A Time to Change

Chapter Ten

Bheema was worried as he helped his brother to his room. His worry over Arjuna kept him from puzzling about what secret their mother was harbouring. Bheema had never felt so helpless. Arjuna had never ever had a severe illness in his memory. An occasional fever or cold was all any of them had ever suffered from.

Arjuna seemed to miraculously recover once they were back in his room. Bheema gaped at his brother.

"You were pretending?"

"Not completely, but-it seemed prudent."

"Prudent?"

"Haven't you guessed it yet?"

"I was a little preoccupied with you to think of it!"

Arjuna sat and raked his hand through his hair. "My guess might be wrong. I hope it is. But I fear I'm right."

"Will you just tell me what you're talking about?"

"Vasusena," said Arjuna, "is our mother's son!"

Bheema's first impulse was to refute. Vasusena was a Suta. How was it possible for him to be their mother's son? But then he remembered how his mother had given in to Krishna's threat. And he also remembered Vasusena's expression of horror as he realized the truth. If he'd in fact been a Suta, he would never have suspected something else.

"What makes you say that?" His voice was steady.

"His face, his expressions," Arjuna sighed. "They are exactly like mother's. It is surprising no one has ever noticed it before."

Bheema frowned, again about to refute, but stopping himself and forcing himself to think objectively. And he could see what Arjuna was driving at. Now that they knew it, it did seem incredible that no one had ever noticed Vasusena's resemblance to their mother and to Arjuna who was almost the spitting image of their mother. Had it not been for the difference in colouring and Arjuna's high cheek bones, the resemblance would have been really remarkable. But even as it was, it was noteworthy.

Except they had all been blinded by prejudice, thought Bheema. How many of them had actually paid attention to what Vasusena looked like? The only relief was Suyodhana had been equally blind. He had probably never gazed at Arjuna properly to notice the resemblance with his best friend.

Bheema looked at Arjuna. "We would need to tell Yudhistira."

Arjuna shook his head. "We can't. It's still only guesswork. Besides, Krishna is right. This is mother's secret and it is for her to reveal."

"So you are saying we should just keep it to ourselves?"

"I don't like it either. But...I don't know.... it seems so wrong to keep this a secret, and yet... what do you think?"

Bheema frowned. He did not like it. It was too big for them. He did not want this decision. But it seemed he had no choice.

"I think we should go to bed now," said Bheema. "And let's decide what to do in the morning."

Hopefully, their heads would be clearer by then.

Arjuna nodded. "Let's decide in the morning then."