Time passed as she kept thinking. Today, Devkanya's work was unusually disrupted. And this vivid butterfly seemed to truly steal away the colors of the scene. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a tall man with matted hair. His face was covered with a thick beard. He wore bark on his lower body, leaving his upper body bare, adorned with Rudraksha beads on his arms and around his neck. A white sandalwood mark was drawn on his forehead. His face glowed brightly. His eyes sparkled slightly as he looked toward a large stone slab near the lotus pond. A slight smile spread across his lips. He moved toward the lotus pond.
Devkanya watched in surprise as he picked up the flower placed on the stone and left a leaf, soft like velvet, in its place. Then suddenly, he vanished into a nearby cave near the waterfall, and she couldn't understand where he had gone. After he left, she slowly approached the spot again. Seeing that velvety leaf, she was overwhelmed. The leaf had beautiful engravings on it. She was greatly surprised. Who was this stranger, and why did he take the flower left by Anupriya? Though many questions arose in her mind, finding the answers seemed futile. Perhaps she should ask Anupriya. Did he leave the leaf for her?
A sense of curiosity stirred in Devkanya's heart. Who was this man with matted hair, and why did he do this? What did he leave in place of the flower? With these thoughts, she began to approach the spot by the lotus pond. But greater surprise awaited her. A shadowy figure suddenly appeared—and soon she realized it was her dear friend Anupriya. Very cautiously, Anupriya glanced around and picked up the velvety leaf, then silently left again. Witnessing all of this left Devkanya's mind restless. She thought of asking Anupriya about it but quickly decided against it, thinking it would be inappropriate.
Today, Devkanya's heart was deeply unsettled, leading to repeated disruptions in her daily rituals. Her mind grew agitated seeing many colorful butterflies—unlike any she had seen before, even in the flower garden. She wondered if the mysterious visitor had brought them. Who was he, whose mere presence stirred such unrest in her soul?
Just then, she heard footsteps but couldn't tell from which direction they were coming. She looked around but saw no one. Slowly, she gathered soft white flowers—favorites of Lord Rudra—and started heading back. Suddenly she realized she hadn't collected sacred grass or bilva leaves, so she returned toward the garden. At that moment, a tall, handsome man appeared and blocked her path.
She recognized him instantly—the same man dressed like a warrior. Devkanya stared at him with unwavering eyes. The stranger spoke, "O maiden, is this the hermitage of the great sage Veda?"
Devkanya looked respectfully in his direction. A moment later, she felt a sense of shyness in her gaze, though she didn't know why. A question stirred within her. All the visitors to this hermitage so far had been elderly—fathers or uncles of her companions. But this man was young and handsome. Seeing him made her body feel numb and her limbs slack. A strange warmth spread through her mind and body.
When the stranger asked the same question again, she softly replied, "O stranger, please state your identity. How did you come to know of this hermitage? And how did you enter?"
Her voice, sweet like a gentle melody, may have touched the stranger's heart—but his expression didn't reveal it. He smiled slightly and answered, "O Devi, I once studied at the great sage Veda's hermitage. I was raised under the care of Guru Mata Basundhara. Their hermitage was here, so I know all the paths. But the place where it once stood is now empty. I wish to know where they currently reside."
Devkanya replied, "Come with me. Guru Pita may help you. His hermitage is nearby." She led him along a winding path, and the stranger followed. At one point, they stopped. It felt as if some invisible force had bound them, a web that refused to part. Devkanya silently prayed. Just then, they heard the roar of a wild beast. She kept chanting silently, and eventually everything returned to normal. It seemed the path was now open.
They proceeded to the hermitage, surrounded by fences made of tree trunks. Inside were ten small huts where all the disciples stayed. At the entrance, woven with vines, they entered and saw the Guru sitting under a large tree, eyes closed. Guru Mata was in the kitchen, cooking.
Devkanya said, "Guru Pita, a guest has come, seeking a hermitage." The stranger bowed low in full reverence. The Guru opened his eyes and said, "Go, my child, join your fellow disciples and begin your daily rituals." Then, to the stranger he said, "Ayushman Bhava. May you be blessed, my son."
Devkanya stood still at that place, and the Guru added, "Child, I will now discuss something important and secret with Devadatta. Tell your Guru Mata to prepare a bit more food today."
Devkanya slowly walked away toward the kitchen.
She knew that Guru Pita would now enter his place of meditation with the stranger named Devadatta. Today, everything was going wrong. As Devkanya tried to decorate the deity's altar with flowers, she kept making mistakes. Her fellow disciples were surprised by her behavior. Amidst all the rituals, her mind kept going back to the two dreams she had seen and that strong, handsome man. Her worship of Lord Rudra was disturbed.
One of the disciples said, "At this rate, she might be banished from the ashram for disrupting the ritual. The bilva leaves are missing from the flower basket. And worship of Rudranath cannot proceed without bilva leaves."
She remembered how Devadatta had appeared earlier when she was picking flowers and interrupted her collection. Guru Pita might not scold her, but she felt deeply ashamed. The ashram followed strict rules—if anyone made repeated mistakes in their duties, they could be sent away to another region in exile.
Would that be her fate too? But some say the first three mistakes are forgiven. Who knows what is written in her destiny?