A PLEASANT DREAM: Essay

A PLEASANT DREAM
I was sitting on a beautiful chariot. It was decorated with beautiful flowers of different hues and fragrance. My throne  was decked with jewels and pearls.  A sword was hanging by my waste and a bow and arrows were placed by my side. I was the Prince of Thiruvananthapuram, the state my forefathers ruled for a long time. I was going for hunting, when my chariot passed through the roads leading to the forest. People would bow before me. To me it didn’t look like a dream. It seemed a reality.

Some countries followed me. Within a few hours the city remained far behind. We were in a dense forest. Still we did not find animals to be hunt. I was rather desperate when I saw a village. We reached the village. The villagers made obeisance to me. But they asked me not to go further.  They said that there was a ghost palace surrounded by banyan trees and grass as high as the palace itself. For the last hundred years one has dared go there

In all looked like a mystery. I just wanted to solve it.  I just called my servants and asked them to cut the high rising grass and make a passage to reach the palace. The passage being made I mounted a horse and rushed towards the palace gate. It was closed. With a little effort it gave way and opened. Just at the gate were two soldiers- golden soldiers. I was rather astonished how these soldiers made of gold looked like real ones The palace seemed quite neat and clean.

I proceeded further and opened a door. It was an awesome scene. Everything in the central hall was made of gold. Golden walls, golden dry fruits. Beautiful maids were bringing golden food in golden dishes. The maids themselves were different gestures standing or sitting at different places. It all seemed to me like a magic.

Although I was a bit confused I walked further to reach a golden table by the side of which was sitting a beautiful princess-all in gold.  I reached her. Quite hesitatingly I touched her. Lo! She stood up and the palace became full of life. All gold disappeared and everything was in its natural shape the Princess took my hand in hers and said, “I  have been waiting for you for the last hundred years to be changed into a human being again. My father had a boon that whatever he touched would be changed into gold.  That is how you found everything here changed into gold. It was predicated that after 100 years a prince would come and everything would be normal. So tomorrow we will be married”. She embraced me and said, “You will be the king and I the queen of this ‘Swarnnagari’. I was just going to kiss her when my mother shook me saying, “It is already seven. How long will you sleep.” My pleasant dream vanished.