Chapter 1 – The Wedding

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Thus I have heard. 

Life is magical; if we have the wisdom, compassion, and determination to awaken the Hero of the World within us to achieve Enlightenment.  

For many years, Tara could not accept herself for who she was: a not-so-ordinary girl born with a tiny donut-shaped emerald jade in her mouth. It made her unique and different, when all she wanted to do was to lead a normal life. However, the truth remains that had it not been for the nurse who extracted the jade out of her mouth in the nick of time when she was still a baby, she might have died of suffocation. It remained a mystery as to how a jade stone ended up in her mouth while in her mother’s womb. Nevertheless, everyone concurred that Tara was a miracle baby and that she would enjoy boundless blessings in the future. As a Chinese proverb goes, “Those who survive a catastrophe are bound to have good fortune and great blessings in the future.” 

Born in the zodiac year of the dragon, Tara was deemed fortunate based on Chinese tradition. Yet, she was not sure of that. Persistent illnesses tormented her while she was young. It all started when Tara was still a baby. She was diagnosed with atrial septal defect (ASD), a congenital birth defect commonly referred to as “a hole in the heart.”

Tara almost lost her life to a rare bacterial lung infection known as Pulmonary Actinomycosis when she was five years old. Tara’s mother, Siew Lee, had a close friend who happened to be a Feng Shui consultant. Since Tara had a deep affinity with the healing jade (being born with it in her mouth), she advised Tara’s mother that she must wear the jade at all times for protection. Convinced, Siew Lee made sure that Tara always wore an emerald jade pendant. 

As a baby, Tara would fuss and cry, refusing to wear the donut-shaped gem. But shortly after Tara began to wear the emerald jade, the hole in the heart disappeared naturally within three months, and the rare bacterial lung infection healed within a week without any further medication. This miracle cemented her mother’s faith in the unexplained, mystical power of the jade and its ability to protect Tara from all calamities. The fact that the donut-shaped emerald jade grew from the tiny size of a kidney bean to the size of a one-dollar coin was a testament that the gem was indeed a miracle pendant.

Time flew in a twinkling of an eye. Having graduated with a Law degree from National University of Singapore, Tara had started working in a law firm. The harsh realities she witnessed in her career and life ― countless acrimonious divorce cases, the failed marriages of her friends, and her Irish father’s two divorces out of three marriages ― made her perceive love as a disposable mask ready to be discarded once soiled.

Tara always wondered: What is True Love? Can I ever find True Love in my life? Somehow, she intuitively understood that True Love was no longer a feel-good Disney fairytale; it had to be something loftier.

If I wish to find True Love, I have to awaken the True Love within and become the embodiment of True Love, Tara thought. Since then, she aspired to live a purpose-driven life committed to personal growth and self-actualization in the service of humanity.    

As such, Tara spent her weekend not only in dancing (her talent and favorite past time hobby), but also in volunteering her time in various charitable organizations. When she turned twenty-seven years old, she met her Prince Charming while doing volunteer work at a hospice. Prakash, a cardiologist, was ten years her senior. After six months of a whirlwind romance, she finally tied the knot with him in a cross-cultural marriage spanning Indian, Chinese, and Western contemporary marriages.

It was a sunny April morning. The weather was balmy with white fluffy clouds floating by in the sky, and the wind was breezy with a hint of sea salt. Two dragonflies flew in the air, forming a heart-shaped wheel. Tara was excited to marry Prakash in a romantic nautical-themed beach wedding in Langkawi, a tropical island not far away from Penang, Malaysia. While the traditional Indian marriage was held a week earlier in Singapore, the traditional Chinese marriage was held in Penang two days before the contemporary beach wedding.

“My dear, you look amazingly divine,” said Prakash, holding Tara’s hands tenderly.

“Thank you, honey,” Tara blushed ever so slightly. “You look awesome in your all-white Indian tunic.” Tall and lanky, Prakash was handsome in his own distinctive way. His gentle smile and compassionate gaze never failed to bring peace and assurance to Tara’s tender heart. She had fallen head over heels in love with Prakash’s kindness and gentleness, the noble qualities that she found irresistible in men.

The solemnization was held in a heart-shaped, white-and-turquoise floral arch under a round floral canopy on the sandy beach. With Mr. Lim as the wedding officiant, Tara and Prakash signed the wedding document to officially register their marriage with two witnesses: Tara’s father, Patrick, and Prakash’s eldest brother, Ravi.

The immediate families and close friends of Tara and Prakash were seated on the floral-decorated wooden chairs placed on the white sandy beach, witnessing the moment when the wedding vows were exchanged.

After solemnization, the music, A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri, blared out from the stereo, signaling the time to exchange rings in tandem with modern wedding vows.

