Girijan and the talking mountains ...

Once upon a time, in a far off village lived a young man, his name was Girijan. He had a unique gift of God to talk to the Mountains. Those were the days when Mountains spoke to those who spoke to them. Every morning he would go to the mountains and talk to them about his wishes and dreams. The mountains would listen to him and shake their heads and the trees would send a cool breeze to him. One of the mountains expressed his wish to him

"We are so heavy, we could never go to school to learn ..." said the small mountain sadly

From that day onward, he would tell them all that he saw and learnt each day. Mountains were very happy listening to him. The mountains knew only good things and spoke the best that brought a smile to his lips. Every evening when he walked away to his village, the mountains would go blue in sadness. Seeing this the King of the Mountains, Giriraj gave him a boon.

"Whenever you want to know the future... just shout out to me .. I will tell you your future"

As the tide, time also waited for no man and it flew. The time had come for him to earn a living. Girijan wanted to be rich and famous and earn a lot in life. He planned to set out on a journey and went to his friends, the mountains and bid farewell to them. He remembered the boon given to him and sought permission from Giriraj, to see his future.

"Shout out to the mountains what you want and they would tell you what you would get" said the mountain king.

So with all that he had in mind, Girijan shouted:

"Wealth"

and the mountains replied

"Knowledge"

Girijan was shocked and sad. He again tried and shouted:

"Salves and servants"

"Friends" came the reply from the mountain.

He was getting angry that the mountains were not telling him what he wanted to hear. He tried for the last time:

"Power"

"Love", came the reply from the mountains.

He stamped his foot angrily on the mountain and started walking back. He turned towards the mountains and said:

"You are thankless... I will never come back to you"

Girijan went his way back to his village and the next dawn he set out on his journey. He started living his life, wanting to prove the mountains wrong. He earned a lot of money, but lacked knowledge and lost all his wealth as he could not manage it. 

He had a lots of slaves who always cursed him, but one. That one slave, whose heart was of Gold, had compassion in it, decided to be with him through his tough times. He was the only friend Girijan had. Girijan married Girija and had three sons Giridhar, Meru and Jambu.

Like always, time travelled at the speed of light and Girijan became an old man. At every turn, he only had his friend, who was a slave all through his life. His sons were of the age to get married and they found their partners for life. Girijan still kept holding on to his wealth and possessions. For starting a new life, his children took all his money and threw him out of his house. The next morning he saw his slave friend waiting for him to wake up with a hot cup of tea. He understood the power of love and wanted to get back to the mountains to apologize. Both of them set out on a journey back to the village he was born, to the mountains. 

The saddened mountains, never spoke to anyone after Girijan had left and had lost their voice, never to speak again. With the frail body and weak mind, Girijan shouted to the mountains:

"My friends ... I realize my mistake... Pardon me ..."

They could hear only what he said to them and nothing more ... Hearing no reply, he shouted again

"My friends ... speak to me ... please ...I realize my mistake"

They did not budge, but streams of tears flowed out of the mountain’s heart as waterfalls. They cried and Gods from above gave them permission to speak but never to let anyone know the future.

"Can you hear me?" asked Girijan and all the mountains just threw the sounds back to him in his own voice

"Can you hear me?"

Girijan cried a lot in vain. The mountains never spoke to him again. Even till date mountains talk back but hide the future in their hearts. Girijan etched on a rock the lessons he learnt in his life

Forget not the virtues of life

For they are real and true

Knowlege is gift of life

And stays with chosen few

Friends are forever in life

They are the ones for you

Power is not what runs yourlife

Love is the truth for you ...

And Girjan and his slave still wait for the day when the mountains will start talking again.