🔶🔹Ŧħōʂɛ Ðāÿʂ ļŋ Ęxîɭɛ🔹🔶

~*~The Beginning of Incognito Life~*~

Disclaimer

The story is a blend of author's imagination with the events mentioned in the original text of the Mahabharat, and the incidents shown in the tele-serials made on Mahabharat. Some of the incidents and dialogue exchange between the characters are added by the author to make the narrative more interesting. The base plot line has been kept as it was in the original text of the epic. So, readers are requested to respect author's imagination.

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During the one month after the lake incident, time and again, my brothers as well as Panchali had asked me as to what happened, but I did not utter a single word to them to know, for I did not want to scare them with the thought that my birthfather, Lord Dharmaraj, momentarily killed them just to test me.

Finally, we reached the end of our 12th year, and it was time to bid farewell to Rishi Dhaumya and all the snataka brahmin families, who left behind the comforts of their town life and followed us into these deep and dangerous woods. Taking leave from them felt much harder than leaving Indraprastha 12 years ago.

On the morning of the last day of the 12th year, I requested all the brahmin families to gather infront of our cottage. Our eyes could not stop shedding tears with the mere thought of seeing that large gathering for the very last time. The women from those brahmin families, had become like sakhis to Kalyani. Nakul and Sahadev were popular among the kids, for they, especially Nakul, always teamed together to play various pranks on Bheem. Many kids often used to come to Arjun to learn archery and Arjun too loved teaching them. He might have taught Abhimanyu, the same way, had that cursed dice game not happened. And for me, those brahmin families were the biggest support system. I could not even imagine how our 12-year exile would have been, if we were all alone.

"Today, is the last day of our 12-year exile. We can never pay back for what you have done for us. You all left the comfortable life of town and lived the hard way in these woods with us. But now time has come for us to take leave from you." My voice trembled, my heart filled with melancholy, while I addressed our companions of happiness and sorrow.

As I spoke, a collective cry rose from the brahmin women, their voices trembling like leaves in an autumn breeze. "Why Lord? Why are you separating us from you?" one of them implored, her eyes brimming with tears. "Did we do anything to displease you?" The others echoed her plea, their words weaving together in a haunting melody that seemed to reverberate deep within the woods. "Don't abandon us!" they chorused; their faces etched with a sense of desperation. "Let us follow you, wherever you may go!" The forest, once a silent witness to our joys and sorrows, now seemed to reverberate with the anguish of our impending separation.

As I turned to glance at my brothers and Kalyani, standing just behind me, I saw their glassy eyes, mirroring the emotions of the brahmin families. My own eyes stung, struggling to hold back the tears. I took a deep breath and continued, "Please don't address me as Lord; that title must be used only for God or great sages. And no, you have not done anything to make us unhappy. In fact, only because of you all, our stay since last 12 years had been so good." I paused collecting my thought. "But from tomorrow, our incognito life begins. As per the Duryodhana's term, if we get recognized, then we would have to again accept 12 years of exile, followed by 1 year of incognito life. Hence, I am requesting all of you to please return to your abode." I tried explaining my situation.