The Journey - Which Leads To Love

Sitting here with a portrait and the most beautiful thing of the world, the colours in one hand and the brush which is there eager to be immersed in his love, the colours whereas the artist was enjoying the view of his drawing, the girl which was too beautiful in his eyes and the girl was sitting still to let the artist complete his work of herself.

The two-person who was ready to fall in love with each other at any instant were from two different countries let’s see how destiny planned for them to meet each other like this.

Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia, also known as DR. P.K. Mahanandia welcomed this beautiful world after two years of our Independence in the year 1949. He was born in an Odia-speaking family of weavers in the village of Kandhapada of the Athmallik, a sub-division in the district of Angul, Odisha, India. In his school timing, he was welcomed by a school in the same sub-division which was named Mahendra High School. After finishing the best school life which is always remembered by everyone he was admitted to Visva-Bharti to achieve his dream to study art. Being financially unstable he had to quit the art school but there was something in him to make it work to a greater university of art Government College of Art and Crafts, Khallikote and now he was having his dream come true in front of his eyes in the College of Art, Delhi and this prosperous year which took a big turning point in his life were of 1971.

Charlotte von Schedvin, a Sweden citizen visited India in a van after completing the journey of 22 days being impressed by the famous diversities of talent in India and the most important the artist who was famous for his portraits and was wandering around the street of Connaught Place, famous for shopping and business hub in Delhi. Here destiny played its role as Mr Mahanandia was also there working as a sketch artist. As she was being impressed by the talents of India she looked at a poster reading “a portrait in 10 minutes for 10 rupees” getting the new idea of being a portrait in ten minutes from the famous artist she was getting closer to the stall when she saw the young man with curled hair looking at her with pure admiration and a hint of nervousness and was being attached to her. Miss Schedvin sat on the chair waiting for getting a portrait but as Mr Mahanandia was nervous by the increased heartbeats, he wasn’t able to set his hands still and eventually failed in impressing the one who was making him fall for her and eventually failed at drawing her portrait in 10 minutes. But Miss. Schedvin was impressed by him in some corner of her heart, the way he never looked in her eyes, the way he was showing her respect through not wondering his eyes so she gave one more chance to him letting him know that she will be here next day also and Is wanting to get a sketch the other day.

The next day was no better. All the trying of making her portrait was going in vain because of her beauty and one more thing the thought which came to his mind the first time he looked at her was “she is the one”. When Mr Mahanandia was a child being a scheduled caste (Dalit) he faced many hardships and insults but his mom said something making him sure that Miss. Schedvin is the one. His mom said, “there will be a girl whom he will marry whose zodiac sign would be Taurus, she would come from a faraway land, she would be musical and would own a jungle”. And this was the only saying of his mother which he was thinking about all the time watching her in front of him. Knowing this reason for not being able to make her portrait Miss. Schedvin was impressed by him knowing that after seeing her the only thing he remembered was this prophecy his mother had made when he was a kid.

Miss. Schedvin knowing that he was in fame made a portrait of Indira Gandhi visit to make her own portrait. And that’s why he was present there after taking permission from the authorities to sit under the holy fountain at Connaught Place and draw portraits. The beautiful incident of meeting two people who somehow get attached for the first time was on 17 December 1975. From this date onwards their love story started.

Mr. Mahanandia getting all his courage asked Miss Schedvin for a cup of tea with him thinking she would complain him to police but to his surprise Miss. Schedvin said yes. Talking with each other they got to know that Miss. Schedvin whose family comes from Swedish nobility did own a forest and also was a musical not only musical she liked to play the piano and her zodiac sign was also Taurus. At first, Mr Mahanandia was afraid to ask the question but to his surprise, she answered all the questions calmly. She was liking him being honest with her and wanted to know why he asked the question and came to the reason.

