He tried pulling her out of the tree, but then he noticed that the fire was already burning her body.
"Save yourself," she whispered weakly, "I'm about to die, that is certain. This tree holds my life. It's already burning to ashes. It will be futile. Leave me."
Feeling weak, she laid her head low. He argued with her. He won't let her burn in the forest. He already made his vows, his promises that he would love her for eternity. He would water her when she's thirsty, and would make her leaves dance in the air just like she wanted to.
"I love you," he finally said, breaking down in tears.
He couldn't believe that such a moment could be so bittersweet. Confessing his love to someone dying is blissful and at the same time, painful. She smiled and a tear also escaped her eye. He sobbed at her dying body. She smiled at him and finally said—
"I love you too. Because in this world, even though we are never meant to be together, you chose to love me. But in this time, you have to let go. It is my destiny to be in death's hand. You deserve to live. The universe chose us to be away from each other. Please, live for me."
She cried softly as the flames reached her.
He couldn't bear the pain anymore. But he didn’t run. He held her hand and placed it on his chest. She looked at him in confusion as he smiled at her. Painfully, he uttered, "I won't let you die as long as you let me live. If I can’t save you, then I shall die too."
"What's the use of living if you are gone from my side?” he continued, “I made a vow that I would love you all my life. And I won't break that promise. As we die here together, I I will love you with all my heart, even after death," he said, and they kissed.
They kissed even as the flames destroyed them. They didn’t let go of each other, even as everything around them burnt down to ashes. They chose love, even if the price of this undying choice was death.
They were burned together in the place where they found love. The flames did not extinguish its rage. Men and women took buckets of water to annihilate the devastating fire. But no matter what they did, the flames didn't die.
The annihilating flames lasted all night, until the next morning. The people from the village were scared, and were about to lose hope. Suddenly, smoke appeared somewhere away from the woods. Every one wondered, what other place could be burning? And what would give smoke the color of light gray?
The huge gray smoke approached the burning forest, and then the village. It engulfed them everything in the vicinity, and the villagers couldn’t tell what was happening.
Then, water started to drop from the sky. Everyone was stunned.
The water drops grew stronger and heavier. The villagers cheered as the flames began to subside in the forest. The gray smoke watered the forest, the houses, and everything in its path. The villagers were relieved, and danced under the waterfall.
After the waterfall, the smoke subsided and sunlight came. They checked the forest and saw only burnt trees and ashes everywhere the forest. But a child saw something wonderful. Under the trunk of a fallen tree was a beautiful new grown flower, surrounded by ashes and bones. Its petals were as white and pure as snow, and soft and moist as water.
They looked at skies and saw the gray smoke had already turned white, as an unknown breeze blew.
They named the smoke 'clouds', the smoke that saved them from the flames.
They called its waters the 'rain', the drops that saved their village.
They called the breeze as the 'wind', the air that taught the leaves how to dance.
Whenever the clouds got angry, they would bring thunder and rain together with the strong wind. It rained to quench the trees' thirst; it blew winds to play with its leaves.
The woodcutter had kept his promise. The Woman was stuck on the earth, and he was trapped in the skies. But their love never died no matter how far they were from each other. Their love lasted for eternity even though they could no longer touch each other's lips.
This is the love untold— a love between the clouds and the trees.
This is the story of love everlasting.
A tale that should forever be embedded in our hearts and minds.
This is the legend of an undying death.
The Legend of the Rain.
