Journey by the paintings

As he walked on to his home from the school (don’t get him started about the pains of being in high school), he had to pass an alley on the way. Today for some reason his attention was caught and stepped into the alley. There lying by the forgotten dumpster lied a small book. He looked all over to see if someone were there still claim the book. When he saw no one, he went closer and took the book. It was old and written mostly in Sanskrit Language. He recognized the language from the course he took after school during his holidays. He rolled his eyes as his mother made him take it.

But what made him were the paintings within the book. Granted they were photoprints of the original paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, but none the less they were pretty to look at. Thinking nothing more of it, he took the book and placed it in his backpack and went home.

"There you are. A little later than every day, Rajah", said his mom

"I know. I was just distracted on the way to home', said Rajah climbing up the stairs to his room.

"Not so fast young man! Tell me what distracted you', his mom spoke louder behind his back.

Rajah turned on the stairs, looked at his mom. He knew rolling his eyes would give him a timeout from mom. So he simply replied, "I was just distracted looking at a book." He did not lie but he did not tell the complete truth either.

"Well, don’t get distracted again. Come down for evening snack.", said his mom.

He went up to his room, threw is backpack on his bed. Went to the shower to do a quick one, then he came out and changed to the his night clothes. Normally night clothes are worn just before you go to bed, but since he was not going out the rest of the evening, he decided he might as well wear the night clothes.

He came down, made quick work of the snack his mom left it out for him. Then he dropped his used clothes into the washer and then walked up to the stairs. His mind was pre-occupied by the book he picked in the alley. Something about that kept grabbing his attention.

"Are you going up?", said his mom from the kitchen.

"Yes, Mom. I am not up for going out and hang out with friends", said Rajah.

"Well, ok. Have some rest. Dinner will be ready in 2 hrs. Come down then", said his mom concentrating on what she was putting in the cookware on the stove.

"Yes Mom", said Rajah. He rolled his eyes behind his mom's back while climbing up the stairs.

Back in his room, he got his backpack and emptied it. Putting everything in its place, he just took the book he found to his bed. The artist was Raja Ravi Varma per the book, a namesake on his name. That was what kept his attention drawn to the book. He carefully opened the top page. Even though the cover was torn a bit, the pages inside seemed intact. He read something on the top page.

Whoever possesses or owns this book, will be carried far and wide into the tales behind each picture will take the reader to. Remember not to touch or eat anything wherever you go, to come back. Else, you will be forever in the painting.

Rajah read twice what he saw on the top page and smirked at himself and what was written. He slowly went to the next page which gave introduction of who the artist was, and why he became at artist. He turned the page to land into the first painting. The artist tiled as "Stolen Interview or Hesitation".

Rajah swept his hand across the painting. Something swirled around him and before he could scream or take his hand back, he was sucked into the painting and landed smack on his rear end in a long corridor of columns and beautiful roof. He got up, rubbed his body of any invisible dust he might have gathered, and walked forward. He hoped he could find someone and they would guide him back (not that he believed what was written on the top page of the book, but he was concerned.). What is he could not go back in time for the dinner? His mom would yell at him if he missed his dinner. He has to find a way to get back.

At the end of the corridor, it turned left into another open hallway filled with pillars, beautiful wall coverings and tall windows. At one of the pillars he saw two figures. As he walked closer, he realized that they were of a man and a woman, softly speaking, making a cozy bubble around them. Without disturbing them, Rajah walked closer. The man and woman were having a private moment oblivious of their surroundings. They were dressed in simple Indian garb, something relevant to the period when India was ruled by kings.

The woman was dressed simply but elegantly. Rajahn saw her gold bordered sari, the same kind his mom wore at home or at any Indian events. The woman also wore some pearl jewelry. Little did Rajah know that her garb belonged to an affluent family. But it clearly shows that she is interested in the flower given by the man.

The man is also dressed simply but his dressing seems affluent as well. Rajah didn’t know anything about that. He just watched the budding courtship between the man and woman, as she plucked at the rose given by the man. Obviously she was nervous, and he portrayed anxious ness gazing at her. Rajan heard their soft word.

"Come away with me", said the man

"I cant. The rules of my royal family are different for yours", said the woman.

"I'll take good care of you. My family will treat you right. And after I ascend the throne you will be my queen", the man said.

"But, you have never told about you to my family. They still think of you as a commoner and now working for my family as a spy", said the woman

"Eventually I will tell them and they will accept us. Don't you love me enough to leave your family, leave the rules, to come with me?" questioned the man.

"That's not it. Love can only sustain us for some time. I will still crave my family if I come with you. No matter I am treated right.", said the woman.

