“Tonight, I will bring Anaṅgamañjarī to the garden that forms part of her house. You should be present outside at that time. I will then get you inside the garden and you will be able to meet her and spend time with her.”
Her words made Kamalākara very happy. She then went back and told Anaṅgamañjarī what had happened, and this made her very happy as well.
अथाह्ना सह याते ऽर्के क्वापि संध्यानुरागिणि ।
ऐन्द्र्या दिशेन्दुतिलकेनानने सुप्रसाधिते ॥ १२,२८.६७ ॥
त्यक्तपद्माकरा प्राप्ता श्रीर् मयेतीव हर्षतः ।
हसत्य् उफुल्लवदने विशदे कुमुदाकरे ॥ १२,२८.६८ ॥
कृतप्रसाधनः सोत्कः स्वैरं स कमलाकरः ।
कामी कान्तागृहोद्यानद्वारबाह्यम् उपागमत् ॥ १२,२८.६९ ॥
तावच् च सा मालतिका तां युक्त्यानङ्गमञ्जरीम् ।
आनिनाय तद् उद्यानं कृच्छ्राद् गमितवासराम् ॥ १२,२८.७० ॥
उपवेश्य च तां मध्ये गुल्मके चूतशाखिनाम् ।
प्रावेशयत् तं निर्गत्य तत्रैव कमलाकरम् ॥ १२,२८.७१ ॥
स च प्रविश्य पत्त्रौघघनपादपमध्यगाम् ।
ताम् अध्वग इव छायां ददर्शानङ्गमञ्जरीम् ॥ १२,२८.७२ ॥
उपैति यावच् च स तां तावद् दृष्ट्वा प्रधाव्य सा ।
कामवेगहृतव्रीडा कण्ठे तं सहसाग्रहीत् ॥ १२,२८.७३ ॥
That evening, the sun, deeply in love with twilight, went away someplace, and the east decorated herself with the crescent moon, resembling a tilak on her forehead…and the grove of Kumudākara (night lotuses) bloomed as if laughing joyously, and saying…
“Look! The Devi of beauty has left the lotus grove and come to me!”
Kamalākara also dressed up well, and at the anointed time, waited impatiently outside the door that led into the garden of Anaṅgamañjarī’s house.
Mālatikā also brought Anaṅgamañjarī to the garden. She had passed the day with great difficulty and was eager to see her love.
Mālatikā made her friend to sit under a mango tree, and walked up to the door, opened it, and brought in Kamalākara.
As he entered the garden, he beheld Anaṅgamañjarī in the midst of the dense foliage of the mango-tree, and was as glad as a weary traveller who had finally found shade to rest under.
As he walked towards her. Anaṅgamañjarī’s patience snapped, and overcome by passion, and devoid of all her shame, she got up and rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck.
क्व यासि लब्धो ऽसि ममेत्य् आलपन्ती च तत् क्षणम् ।
सातिहर्षभरस्तब्धनिःश्वासा पञ्चताम् अगात् ॥ १२,२८.७४ ॥
पपात च महीपृष्ठे वातरुग्णा लतेव सा ।
विचित्रो बत कामस्य विपाकविषमः क्रमः ॥ १२,२८.७५ ॥
तद् दृष्ट्वाशनिपातोग्रं सद्यः स कमलाकरः ।
हा हा किम् एतद् इत्य् उक्त्वा मूर्च्छितो न्यपतद् भुवि ॥ १२,२८.७६ ॥
लब्धसंज्ञः क्षणेनाथ ताम् अङ्कारोपितां प्रियाम् ।
आलिङ्गन् परिचुम्बंश् च तत् तच् च विलपन् बहु ॥ १२,२८.७७ ॥
तथा दुखातिभारेण स प्रसह्य निपीडितः ।
यथा तस्य टसत्कृत्य क्षणाद् धृदयम् अस्फुटत् ॥ १२,२८.७८ ॥
अथ तौ मालतिकया शोच्यमानाव् उभाव् अपि ।
दृष्ट्वा प्राप्तक्षयौ शोकाद् इव क्षीणाभवत् क्षपा ॥ १२,२८.७९ ॥
प्रात उद्यानपालेभ्यो ज्ञात्वा बन्धुजनस् तयोः ।
तत्राययौ त्रपाश्चर्यदुःखमोहाकुलीकृतः ॥ १२,२८.८० ॥
आसीत् कर्तव्यतामूढश् चिरं खेदाद् अवाङ्मुखः ।
कष्टाः कुलखलीकारहेतवो बत कुस्त्रियः ॥ १२,२८.८१ ॥
“Where were you, and where did you go, after stealing my heart? I have caught you now”, she said, and as she was speaking, her breath stopped due to the immense joy that she experienced…
She fell to the ground, like a creeper broken by the wind.
विचित्रं बत कामस्य विषमः क्रमः ॥
Strange is the way of love. and terrible are it’s consequences!
When Kamalākara realized what had happened. he was shocked, as if struck by lightning, and he fell to the ground.
He took his beloved in his arms, and kissed her, and cried and cried.
He cried so much that his heart could not bear the sorrow he felt, and it broke, and Kamalākara died on the spot.
Mālatikā herself was shocked at what had happened, and she fainted. The night, seeing the tragic end to their story, herself came to an end, as if in grief.
In the morning, the relatives of the lovers came to the garden, called by the gardeners who discovered the corpses.
They were filled with embarrassment, surprise and grief, and so stood there for long, not knowing what to do. After all,
कष्टाः कुलखलीकारहेतवो बत कुस्त्रियः||
Women who are wayward cause dishonor to their own families.
to be continued…