THE GHOST
-8. More Valuable Messages

King Mahirat was filled with ineffable job on hearing the observations of Sage Adirath. It was precisely as he wanted to convey! Bhagirat and Mandira got a clear testimony as to why the sagacity of the sage was so revered by one and all! As they showered praises upon him, the sage responded with utmost modesty, “More than the interpreter it is the conveyer who needs appreciation, O royal ones! We have been provided with a very valid message which we should never ignore in our lives.” The sage, thereby, returned to his chambers.

Bhagirat got this feeling that the divine force had actually targeted him with this message. This thought disturbed him and he, too, retired to his chambers where he deliberated upon all that the sage had said. The more he thought the more he felt that the message was indeed meant for him!

As for Queen Mandira, she was confident that she was working for the welfare of her subjects to the best of her ability. All she had to ensure was that she continued to do so even in the future.

The next day, as the dignitaries and the sage were about to complete their breakfast in the dining hall, they saw a banana entering the chamber by moving in mid-air! Although stunned initially, they soon regained their poise with the realization that this was the work of the divine force who perhaps was trying to send them yet another message. The bewilderment in Adirath’s face lasted a little longer for he was witnessing this for the first time. However, showing presence of mind he soon succeeded in diverting his mind to fathom the message the divine force may provide them with on this day. The banana came near King Bhagirat and after a few moments it gave a tap on his shoulder. It, then, moved out of the chamber. Yet again, those in the royal kitchen who witnessed this event met the Queen and expressed their apprehensions. Mandira explained to them the opinion of Adirath about the previous day’s occurrence. She assured them that this was no Ghost but her divine force which was only aiding her to rule the kingdom efficiently.

After they had left, both of them turned to the Sage who asked for some time to grasp the latest happening. In the absence of the sage, Mandira and Bhagirat tried to reach their own conclusions only to give up eventually. They waited for the sage to infuse some sense into what had just happened.

Finally, the sage arrived and he had good news for them! He had yet again succeeded in interpreting the actions of the divine force! “Today we were witness to only one fruit coming to visit us!” he began to explain in his deep voice, “Before I proceed, let me state two facts. Foremost, you may be aware that a banana is very rich in nutrition and has great medicinal values. Thus, let us take this as the good qualities that a banana possesses. Secondly, you may have observed that generally all bananas have a bend which is as if they are bowing. We may now say that despite the good qualities a banana has, it still has the modesty to bow before us. The fruit tapped Bhagirat who is himself a King indicating that a King, despite the great power and influence he possesses, must be as humble like a banana! That is the message of this action.”

As the sage spoke these words, Mahirat, who was present in the hall, gave a very satisfactory smile. Yet again the sage had managed to hit the jackpot! This time Bhagirat was sure that the message was directly aimed at him.

The Queen requested the sage to prolong his stay in the palace so that he could help them interpret the messages of the divine force. After some thought, the sage agreed to stay there for one more day.

Although he did not have the gumption to admit it all this while, Bhagirat knew in his heart that the rapacity for power and money had destroyed all his modesty and morality. As the feeling of the divine force specifically targeting him for conveying its message became strong, Bhagirat was compelled to self-introspect just like Mahirat had done after he was cursed by the sage. While doing so, he slowly began to realize his culpability which made him lose his peace of mind. Mahirat, who stood beside his friend, knew the gamut of emotions the latter was undergoing at the moment. Although he felt sorry for Bhagirat, he was aware that all this was only happening for the best. He was, in fact, quite pleased that Adirath had extended his stay in the palace as that would provide him with further opportunities to provide more such messages to his friend.

Queen Mandira also felt that it was King Bhagirat that the messages of the divine force were directed at. After all, she was well aware that just like her King, Bhagirat, too, was guilty of misrule.

Time passed by and soon the sun was right overhead shining in all his resplendence. Yet again the royal dignitaries and Sage Adirath assembled in the dining hall to have lunch. Bhagirat looked very uncomfortable as a battle of guilt and denial was raging in his disturbed mind.   All of them were certain that the divine force would once again make its presence felt through another message. And it did not disappoint them! Towards the end of their meals the mango accompanied by an apple and a pomegranate made a re-emergence in the hall. This time, however, they moved to the corner of the wall that was to their right. The back of the mango rested below on this wall while the other fruits positioned themselves a few feet away from the mango. Right above on the wall was a golden carving of Lord Ganesha where he was shown in a sitting posture offering his blessings. After a few moments, the mango rose a few inches above the ground. Thereby, all the fruits moved away from the hall. Those who witnessed the fruits coming from the royal kitchen did not come to meet the Queen this time. This had now become routine for them and perhaps they had got used to survive in the midst of a Ghost!