The Daughter from a Wishing Tree Read online

  Meanwhile, in an uncontrollable fit of rage, Sharmishtha pushed Devayani into a waterless well. She was so livid that she left her friend there and headed back to the palace.

  As the hours passed, darkness further enveloped Devayani, and it became eerily quiet. She began sobbing. ‘I know that my father will find me once he knows that I am missing,’ she thought. ‘But how long will it be before he starts searching for me? Or perhaps Sharmishtha will lie and say that I am somewhere else. If that happens, I might die here without any food or water.’

  She began yelling out in the hope that someone would help her.

  Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, a chariot passed in the distance. That chariot belonged to King Yayati, who was the son of Nahusha. He heard a faint cry for help and wondered who it was.

  He brought his chariot to a halt and followed the sound of the sobbing girl coming from a well nearby. When he peeped inside, he saw a lone maiden. He couldn’t see her face clearly, but due to the early light of the morning, he could faintly see that she was a beautiful girl. He extended his right hand and the maiden placed her right hand in his. With a firm tug, he pulled her out of the well.

  Yayati introduced himself. ‘I am King Yayati. It is a shock to see a beautiful maiden such as yourself stuck in the well at this hour. What happened?’

  Devayani bowed and said, ‘I am Devayani, the daughter of Shukracharya, the guru of the asuras. I was intentionally pushed inside the well by a princess. But the important thing is that you have held my right hand and I yours. You must wed me formally now that we have unknowingly completed a ritual usually done during a wedding.’

  King Yayati was taken aback. Though Devayani was very beautiful, he knew of her father’s reputation and his short temper. ‘I have simply helped you, my lady. My intention isn’t to get married to you.’

  ‘Neither was mine, but fate has deemed it so, don’t you think? It is custom for the daughter of a sage to marry the man who holds her right hand.’ She sighed. ‘And so, here we are.’

  Kacha’s curse was coming to fruition.

  Yayati agreed, somewhat reluctantly. He was still afraid of what Shukracharya might say or do.

  Devayani suggested their next course of action. ‘Why don’t I go home and talk to my father? You can come to the ashram tomorrow and formally ask for my hand in marriage.’

  Back at home, Shukracharya was sick with worry about what had happened to his daughter. ‘She should have returned home by nightfall,’ he thought. ‘She has never been this late before. Has she taken ill? What if something happened to her during the water games? What if she has drowned? How will I live without her? I must do something.’

  Disturbed, he began pacing around the house.

  Just then, Devayani walked in. Her face was red with anger, and her father could see that she was shaken and upset. Devayani told Shukracharya about everything that had happened. Then she said, ‘King Yayati will come tomorrow to ask for my hand in marriage, and I consent to it.’

  Shukracharya agreed to the match.

  But Devayani’s anger flared up again and she said, ‘You must ask Sharmishtha’s father to make the arrangements for my wedding since you are the most important person in his court. I request you to give me what I ask for when the time comes for you to give me a wedding gift.’

  Shukracharya tried to placate her. ‘O Devayani! I have helped the king win so many wars that he will give me whatever you desire. Tell me, what would you like as a wedding gift?’

  Devayani did not respond.

  ‘Do you want books?’ Shukracharya prodded.

  ‘Father, I want neither books nor wealth. My earnest desire is to have Sharmishtha as my slave. She must accompany me to my husband’s home.’

  Shukracharya was not prepared for such a request. Usually, the daughter of a sage aspired only for knowledge. He tried to convince her to change her mind. ‘My dear daughter, I agree that Sharmishtha has made a mistake, but you should forgive her and forget this unpleasant incident. She is the princess of the asuras. You can’t order her to be your slave. I promise I will tell her father about her bad behaviour and that she will be punished accordingly. But I will advise you to go to your husband’s house in peace and happiness and not take an act of revenge along with you.’

  Devayani, however, would not budge. ‘Father, I ask for nothing else. This is all that I want.’

  Shukracharya knew of his daughter’s strong-minded nature. There was nothing he could say that would change her mind. Perhaps her not having grown up with a mother had made him more lenient towards his daughter, resulting in her stubbornness. But now it was too late. He had no option but to approach Sharmishtha’s father and the reigning king, Vrishparva.

  In the king’s court the next morning, Vrishparva was surprised to see Shukracharya, the great guru, approaching him in distress. The king asked him, ‘Sir, is everything all right?’

  Shukracharya told the king about the incident from the day before and firmly asked him to ensure that Sharmishtha was given as a wedding gift to Devayani.

  The king was in a fix. He thought, ‘If I don’t agree to Shukracharya’s demand, then the great guru will definitely walk out of my court. He may even join the gods, which will surely signal my defeat and the end of my reign. No, I can’t allow that to happen. Not for the sake of my people. A king must sacrifice for the greater good.’

  He sighed. He knew what had to be done. With a heavy heart, the king went to the princess’s chamber.

  Sharmishtha was unaware of the drama that involved her. She was, in fact, sitting alone near a window and feeling low because she realized that she had treated her friend Devayani unfairly. She cursed herself and her behaviour. ‘Why did I have to be so rude to her? She has come to my palace multiple times and has never glanced at or expected fancy jewellery or clothing from me. She is a simple girl who doesn’t care for money or display. How will I face Devayani now?’

  When she saw her father entering her room and noticed how upset he looked, she thought, ‘Guru Shukracharya must have complained to my father about my behaviour. He must be so disappointed in me.’

  So, she decided to bring up the topic herself. ‘Father! Sometimes my tongue does not cooperate with my mind. I know that I have made a mistake. Please forgive me. I shouldn’t have done what I did—not as a princess or as a friend. It is unacceptable. If you want, I will beg forgiveness from Devayani and her father,’ she cried.

  King Vrishparva sat down and told her what Shukracharya had asked of him.

  It was worse than what Sharmishtha could have ever imagined. She wept but eventually agreed with her father’s opinion. ‘It is true that a princess’s life is less precious than her kingdom. I will obey Devayani no matter what it costs me. It probably serves me right,’ she said. And so, she agreed to become Devayani’s slave.

  Thus, Devayani got married to Yayati, and Sharmishtha followed her as a maid to her new home.

  Devayani ensured that Sharmishtha was tucked away from the eyes of her husband and the other royal courtiers. Sharmishtha resided in an outhouse at a considerable distance from the main palace, and over time, she was forgotten about and left to her duties.

  King Yayati and Devayani did not have an easy marriage. She was stubborn and short-tempered, and the two frequently quarrelled. In time, they had two sons—Yadu and Turvasu.

  One day, Yayati was wandering in the royal gardens and saw a beautiful maiden working near an outhouse. He had never seen her before. Something about her graceful movements made him curious. She did not fit the description of a royal maid, despite her clothes. She seemed to be a lady of high rank.

  He approached her and asked, ‘Who are you?’

  Sharmishtha bowed her head, introduced herself and recounted her side of the story. King Yayati took pity on her. He found her to be so attractive, charming and easy to talk to.

  After that first meeting, he met her many times and asked her to marry him in secret.

  By then,