He also wants to take her to his village and after many conversations, she finally agreed. The innocent eyes who was getting amazed by his village scenery were now becoming one of his weakness. She was amazed at how she always saw the famous Konark temple in only pictures were now in front of her she also had a picture of the Konark temple framed in her student room back in London but had no idea where this place was and here she was actually standing in front of it. When Mr Mahanandia took Miss. Schedvin to his father, Miss. Schedvin wore a saree he was amazed at how was she able to carry this complicated dress of Indians.   

After getting the blessing from his father and family they got married according to tribal tradition. But destiny didn’t want them to be together as now it’s the time Miss. Schedvin who was now known as Mrs Mahanandia Von Schedvin was going back to Sweden and she was wishing that Mr Mahanandia could come over to Sweden with her but Mr Mahanandia has to complete his studies when they decided to meet each other and that Mr Mahanandia would go to Mrs Mahanandia Von Schedvin when he would meet his expectation on himself.

The one year of their marriage was like the long-distance relationship that all lovers crave. At that time there was no phone any Whatsapp they used to be in touch with the letters they would send to each other telling how much they love each other. A word love letter would be decreasing the feeling which they hold for each other. As they were not attached to each other because of love it was the feeling of belonging to each other, the feeling of waiting for each other and the feeling of the remembering each other for the rest of their lives and meeting each other after getting the value they hold for each other in each other’s life.

After realizing that making money for going to Sweden will take Mr Mahanandia's a lifetime he started to collect money for buying a bicycle. Later on, getting a bicycle he decided something big to meet his beloved wife as well as life and started his journey on the cycle to meet his wife. Many things happened on this journey. The beautiful journey which was destined for the two lovers to meet was started on 22 January 1977 and Mr Mahanandia would cycle for 70 km every day.

On this journey, there were two things which were making him not give up. First, the meeting with her beloved wife and second, the art because of which he met his love of life, his soul mate. In this journey he drew the portrait of many people in which some gave him money and some gave him food and shelter. He made many memories in the journey of meeting his love.

In the era of 1970’s the world was different from now. For instance, he did not need a visa to enter most of the countries. Also the country Afghanistan was such a different country from now. It was calm and beautiful. People loved the arts. And vast of the country was not populated. Till Afghanistan the communication wasn’t a problem it became difficult in the countries afterwards like in Iran. But perhaps his art was the tongue of all the countries once again his art came like a rescuer to him. And also thinking about this now he said “Again art came to my rescue. I think love is the universal language and people understand that”.

In that era, the life of people was much calm than now they also entertained Mr Mahanandia in his love journey. He was always on the verge of giving up but the excitement of meeting his wife and seeing the beauty of her birthplace Boras and knowing more about her keep him going.

After cycling for months he reached Europe on 28th May via Istanbul and Vienna and then travelled to Gothenburg by train. Now it was his time to impress Mrs Mahanandia Von Schedvin’s family and the culture was new to him but his love for his beloved wife never decreased and after many cultural shocks, he succeeded in impressing Mrs Mahanandia Von Schedvin’s parents and the two officially get married in Sweden.

It was said Mr Mahanandia in an interview “I had no idea about European culture. It was all new to me, but she supported me in every step. She is just a special person. I am still in love just as I was in 1975.”

After that, they started living there and were blessed with two children, Siddharth and Emilie and Mr Mahanandia continued to work as an artist. But there is a question in his mind till now which he shared like this “why do people think it was a big deal to cycle to Europe. I did what I had to, I had no money but I had to meet her. I was cycling for love, but I never loved cycling. It’s simple.”

People always make an issue when one does something for love. They always say that love can’t give you anything. It’s just a feeling of how will you live on it. But people forget that love can make life on its own so why can’t love lead that life. Of course, love is a feeling but this feeling makes one never give up on himself and his love. Just like Mr Mahanandia, he would have been tired but the love he carried for Miss. Schedvin leads him to his destiny. But the one who will love someone will never think the things he or she would do for their loved ones as a big deal for them it would always be less than what they wanted to do for their loved ones.