I have died every day, waiting for you

Darling, don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years

Tara looked absolutely gorgeous in her white, deep V-neck, diamanté-embellished satin bridal jumpsuit with a cowl back. Her hair was tied up in a floral chignon, and her slightly well-toned arm made her appear vivaciously fit and seductively dynamic. Her mixed Irish and Chinese blood made Tara a Eurasian Chinese of exotic beauty. Fair-skinned and slender with an hourglass figure, her emerald-green eyes set in an oval-shaped face with Obsidian black hair were most alluring.

Tara created the Nautical Marriage Vow with Prakash for their beach wedding theme. Mr. Lim initiated the wedding vow ceremony by saying, “Prakash and Tara, please hold each other’s hands to begin the Nautical Marriage Vow Ceremony. Prakash S/O Subramaniam, please.”

Holding both hands of Tara and looking into her alluring green eyes, Prakash said, “Tara, I am deeply grateful to have you as my wife today. Since the time without beginning and ending, I vow to love you and cherish you forever, just like the eternal revolution of the Dharma Wheel. I vow to be your Anchor of happiness in times of joy and jubilations, and I vow to be your Lifebuoy to keep you afloat in times of trials and tribulations. I vow to be your Life Compass pointing to the everlasting true self of purpose, passion, and purity. I vow to be your Lighthouse to show you the ever-present light of wisdom and compassion. I vow to be absolutely committed to you: high tide or low tide, I will always be by your side, hand in hand, heart to heart, in this enduring journey of Amaranthine True Love.”

Prakash began to get emotional, tears welled up in his eyes. It was a bumpy courtship for him because of his conservative mother’s fervent rejection. The latter did not want a Eurasian daughter-in-law. Instead, she wanted him to marry a Tamil woman so that she could pass down Indian cultures and traditions to their children.

“Tara Long O’Brien, please,” said Mr Lim, slightly waving his hand on Tara’s side as a signal for her to begin her vow.

“Prakash, I am deeply grateful to have you as my husband today. Since the time without beginning and ending, I vow to love you and cherish you forever, just like the eternal revolution of the Dharma Wheel. I vow to be your Anchor of happiness in times of joy and jubilations, and I vow to be your Lifebuoy to keep you afloat in times of trials and tribulations. I vow to be your Life Compass pointing to the everlasting true self of purpose, passion, and purity. I vow to be your Lighthouse to show you the ever-present light of wisdom and compassion. I vow to be absolutely committed to you: high tide or low tide, I will always be by your side, hand in hand, heart to heart, in this enduring journey of Amaranthine True Love,” said Tara, her eyes glistened with tears of joy and gratitude.

After the Nautical Wedding Vow ceremony, Tara and Prakash exchanged their platinum wedding bands and shared a kiss. Glancing at her one-carat solitaire engagement ring dazzling brilliantly in the sunlight, Tara was imbued with boundless love to become Prakash’s wife. 

The wedding vow ended with Tara throwing her bouquet of pink roses, peach peonies, and periwinkles to the guests. Her best friend and bridesmaid, Mayreen, managed to grab the bouquet.

After the completion of the solemnization and the marriage vow exchange, Tara and Prakash, as well as their immediate families and close friends boarded the luxurious two-tiered catamaran called the Sea Falcon for the post-wedding celebration. The yacht was decorated with aquamarine helium balloons, bedecked with nautical-inspired paraphernalia such as the navigational wheel, anchor, life buoy, oar, lighthouse, starfish, compass, pearl, and seashells.  A balanced assortment of sweet and savoury delicacies was ready at the tastefully designed dessert bar. 

Inside the yacht’s private suite, Tara took a quick glance at herself in the mirror. Oh dear, my jade pendant! How can I forget about it? I promise my mother to always wear my jade pendant no matter what!

Penang was the hometown of both Tara and her mother. A few days ago, she went to pay respect to her late mother at the Kek Lok Si temple, a renowned Buddhist temple, in Penang, Malaysia. The photo of her mother on the niche was still vividly etched in her mind. Her mother had passed on seven years ago.

“Tara, are you ready for the photoshoot?” Mayreen asked. Dressed in a turquoise, knee-length chiffon halter dress, Mayreen looked charming with her slim stature, short ebony hair, and a warm skin tone.

 “Give me a second, I’ll be ready in a jiffy,” she said, as she went to get her jade pendant from her jewelry box.

When Tara touched the jade pendant; she noticed it was warmer than usual. She knew from her past experience that the jade became warm before something untoward was about to happen to her. Nonetheless, because it was her wedding today, she brushed off the sense of foreboding doom as irrelevant.

“Let me help you with the pendant,” Mayreen said, offering to help Tara put on the pendant. “You look absolutely gorgeous today.”

“Thank you, Mayreen.”

Once she put on her pendant, she stepped out for a photo session organized by the photographer, Jun Yang. Patrick came along to join them in the photography. The videographer, Sean Tan, was also busy recording videos. 

“Daddy, thank you so much for everything. I’m so sorry, I love you.” Tara embraced his father who was tall and stout. When she saw his wrinkled face and silver hair, her heart was filled with regrets for holding grudges against him. She was not on speaking terms with her father for the past seven years because she always believed it was her foul-tempered father who contributed to her mother’s untimely death. She resented the fact that shortly after the death of her mother, her father married his mistress. However, his father’s third marriage was short-lived. It lasted only six months.

