Bhadra

A young land surveyor confronts inexplicable events mirroring those from the mists of time muddying the reality of his present-day working honeymoon.

“Bapu.”

The sibilant whisper by his side startled Jaikumar Vaghela. The Abney level in his hand shook and he lost the reading he had been about to take.

“We must go now, Bapu, it is not safe.” Jaisingh pleaded, tugging at Jaikumar’s sleeve.

“How many times have I told you not to disturb me when I am trying to take an elevation reading?” Jaikumar snapped.

“Bhadra is here, Bapu. She is dancing on top of Lali no darwajo. I heard her ghungroo. We must leave now.” 

The terror in Jaisingh’s voice stopped Jaikumar. He lowered his instrument, put his hand on the trembling shoulder, and spoke in the gentlest, most comforting tone he could muster. “I just need two minutes to confirm one measurement.”

“I knew it!” Jaikumar muttered to himself as he peered into the eyepiece of his Abney level, “they miscalculated the elevations.” He opened his notebook and wrote down his readings. Suddenly something white flitted past him accompanied by the sound of light footsteps and the gentle tinkling of ghungroo. He looked up startled, but it was gone. Then the clouds parted and sunlight hit his eyes.

He heard the ghungroo again, gentle and muted, but unmistakable. Jaikumar shielded his eyes and squinted against the sunlight. He sat up in bed at the guest house in Champaner where he and Nina had come for their honeymoon and his inspection tour. Nina, dressed in white, had drawn the curtains back all the way to let in the light before sitting back in the chair to adjust her ghungroo.

“I had a dream. I was up on the fort wall,” he said to her, “measuring elevations. Jaisingh came to me terrified. He said it was time to go; he said Bhadra was dancing on top of Lali no darwajo. Then he left and I saw something in white flitting by. I heard the sound of footsteps and ghungroos but could not see anyone.”

Nina smiled, “you must’ve been dreaming about the stories the guide told us yesterday. Bhadra was the girl king Jaisingh’s brother-in-law, Vaghela, wanted to marry. King Jaisingh also wanted to marry a dancer before he discovered she was actually Kalikamata.”

“It seemed so real,” Jaikumar mused.

Nina’s hand caressed his face, “Vaghela sahib, this is real: you are married to a dancer who is leaving now to practice on the balcony. I know you are on an official inspection tour, but remember this is also our honeymoon. Please try to come back early today. And don’t go up crumbling walls if you don’t like heights.”

That morning Jaikumar Vaghela overcame his fear of heights and stood on the crumbling fort wall, peering into the eyepiece of his Abney level. “I knew it!” he muttered to himself, “they miscalculated the elevations.” He opened his notebook to write down his readings and then stopped short. There were the readings in his neat handwriting with yesterday’s date, just as he always recorded them.