Ephemera

Birth

Note- I forgot this in the last chapter but hidimba is 8 months pregnant so I added ghatotkacha birth and the story of karn's birth in the same chapter....

~~

Few months back

Bheema said to her, "I fear our time together will soon be over."

Lying upon him in languor, she nodded and her eyes were tear-laden. Softly, she said, "Our destinies lead away from each other because there is much that you still have to do in the world of men. But I am with your child and we mustn't part until he is born."

Bheema's roar shook the sky. He lifted her in his arms and danced about, naked as he was. Then moved by sharp desire, that now she was his own flesh, he laid her down again tenderly. Later that night, they returned to the cottage. They saw another visitor had come to meet Kunti and her sons: a grandsire and mentor, Vyasa Dwaipayana.

He had heard how the house of lac in Varanasi had burned. With a seer's insight, he knew the sons of Pandu had not died. Asking their whereabouts from wild beasts and birds, he found their sanctuary. As the moon rose over the hills, Vyasa shared their evening meal. When they had eaten, they sat on the cottage steps watching Soma Deva ride on the still mirror of the lake.

Vyasa said, "In seven months Hidimbi will bear Bheema a mighty son, a grandchild of the jungle and the wind." He paused and seemed to peer into the future. "The boy's valor will be a legend through the ages. Do not call Bheema's wife Hidimbi from now, for she is not a rakshasi any more. Call her Kamalamalini; she is as lovely and true as a lotus."

Seven months went by after Vyasa's visit: months of love for Bheema and Hidimbi and of beauty, but poor peace, for Kunti and her sons. Though the green asrama reminded them of their early years with Pandu, anxiety never left their hearts.

Back to present

"Aarya, wait!" hidimba rushed behind Bheema, who reached his cave chamber and looked at her before asking her to leave.

"Leave Maharani.." he said when she way exactly 7 steps away from him.. She froze as she looked into his eyes her look so naïve, so vulnerable meeting his angry and betrayed look. They just stared at each other before bheem took the nearby ladoo basket and threw it on the floor and crumbled the ladoos under his feet..

"Aarya, let me explain-"

"What do you want to explain? YOU KNEW!" he screamed the last part after cutting her in the middle.

Few minutes back..

"Yes, he is my son.. I was unmarried and immature when he took birth. I did not think about the power of the chant.." kunti started looking nowhere but her feet...

But then bheem stormed away without listening to anything more... His 3 brothers tried to stop him but hidimba said she wanted to talk to him so they let her go...

"Mata, pls tell us the truth... We won't judge you.. You are our mata, the most sacred creation.." sahadev said as he took kunti's hand gently comforting her.

"Ma, my heart aches to ask this question, but why didn't you tell us earlier. I swore to kill him, how will I ever make up to him?" arjun asked as tears rolled down his cheeks...

"I was scared putra, I was scared..." she said, this was the least she could say but the most..

"Ma, please tell us his birth story, because of your mistake he suffered all his life, we had to wrship him but we treated him like dust..." nakul asked...

"Once when I was young, I was deputed by my father to render my services to the great sage Durvasa. I was highly dutiful and sincere in my offering and could therefore please the sage beyond compare. At the end of my stay with the sage, the sage blessed me with a powerful mantra that would help me get a son from anyone I wished. I was very innocent at that age and therefore wanted to have some fun testing the mantra. I looked at sun god moving in the sky and chanted the mantra in all my devotion. At once, the sun god appeared before me in all his splendour. I could not bear the radiance and effulgence of sun god and prayed that he left the scene. But, the sun god said due to the power of the mantra, he had to bless me with a son and I at once gave birth to Karna. However, due to the boon given by the sun god, my virginity remained untainted. I was highly frightened due to the possible doubts that the people might have regarding my son and was afraid of the social stigma connected with a virgin girl giving birth to a boy child at a very young age. Therefore, I decided to abandon the child. I covered the baby in nice garments and floated him on the waters of a river. Ah! Yes, I remember how he held my hand with his little palm and gave birth to the motherhood in me, and his kavach and kundal were the reason the sun god told me to name him karna... That fateful day..." she explained the story as she saw her 3 sons on their knees crying.

"Ma, how will we ever make up to him?" nakul asked as he tasted his own tear.

'Idk putra.. idk... I sinned.." kunti said...

"We will make up to him.. We can't reverse what happened in the past but we can change the future.." bheem said as he came with a teary smile as hidimba's words echoed in his head 'We all learn lessons in life. Some stick, some don't. I have always learned more from rejection and failure than from acceptance and success. People judged me for being a rakshasa but you looked past it and embraced me for my soul aarya.. That is something Duryodhana did for karna. We cannot change the past but we can change the future.'.. Hidimba stood beside him beaming as she had convinced him..

"Bhrata bheem, how can I? I swore to kill him, I wanted his blood." Arjun said crumbling..

"We can bhrata arjun there is hope, he is danveer, he will surely forgive us.. But first we need to be friends with him." Nakul said smiling, his bhabi could change the whole situation and give them hope.

"I am sure he will freak out when arjun says, he wants to be his friend." Sahadev joked.

"We can't go back but........ We are dead.. Let us wait for the right opportunity.."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" They heard hidimba scream suddenly and kuntii took her to labour room..

~~~~~~~~~~

Guys, there is a very major plot twist and the most demanded thing in the next chapter. Who all are excited..

What do you think it is??

Please vote and comment..

Also how was this chapter?

IF YOU VOTE AND COMMENT, I WILL UPDATE NEXT CHAPTER ALSO NOW........