"pinjare mein ek billee ek sher ban jaatee hai"
a cat in a cage becomes a lion
She stood in the surf for the longest time, oblivious to the cooling water, hovering like a ghost as the tide came and went, came and went, sinking her hooves into the sand. Along the horizon, the sky was beginning to glow with the coming sunrise, but the pale mare did not turn to behold it. It was beautiful, there was no doubting that. But what lay before her; the tangle of scrub, the blurred canopy of trees that grew deeper and darker further inland, the myriad of unknowns that awaited her upon this strange and foreign island… These things had her wide blue eyes transfixed. Her chest expanded as she inhaled deeply, and the unfamiliarity of the scents that teased her flared nostrils made her giddy with exhilaration.
Freedom.
It had been something she’d dreamed about since she’d been born. Every foal possessed a level of curiosity that, more often than not, got them into trouble with their dams. The mares in her herd had been taught since birth to be submissive. And she, the beloved and beautiful daughter of her father, by one of his favoured mares… She had been coddled and watched and protected every day of her life. There had been a time, not long after she’d turned two, that she had witnessed first-hand the difficulties that faced those who had no home, no privilege. But then, weeks ago, she had perceived the future that had been planned for her by her father since birth.
‘Anjali, please understand.’ But she had not answered, not to the name that was as familiar to her as the sound of her own heartbeat. Anjali.
Gift.
“That is not who I am any longer. Never again!” she had seethed, fury smoldering inside her.
“My name is Darshan. I refuse to be a bargaining chip for your pathetic alliance.” The shock in her father’s eyes had stoked the fire within her, and when the emotion in him turned to anger, the young mare had smiled savagely. He had stolen her future, had taken her home from her, and had betrayed her. Her father, he should have been the one fighting to protect her, but she could see now that he was only protecting himself.
Let it be said that this mare, Darshan, never failed to repay a debt.
Her father owed her, and so she had taken something from him that was small and yet significant. When she was young, she had once asked her father if he had wanted a son from her mother, instead of a daughter.
‘No, precious child. I wanted a daughter, and I’m so very glad I got you.’ But, she had persisted, in the way children often did. What if she
had been a colt?
‘Well, I suppose, I would have had to be a little more patient until a darling daughter came along. I would have loved you the same, regardless.’ And, she had continued, eager to know more – what would her name have been; firstborn son and heir?
‘I would have called you Darshan, after my father, who found this place, and made our herd what it is today. He was a great leader, and he taught me many things.’
There had been many stories told about her grandfather, and once upon a time, she had clung to every word, entranced by the adventures and exploits of a legendary figure she had never had the chance to meet. Now that she was older and wiser, and her eyes had been opened to the true nature of life in certain places, as well as the desires that rooted themselves in certain hearts, she treasured the tales even more so. Initially she had taken on the name as a way to hurt her father, even though it came nowhere close to how deeply he had cut her. But the weeks that had passed had given her time to cool off, and she had discovered that, out on her own, under the wide open sky – among the trees and hills where she had never walked before, she had so much to experience. And from her shoulders, and her chest, a weight had been lifted, so that within herself she had so much room to grow. So many possibilities. So much
potential.
The mare called Darshan could be whoever she wanted to be.
And she would be
free.
----------
Reckless, that was what she had been. She thought back over the last few days, of the stranger she had met on that beach in the morning light -a soul who seemed as lost as she felt. And while she did regret what had transpired between them, she knew she’d have to be more careful. She had gathered a little information; the island she had explored for the last few days was called the Crossing, and it seemed that no herds resided here permanently, at least, not the kind she was familiar with. Her blue eyes had been drawn to the Peak that very first morning, and the sight of it had filled her with something she couldn’t quite name. And she had approached the border of the Lagoon, stopping just short of it. The damp, rotten scent of the mud and marsh still lingered in her nostrils – or perhaps she was just imagining it. And she had learned that there were four other islands beyond this one.
Darshan stood on another beach now, on the opposite side of the Crossing. Like her first arrival, she stood in the surf, but this time she was staring out to sea. The sun had started to set, but in the light that was left she could make out the silhouette of one island in the distance, and beyond it, another, a dark smudge on the horizon. It was hard to know where to begin. All of her short life she had only known her homeland, and had always had others with her, telling her what to do when she was little, and advising her when she had matured. Now though, she was like a ship cut free from her moorings, drifting and aimless. Where should she start?
For the moment she was content to ponder, a pale figure glowing softly in the light of the setting sun, wondering about the red stallion she had met. Which island did he call home? What had led him into her path? And where was he now? Darshan hummed to herself under her breath, and watched the fading light glint off the sea. Some part of her liked the idea of finding him again, but the world seemed so large to her now, and truthfully, it was a little daunting to face it alone. There was no going back now, though. The water beckoned, but she still wasn’t ready. Dusk would soon fall, and she didn’t fancy her chances swimming in the dark, not knowing where she was going.
Still, she stayed, the incoming tide lapping hungrily about her hooves, and wide awake despite the fact that the stars had begun to glisten in the sky. They were the same stars – she recognised a few of the brighter ones, though their positions had changed a little from where they’d been in her homeland. Somehow, they seemed to shine brighter from where she stood now though. Darshan took it as a sign – maybe these Lost Islands were a cleaner, purer place than that which had once been home. Contentment settled upon her, and she breathed deep and easy, comforted by the thought of living in place untainted by greed. In time to come, she’d learn that greed bloomed in many hearts, in many ways, and that these Islands were not untarnished by such narrow-minded thinkers like her father. But for now, and she stood beneath the stars transfixed, pale and still and like the moon come down to earth. She did not fear – not anything that lay behind her, nor anything that lay ahead. She was filled with hope, and her expression was one of wonder.
Because tonight she was seeing the world with new eyes, and everything was beautiful.