Rajah must have made some noise, because the couple quickly looked back and towards him. There was no light in the room. All the illumination was coming from outside the hallway. Yet, the woman looked at him with fear, while the man put the woman behind him and faced Rajah. Seeing Rajah and his unusual garb, and even though a kid, the man believed that kids also could be spies. For he was one and trained similar to the kid. Yet, the garb the kid wore confused him.

"Who are you? What brings you here?" questioned the man. The woman still behind him watching Rajah with fear.

"I come in peace", said Rajah, as he heard on all old movies he had seen. "I mean no harm. I am just trying to find a way out", said Rajah.

The man looked confused, because the hall would lead to another room and then to outside. He didn’t not understand what the kid was looking for. He was sure in his mind that the kid was a spy sent by the woman's family to watch her. "I again ask, what you really want? Because going out seems straight to me. You can just walk back out the hall, to eh door on the opposite side and then you would be out", said the man.

Rajah said "I know the way out. I am looking for a way out of this painting into the room back home. It seems I somehow got into this painting and know not where to go"

Unfazed but still confused the man looked at the kid. He still thought the kid was a spy and he was bullshitting him. Still there was something in the kid that made him trust him.

"I am convincing this woman to come away with me. But she is reluctant to lose her family. What did you say your name was?", said the man.

"I never told my name. But, I am called Rajah. I am just looking to get out of this painting to my room. I will leave you to convince her and find my way.", said Rajah and turned back.

The man stopped him and said "I can find you a way. But, can you help us both. I belong to a royal family in the next kingdom. She belongs to the royal family in this kingdom. Her family thinks of me a commoner and now working as a spy for them. She doesn’t want to leave her family due to rules. But we love each other", said the man still confused when Rajam tells that they were in a painting. The man looks around and he thinks he is in a hall inside the palace. But he shakes off thinking the kid must be half-crazy.

Rajah remembers seeing a doorway in the corridor. He thinks that if he helps the man may be he can help him find his way back.

"I saw a door way at the corridor. May be that can take you both where you need to go. Can you help me though?", asks Rajah

The man turns and takes the woman's hand in his, then walks towards the corridor with Rajah at his tow. He doesn’t know how to help him, but if his memory serves right, the doorway is a secret passageway to outside the kingdom, the doorway looks like a wall between the pillars. He walks with the woman and Rajah to the doorway, looks inside and both sides before stepping down to the stairs before closing the door behind all three.

Rajah follows the man, no knowing if he can help, but hoping he can. The trio reach the base of the stairs into a small room that opens to two tunnels.

"I remember this doorway, tunnel and all while working as a spy. One tunnel lead to outside the kingdom. The other tunnel leads to another small room with a half-pillar in the center. There is a large coin at its center. It is said that you hold the coin in your hand and wish for anything and the wish will come true. That is all I can help with. I don’t know beyond that", said the man.

Rajah takes whatever he got and bids good-bye to the man and woman as they both go through a tunnel that leads them outside. He takes the other tunnel that takes him to the small room with the coin. He reaches there and slowly walks around the half-pillar till he faces the coin. He takes the coin hi his hand, hoping of all that what the man said was true. He lifts the coin in this palms, then prays hard to take him out of this painting ang land him in his room. Before he know, presto! He lands back into this bed in his room, and the book stays open beside him.

He looks around, confused for a min, and then satisfying himself that he was back where he was supposed to be, looks at the open book. The painting that he was looking at, and that suck him in, changed. There is no man and woman, just the pillar they stood by with some of the surroundings behind. "unbelievable", he thought then scrambled to look in-detail. Indeed the painting changed. He was confused if indeed the book took him inside the painting and he indeed had helped the man and woman. He didn’t believe it. But he sat back on his bed shocked. A simple book took him somewhere unimaginable. He was sacred at the prospect and at the same time was excited to turn the page and look at the next painting.

"Dinner is ready. Come down to eat.", called his mom

"I am coming", said Rajah. He got out of the bed, looked at the book and closed the door. He was excited to come back to the book , and wondered where the next painting would land him. Although it is unbelievable but at the same time he was looking forward to the next adventure.

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The artist finished the painting of the two love birds. He saw Rajah enter and heard the whole interaction. He knows the man and woman have escaped, and Rajah went back from where he had come. He folded the book that housed his paintings. He walked out of the hall from his hidden alcove and into the corridor. He whistled a small tune and walked along the corridor. He peered at the door to the tunnels that looked like a wall panel, with small smirk he walked passed. His whistle briefly stopped.

"So, where will Rajah land next? And how will he help? It all depends on what painting from the book he turns to. I have to wait and see", muses the artist. Patting his book, he resume his whistling while walking out the corridor.