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392
JAIN RAMAYAN
Anjana had gone away, ill-treated, repudiated and rejected by her father, mother and brother. She went away in bitter grief and humiliation. The door itself seemed to be silently staring at and rebuking King Mahendra and Prince Prasannakirti. It was at this door that once the heart of that innocent lady had been broken. It was at this door that one day there erupted a tremendous volcano in the heart of that noble lady. Every stone of the gate had become reddened by the drops of blood that flowed from her heart. If those stones could speak out their feelings and could describe that heart-rending sight, Pavananjay would have been petrified there. Pavananjay was terribly angry with his cruel destiny that was sporting with his life but he had no way to express his anger against Destiny except shedding tears. Accompanied by Prahasit, he went out of the city. For sometime he was caught in the tangles of thought wondering what he should do, where he should go and which path he should
to search for Anjana. No way flashed to him. Thinking silently for a while he said to Prahasit;
"Dear friend, Prahasit! Now you please go back. Now I am going to wander about in unknown, desolate and intricate places and paths where at every step, I have to experience pain and discomfort. I will have to face countless difficulties and agonies. I will have to be pounded between mortar and pestle; and I do not like you to experience all these difficulties with me."
"Dear prince! Am I really hearing all this from your lips ? Ah! what an excellent estimate have you made of my friendship and love ? Is friendship merely for sharing joys and sorrows ? Do you think that I will go away leaving you here just because you tell me to go. That means you have not understood your friend Prahasit fully. I wish to share your sorrows and joys and to stand by you through thick and thin. So give up your attempts to send me back and you too summon up some courage to face the difficulties ahead. We two shall travel together and find out the whereabouts of our goddess, Anjana. Dear friend, we should live or die together
er."
"But what way shall we pursue ?”
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