The Wheel of Destiny

Are we the product of our actions, or do the dictates of destiny control us? Do we get everything by effort, or does fate have a different story to tell? Read on. PK Mahanandia, an artist from Delhi, was sketching portraits of people for a modest fee. Along came Charlotte Von Schedvin, intrigued by the claims of a gentleman with ruffled hair, and dark mustache, that he could sketch in 10 minutes. Flashback years ago: Little Mahanandia from Orissa, India, was told by his mother that he would marry a girl from Royalty, from a faraway land, the possessor of a musical ear, and the owner of a forest. She would belong to the Sun Sign Taurus. Present Era 1975 A.D., New Delhi: Charlotte was not pleased with the rendition of the portrait. She came back a day later, but wasn't satisfied. Offhand Mahanandia asked her if she owned a forest, and if she was a Taurean.

She replied in the affirmative. She had come from Sweden to India along the Hippie trail of the 70's, running across Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. She, along with Mahanandia, visited the Sun Temple in Konark, which has the famous giant stone wheel. Charlette exclaimed in surprise, that she had a similar miniature version of the wheel, back home in Sweden. He promised her that he would come to Sweden, but being an artist of modest means, he bought a bicycle. From thereon, started his journey of love, on his bicycle, along the hippie-trail across the various countries that Charlette traversed. He worked as an artist drawing portraits for people, who shared money, food, and shelter with him.

Those days, in the 70's, one did not need a visa to travel across many of these countries. Afghanistan, a landlocked country surrounded by mountains, was a peace-loving country, with a taste for music, art, and culture. He would traverse 70 kilometers (approximately 40 miles every day)on his bicycle till his legs hurt. He finally reached Germany, and from there, took the train to reach his destination in Sweden. Charlotte helped him get over the cultural shock he experienced in Sweden, was accepted by her parents, and he married her, all for love-that love, as per him, had not diminished since 1975, when the now 64-year-old gentleman got married to Charlotte. They have two children; her piano continues to play the tune of eternal love.

They have their forest; he continues to sketch, and they live happily ever after. So coming back to the question, are we the product of our actions, or do the dictates of destiny control us? Maybe both- Little Mahanandia being told of his musical Princess, the owner of a forest, and believing it, Charlotte relating to the miniature version stone wheel of the Sun Temple of Konark, as part of her collection, and the coming together of the two individuals in Delhi. However, without his action of cycling across countries, would they have got married? Who knows? Who can explain the inexplicable? It was all just for love.