Dhi

Strange Sheila

It was nearly sundown when Arjun and Nakul reached the palace gates. Arjun lifted the woman in his arms and rushed inside. A nearby soldier took the leash of the horses.

Nakul ran in to call their mother. Arjun walked fast inside.

"Dasi, please go inform the Rajvyda and his wife. I will take her to one of the guest rooms near Mata Kunti's room. Hurry," Arjun ordered without pausing.

The dasi left hastily.

Arjun laid down the woman on the bed of the guest room and stepped away. Then only he noticed the peculiar clothes on the woman. He was confused and curious from where this woman had come from. He had never seen such clothes anywhere in the entire Aryavart.

Kunti entered the room with three dasis behind her.

"Pranipaat Mata," Arjun greeted.

"Kalyan ho, putra," Kunti blessed him.

Then she turned towards her dasis. "Go get slightly warm water and a few washcloths. And you, go bring some clean clothes," she ordered the dasis.

The remaining dasi lighted diyas as it was quickly getting dark.

"Who is this kanya, putra? And where did you find her?" Kunti said worriedly fanning the face of the girl lightly.

"I don't know who she is Mata. Nakul and I found her in the forest towards the east of Hastinapur where we had gone to set the wild boar free. Suddenly the ground started quaking, the wind howling with loud thunder. Pratit ho raha tha ke shayad pralay aa gaya ho. (I felt as if destruction was upon us). We were leaving when I saw devi falling from the sky. She looked barely alive so we hastily brought her here," Arjun explained.

"You did right, putra. I hope Bhagwan let's her live,"Kunti joined her hands and prayed to Lord Shiv.

The Rajvyda and his wife entered. He examined the wounds from a little distance while his wife touched the woman's body.

He brought out various herbs and quickly got to mash them together with his stone pestle while turning away from the woman.

His wife said,"Rajmata, devi has sustained some flesh wounds and her neck appears to have been strangled. Her left side of her head is slightly swollen. Good news is no bones appear to be broken. She will be conscious soon."

Kunti thanked Lord Shiv and said," Arjun you can go now. We must clean her wounds."

Arjun replied," Yes Mata." And left.

As he made his way outside, Arjun was greeted by Nakul and Sahadev.

"What did Vyadji say, Bhrata?" asked Nakul.

"She will be conscious soon Nakul and thankfully she has no broken bones," Arjun replied.

Sahadev looked puzzled. "But didn't you say she fell from the sky?"

"Yes yes but I think the tree broke the fall so she got off lucky," Arjun replied.

They walked towards their rooms in the palace.

"Nakul did you notice the clothes she wore?" asked Arjun.

"What?.. oh.. now that you pointed it out Bhrata, she was in very peculiar clothes. I have never heard or seen such clothes anywhere," Nakul replied.

"From your words, it is clear that devi must have come from somewhere outside Aryavart. I don't know about any kingdom out there far north," Sahadev said.

"Areh Arjun, Nakul, Sahadev have you seen Mata?"

They looked towards the voice to see their elder brother Bheem coming fron the opposite direction.