My Days in Mahabharat

Almond laddoo

Hastinapur

Almost a week ago I had arrived, Arrived?

... landing, tumble, descend, stumble maybe... in Dwapar yug, era of Mahabharata.

Ah, what a sudden turn.

The ultramarine colour sky is getting deeper, with each shade turning darker for the night. Wherever my eyes can traverse, there are twisted, wrapped folds of those glittering pearls that look like as if cushioned on a purplish black velvet quilt. In my soliloquy is that silver sphere, the moon staring at me with a sarcastic smirk. Everything is poetic in this time, and it made me a poet.

It's not like walking over a cake though, living here. But all has pros and cons.

It is no longer murky, gloomy or misty without my spectacles. Yes. I am that girl who looks at the world with those concave lenses that too where the number falls degrees below minus. Anyways, I am extremely grateful to Krishna for I can clearly grasp and look around this divine era without my glasses here.

"People will wonder what are these glass pieces around your eyes. Don't worry you'll not need them in Dwapar yug"

I am swinging on a regal wooden swing placed at the mezzanine situated in the upper levels of the grand palace of Hastinapur towards the chambers of the royal guest. Royal guest, although they have accepted me as a member of the royal family but let's be realistic, it's not like having a piece of cake.

Cake? It'll take time to adjust Simran.

Everything is different.

I am wearing a white colored, strawberry printed pyjama paired with a loose red t-shirt. Homely enough? My hair are tied up in a messy bun with a few strands intentionally falling on my wheatish cheeks, I don't know I like them like that. Basically, everything which will keep my sanity, I am being normal. That's it. I sit cross legged on the wooden seat as I push few strands of hair off my forhead behind my ear, winds are so powerful here. My fingers stroke those petite gold hoops and silver stud piercings on my auricles which were gifted to me by my father and maternal grandmother respectively. And I get homesick, again.

"It's going to be okay", I sigh. Everything is serene, ethereal and a state of ataraxia here. The crystal clear sky, never in my life I had seen such numerous and glittering stars; the soothing winds, never I had felt the control of this invisible sway over my body; the affinity and viridity of people; never I had. . . And then I saw them. The princes.

"Nakul these crushed almonds inside are just adding more to the taste"

Prince Bheem's loud and rigid whisper is enough to break the slumber of guards on duty. He is walking in the gallery with his lion like gaits holding a copper salver full of ladoo.

The delightful smell itself is proclaiming that they were freshly made. While Prince Bheem is busy devouring on that delightful sweet engaging his every single taste bud to relish the compound mix of ghee, jaggery, gramflour, some desiccated coconut and few nuts, Prince Nakul is struggling to maintain his lazy and stumbling paces with his ever-so-excited-about-food brother. He just nods, lazily yawning as his hands travels to his open mouth.

My mother used to make ladoo for me and Janhvi.

My lips curve at the duo or at homesickness, maybe. They approach nearer with a warm smile embracing their faces.

"Pranipat. What are you doing here this late?" Nakul enquires softly. I wave my hand to greet them, but then I join my hands.

Greetings. It's not Hey, Hello, waving hands, highfive. . . Pranipat, folding your hands.

"Pranipat Prince Nakul and Prince Bheem. I am just feeling a bit uneasy so I thought that I should just get here in the fresh air" I reply as we chuckle at Prince Bheem, who is lost in savoring the sweets.

"Oh! If it's a serious one should I call the ayurvati or Mata?" concern layers Prince Nakul's voice.

"No! No! Prince, I'm fine. Although dinner was quite lavish, much like a feast but- I-It's just that I've a habit to eat at nigh—Nothing!" I mask my accidental revelation in Nothing.

The swing feels itself getting jerked and jolted. Not to my surprise, Prince Bheem sits beside me with a thud. "It is called hunger at midnight"

I know Prince Bheem, it's midnight craving, but how do I express this to both of you? It's just seven days of my presence here. It's awkward and embarrassing.

"Pray do Simran, if you are hungry you can simply tell us, say it" Prince Nakul says knitting his brows as he leans on the iron holdings of the wooden swing. "And remember what have I told you on that very first day, when royal meeting was summoned? Tell me?" Prince Bheem interrogates with a fake glare.

"You said that whenever I feel hungry I can just tell you and..." I am interrupted in the confession with a big ladoo being stuffed inside my mouth.

The Pandava brothers merrily laugh at my state, to struggle between joining them in a chortle or swallow that ladoo.

"Thank you. I was a bit hesitant, I-I—I just don't want to- It's really awkward sometimes. I know it'll take time" my voice is appraising to encase the words of excuse, awkwardness, maybe.

"Simran you're family now. Family of us, five brothers, the sons of Pandu. I know you must be scared, it's not easy to stay in a complete alien land. Your allegiance rests with Arjun. There's no grounds or inducements for your fear now. So, now, you don't have to think twice before even blabbering" Prince Bheem's words are enough to calm the hushed storms of my conscious.

Fear? I'm not scared because I'm here alone. I'm afraid of getting failed; on Krishna's expectations.

"And I can sleep peacefully from now. For Bhrata Bheem and you can now hunt for food at midnight in the palace. You got each other's back now" Prince Nakul stretches his body in a slack fashion yawning in suit.

"It's good for me tho. You were a boring companion Nakul" Prince Bheem mocks with a quick grin to his younger one who rolls his eyes at his large and burly figured brother who loses himself at the mere mention of food.

"Here take two more" Prince Bheem keeps two ladoo in my hand. "Bhrata Bheem is sharing his food, Simran you're indeed lucky" Nakul raises his brows trying to sneak a ladoo and I swiftly move my hand away. What have you done Simran? "So sorry Prince Nakul you can have it" I extende a ladoo towards him with an apologetic face.

Prince Bheem and Nakul gawk me with still and harsh faces. Simran. They're upset! It was their ladoo and you just denied him to have one. Applause! After all they are princes. That's how they are used to of. Respect.

They laugh out suddenly. "This is the real Simran" For a moment I was afraid that I had made him angry but the Pandavas are good boys.

"This is the Simran, which should walk around in Hastinapur from tomorrow, is that clear?" Prince Nakul folds his elbows over his broad chest. I nod and feel Prince Bheem's calloused hand on my head, who is swaying it to and fro. "We will leave now" Prince Bheem says followed by Prince Nakul, "and you too go back to your chamber soon"

They move to the entrance of the mezzanine but then Prince Bheem paces backwards to say these words.

"I won't say that it'll be easy but I shall surely say that it will happen, Just within a snap of time"

Nakul snaps his fingers in an agreement with his elder and closes his eyes in reassurance. I return them a satisfactory beam.

They walk towards the stairs taking them to the ground floor. We do you mean by ground floor Simran? Lower levels of the palace!

"I won't say that it'll be easy but I shall surely say that it will happen, Just within a snap of time"

I take a bite of the ladoo, "These almonds inside are just adding more to the taste"