The Fragrance Flow

The flowers are so beautiful. The colours and fragrances are so enchanting and take us to a different sphere altogether. The attraction towards flowers is natural and mesmerizing. Usually, we do not find anyone detesting the sight and smell of flowers around. Enter a garden full of flowers and you will be lost in the scenic ambience all around. This is an excerpt based on a folk tale of the North Eastern State where you find beauty in nature. Whether the flowing rivers, the hills, the gardens and music too. Now let us get into the story.       ..      

 "The graceful and beautiful Orchid flower epitomizes love, harmony and peace ".                

 Quote by anonymous.        

Once upon a time, there lived a very kind and righteous king. He was known for his benevolence. All the people in his country were very happy with the measures he implemented to make their life comfortable. His country had beautiful hillocks, thick forests where the flora and fauna were extended beyond limits, beautiful birds singing away to glory, different species of wild animals, green pastoral fields and so on. In one word everything was up to the mark as we commonly say. There was nothing in shortage. He took good care of the countrymen too.        

Coming to his immediate family, The King's family consisted of himself, his queen and a lovely princess that is his daughter. The King did not have any Son or Prince. He was advised by his Minister, Astrologer to get married again so that he might be blessed with a Son, to which the King disagreed. He loved his wife deeply and so did not want to get married at any cost. Many many years passed in this way.            

His life was Happy and contended. His daughter had grown up into a beautiful, kind-hearted and delicate damsel just like her mother. Her beauty and her nobility had become the talk of the town in and around the kingdom. She started getting marriage proposals from many Kings meant for their Prince. But, the young princess was not yet ready for marriage. So, the King did not show interest in any of these proposals.       ..   . . The King's Palace was very beautiful. There was a huge garden at the back side of the Palace. The garden was green filled with rows and rows of trees that had branches heavily laden with different varieties of fruits of different colours and sizes. The young princes along with her friends used to visit the garden early in the day and would get inside the Palace once the Sun rays got brighter and harsher. The garden had a small well and the water of that well tasted sweet and refreshing. All the people who lived in the Palace would quench their thirst from the water of this well. The princess used to relax sitting on the outer wall of the well whenever she would get tired after roaming around in the garden. This was a routine with her and her friends.       

After a few days as usual the princess along with two of her attendants went around the garden. Suddenly she felt some foul smell around her. She asked her attendants to check the reason for this and sat down on the wall of the well. As soon as she sat on the wall her health got worse and she fainted on the ground. As soon as her attendants realised what had happened to the princess they ran up to her and somehow took her inside the Palace. One of the attendants informed the King about how the princess had fainted while strolling in the garden. The King immediately rushed to the palace accompanied by the Royal Palace Doctor. The Doctor understood that she had fainted because of the stench in the garden. Het attendants too reported the same to the Royal Palace Doctor. They explained what had transpired in the garden when the princess had gone for a stroll.   ...      As soon as the King learnt the reason why his daughter had fainted, he ordered his Soldiers to find out the reason for the stench in the garden. All the Soldiers started searching every corner of the garden.. Suddenly one Soldier noticed a half-eaten rodent that was lying in a corner of the garden. The rodent might have been eaten by a serpent and would have left it so. There was a bad odour all around the place. The Soldiers who were assigned the task of finding out the reason for the emanating stench informed the King about the whole matter.      The King ordered his attendants to burn the dead rodent on the outskirts of the country and also to bury the remains of the rodent. The King who was very much worried about his daughter who had not yet regained consciousness sat beside her and was cajoling his daughter's hair as a sort of a blessing. It was already mid-day but the princess had not yet regained consciousness The same process continued for another week. The Royal Palace Doctor tried different kinds of medical mixtures but nothing seemed to work. All the citizens of the kingdom, the King and the queen were very unhappy and were praying to God for her speedy recovery.       .  . .  

Another week was spent in the same morose way where everyone was feeling so tense as to why the princess was not gaining consciousness. The princess's face had lost its charm. The skin around her eyes had developed black patches. All everyone could do was pray to the almighty for a miracle to happen. The King and the Queen were in distress and were very sad as no medicine seemed to cure the problem. The King's Minister, His Army commandant, and the Royal Palace Doctor all were discussing the problem in a hushed tone. Suddenly the Minister got a bright idea in his mind. He immediately got up from his seat and walked up to the king and stood near him with folded hands. He slowly conveyed to the King that why not announce in and around the Kingdom that whoever cures the Princess of her ailment and makes her regain consciousness will be given granted the rights for half the area of the kingdom.      This message was circulated around the Kingdom as the King too found it a good idea since he was so much worried about his daughter that he wanted to try everything possible. The next day onwards many people from different walks of life, many Doctors who were specialized in their fields came up with many suggestions and many medicines. But, nothing seemed to work at all.  .  ......   This process continued for a few more days. There was no improvement whatsoever in the princess's health. She remained unconscious. All of the concerned people were losing hope slowly.      

The next day, early in the morning an attendant entered the King's palace with a message that there was a young man at the gate who claims that he has a sure shot formula or medicine that would cure the problem that the princess was going through and would bring her back to consciousness. Needless to say, all of them who were eagerly waiting for some miracle to happen had regained faith again. The attendant was ordered to bring the young man inside the Palace with utmost respect and courtesy. The young man was brought inside the Palace.     ...      

The King was stunned looking at the young man. He might have been around 20 -22 years of age. His face was very charming and he was handsome to the core. All the people present there felt there was something very special about the young man. He looked so confident and knowledgeable. The first thing the young man asked the King and the queen was to narrate everything that had happened for the past few days. The Princess's friend narrated the whole matter bit by bit in detail. The young man heard everything very patiently and advised the King that the Princess need to be shifted to the garden where he would start her treatment. The King did not object to what the young man had said. He ordered his attendants to arrange for a comfortable bed in the garden for the princess. The princess was shifted to the Palace garden. The young man asked the attendants to place the bed under any tree in the garden. This order was followed and the bed was arranged under a lovely tree.              ..          

It was Spring season. The weather was fantastic, with light Sunshine and a gentle breeze. But, the people present around the bed were only concerned about the Princess who continued to be unconscious. Suddenly the young man raised his hands towards the sky with his eyes closed as if he was offering prayers. He put his hands into a bag that was hanging from his shoulder and took out a flute and started playing tunes from it. Everyone felt as if something divine was happening. The music made them feel magical and they were lost in its enchanting mystery for a few minutes. ..    Suddenly something magical and unexpected happened. The tree under which the princess was lying on a bed got filled up with beautiful flowers that were dropping gently onto the bed of the princess. The young man started moving around the garden. Under whichever tree he stood and played the flute that tree would be covered with beautiful flowers which let out enchanting fragrances. .   Something miraculous happened, suddenly the princess regained consciousness as if she was asleep and was looking around the beautiful flowers that were scattered all around her bed and in the entire garden. She had not seen anything like this before. Nor had anyone else present there seen Everyone was happy that the princess had regained consciousness and was busy attending to her. They just forgot about the young man for some time. By the time they wanted to talk to the young man, he had silently slipped out of the place. The King ordered his men to bring back the young man so that King would give half his kingdom as per the contract that he had announced. But nobody could locate him. All the people in the kingdom were wondering who the young man was who all of a sudden came to the king and cured his daughter of her ailment. He even made all trees in the Kingdom blossom with beautiful flowers that give out fragrance making the atmosphere soothing and relaxing. Many feel he was the incarnation of God who comes to help people in distress. He not only cured the health issue of the princess, he even made the entire Kingdom and its people happy. This is miraculous and magical, isn't it?