I felt the heat of the sun. I opened my eyes, only to be surrounded in blue, green and gold. What was I doing on a beach all alone? I got up, brushing away half the beach off my pants. Clearly, the sand liked me, a lot. I did the only thing that made sense: twisted my head three-sixty degrees to see around.
The island had coconut trees that touched the sky, and creepy-looking mangroves in the backwaters. The salty wind tangled my hair. Seagulls soared above, playing tag and catching fish. There were crabs too, and I made a mental note to stay away from them. I walked some more, and stumbled upon a wrecked boat. Memories came rushing back. I was among the eight campers who were selected every year by the summer camp I attended, to find answers to myths and legends from around the world.
I was asked to find out how Mayurvan, a flourishing city, was destroyed. I did so, getting into a boat all by myself, with just food, camping equipment and other essentials for company. Everything was going fine, until the sky turned grey, the wind howled, and the ocean decided it didn’t like me. I got pulled and pushed, tossed and turned. What was I, pizza dough? I finally blacked out when the ocean spat a very terrified me, along with my boat, onto a beach.
Trying to be optimistic, I retrieved my supplies from my poor boat, which were unharmed, thanks to waterproof bags. I fished out the tablet that the camp had given me. It had unlimited battery, which came in handy in missions like this. I turned on the GPS, and…WOW! What Luck! I was on Mayurvan. I screamed with joy, startling the seagulls who probably weren’t ready for my Oscar-worthy performance. They screamed back, loudly.
I found a cosy spot in the heart of the island. It would keep me safe from nature’s hysterical fits of anger. Plus, it had a beautiful view. I set up camp there, shouldered my bag, and ventured out to explore.
The heat was scorching, and the island was huge. After what seemed like a year (and hopefully losing five kilos I couldn’t wait to get rid of), I came across a submerged temple. My breath stopped. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The temple’s shikhara shimmered under the sun, showing off designs so beautiful and intricate, it was impossible to look away. I knew it was connected to my mission.
I walked back to my tent, collecting firewood on the way. I lit a fire, made a sandwich out of my food supplies, ate it, and went to bed. Now you may be thinking how marooned on the island felt like. I will be blunt and straight forward – it was horrible. The sand was soft and the weather was cool. But there were a lot of insects, and I couldn’t sleep just thinking about an insect party happening right under my blanket, all of them thinking ‘let’s ruin this girl’s night!’. And do not even ask me about bathroom businesses.
I woke up, cleaned my teeth, and jumped into my scuba diving suit. I reached the submerged temple, and slowly descended into the water surrounding it. The water’s cool embrace made me forget everything else, gave me a sense freedom.
The real magic was not the colourful swarms of fish and fields of coral that spread as far as the eyes could see, but the fact that there was an entire city underwater. Broken huts, sheds, pots, pans, jewellery, and a ruined castle in the distance, all covered in seaweed and algae. It was a city for the marine animals now. I tried to focus on my task, rather than thinking how the Royal Family of Fishdom looked like.
I took a closer look on the temple. It was huge, almost as big as the castle. It had six small shikharas, and a bigger seventh one in the middle, which peeked above the ocean, leaving the other six to crumble in envy. The all entrances were blocked with rocks. So, I had to turn around and search elsewhere.
Looking around made my heart crack. What happened to such a pretty place? I clicked photos of inscriptions, huts, and the castle from different angles. I even collected artefacts for deeper research. When nothing else could be found, I reluctantly made my way to the shore.
I freshened up, and sat down to study, munching biscuits. The inscriptions were written in some ancient script, but I translated them using my tablet. They gave information about the rulers, the community, the crops, the wars, etc. I studied my samples for a long time, and found something that felt useful.
When Mayurvan drowned, the ruler was Raja Arun (a very simple name for that time, right?). He was very clever and forward thinking, and planned the architecture of the city strategically, to keep the enemies at bay.
My soil samples told me that the city was nowhere near the beach, it was located at the foothills of very tall mountains. So, the city drowned due to some other reason, not due to tsunamis and floods. Mayurvan drowned under so much water, that it blended with the ocean and formed an island. And those mountains? I could see them on the horizon, still mourning their city.
Suddenly, a photo caught my eye. I had taken a picture of literally every text I found, and one of them was a list of deaths. My fingers trembled as I scanned through the records. Four to five people died every week, due to a deadly disease that had taken over the city. Everyone was affected and doomed to die.
I sat still, deep in thought. Could that be related to Mayurvan’s destruction? Could the gods have taken pity on the suffering citizens and chosen to drown the city as an act of mercy? What if King Arun’s arguments with the gods were not driven by pride or ego, but by desperation and love for his people? Maybe he wasn’t defying them… maybe he was pleading for their help.
I felt helpless, exhausted, and very much bored. I made some notes, and called camp for pick up. I contacted my task supervisor and told her my theory- A deal was made between the king and the gods to drown the city and end its suffering. But even as I said that, it sounded silly; it did not make sense. I told her that I had failed her.
But instead of disappointment, I was met with warmth and understanding. “Failed me?” she said, surprised. “Child, you have found answers to other things related to Mayurvan. I am proud of you! Besides, some things are best left undiscovered. You will understand it someday. Pick up is on its way. You be ready.”
As the helicopter finally arrived and took off, I took one last look at the island. It grew smaller every second. I hadn’t solved everything. But I carried something equally important – the memories, experiences, and a small piece of the forgotten world. I knew there was truth in my supervisor’s words. Some stories aren’t meant to be complete and perfect. They are meant to be remembered and cherished.
Inspired by the legend of Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram.
January, 2026
