The Tree and the Dove || Chapter -4 : Where the Moon Was Kissed by Night

By the time Shiv had finished the painting, the sun had dipped lower, and the sky began to deepen... slowly turning from soft orange to dusky blue. As Shiv gently set down his brush and canvas, Gora walked over to him with that familiar sparkle in her eyes. But just as she reached his side, her gaze landed on the painting… and for a moment, she forgot to breathe.

There she was — captured on canvas, not just in form, but in soul. 

Her shape, gentle yet full of quiet strength, stood in a soft golden light — as if the sunlight itself had chosen her. The folds of her dupatta moved with a silent breeze, painted so carefully it looked like they might flutter any second. Her hair, like dark waves at midnight, caught tiny bits of light, painted with such care that it felt like the strands could move with the wind.

Her eyes — oh, her eyes! Shiv had painted them with such detail and emotion, they seemed to hold entire skies within. In their depths, a quiet storm rested… the kind that speaks of stories untold and dreams half-whispered.

Just beneath her smile rested a tiny mole...  like the night had kissed the lips of the moon and left its mark behind.

The background was no less magical. The garden faded into a blur of colors, soft and dreamy, like memory.

There was a faint outline of the sun.... not directly drawn, but sensed.... its warmth kissing her cheek with a shy blush. Even the shadows had life, carefully placed to show the curve of her hand, the strength of her stance, the softness of her being.

The entire canvas breathed. It wasn’t just a painting.
It was a moment — sacred and still.
It was Gora… not as the world saw her,
but as Shiv felt her.

Gora stood in silence, her eyes gently widening, her lips parted as if caught mid-thought.

She stepped closer — slowly, like one would approach a memory too beautiful to touch — and whispered, almost to herself:

“How did you do this, Shiv…?”

She turned to him, her voice trembling just slightly, not from uncertainty — but from being moved beyond words.

“This isn’t just a painting… this is how you see me, isn’t it?”

Her hand rose to her chest, where her heartbeat thudded loud and warm.

“You saw strength where I only knew softness… you saw light in places I had hidden. Even the way the wind touches my dupatta — it feels like you caught a moment only I had felt.”

She looked at her eyes on the canvas again — those painted eyes that held so much of her.

“You painted my silence… my hopes… my fears.”
“And you made me feel... seen. Completely.”

There was a pause. The air between them filled with that soft stillness that only love can carry.

Then she smiled, tears glistening but refusing to fall.

“If ever I forget who I am, I’ll look at this… and remember who I am in your eyes.”

Gora blinked, and suddenly made a playfully sad face. Her eyes sparkled with an over-the-top longing, like a child wanting someone’s attention.

She pouted and said,

“Love… I’m hungry now. Chalo naa … Meko bhoook lgg rahi h” 

And then, a faint, theatrical sob escaped her lips — light as a breeze, but with just enough drama to melt Shiv’s heart.

She turned her face slightly away, acting upset, and spoke in a voice that pretended to be sad.

“You don’t love me anymore… you just love your painting...you don’t even care about me.”

And her gentle sobs went on..

Shiv laughed under his breath, not just at her performance, but at how effortlessly she ruled his world — with nothing but a pout and a whisper. Her voice, soft and delicate like silk, carried such tender charm that Shiv couldn’t stop himself—he leaned in and kissed the very lips that had spoken those words.
He gently wiped the invisible tear from her cheek and whispered,

“If I could, I’d frame your tantrums, and your innocence — and hang them on every wall of my soul.”

Shiv looked at her and chuckled softly. 

“Oh Gora!, Today, I’ve arranged a truly delicious feast just for you… I’m sure you’re going to love it.”

"Hopefully," Gora replied playfully, raising an eyebrow as she smiled — that smile only meant for him. Then, hand in hand, they walked inside the palace — pausing by the stone basin near the entrance to wash their hands and face, the cool water catching reflections of flickering lanterns.

---x_x_x---

The Dove continues... 

"I had to know their story — no matter what. So, as they walked away, I followed… my wings silent against the breeze, and flew into the grand hall, settling high above on a tall skylight, hidden."

From the high roshandaan where I sat, I could see it all. Below, The long wooden dining table was dressed like a royal dream — soft cloth, shining dishes, and plates full of lovingly prepared dishes: creamy gravies, saffron rice, roasted vegetables, fruit-stuffed sweets, warm breads, and golden desserts that shimmered like evening stars. And outside, tall torches burned gently along the palace walls — their golden flames swaying with the breeze. The light from those torches filtered through the roshandaan and scattered inside, casting a soft, flickering glow onto the grand dining table below.

It was in that gentle light that my shadow must have flickered across the marble… because Fuzzy, ever alert, suddenly looked up.

