A Folklore.

Yes, the story had to start like this.

Once upon a time, there was a king.It was/ is obligatory for the kings to be whimsical.A whim entered our king's head and he asked his chief advisor to grow him the kind of flowers which had hitherto not been grown-resplendent in color, divine in fragrance and blossoming all year round, a heaven on earth.

The wise man was not deemed wise for no reason.He said that it wasn't for him to grow this,only a true love/ lover could grow it.So he asked the king to send his soldiers around the town to find a true lover.

When the soldiers were told about the mission, they were clueless.The general came forward and told the king that if they were to nab some thieves/ robbers, it would be a cakewalk but this task felt very strange and they did not even know the name or the abode of the true lover.So the wise man was summoned again.He told the general that he knew the name of the person, and it was "True Lover." He further added hat he could offer a clue about the place where the "true lover" lived.According to him, there would be a beautiful bed of spring flowers all year round and there would be lush green trees, peacocks lazing about, cuckoos cooing, springs spraying crystals around, gentle breeze whispering sweet nothings to the trees and the "true lover" would be basking in all this.

Once the orders were issued, the soldiers marched round the kingdom.They nosed around, bullied a bit, sent the sleuths and finally they brought a withered old lady, to the king.She could barely stand, leaning on her crooked stick,she cupped her hand on her forehead and looked at the king and his court.

The king was furious.He demanded an explanation.The soldiers said that the old lady was impossible to comprehend and decipher.But the folks in her vicinity addressed her as "True Lover"... Whenever there was any auspicious event in the kingdom, her house was the first to be decorated. She was the first one to bless the newlyweds and whenever the locals were in strife, they would seek her blessings and the clouds of gloom, dissipated.

The wise man knew instantly that the soldiers had not blundered and he knelt down and touched her feet.The king reluctantly followed the suit.The old lady retreated her steps backwards when the king touched her feet.Then she made herself a little more stable and leaned on her stick, fixed her gaze on the king,"Son, just about the end of the journey now.Have kept the lamp burning all this life. Whenever he would return, he would not have to look for his love.Have kept this patience going and guess have lived the whole life, waiting."

"If my love had returned, i too would have been blessed with a gem at my place.We too would have our own home bred king.Looks a distant dream now, may be too you.But i have seen and lived this dream everyday of this very long life.Have saved the tears only for his return, today you touched my feet and all that came flooding back......"

The stuttering voice had already cracked, the tears welled up in the slits that were once the eyes which had experienced only longing and yearning.The tears, locked hitherto in the deep recesses of her core, found the escape, rolled down and touched the ground.And then the most incredible spectacle unfolded. Wherever the tears touched the earth, flowers blossomed, the colors- resplendent, the fragrance- divine, just as had been commanded by the king..And before the king and his court could recover from the shock, the "True Lover" had collapsed on the bed of flowers she had created for herself- a heaven on earth.