Arjun - The Nara Incarnation

Chapter 15

Next morning brought festive atmosphere in the abode of Pandvas. Arjun turned fourteen. Everyone was happy. The celebrations were going on with full enthusiasm.

Kunti went towards Arjun, who was still sleeping to her suprise as he was an early riser . It has been years since she saw her little child sleeping peacefully as he always left for his archery practice early in the morning.

She glanced at her child with love. His lotus shaped eyes closed peacefully with his eyelashes resting on his cheeks. His little snores showed how tired he was. Kunti sighed. Her son scared her yesterday. She has never seen him so scared . She could see the guilt consuming her child when he was unable to save the male stag. He considered himself guilty.

Kunti was glad that he was now sleeping peacefully after having the lullaby session with his father. She wouldn't want her son to have dark thoughts of someone's death on his birthday. It was supposed to be his day and it should be a bright one.

Kunti saw her surroundings. Her eldest son preparing for prayers for his younger brother birthday along with Sehdev. While Nakul was roaming behind Bheem asking for extra ladoos which he saved for Arjun. Madri was getting ready to pluck flowers from a meadow while her husband decided to tag along with her. She smiled at her happy loving family and she prayed that no bad omen ever hit them.

Pandu came to her, looking at his son who was sleeping to his suprise. He brushed his curly hair with his hand and kissed Arjun's forehead.

"Happy birthday my child.May you find your soul purpose "Pandu whispered.

"Are you leaving?" Kunti asked looking at her husband with love adorning her eyes.

He pulled her in his embrace and Kunti felt elated.

" Yes my love. Don't worry me and Madri will return soon . It is my son's birthday after all. I will bring him beautiful snowdrop flowers . He love them so much " Pandu answered.

Kunti smiled at his answer. Her husband was right . Her son adored those flowers. It was one of his favorite flowers.

Saying this Pandu left with Madri to the beautiful meadow.

Soon after Arjun woke up. He was showered with hugs and kisses from his mother and brothers . Feeling slightly better from yesterday event he returned their blessing with a smile on his face. He touched his mother and elder brother's feet and then took Nakul and Sehdev in his arms.

" Where is my father and mother Madri. I want to take their blessings too " Arjun asked his mother.

" They will return soon my child. You get ready " Kunti answered

He nodded and then went to the river to bathe and pay his respects to Lord suryanarayan.

" Today is my birthday. And I wish that my mothers , father, brothers and all my loved ones are free from any sadness. I wish for their long and healthy life . I wish to find my soul purpose. I wish to make my parents proud and I wish to fulfill every dream of my father " Arjun said innocently telling all his wishes to the Almighty expecting that he would listen to them.

His wishes echoed in different abodes of the God. While the mother of the universe in Kailash had tears, her motherly affection that she had for the child made her heart ache as she knew the destiny. Consoled by her husband who had serious face she kept quite.

His father who was the king of heavens and had the capacity to gift anything to anyone had his hands fisted as he knew he wouldn't be able to fulfill his son's wish.

The Narayan incarnation , his eternal soulmate, his Kanha for the first time closed his eyes listening to his wishes.He knew the destiny and he couldn't change it no matter how many soft cries of his Parth reached him.
He can give his life for him but he cannot bring a life back to him.

Arjun suddenly heard a scream. It was his mother's scream. He could recognise it followed by several cries. He rushed to the place only to be stilled witnessing the view. He was stopped by his eldest brother to move forward. He wasn't allowed to go. But he knew something terrible has happened. He couldn't see his father anywhere.

"Where is he? " Arjun thought.

Being an archer he had a great hearing capacity and he couldn't help but listen to his mother conversation to his second mother Madri.

"I am dead.” his mother screamed lamenting with grief.

“This hero always protected me by controlling himself. You knew about the hermit’s curse. Why did you transgress
it? O Madri! You should have protected this king. Instead, why did you
tempt him in this lonely place? Knowing and thinking about the curse,
he was always miserable. " His mother continued lamenting.

" Curse . What curse? " Arjun thought while gulping audibly.

He looked at his eldest brother who had tears in his eyes. He then looked at his brother Bheem who was controlling himself to not cry. While he and the younger twins were clueless.

His mothers lamenting ached his heart.

" Why was he not allowed to go there and console them. Where was his father ? He should have come there to make his mothers stop crying . Why is he not coming? " Questions erupted on his mind while his breathing got heavy.

The atmosphere felt heavy. The air felt stagnant. It wasn't a fresh breath of air. Instead of the fragnance of beautiful snowdrop flowers, the air was mixed with something else.

Suddenly his mother Madri voice reached his ears making him stiff ,  he felt his breath leaving his body constricting to a hollow suffocating him to no limits.

"With his desire unsatisfied, how can I let him go to Yama’s abode? O revered one! If I live, it is certain that I will not be able to treat your children and mine in the same way and that sin will touch
me. O Kunti! But you will be able to bring up my children as your own.The king has gone to the land of the dead because of his desire for me. Therefore, my body should be burnt with the king’s body. O revered one! Do what is pleasurable to me and burn them together. Watch over
the children and think kindly of me. I cannot think of anything else I
need to say.”  Having said this, the illustrious daughter of the king of
Madra, wife by law to that bull among men, climbed onto the fire of that funeral pyre.’

Tears fell from Arjun eyes. The eyes which were always filled with joy, suddenly had a permanent hollow marked engraved on them. He heard his mother cries. He heard his brother's cries. He heard his own cries.

Their celebrative abode suddenly turned into a mourning house . The house which was showered with flowers on his birth turned into a mourning place exactly fourteen years after on his birthday.

He once heard people saying that his father prayed for one year for his birth to happen. At that time it made him felt special. He now wondered why he did that, only to be dead on this day, to take back and his second mother embrace from his head.

He couldn't help but look down. He didn't have the confidence to look at other's eyes .

He felt unlucky.

This day felt unlucky.

This day was not celebration. This day was death .

This day was a bad omen.

Maybe he was too.

His gaze fell on fallen snowdrop flowers joined by a delicate tendril. He knew it was for him. A gift from his father. Unable to look at them for the first time in his life. He moved away from them and left from there .

The flowers lost its shine due to the rejection of Nara.

Abandonment and betrayal.

That's what Arjun felt and that's what those flowers felt.