GENTLE AT HEART
One day, as He saw the herd of oxen approaching the greenlands, He noticed a head above the rest, almost as if a man were walking erect. It was a strange sight. This thing, it was like a man; it had the body of a man, but it was built like a bull. The chest must have easily been among the largest that Rudra had ever seen. When the humongous creature came right next to Him and thrust its face forward, Rudra noted that it did certainly have the face of a bull. There were two magnificent horns on the robust head. The bull smiled, displaying pearly white teeth. But what shocked Rudra almost out of His skin was when He heard “Namaste Rudra.” The bull actually spoke to Him! It was His first encounter with a Minotaur.
“You speak?” Rudra uttered, He actually couldn’t believe what He had heard.
“Yes, I learnt your language, my Lord,” replied the Minotaur.
“My Lord? You know me? We know each other?” asked Rudra.
“I know of you, and I have always wanted to know you, and be with you as my Lord,” replied the Minotaur.
“And why is that?” asked Rudra.
“Because I want the best for myself,” replied the Minotaur, flexing his chest to its enormous fullest. “I want to be the best friend of the best Being in the cosmos, nothing less. For I am Nandi,” He thundered. “Nandi, the strongest Minotaur that has ever been, will ever be, and I, Nandi, will serve only the greatest Lord as my Master and best friend.”
“Oh well, I am flattered,” replied Rudra. “But I am nobody’s master, I am by myself here, and all these are my friends.”
“Hahaha! You joke well!” thundered Nandi. “You are the Master of the world, and you are my best friend, and no one gets to you without getting by me, from now!”
“Why should anyone not get to me?” said Rudra irritably. “Why would I need you?”
“Perhaps you are the one new here, perhaps you do not know that beings, even some animals, can be malafide, and I need to be your guard, now and for ever,” replied Nandi stubbornly.
“You will guard me from who, exactly?” asked Rudra bemused.
“Not who, but what,” replied Nandi.
“Alright,” Rudra was intrigued. “From what?”
“Evil intent,” replied Nandi. “And loneliness,” he added softening his voice.
“Lonely? Why would I be lonely?” asked Rudra, looking at the rest of the oxen.
“Because anything is possible to anyone. We do not always remain with the herd,” said Nandi. “We have to be strong at heart, no matter how gentle we are,” he added mysteriously.
Rudra was amazed at the insight of the humongous Minotaur.
He had only learnt one part about the denizens. Gentle at heart no matter how strong. But here was Nandi teaching Him the rest of the wisdom... strong at heart, no matter how gentle.
“Alright then,” He said, punching at Nandi’s chest in affection. “We are friends from now on.”
“Forever?” smiled Nandi.
“Promise,” said Rudra, this time holding His hand in the air for Nandi to hold in a gesture of friendship. As Nandi clasped His hand back, Rudra could feel an immense power, a live current, as if bonding itself was animated into life. The friendship was to go on to become a camaraderie that would be celestially famous.
“You are one tough chap, aren’t you?” smiled Rudra
“Yes, Master, I am a toughian,” said Nandi, flexing his chest again.
~ From the book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. A modern rendition of Great God Shiva's story
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