Indulekha: The Sister of The Pandavas • Mahabharat

1. Kanha

"Indu,"

A soothing voice whispered. Her eyes jerked open, to find no one there.

The blinds swayed as the wind entered and left, making the bright full moon visible. It shined with the stars, radiating a similar white light. Yet, it stood out not because of its huge size but because of its enlightening calmness.

Indu grabbed a pillow and covered her ears with it.

"Mein tumhari pratiksha kar raha hu, Indu." the same voice said, now louder and in a mischievous tone. Her eyes widened as she stood up. She dashed towards her balcony for fresh air. Her heavy breaths got louder every second. The cool breeze didn't help nor did the burning sensation her skin felt.

(I'm waiting for you, Indu.)

"Kshama karna mujhe, meri priya sakhi."

(Forgive me, my dear friend.)

The last three words echoed in her mind and there was no way of stopping it. She closed her eyes and let out a frustrating scream, which soon turned into a scream full of fear as her feet slipped on the marble tiles.

Her body went numb as the cold air pushed her pale body towards the ground with its speed increasing every second. As she fell, her body refused to move. A tear left her eyes and she closed them. 

An image passed before her eyes. A golden flute, encrusted with small diamonds and a peacock feather-shaped end. She didn't even get the time to process it but it calmed her panicked state. Her startled mind, now only thought about the beautiful flute.

Her head smashed on the ground as blood came out leaking.

Indu's life flashed before her eyes and no one could stop it from happening.

***

The young lady's eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the darkness that surrounded her. All she saw was black nothingness. Her memories came flooding back and the realization hit her; she had died. "Is this where people go after death?" She asked out loud as if someone could hear her. But someone did hear her.

"Nahi, Indu."

(No, Indu.)

She turned around to find the source of the voice. Looking at him, her mind stopped thinking and her lips formed a smile without being told to. His presence was itself appeasing. There he was. Standing with his grace and a solemn smile on his face. The man stood with a garland, along with many other pieces of jewellery around his neck. His crown had two peacock feathers, but she ignored that fact. He wore a yellow angavastra with an orange and yellow dhoti.

"You! You were the one I heard!" She screamed with joy, excited about finding the person to whom the voice belonged. She calmed herself down and asked him, "Who are you?" It didn't take a genius to know who he was, but for someone who had just fallen from their balcony, her brain wasn't quite processing anything.

He chuckled. "Who do you think I am?"

She looked at him, more carefully now, noting all of his features. Her eyes widened as a thought of the possibility passed through her mind.

"Yes, you are right, sakhi." He said.

"Wait- Did you just read my mind?" She said,

"No, sakhi," He walked over to her. "I simply calculated the possibility of what you might be thinking. Your reaction proves me right." He said, the mischievous smile not leaving his face.

Indu's eyes sparkled as she stared at the lord. She joined her hands and slightly bowed. She reached to touch his feet but he picked her up, "No. Your place doesn't belong there. You are right here in my heart." He said, placing his hand on his heart. She smiled at him as she received a warm embrace from him. Her happiness knew no bounds, she even forgot the fact that she had died a horrible death.

Her eyebrows knit up in confusion. "If I've died, and people don't come here when they die. Then, where am I?"

"This is not a place, sakhi. Just a fragment of your thoughts."
"But, Lord Krishn-" She stopped when she heard a dramatic gasp from him. She looked at him, a bit shocked. "Lord? I am your sakha! I called you 'sakhi' about fifty times now and you call me 'Lord'?" He ranted, while she looked at him dumbfounded. "How can your devotee be your sakhi?" She chuckled. "All of my devotees are my friends, Indu." He said, regaining his solemn smile. She smiled at him. "Ok,but I'm not always going to refer to you as sakha. Can I call you Kanha?" She asked with her eyes sparkling as if she was a child asking for her favourite toy. He nodded.

"Ok, Kanha," She said, feeling proud as the name left her mouth. Her smile soon turned into a worry when she looked around."But if this is a fragment of my thoughts, then where am I physically?"

"Your old body has lost its life. It's time for you to move to a new body."

She nodded then frowned. "You are making it sound like I'm a parasite."

He didn't answer and continued, "You will be reborn as Indulekha, the sister of the 5 Pandavas."
"Pandavas? As in the Mahabharat Pandavas?"

"Yes, sakhi."

"But they don't have a sister."

"Yes, but now they will."

She nodded, if she had met the god himself, then anything was possible. "The tale will be changed and you'll view it from your own two eyes. You can save anyone from death and let anyone die."

She looked at the ground, imagining everything he said.

"You can also prevent the dyut sabha. You can also be the reason it happened." He said, his voice now becoming a whisper

"You can unite the two archers, but you can also tear them apart." His voice became lower and lower every second until it was inaudible. "Will I have my memories?" She asked, slurring, struggling to keep her heavy eyelids open.

He nodded. "Few things will be erased from your mind-"

She heard that before her eyes rolled to the back of her mind and she fell down with a thud.