Kālayātra |✓|

|7| Loss

Shatashringa Mountains

Spring mornings are always meant to be bright and happy, beautiful flowers that bloomed, bright and sunny days along with happy families . Today was one such day in the spring month of Phalguna, the family of Rajrishi Pandu were involved in prayers and preparations of Arjun's birthday. But no one knew that their world would come crashing in a moment.

Madri and Pandu had insisted collecting flowers for the offering of Mahadev. And a moment of passion in the flower fields had lead to the untimely loss of Pandu, who had activated the curse rishi Kindama that said he would die whenever he would involve in a passionate moment with a woman. Madri was guilty of taking it too far, and had decided to end her life on the funeral pyre of her husband despite numerous attempts by both Kunti and Amrita to stop her.

Consumed by guilt, Madri did not consider herself worthy of living as she called herself the cause of her husband's death.

"Amu this is a letter your Papa had written for you, if at all such a day occurs, where you had to take the reins in your hands. Please read this when you are alone, it's your Papa's words for you" Madri said as she handed over a letter which Amrita took and nodded her head mechanically.

"Nakul, Sahdev, don't trouble your Jiji and Pritha Maa and also your brothers, always be obedient to them and listen to everything they have to say, alright" Madri addressed her twin sons who hugged her refusing to let her go, but life had other plans.

"Why do you want to leave us Mata? We have already lost Pita, we can't bear your absence Mata" Nakul said as he sniffled and tears streamed down his eyes and Sahdev clutched her saree, refusing to let her go.

Madri stayed quiet not knowing what to say to her son, how could she say she was guilty, how could she say she willingly wanted to follow her husband to the after world, because she wanted to fulfill his desires. Her innocent, twelve year old son could not understand those reasons and looked between Amrita and Kunti, while the latter turned away not knowing how to form words and hid her tears, Amrita stepped forward knowing this was a tough one for the mothers to answer

"Sometimes guilt consumes us so much that we feel suffocated even with our loved ones, as we have hurt them the most" Amrita said as she caressed Nakul and Sahdev's face as Madri forcefully separated herself from her sons, and handed them over to Amrita and the twins cried in the embrace of their eldest sister. The pain of losing both their parents was too much for their tender hearts that had seen only twelve springs.

"I trust you the most with my sons Amu, you being their eldest sister, you are just like their mother, please take care of them" Madri asked vulnerably and Amrita knew at that moment what awaited her, she no longer was a carefree little girl, she was the shoulder on which her brothers would lean on, and may be her mother too, who had lost the love of her life.

"I promise Madri Maa, from today Nakul and Sahdev are dearer than my life and I shall always care and love them like my own" Amrita said firmly as she made a resolution of not only bringing up Nakul and Sahdev but also decided to help her Kunti Maa while her brothers live a childhood they deserve , yes they would live childhood they deserved no matter what she made a resolution and prayed for the strength she required to stick to her resolution.

Kunti looked at her eldest daughter, everything about her flashed in front of her eyes, from the day she first stepped her foot in this place to now. Her daughter had grown up in these four years, and she had grown up even more in these few hours of the loss her father. Why did children grow up so soon she wondered, as she was reminded of her own childhood for growing up too soon because of the responsibilities on her from an young age.

"Jiji" Madri began, the tone said the princess of Madra wanted to converse in private with her co-wife and Amrita understood that and pulled her brothers aside and went to the area where the ascetics had assembled and guiding with the rituals and were also discussing the next course of action.