“You’re my daughter and I will always love you,” said Patrick, his green eye winking encouragingly. “May you have a blissful union with Prakash.”

“Come Virginia and Lenny, let’s take a photo with Tara and Prakash,” Patrick urged Virginia, his hazel-eyed daughter from his first marriage with an Irish lady. The marriage ended in divorce just after two years. Lenny, a stout Briton with tattoos on his arms, was Virginia’s partner.

Auntie Siew Lan and her husband, Uncle Yong, joined Tara for the photography session. Auntie Siew Lan was Tara’s mother’s youngest sister. Tara was close to her because they often gathered as extended families to celebrate various festive occasions such as the Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Winter Solstice in the past.

Wearing a maroon silk blouse and navy pants, Auntie Siew Lan was a petite lady with short, black permed hair. S Uncle Yong, looking smart in a casual Hawaiian printed shirt and dark pants, was a medium-height man with a strong and sturdy stature.

“Congratulations on your nuptials, I’m so proud of you. Here are our gifts for you,” said Auntie Siew Lan, passing her a nicely-wrapped present and two red packets for Tara and Prakash.

“Auntie Siew Lan and Uncle Yong, thank you for attending my wedding,” Tara said, delighted. “Please help yourself to the snacks and desserts at the minibar. Come, let me introduce you to Prakash’s family members. This is Ravi, Prakash’s eldest brother, and his wife, Kanchan. And this is Roshni, Prakash’s youngest sister, and her husband, Chandran. Why don’t you mingle and get to know each other better?”

Auntie Siew Lan and Uncle Yong began to enjoy themselves chatting and bonding with Prakash’s family members over at the minibar area. Roshni’s two daughters, Geetha and Anita, enjoyed chatting with Prakash’s best men, Balakrishnan and Namish.

Mayreen helped Virginia and Lenny to get ready for  snorkeling. She also assisted Ravi’s son, Lakshmi, who planned for a kayaking later. Yu Han, Tara’s second bridesmaid, lent a helping hand to Auntie Siew Lan’s two sons, Kai Wen and Kai Ming, who wanted to go for a paddle boarding.

After about 15 minutes of the yacht cruising in the ocean, Tara experienced an inexplicable chill down her spine. Distracted by the eerie silence, she felt as if she was in a vacuum in space. She could no longer hear the waves splashing against the yacht or the squawking of the seagulls. Something is not right.

“What has happened, Tara?” Prakash asked, with concern in his voice.

Tara saw his mouth moving, but she could not hear his voice. She wanted to reply to him, but there was just no sound coming from her lungs. Suddenly, the entire party seemed to notice that something was amiss, as people stopped talking and laughing.

A pall of ominous dark clouds appeared, eclipsing the sun. The low wail of the wind changed into a howling monster. Flashes of forked lightning lit up the darkened sky, followed by the rolling thunder and torrential shower. The next moment, the sky opened in a spiral disc like the birth of a galaxy.

Her jaw dropped when she saw strange silhouettes coming out of that spiral disc. Slowly, their shapes began to get less ambiguous and Tara thought they looked like mythical creatures. A white serpentine dragon and a black western dragon were embroiled in a ferocious fight. The black dragon spewed out flames and fire from its mouth, attacking the white dragon, which retaliated by sprouting water to extinguish the flames.

People on the yacht began to shriek but no sounds were heard. None of them could believe their eyes.

Seconds later, the giant black bird twirled around the white dragon, trying to use his sharp talons to tear the white dragon. Flashes of lightning enveloped the two creatures as the fight ensued. 

The next moment, the water in the ocean began to form a whirlpool, connecting with the spiral clouds in an hourglass-shaped vortex, while the buffeting winds turned deafening. Pulled by the forces of the sky-to-ocean cyclone, the yacht was tossed and turned mercilessly in circles.  

Meanwhile, the ship’s wheel spun continuously on its own and the navigational and communication systems started to malfunction. Rashid, the yacht’s captain, tried to stay calm as he attempted to gain control of the yacht but to no avail.

Passengers shrieked and screamed as the yacht capsized, throwing everyone into the ocean. 

 “Prakash!” Tara shrieked as the forces of the ocean swayed her.

“Hold on to me tight!” Prakash tried in vain to catch hold of Tara.

A huge wave swallowed up the entire yacht. Tara was bobbed up and down, as she struggled to stay afloat on the ocean waves.  In an attempt to save Tara, Prakash tried to swim against the raging current drawing him towards the whirlpool. Alas, he was sucked into the spiraling vortex. Soon, everyone was swallowed up by the cyclone.

Before Tara blacked out, she saw herself being enveloped by a golden white light emitted from her emerald jade pendant. Soaking in the luminous light of unsurpassed resplendence, she had never felt so loved, blissful, and at peace. Then, she lost consciousness.