Shiv Shakti - The Family We Made!

Pangs Of Seperation

From the moment Parvati had left, Shiva's world had stopped. He did not smile, laugh, cry or got angry. He used to quietly sit on his meditation spot, emotionless. Just like a corpse. Nandi and the Shiv ganas were already grieved by their mother's leaving, they got more worried seeing Shiva's state.

On the other hand, Parvati had taken the form of a new born baby girl and was lying in front of a Shiva temple in the village of the Parvaras or fisherfolk clan. It was at that time that the chief of the Parvara clan, Sumali had gone for his daily worship when he heard the cries of a little baby. He went to check and saw that a little baby girl was lying in front of the Shiva Linga and crying loudly. He was dumbfounded to see such a sight. He looked around but saw no one who could have left her. He immediately went and brought his wife with him. His wife carefully took the baby in her arms and teared up. They had been trying for a child for a long time but were unsuccessful. That was exactly the reason Sumali had gone to the temple to pray that day.

"Sumali, mark my words, Mahadev and Mata Shakti has listened to us. That is why we found the baby here. Mahadev has given us the responsibility to raise her and we should do that" his wife said. Sumali nodded.

"You are right, Lekha. This baby is the blessing of Mahadev."

From that day, Sumali and his wife started to raise the baby and she had become the darling of the village. As she was the daughter of the Parvara chief and was considered a blessing of Shiva, she was named Parvati, much to the irony.

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

As time passed, Kartikeya had returned back to Kailash after travelling around the world. He couldn't wait to meet his parents but when he searched around, he could not see his mother anywhere. He saw his father siting melancholicly.

"Pitashree, what has happened here? Kailash looks so dull. I couldn't find Maa anywhere and you are looking so lost. What happened?"

Shiva couldn't bring himself to answer his son's questions so Nandi recounted everything that had happened to Kartikeya. He was shocked.

"How could you do this, Pitashree? How could you curse my mother? What was her fault? Was what she did so serious that you sent her away? I was waiting to see my mother after so long. I couldn't even get to be under her care for long and now she's not here. Forgive me, Pitashree but this is your fault. "

"Kartikeya! Your mother..... She made a mistake that was crucial. Whatever we do has its consequences. Especially for Shiva and Shakti. We have to follow the rules that we have made ourselves. I know you are hurt but you have to understand certain things" Shiva said as Kartikeya's words hit him in the heart. He already felt guilty but the complaints coming from their son on loosing his mother pained him even more so he went inside their cave.

As he went in, his eyes fell on the empty dresser where Parvati would get ready everyday. He had himself done her sringar often. He would comb her long curly hair and would make her wear her jewellery but now he stared at the vacant mirror. He looked at his own reflection and saw how broken and incomplete he looked without his wife. Then his glance fell on the round box that contained her sindoor. He himself had applied the sindoor on her forehead multiple times from there. He took the box and slowly went and sat on the bed. He remembered the beautiful and romantic times they had spent together. The memories were hitting him like a tide and finally it broke down his barrier and he bursted into tears that he had been concealing for a long time.

"What will I do without you, Uma? I'm clueless. I don't even know what to say to our son when I myself have still couldn't accept that you are not here. Everytime I have spent without you felt like millions of years. This wait is unbearable!"

As Shiva was saying these, Kartikeya had come in. Seeing his father, whom he had usually seen so calm and composed, so dejected and broken erased all the anger he had for him. He ran to his father and sat down at his feet. Shiva looked up to him.

"I'm so sorry, father for blaming you. Not having Maa here saddened me so badly that I just needed to blame someone at that moment but now I have realised how wrong I was. I have realised that I am not the only one who is affected. It is you as well. Please forgive me, father."

Shiva stood up and brought Kartikeya up and wiped his tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I completely understand what you were feeling. I blame myself as well. I'm not angry at you. Although your mother is not here, we have to stick together for her. We have to wait for her together."

Kartikeya nodded and crashed into his father's arms for comfort. Shiva stroked his head as he cried in his chest. It was going to be a tough time for them.