In
his dog brain, he understood the purpose of that tool, destruction. He started
maintaining a distance from the old man.
Both started walking. The outer area of the village was
dense with wild shrubs and stones. Because of the intense summer, the balance
between the green and brown colors varied. The trail offered several table
rocks and boulders which helped the old man and his newly found friend with
more space and comfort. Whenever the Oldman kept the axe away from him during
the short rests, the dog went closer to him. When the Oldman picked the axe to
resume his journey, the dog maintained his distance. The walk continued for
several hours and finally, in the evening, the old man and the dog arrived at a
plain area covered with small trees next to a pond.
The dog slurped some water from the pond. The olive green in
the pond reflected the rugged tanned face of the old man. He joined his palms,
disturbed the reflection, and splashed some cold water on his face. The cool
water simmered down his tiredness and gave him clarity. Right next to the pond
there was a small trail that went inside the shrubs. The old man followed the
track and entered the dense area. Being small, going through the small area was
easy for the dog. The old man struggled to make his way through the thick
bushes and wine.
After a few minutes into the journey, an old mud house was
revealed in front of the old man. It did not have any roof. The walls had many
holes and the corners had many cracks. It was quaint, rustic, and had an
immense antique value to it. The Oldman removed his baggage and placed it
inside the mud house. He picked up the axe and removed the cloth that covered
it. The dog felt a strange sensation looking at the old man and stopped
following him. The old man again walked a little bit behind the mud house and
reached a small plain. There was a single Sita Phal tree in front of him. He
threw the axe down, sat on a small boulder near him, and with a subtle smile on
his face, he said – Hello, Sita!
Sita stood there motionless and lifeless. The old man came
closer and ran his fingers through her dark brown wood, embraced his left arm
around the bark, and saw her with compassion. When the warm breath of the old
man brushed the layers of Sita, she moved. First, the leaves shook, the height
of the tree reduced, the round bark turned into a waist. The Sita Phal tree
turned into an actual woman. She was old, fair, and covered with wrinkles of
wisdom. Sita held the old man's hand firmly and tried to kiss it. That's when
she realized she did not have a mouth. The Oldman leaned forward and kissed
some life into her mouth. A small crack emerged on her face, the beautifully
changed into a pair of lips, and responded to the old man. In the golden hour
of sunset, the reds and orange tone glimmered on the quaint couple's face.
Together they represented time itself. At that moment a flash of memories ran
in their minds.
The same magic was lived several times in the same spot at
different phases of life. It started when the old man was a kid. He got
acquainted with Sita when she was young. Then they both fell in love at the
prime of their youth. Even in middle age, they enjoyed their company by the
pond. But this mystic bond was short-lived. The old man at a different phase of
his life always left Sita after a brief moment. He might be possessive,
selfish, and never wanted to share her with the world or people would have
ignored his surreal story. This unheard and unseen love story had a witness for
the first time. The dog saw the old couple from a distance. He admired their
presence and just remained silent for a long time.
After some time, Sita and the old man came back to the old
spot. The old man let go of Sita’s hand and stepped back. Sita started to feel
uneasy. She got disturbed but the growing gap between them. When she tried to
move, her feet got stuck. When she tried to talk, her mouth disappeared. It was
like the past. When the old man at different stages and ages of his life left
Sita, she had the same experience. All those memories came back to Sita. Within
few minutes she turned back into an old tree. Seeing this absurd scene the dog
got disturbed and started barking. The old man wiped his tears and remained
silent for few seconds. He leaned down
and picked up his axe. The dog got startled and started heavily barking at the
old man. He ignored the noise and started cutting Sita into pieces. After few
hours Sita was in pieces. She became a heap of firewood. The old man lifted a
piece of her, kissed it, and tossed it in a big sheet of cloth. He wrapped the
entire wood and left the place. The dog stood there in shock. He couldn’t
believe the old man’s action. He was scared to follow him and just saw him walk
away and disappear in a distance.
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