HARIHARESHWARI 14 : CHANDRA CHAYAYAM SINGHASANAM

CHAPTER 13

"Hastinapur ka bhavishya mujhe andhakaar mei dikh raha hai." Said Amarsri with a sigh, resting her head in the lap of Srinav, both of them basking in the warmth of sunlight.

Her gaze was fixed upon the golden dandelion flower, that she was delicately holding in her fingers.

"Satyavachan. Vichitraveerya mei woh kshamta nahi, ki woh Hastinapur jaise Rajya ko sambhaal sake. Woh har cheez ke liye, Bhishm ki oor dekhta hai." Srinav said as he gently moved his hands through her hair.

Pausing for a moment, he said, "Kadachit samaye ke saath woh sambhal jaaye. Anubhav mil jaaye toh sushashan punah Hastinapur mei laut aaye." But he himself knew it was a distant possibility.

Amarsri gazed up at him, "Sambhal jaaye toh accha hai, anyatha...." She then looked back at the flower in her hand, her thoughts remain concealed as she blows gently upon the dandelion's wisps.

In that single, fleeting moment, as the ethereal seeds scatter into oblivion, Amarsri released her grip, watching as the last remnants of the dandelion fade away, carried by the winds of destiny.

"Jo durbal Rajao ke saath hota hai, wahi hoga." She completed her sentence.
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A gust of wind caused the stumbling Vichitraveerya to fall down, the king who had reached his youth, panted terribly in front of the glorious statue of Rameshwari.

"N-Nahi... Nahi uthega mujhse..." He said giving up, his hands were trembling and his arms aching after he put all his efforts trying to pick up the sword of Rameshwari, which didn't even move an inch.

An anguished sigh escaped the lips of Bhishm, as he held his younger brother by the arm and abruptly made him stand up.

"Tum punah madira ka sevan karke aaye ho ?" Bhishm asked.

Vichitraveerya didn't say a word, he just lowered his face. But his half closed, reddish eyes, and unfocused gaze, told the truth.

"Kaise kshatriya ho tum ? Shashtra se adhik toh madirapatra tumhare haath mei rehta hai ! Aise tum Hastinapur ki khoyi huyi kirti ko bachaoge !?" Gangeya scolded.

"Kshama Jyesht." Vichitraveerya said, trying hard not to slur.

To prevent the heated moment from escalating further, Kripacharya came forward, "Maharaj, aap jaa ke vishram kare." He told.

Vichitraveerya nodded, and joined his hands in front of Bhishm, bowing his head in reverence, and then leaving. His feet were finding it difficult to walk properly, he stumbled in his way, barely saving himself from falling again.

Bhishm stared at him and sighed, he then looked at Kripacharya.

"Kitni baar samjhaya hai ki madira ka itna adhik upbhog karna ek Raja ko shobha nahi deta. Hastinapur ka Maharaj hai aur paer aise ladkhada rahe hai iske. Kya yeh sahi lagta hai ?" Gangeya said.

"Mahamahim, Vichitraveerya dharmparayan hai, shaant bhi hai. Ek acche Raja hone ke kayi gun hai usme. Parantu madira ke upbhog ke karan woh gun aise chhupe hai jaise megho ke piche chandra. Samaye ke saath sambhal jaaye toh ek mahaan Raja ban sakta hai." Kripacharya said.

Bhishm gazed up in the sky, as if questioning gods on why the great kingdom of Hastinapur was witnessing the decline of its once-mighty standing. He yearned for a return to the glory days, to a time like that of Shantanu, when they had known peace, prosperity, and hope. But with each passing day, it seemed as though his longing was destined to remain unfulfilled. 

"Vichitraveerya yuvaan ho chuka hai." Bhishm said looking at Kripacharya, "Chitrangad ke saath jo bhul huyi, woh dubara mai dohrana nahi chaahta. Meri iccha hai ki Vichitraveerya ka vivah ho jaaye. Jeevan ka bhaar milega toh sambhal jaayega."

"Rajmata kya kehti hai ?" Kripacharya said.

"Unse maine baat ki thi, unhe koi apatti nahi." Gangeya said.

"Mahamahim aur Kulguru ki jai ho !" A maid said approaching them, "Rajmata Satyavati aap dono ko bula rahi hai."

Without wasting another moment, both of them left the palace courtyard, heading straight to the chambers of Satyavati. There the wife of Shantanu, was reading a scroll with a smile on her face.

"Pranipat Rajmata." Both of them greeted her.

"Bhishm, Kripa, ek nimantran patra aya hai." She said.

"Kiska ?" Kripacharya asked.

"Kashi ke Maharaj ka. Unki putriya, Amba, Ambika aur Ambalika hetu ek swayamvar aayojit hone wala raha hai. Mere anusaar, yeh Vichitraveerya hetu uttam patniya banengi." Satyavati said.

"Ati-uttam !" Said Bhishm with a smile, "Yadi aap aagya de, Mata, toh mai unn teeno kanyayo ko Vichitraveerya hetu har laayu."

"Aagya hai." Satyavati said.

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A/N

*Coughs* Vichitraveerya se khoyi huyi kirti nahi milne wali *coughs*

Btw, can you guess kaun hai woh jo Hastinapur ka khoya huya kirti lautayega ? 🌝

Anyway, another myth, as seen in Star Plus Mahabharat, is that Vichitraveerya couldn't become the King as dies on the day of his coronation, they showed that he was about to be crowned as the king.

But the truth is, Vichitraveerya was ALREADY the king. He became king when he was little. And I'd say, not in valour but in behaviour, he was better than Maharaj Chitrangad. It is mentioned that he had dharma in his soul, but then became proud of his beauty, and desire overtook his soul.

Also he doesn't die immediately after marriage as shown in the serials.