Unapi city is a 21st-century coastal city that is said to be built on one big rock. That’s a fact that has been tested and proved. With modern chemical testing techniques, the scientists have tested Unapi’s signature black rock sand from all over the city. The result says that the claim is true. Unapi city is indeed built on one distinct big black rock. Although they don’t have a definite explanation of how it came to be. Just like any other age-old question, this one too has an answer in form of a story. The story goes something like this:
A very long time ago lived a princess called Una. She was the most beautiful being the people of that time had ever seen. She was one of a kind. Perhaps that’s why she was named ‘Una’ which literally means ‘one of a kind’. It is also believed that the number ‘1’ is named ‘one’ after this princess. Or maybe it is the other way round, Una gets her name from one. Something like that… nobody knows.
When Una came of age it was time for her to choose her life partner. Sadly she was so pretty and unique that everybody was attracted to her irrespective of age, status, and community. This made it harder for princess Una to find true love. After many loveless years, Una finally found a lover in the most unusual person. One night a thief entered their castle to steal gold. Instead, he stole the princess’s heart.
The instant they saw each other they were love-struck. Seeing them together one might feel that they are the obvious choice for each other. That is if one is to ignore the status difference. As their love grew over a period of time Una let in her father on this secret. He wasn’t very thrilled to learn that his future son-in-law is a thief but he was happy that his daughter found a match.
As time went on more and more people started learning about the love between princess Una and this poor thief boy. Then at one point came time for princess Una to get married. The preparations began and a guest list was being compiled. Unfortunately, the news of ‘Princess Una marrying a simple thief’ didn’t sit well with the neighboring royalties. Some were deeply offended to know that Una chose him over the rich and competent prince of other kingdoms.
This was bad for her kingdom’s reputation and their alliances with their neighbors. Una’s father told her that but she didn’t care. Una was in love. He understood her side, but as a king, he had to do something.
“The thief boy will have to prove his worthiness.” said the king.
Once he does something heroic it will shut all gossipy mouths. In those times there was a terror of a big deep-sea fish. It was said to have consumed countless fishing boats and many navy ships. The sea monster was said to be as big as a village and menacing as the stormy sea itself. None survived its wrath to tell its tale. Only whispers managed to reach the shore.
If the thief kills that beast, it’s will prove his worth. Una didn’t agree to this but her love did. He convinced her saying, “Didn’t you ask me a few days back, “how much you love me?” I’ll give you the answer after I return.”
Una felt guilty for letting him go down that deadly path. The king graciously gave him the best ship kingdom had to offer and fighters of his choosing. Still, she felt that wasn’t enough.
“Why only you have to prove your love for me? I’ll do it too.” she paused to think, “I’ll stay here. I’ll wait for you. I will not move from this place until you return.” she said while hugging him on the shore before he left. The shore was far from the king’s place. It didn’t have the luxury or the security of the castle. Still, Una decided to get settled for a long wait until her love returns.
It is at this point the king realized that his plan had backfired. To a father who believes that he knows what’s best for his daughter, no man is going to be good enough, let alone a poor thief. Perhaps that’s why he spread the news, gave Una’s lover an impossible task, and send him on a path of no return. But now things were getting complicated. He wanted his daughter to return.
“No princess should stay away from her royalties.”
He tried to convince his daughter to break her promise and return home. He tried bribing her with her countless dresses, jewelry, and whatnot. When that didn’t work he pleaded, begged, fell on his knees to bring her back. Still, she didn’t budge. Going back home would mean their love has failed. This was unacceptable for Una.
When that wasn’t enough the king prayed to the elemental goddesses. He first prayed to the wind goddess to uproot her tents. They were destroyed but the princess rebuilt them. He then prayed to the earth goddess to shake the ground to destroy the houses from their foundation. The earth shook and houses fell but the princess with all the help she got was able to rebuild. Finally, he prayed to the water goddess to flood the shore compelling her to retreat.
At this point Una had her own ongoing prayers. As the water level started to rise she prayed to the fire goddess to bless her with a boon that no power in the world will be able to move Una from the shore. The goddess was pleased to see Una’s love and dedication to someone who is far far away. The goddess turned the entire shore including the princess into stone so that no power from heaven or earth will be able to move her from her place.
The boon was that she will stay a rock until her lover returns and turns her back to normal. So Una waited as an immovable rock for her love to return. Years went by and then decades but he didn’t return. After the floodwater receded the king went to see his daughter. What he discovered broke his heart. The king burst into tears hugging his daughter who had turned into rock.
The king blamed himself for the fate of his daughter. As his last wish before dying he prayed to the gods one last time saying, “At no point of time will this place be submerged under water even momentarily ever again. That is until my daughter reunites with her love.”
From that day till the early 21st century there was not even single recorded flooding of the Unapi city. Although the princess never got to live her blissful life, the residents of this area enjoyed this boon by the late king.
At this point, it is necessary to mention that this story may be just a story. The one single black rock could be result of one massive volcano erupting for one last time covering the entire area. The place being a flood-free zone was just good luck. But then why tell this fantastical story?
Probably because this is a common practice. Coat facts with interesting stories so that people remember those facts or events. Not only remember but pass on this information from one generation to the other. This story could be just one of many.
Earlier I mentioned how this place stayed flood-free till the 21st century. Why only till the 21st century? What caused this change? There is a reason for that but that’s a story for another day.
END
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