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“Rup!" she exclaimed. “Do you see that beautiful flower? Such as short life it lives, maybe only a day or two, but O Rup, such a full life! It lives in such fullness! Do you know what? Sometimes I wish that my life could be like that — short but perfectly complete!"
“Usha! What are you saying? No need to invite departure before time. Now, let us move on up the river and have a swim.”
They mounted their horses again and followed the little stream until it met the wider river. There they stopped, slid down from their saddles, and let the horses roam.
Rup was the first to dive into the water. He made his way across the river and climbed up onto the opposite bank to rest.
Usha called to him from this side, “Rup! Can you hear me? Are you going to swim back? Shall I swim over there?"
Rup called back, "Yes, I can hear you, but just now I am going to stay here. If you want to cross over, then come on! Otherwise, let me be here."
"Well," Usha shouted, “I am coming then!"
She plunged into the water and steadily swam with strong sure strokes until she reached the opposite side.
"You made it!” Rup exclaimed.
Through a radiant smile and drops of water streaming down her wet hair and face, Usha confessed, “Our love makes me strong to do anything. I knew I could make it across."
“Yes,” Rup answered, “and while you were on that side and I was on this, I got to thinking. We are two human beings, two separate individuals, separate like the two banks of this river. And that is as it should be, for there is no reason to break the individuality of anyone. But at the same time, we are one, connected. It is the flow of water which unites the two shores. And that is why it is called river — because it has shores to guide and protect it. And we are like that -- what unites us is a flow -- sometimes we call it love or bliss. Sometimes we call it peace, but it is not possible to name it — only we feel it, and that is the flow of life.”
“Yes, dear one," murmured Usha, “I have been noticing that when I am away from you, my mind likes to search out names and forms to pretend you are with me. But when I
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