Kairavi

Chapter 82

"What? Why are you both smiling?" A perplexed Arjun asked the two queens of Shakraprasth, who were grinning from ear to ear.

They had gone to tend to their bodily affairs at the back of the hut, and were acting weirdly suspicious ever since.
This was hard to digest for Dhananjay because they kept looking at him and giggled among themselves.

"Don't annoy me, Kairavi." He groaned. "Who will annoy you then?"
"Nakul and bhrata Bheem are enough for me, thank you very much." He feigned sarcasm.

"Then I won't tell you what I know." Arni tried to tempt him.
And she was successful.
He pried off his attention from stringing his bow and looked her up and down.
"What do you know?"

She glanced at Panchali, who was as red as a tomato.
Anyone could tell by the smile plastered on her face, that Vibhatsu was in for a surprise.
"Guess...." she drawled, switching her vision from her jiji and brother-in-law.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sahadev staring intently at her.
Turning around, she found him standing beside a tree with one eyebrow arched in question.
She grinned wide and nodded, infecting him with it.

"Abhinandan bhrata Arjun!" He skittered towards him and basically nose-dived to hug his brother.
This was enough to snatch the heed of the rest of the pandavs, and they left their work for a while to observe what was going around with those four.

"Enough with the suspense now! Tell me what's up?" He demanded.
"He's eager, jiji." Arni laughed, making Draupadi blush even more furiously.

"Jiji is pregnant with your child!!" She squealed while squeezing Parshati in a hug.

To say that Arjun was dumbstruck, would be an understatement.
The weapon slipped from his hands as he stood frozen in his place, staring at his wife.

She shied away from the glare and looked towards the ground.
Finally, the Pandu family was going to be complete.
He was going to get another glorious progeny.

Dhananjay was desensitized for a while until he felt his body being crushed into a massive hug.
He averted his gaze to find his four brothers exuberating and muttering felicitations.
A joyful tear slipped from his eye as he broke his arms free and engulfed them into another loving embrace.

Kairavi and Shyama admired the scene from a distance.

"I wish they grow up to be like them," Yagyaseni whispered, smiling broadly. "I am sure they will be the reflections of their fathers.
The blood of Panduvansh carries gallantry, vigour, and harmony in perfect balance.
There is nothing stopping the Upapandavs from having the sky at their feet." She put her hand on her slim arm.

Few days later:

"They will take him away from me, won't they, Kairavi?" Panchali suddenly voiced her thoughts, making Kairavi look up from the grains she was sieving.

It was Panchali's turn to put on the shoes that Kairavi had been in a few weeks ago.
She knew what it felt like thinking about your child being taken away just as soon as he enters the world.

She would not even have the chance to kiss his forehead and sing him lullabies before he is drawn into the safety of a rajmahal.

"Yes, they will jiji. But isn't it in the best interest of the child?" She consoled.

"And moreover, I want you to have a daughter this time. All the princes of Indraprasth should have a sister to protect, right?" Draupadi snickered and nodded her head.
"I want a daughter too. But I won't mind a son either."
"We'll see about that in nine months!" Kairavi leered at Parshati.

On the inside, the void called out to her.
The void where she had left her own son.
But persisting one's sorrow for too long suffocates every will to continue with what a person has at the moment.
She had habituated herself to live with grief.
It's the only choice she had.

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"Stop the chariot, saarthi," Karn ordered.
The charioteer pulled the reins back, halting the four tall horses at a distance from Yudhishthir's hermitage. He sighed.

The person, whose servants even lived in imposing houses, is now living his life as if an ascetic.

His yellow garment flowed in the air as he got down the three steps, lined with carpet.
The golden crown on his head shone under the scorching sunlight; the lone weight of which had vanquished the glow of chivalry from his face.

He watched Kairavi sweeping the outside of the hut with a coconut broom, her face glistening with sweat. She wiped some of it on her forearm and bent down to clear the dust out of the track.
The crumble of leaves failed to reach her ears, when he pushed them apart to get a better view of his gurubhratri doing the chores that she used to conduct in Parshuram's ashram.

His fidgeting fingers gave away the dilemma in his head, whether to go and meet her.
His hesitant feet started towards the shack, but an invisible thread was reeling him back to the chariot.

Kairavi did not notice Radheya swimming through the shrubs as she was so engrossed in the work.
Her main concern was to serve everyone lunch before the sun went overhead.
In her hurry, she scampered in the direction in which her brother was approaching her, and accidentally brushed the broom on his feet.

Her head shot upwards. Karn saw her hair, wet with sweat, sprawled over her face.
Small strands were sticking out of the ridges of her scalp.

She looked like a dasi.

"Bhra- Angraj?" Chandraputri quickly corrected herself while straightening her spine to stand properly.
"What are you doing here?"

"I don't know, Kairavi. Something hauled me here. I couldn't keep myself in that prison of a castle." Kairavi crossed her arms on her chest.

"Look, I tried to evade from Duryodhan's service, but Gandhar Raj threatened to kill my family." He spoke quickly, fearing she would not let him finish and walk away.
Chandreya shook her head and looked down at the heap of garbage that she had hoarded.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said unsympathetically.
There was not much worth fighting for.
How long was she going to lurk over the folly he had committed years ago, mistaking Duryodhan's shrewdness for his kindness?

But what disappointed her was that he had come to explain himself.
Give excuses that she did not want to hear.
They both were fine at their places. They had chosen their sides long ago; one had voluntarily submitted, and the other was compelled to.

But the compulsion resulted in being the correct alternative. Truly said, what God does, is for our own well being.

"Earlier, I coveted for your forgiveness, dear sister. But now, I know I'm not worthy of it." He joined his hands, making Kairavi's fall to their sides.
"Today, this philanthropist wishes for one endowment from you, Chandrasuta.

Batao, de paogi ek daan mujhe?"

Kairavi was at a loss for words. She felt her head nod mechanically at the earnest entreaty.

"Please don't pardon me even when I am breathing my last.
I will feel like a vermin if you donate your forgiveness to me in this life of mine."

"Understood."