Dhi

A Blossom of Winter

The cold winds of Magh prowled down empty stairways, howling as they twisted around gigantic pillars in search of tiny spaces to invite themselves inside closed warm chambers. They left behind shivers as every sleeping and sleepless mortal reached for a tighter embrace of warmth.

They were passers-by, visiting all places alike in their course of journey. The Palace of Indraprastha silently greeted them too. In the serene silence before sunrise, as the birds still dozed, the tired eyes of soldiers sought out the eastern horizen willing SuryaNarayan to grace the heavens sooner so their cold exhausted bodies could finally give in to the enticing Goddess of Sleep once their fellow brothers in arms took over their duties.

The ombre sky of twilight held a similar thrum of anticipation that resided in the bated breaths of the residents of Indraprastha these days. The promise of a new sunrise would be fulfilled any day now - the birth of the first descendant of Pandavas would wipe away all doubts from every sceptical heart that had followed the five brothers to Khadavpratha and solidify their faith in the sons of Pandu.

Nestled in crocheted blankets and cushions over a soft mattress held up by a mahogany bed, the bearer of hope wrestled with a fitful sleep. The sparsely decorated chamber was not her own but an obligation for a pregnant royal lady nearing birth. Under Rajmata Kunti's strictest orders and Maharani Draupadi's watchful eye, the warmest, well ventilated, spacious room located deep in the Ladies' wing of the palace was chosen and facilitated with the cosiest bedding. At all times, a group of dasis were instructed to remain available for her every need. In times of requested privacy, the dasis stayed outside the doors always alert to answer her call.

At this hour, the chamber housed two breaths - one steady and the other growing increasingly uneven. The slowly creeping backache roused Rajkumari Abhijishya rather unkindly. But she was not alarmed. The unforgiving winter had only worsened the aches of her body. Blinking up at the ceiling, she endeavoured to breathe slowly hoping the pain would subside soon.

A sudden contraction took her by surprise. Abhijishya gasped in pain. It was enough to alert her slumbering husband whose warrior ears were trained to pick up even the softest of sounds. Rubbing away the haze of sleep, Nakul shifted closer towards his wife, "Mohini? Are you well?"

The wicks of the earthen lamps had burned out hours ago. Shrouded in darkness, one could only make out the nearest dense masses in the chamber. Abhijishya reached out blindly and clasped Nakul's arm. "I am not sure," her voice was small sounding frightened. Before she could say more, another sharp pain ignited in her lower abdomen. "Go," she gasped out. "I think it is time."

Nakul didn't need to be told twice. He hastily got off the bed and walked towards the doors already shouting out orders. The dozing dasis scrambled up - some ran to fetch the nursemaid, some to inform Rajmata and Maharani while some others went to get clean cotton cloths, water and everything else they were instructed to organise once Rajkumari went into labour. Several more entered the chamber and started lighting up the earthen lamps.