Chapter 5. The Peacock Ride

What is the limit of the beauty of God's creation? Maybe it can be gauged by understanding the scope of human thoughts and that's infinite, so the beauty of God is limitless. Limitless are his ways of calling you to him. Amrit, his parents, Meera and their 7 year old son Moksh were seated in the flight which was about to land at the Agra airport. There was no direct flight to Mathura, the nearest airport was Agra 60 kms south. His other children Maya aged 21 and Om aged 18 could not make it to the trip as they had exams in college. Moksh states outside the window and is much amazed by the clouds, he asks his grandmother in an innocent tone-" Dadi how do these clouds have such shapes? I see castles and trees in them" Now his grandmother is a wise woman, she replies-" Son those clouds you taking form, were always formed in your mind, the things you love..They are just reflecting in the sky, they are nothing but your own creation" Moksh scratches his head, he is 7, he wonders what Dadi is talking about for a few moments then resumes the cloud gazing,Grandmother smiles and looks at her son Amrit, who is asleep, tired from work and his daily battles, he was her creation she wonders, and he did come a long way, big enough to bring his parents to a small pilgrimage, he was discovering himself for he was moving towards God, towards Mathura- Krishna's abode.

The flight landed. From the Agra Airport the family took a car to drive to Mathura. It was a 1.5 hr journey, 60 kms, not too long. The breeze kissed the family as the car moved swiftly on the Highway. All of a sudden the some voice came from the car’s engine and the car stopped on the middle of the highway, they had hardly covered 5 kms.Amrit was calm. In the previous days he had been struck by the realisation of a divine light and he knew what was beyond panicking and reacting aggressively. A small Restaurant is seen at a distance where the car has stopped. As Amrit is trying to fix the engine,a voice from the back seat comes, “ Dad I want some butter milk”, Amrit dripped in sweat. Meera replies, “ Come I’ll take you there and get you some good butter milk.” Meera’s and Moksh get off the car and walk towards the restaurant. Moksh is enjoying the drink and Meera is enjoying looking at her son, her creation, his innocent ways, pure smile and simple mind. “Mumma I’ll go to the washroom and come”, and he rushes to the backyard of the restaurant where there was a washroom.After he finishes, he returns back, holds Meera’s finger and they begin walking back to the car. “What is that you are holding in your other hand”, Meera questions. Moksh reveals a colourful peacock feather glowing in his hands as if some precious diamond scintillating starlight. “ Where did you find this?” 

“There in the field behind there’s a huge peacock of the size of an elephant, he gave me this”

“ What are you saying Moksh. When did you learn to cook up such stories and from where”

“Mumma I’m not lying. I can show you”, saying this he starts pulling Meera. Meera can’t resist much to the child’s request and follows him to the field behind. What she sees there in unimaginable. Dumbstruck she stands still not understanding how to react.” See didn’t I tell you there was a huge peacock here” , Moksh jumps in happiness with a sense of accomplishment and a child’s excitement. A huge peacock, with lustrous royal blue fur and beautiful long feathers, it is indeed big, not the size of an elephant but yes almost five times the size of a normal peacock. On its back there is a small mattress surrounded by a square shaped uplifted wooden margin, as if the place is made for people to sit. The eyes of the peacock are magically crystalline, is the peacock blind? Meera very slowly removes her phone from her pocket and calls Amrit. Amrit and his parents arrive. They are awestruck too. Amrit walks all around the peacock and something captures his attention. The peacock is bleeding, just below it’s neck there’s a linear wound. He quickly rushes to the car and is back with his bag which always has his medical kit. Very carefully he stitches the wound, sometimes the peacock shakes his head here and there but Amrit is precise and cool as he tries to heal it. The work’s done. While Amrit’s family is still not back into their senses he senses something within the peacock, the peacock flutters it’s gigantic feathers.The same divine light. He moves towards its body and climbs on its back. “ Come on you people! Don’t you want to go to Mathura?” Moksh jumps in excitement and says, “ yes I want to riding on the peacock”, and he joins his father, his parents follow and Then Meera.

How majestic is the peacock and how majestic is it’s flight. A few steps first slowly, then increasing speed, the air gushing through the family’s hair now, and then taking a jump to rise in the air and accelerate its speed resonating with the adrenaline rush and bliss inside everyone’s heart. Ah look! What a sight! In the air is a huge peacock carrying on its back Mortal bodies who want to discover their immortal souls. Moksh’ joy knows no bounds, he says, “Dadi..from the flight I had seen a peacock shaped cloud too” , while Grandmother smiles it is Meera who had listened to their conversations replies, “ Moksh I know you are making this up now, don’t lie naughty kid!”, Moksh Giggles. The cars and the land stretch below look miniature and the family looks everything in awe but Meera is in some other mood. Krishna... She wonders. The person who enlightened everyone, what enlightened him she wondered. For that she had to first become Bhakti Leen( blended in devotion), she closes her eyes and feels something, the music of a flute, the music of her awakened soul, the music of Krishna. She in her ecstatic state begins to sing, “ Shri Krishna Govind Hari morari, hey Nath Narayana Vasudeva”(a dovotional song sung in Krishna Bhakti). The other family members mesmerised begin clapping in synchrony to the song of Meera...Meera the epitome of Bhakti. It is during this moment that the peacock speeds up and even rises much above in the sky amidst the clouds, all members join hands now and Meera risings with greater intensity to pierce the air current around, the peacocks eyes begin to emit a glittering sparkle, the peacock turns its eyes down and the sparkle creates a beam that shines the Keshavdev temples peak, the family looks down in amazement, they were just above the Krishnjanmsthan area of Mathura. The peacock now starts encircling the temple from that great height in the sky, the process of Parikrama guiding all the energy in the Center. The sparkling light emanating from the peacocks eyes  revolves around the temple as the peacock revolves in the sky. As Meera continues to sing, the family members pray in unison and focus all their souls onto Krishna’s feet. What a Darshan! Amrit has a vision, he sees the letters K-r-I-s-h-n carved in the stitches he had stitched onto the peacocks neck, the vision fades away in a matter of seconds. It is in simple deeds of compassion that god exists, it is in the purity of mind and love and affection where god truly exists, god exists in true devotion, and aren’t these through us humans, who are we, god’s most beautiful creation? Krishna takes birth once again, in Mathura. On the journey back, all the family members are having a smile of contentment, a sense of satisfaction, a small yet profound pilgrimage. The peacock lands swiftly back on the field behind the restaurant. They get down and touch the body of the peacock in love and respect, the peacock shakes it’s head as if telling it was a beautiful journey for it too, to witness the birth of Krishna. They bid the peacock farewell, never wanting to depart from the beautiful creature, yes indeed another divine creation of God. 

In the flight back to Mumbai Grandmother and Moksh are no more talking about the shape of the clouds rather Moksh is discussing what new he has imagine and wants to paint in his drawing book. Meera rests her head on Amrit’s shoulder while Amrit is still lost in the tunes of the song she had sung. They reach Mumbai by midnight. Next morning Amrit rushes for his nursing home in haste, he’s already late. From his car window he sees something and is taken by surprise. At the entrance of his nursing home dressed in red,open hair,holding the trident in her hand Ma Durga stands looking at him. He remembers he had last seen her months back in the basement area where there were his deceased patients, from where she had vanished mysteriously when he had bend down to touch her feet.She speaks, “Long time we Met Amrit, remember me?”

(to be continued.....)