It was a lazy afternoon and the hermitage was basking in the peace that had descended everywhere after the return of Yajnyawalkya . Maitreyi was resting by herself in the backyard when the little son saw her and came running to her excitedly. He threw his arms around her and kissed herquickly on the cheek. Then disengaging himself, he looked at her, beaming with a secet.
Maitreyi asked, "What has come over you?"
He said, "Father has told me a secret."
"What is it?"she asked.
"I was not supposed to tell you; but here " I've already told you."
"Come on! Out with it! There is nothing wrong in sharing a secret with your mother," she said.
"Father told me the story of Gayatri and said that you are Gayatri."
Maitreyi listened with all her heart. The boy continued, "He said, that Gayatri is worshipped by all. But she reveals herself to very few. Even to those few , she appears only for a momentand vanishes. I saidto him that it's all right in a story and that too for a deity, but not true of my mother. She can't vanish. I can see her before my eyes all the time."
What did he say then?" asked Maitreyi cautiously.
"He laughed and said that I didn't know you as well as he did; that you can vanish. Besides, he said that you are not there when everyone thinks you are there and that you are there when everyone thinks you ae not around."
Maitreyi suppressed her smile and looked around; then drawing her son closer she said in a whisper, "And what did he say?"
The boy said, "Why don't you ask me what I said?"
Maitreyi tewaked his ear and said, "Oh, I am sorry! What did you say?"
"I said that he was making up stories to fool me/ I can't be cheated , especially about you. I said, my mother can't perform miracles. And even if I agree with you and say that she vanishes, she can't disappear in the thin air; she must have a place to hide."Maitreyi couldn't help laughing. It was the first time she laughed after Yajnyawalkya's return.
"Can I ask now what he said?" she said in the midst of laughter.
"He said that you hide in his heart," said the boy.
Maitreyi passed the palm of her hand across the boy's mouth to stop him from saying anything further and looked around quickly to see if there was somebody listening. There was none except the two of them and the sultry summer afternoon.
Maitreyi asked, "What has come over you?"
He said, "Father has told me a secret."
"What is it?"she asked.
"I was not supposed to tell you; but here " I've already told you."
"Come on! Out with it! There is nothing wrong in sharing a secret with your mother," she said.
"Father told me the story of Gayatri and said that you are Gayatri."
Maitreyi listened with all her heart. The boy continued, "He said, that Gayatri is worshipped by all. But she reveals herself to very few. Even to those few , she appears only for a momentand vanishes. I saidto him that it's all right in a story and that too for a deity, but not true of my mother. She can't vanish. I can see her before my eyes all the time."
What did he say then?" asked Maitreyi cautiously.
"He laughed and said that I didn't know you as well as he did; that you can vanish. Besides, he said that you are not there when everyone thinks you are there and that you are there when everyone thinks you ae not around."
Maitreyi suppressed her smile and looked around; then drawing her son closer she said in a whisper, "And what did he say?"
The boy said, "Why don't you ask me what I said?"
Maitreyi tewaked his ear and said, "Oh, I am sorry! What did you say?"
"I said that he was making up stories to fool me/ I can't be cheated , especially about you. I said, my mother can't perform miracles. And even if I agree with you and say that she vanishes, she can't disappear in the thin air; she must have a place to hide."Maitreyi couldn't help laughing. It was the first time she laughed after Yajnyawalkya's return.
"Can I ask now what he said?" she said in the midst of laughter.
"He said that you hide in his heart," said the boy.
Maitreyi passed the palm of her hand across the boy's mouth to stop him from saying anything further and looked around quickly to see if there was somebody listening. There was none except the two of them and the sultry summer afternoon.
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