Sootputra: The Unsung Hero

Keshav and the Princess

A scream came like that of a toddler. He or she was crying so hard that the surrounding air shook. She was holding the basket in her hands as usual. But this time I can hear a crying baby from it, though I can't see any arms or legs flailing above it. The basket was still empty, just a red cloth was dropping from it. I could see her saying something to the basket, but her face was not visible. She still covered it with the shimmering silvery saree that she wore. I screamed at her. Who she was? Why do I keep seeing her? But she gave no heed. The roaring sound became louder.

This time though she put the basket early in the empty bed of the river and then wandered off into the oblivion. I pulled myself out with exceptional strength from the sticky river bed and picked the basket up. It only carried a red silky cloth and on it were two shining earrings similar to mine. It was my first time seeing them off my ears, but why were they here? Before I could even think the waves came, and I saw the orange-hued ceiling of my room.

"......graaj ........Angraaj!!!! Your...you're sweating."

I felt a tight hold on my arms as I made out his pale, blurry visage. The old man came into view. His eyes were begging to not punish him and worried as if he had seen a person dying.

This time there was a male servant that greeted me in the morning. This was unusual, but then I racked my brains about last night, and I knew what had happened. Vrushali already left the Palace. It was a little embarrassing that he had to see this; it was a secret between me and Vrushali. 

The nightmares came rarely, but whenever they did; it was Vrushali who woke me from it. It was her cold soft hands that usually saves me from those nightmares, from that unbearable suffocation. It was her face I see a first thing in the morning with my tea. After giving me the cup, she would change the bed sheet every time, whether I soaked it in my sweat that day or not.

The old man was doing it too, but he did not look happy about it. I came to know from Yuyutsu, that it was Shon who took her to Hastinapur. So both of them were not present here. It was good of Yuyutsu to send some guards along for the ride to her home. I knew what would happen; I knew the blowback would be hard; I had prepared myself for it, but it never came. I thought the turmoil of emotions from her absence would be enough to shatter me, to break me, but something was wrong. 

I could see her in the places she usually worked. I could feel her absence, her voice not vibrating against my ears. Me not able to call her whenever I need to. But I couldn't feel her. It was like a dam in me that was holding the emotional river at bay, or maybe the river itself had dried out.

............................................................................

We reached the kingdom of the princess where the swayamvar would take place, 3 days prior to the scheduled date.

We were not the first ones though. Duryodhana enquired from some servants that King Jarasandh and a few other princes were already here.

We were lavishly welcomed in the palace. It was much bigger and more beautiful than the ones I have seen at Hastinapur. The flags of the kingdom were hanging all around like curtains. We entered through an enormous emerald gate. The polished white marble wall covered all around us as we walked through the central grand corridor. The 20 feet high ceiling had an intricate pattern design on it of Vishnu and Sheshnaag. The soldiers were bowing their heads down at every corner. The maids greeted us first, with flowers and sweets. Few decades ago King Drupad had lost half of his kingdom in a conflict. But for only a half of a Kingdom, the decorations were beyond any I have ever seen.

They assigned all the taking part Kings and princes their own quarters and their very own few maids. But it seemed like the ones assigned to Duryodhana, especially the female ones, kept a little too close to me than to him. Fortunately, he was not noticing it that much or just ignored it.