His ears perked, and then  — he wagged his tail at me, eyes sparkling with joy. It was as if he had noticed me and said, “Come join us, feathered friend. There’s a place for you too at this table of love.” 

It startled me for a moment. But then, I smiled and fluttered down, gently landing near a corner of the table.

And then... the meal began — but more than the food, it was the soft laughter, the glances, the love served between each bite that made the moment unforgettable. Shiv and Gora sat across from one another, smiling softly between bites, sharing stories with their eyes more than their lips. The air smelled of warmth and family. Oh Tree! Their love was quiet but deep, like a melody you hum under your breath. With a curious peck, I tasted a few morsels — sweet-scented rice, a bit of warm roti, a fragrant petal-like dessert. Oh my dear home, the flavors sang songs on my tongue. It was love — served in spice and sweetness.

_x_x_x_

(The Dining Hall)

The dove gently walks over to Fuzzy, who is finishing the last bite of his favorite biscuit.

Dove (with a curious, glowing look in her eyes):
"Fuzzy… I have to ask you something. I want to know their story — Shiv and Gora’s. All of it. Every moment. Every word. Can you tell me?"

Fuzzy (blinking in surprise, then smiling):
"Honestly? I’ve never really tried to find that out."

Dove (surprised):
"You haven’t? But you live with them"

Fuzzy (smiling gently):
"Exactly. I live with them… and every day, they fill my life with so much joy and warmth. Every morning starts with their laughter, and every evening ends with peace. I guess I never needed to look into their past. The love they live in now — that’s always been enough for me."

Dove (softly, but still eager):
"But you must have heard something… right?"

Fuzzy (grinning, remembering):
"Actually… one day, when I was playing near the lake, splashing around and being my silly self, I heard Bibbu and Bibbi — the duck couple — talking in whispers. It was about Shiv and Gora."

Dove (eyes wide, leaning in):
"What did they say?"

Fuzzy (scratching his head):
"I didn’t hear a full sentence… just a few strange, beautiful words. Like fragments of a forgotten poem."

Dove:
"What words?"

Fuzzy (in a thoughtful, almost hushed voice):
"A mystic peacock... a lonely island… and a drop of Shiv's tear that awakened the sleeping light within Gora." That’s all I remember.

Dove (eyes shimmering):
"They do mean something… and I want to know what."

Fuzzy (nodding):
"Then you should meet Bibbu and Bibbi. If anyone remembers the story behind those words… it’s them."

_x_x_x_

The Dove continues... 

Dinner had ended, but the love lingered in the air — like the soft aroma of rosewater after a sweet dish.

Gora and Shiv sat there for a while longer, sipping warm herbal tea, their conversation a quiet murmur I couldn’t quite catch. But their smiles said enough. Their glances held entire chapters of a story only they could read.

Fuzzy yawned and curled up near their feet — the perfect picture of comfort.

And then, as the moon peeked over the hills, casting a silver light across the palace domes, Shiv gently took Gora’s hand again and whispered something. She nodded, eyes sparkling.

I watched as they rose, their shadows stretching long behind them, and made their way through the wide marble corridors of the palace — until they reached the highest terrace, the one crowned with two great horse statues carved from stone.

The horses — strong, magnificent — stood tall as if reaching for the very resolve of the stars themselves. Their marble manes curled like waves frozen in time, and their stance spoke of timeless guardianship over the palace.

And then... Shiv and Gora gently climbed onto the back of one of the statues — the horse on the right. They moved carefully, lovingly, like it was a sacred ritual they had performed many times.

Shiv leaned back, resting against the horse’s cool marble neck, and stretched out beneath the open sky. The stars above reflected in his eyes.

Gora, smiling softly, curled into him — her warmth wrapping into his. She tucked herself in his embrace like a river meeting its shore, sliding her fingers between his... locking them gently, completely.

They stayed like that for a long while... watching the stars as if they were counting their dreams. Sometimes they didn’t speak. They didn’t need to. Their silence was a language, and their closeness — poetry.

From above where I perched, I could feel the stillness — not of silence, but of something deeper. A stillness only love knows. I saw how even the stars paused in their path to gaze down at this love — not perfect, but pure. Not loud, but lasting.

The whole world looked paused — the lake below shimmered like a mirror, the mountains stood in silhouette, and the stars… oh Tree, the stars were endless.

I watched them quietly from the edge of the left side horse-head, careful not to disturb them. For a moment, I forgot I had wings. I just listened. Felt. Loved.

And slowly… very slowly… my eyes began to close. The stars above blurred into soft sparkles, and the marble beneath me felt like a cradle. I don’t know when I fell asleep. But I did.