________________
Tapati and Samvarana
117
"But who is she? Where is she?”
"She is the daughter of the Sun. At the moment, she is by my side." Samvarana pressed Tapati to his side amorously and stroked her gently on the cheeks. “So you love me, Tapati ! I knew you would.”
"I have come back to you without knowing anything about you. For I am convinced of your love for me. But you have drawn a caricature of me! You say it is alive. That is all you deserve." She was about to rise. Holding fast to her, he said : "No, Tapati, you cannot go, except with me. Never mind the caricature. My hand, I agree, has not been able to reproduce the image created by my heart. You must pardon me for its clumsiness."
"All right. Now tell me about yourself.”
"Tapati, why do you insist on my talking about myself ? Is it not enough that I love you? Believe me, I am worthy of
you."
"How should I address you, then? I must at least satisfy myself that you are not an asura in disguise."
"I am not. Do not bother to address me in a conventional manner. Where there is love, nothing else matters. So we must ensure that it is love that binds us both together."
"It is. But love is not all. Marriage is more important It is wedlock that enshrines love. So I must know whether you merely love me or wish to marry me. Which means that our respective elders take the ultimate decision on our behalf. That is why we must know each other thoroughly. We cannot behave in an irresponsible manner. At least I cannot.”
"Tapati, I am prepared to sacrifice anything for your sake. Please do not reject me."
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
