The Quest, Part IV: The Lonely Pine

In a shocking development, a blue scarf and a cairn appears out of the thin air and spooks out Bhuvan. He gets another message on the Black rock mountain.

Through all your efforts you ensure

Your heart’s desire, one that’s pure

The treasure that, for you is meant

Smolders within thoughts deepest pent

Your heart of gold shall fetch the prize

Like a phoenix born, so you shall rise.

Upon the hill where the lone pine stands,

Is the purple patch your soul demands.

Thenceforward -

It’s yet another clue. Just like with the previous clues, Bhuvan is unable to comprehend the purport of the first six lines. What can this great treasure be, that deep inside his heart he longs for? He tries to mull over the lines. But no, he doesn’t understand what treasure the message is implying. He folds the paper and puts it into his pocket. The last two lines indicate a hill that has a solitary pine tree. Without any doubt it is Logodama hill that is referred to. Logodama hill is on the other side of the Mochhu river. It is one of his favorite places in the valley. Whenever he is sad or depressed, this is the place he goes to for resting all his worries.

“Upon the hill where the lone pine stands, is the purple patch your soul demands.”

“A purple patch can mean good fortune, or it could be yet another clue maybe indicated by purple color.” He surmises. The only way to find out is to go to Logodama hill.

Spooked by the turn of events, he wishes to get out of this place quick. Bhuvan starts to descend from the Black rock mountain. He comes bounding down the mule track and quickly descends on to the tar road. Half a mile down the tar road, he gets off onto a dirt track and races down to where the villagers have constructed a temporary wooden bridge across the river. He crosses the rickety little bridge in a minute and is on the other side of the river. From there he races half a mile to the bottom of the Logodama hill and starts climbing the hill using a well trodden mule track. In another fifteen minutes he is standing at the summit of the Logodama, huffing and puffing from exertion. He throws himself on a grassy patch, completely fatigued and lies there for sometime before he can pull himself up.

There is absolutely nothing on the summit except for the solitary blue pine tree and he himself. The only other presence is that of the whistling breeze and the faraway sound of tolling bells it is carrying. He sits down under the blue pine tree and keeps his eye open for anything unusual. But soon the exertion takes its toll and he starts to doze off. The sound of a jangling bell up close shakes him out of slumber. He awakens to find, right in front of him, ten meters away, a scarf of purple silk fluttering in the wind. By this time, he is used to such ghostly events.

A carefully constructed cairn holds the scarf in place. As usual there is another envelope under the pile of rocks. He takes the purple envelope, opens it and takes out a folded piece of handmade paper. The message says,

A hundred years, I’ve been waiting still,

The lonely pine on a lonely hill,

For souls that have but lost their way,

Far removed by time’s sway;

To make them meet is my sacred task;

Whatever it takes, what price it asks.

Now that you are here at last,

Take a vow that you’ll hold fast.

This is a story written in five parts. For going on to Part III, click on the link - On Black Rock Mountain 
For Part I - Daydreamer
For Part II  - The Silk Route

For Part V - The Treasure At Last