Vasudev and Pritha -Siblings who brought the Gods to the earth #Mahabharata

Uncertainties

The cloud of dust at a distance led to the rows of soldiers cheering. Even the otherwise solemn members of the extended royal family joined in. Their dear King was returning after a victorious campaign just short of two whole years. The celebrations echoed through the streets of Hastina. Only one person stood uncertain of her own heart gripping the ostentatious golden silver plate with a heap of camphor ready to be lit in his welcome. No, their welcome!

Celebrate a victorious return of the husband with who she had not even spent a night with? Or grudge the one who accompanied him?  Kunti's inscrutable gaze fixed upon the one who her husband had brought with him. As his second bride. 

The Princess of the Madra Kingdom alighted from the chariot. Her carefree grip on Pandu's hand drew a variety of reactions. Kunti could hear them all. Elders, stifling their displeasure, the orthodox among them scorning the intimacy this new bride exhibited and the moderate among them advising restraint that now would be a wrong time to start a tirade about the Kuru etiquette. The comparisons began, about how elegantly the Queen had carried on with her solitude while the new comer already started to flaunt her closeness with the King. Kunti felt a hand set the silk shawl over her shoulders right. She turned to look at a smiling Ambalika, a mother in law so gentle that Kunti had coped up with the over reaching protocols of the Kuru family with ease under her care. Ambalika's squeeze on her arm told her that her mother in law had chosen her favourite. 

"It is hard. But be kind to the girl. The ways of Kuru family are bound to suffocate her." 

Kunti had heard about the settlements around Sindhu Saraswati rivers being far more liberal in their treatment of women while those in the Ganga region chose to be protectionist. A part of her felt sorry for the new bride. Kunti herself had found the Kuru family to be suffocating except for the doting Ambaalika and the very approachable Vidur. Still the sight of the princess of Madra holding Pandu's hand brought back the memories of all what she had faced in the past two years. A life among strangers, lonely nights on the royal bed, intimidating protocols and... Kunti's gaze strayed away for the moment towards Pandu's charioteer who met his wife and..son...her son! Kunti swallowed hard remembering how she had steeled herself from showing any affection for the boy that would raise eyebrows among the family. The Pritha in her did not care for that. But she was now Kunti! Someone alive for a mission!

The thought of the mission gave her the very strength she needed to welcome the new bride along with her husband, a ritual that Kunti herself had not experienced. Training a smile on her lips, she looked at Pandu whose eyes seemed to lack the confidence to face her, and then at Madri, whose heart, she felt had missed at the sight of the huge family, each hardly making any effort to hide their consternation.

"Welcome to the family, Princess of Madra!" She beamed and flashed a meaningful gaze upon Pandu before going about the rest of the ritual.

After sunset, she ordered her maids to arrange her bed in a smaller room away from King Pandu's that she had taken for granted to be hers for life. She needed to be by herself, away from everyone. She needed to be alone to stop the pent up vehemence from bursting out of her chest. Thanks to the past couple of sleepless nights she had spent after hearing the news about the new bride, Kunti fell asleep soon only to wake up from a nightmare. A nightmare about someone dear being in excruciating pain. Vasudev!

"Still not recovered from the death of your brother, My Queen?"

"My King!" Kunti exclaimed jumping at Pandu's voice by her bedside. "Death of my brother!?"

Pandu sighed and moved to light the lamp by the bedside. "I did hear about Bhojanandan's tragic death in the hands of Magadhans."

Bhojanandan! Kunti mouthed and calmed herself leaning behind. "And what are you doing here? Madri?"

Pandu responded with a weak smile and looked away. 

"What is the point Pandu? At least keep one of us happy instead of..."

"I need to keep you happy, Kunti. And her future is in your hands. I have a lot to unburden myself, dearest. Let me explain..."

Kunti's chest heaved and voice broke. "Two years of a lonely barren life among all your..."

"Her brother gifted her to me!" Pandu interrupted holding both her arms. "I could make her either my bride or your slave."

"A...gift?" 

"So much for all the claims of the liberal civilisation of Madra! Yes, a gift, for my pleasure and services to quote him in exchange of our friendship and a diplomatic balance against the Kingdoms of Sindhu and Gandhar." Pandu explained the details of his campaign.

"You men!" Kunti hissed swallowing the words that came to her next.

"I understand."

"No you don't!"

"A son of a woman who was denied her well deserved right to choose her husband, abducted by a man, wed to another and then made to sleep with a third, trust me, Kunti. I do understand!"

"Forgive me, My King, this very impressive record of the Kurus is not exactly being helpful."

"It just makes my life trickier Kunti. Help me correct a wrong that my family started doing. Help me give her a future and craft a future for all of us where the word Kaurava does not become abuse." 

"Ohhh Pandu! It is not easy for me. You have no idea of the burden that already weighs me down! And now a co-wife!"

"So you say, co-wife."

"You very well know I won't make her a slave!" She nudged Pandu's side and to her horror, realised his wound only when he groaned. 

"Never mind." He beamed. "And you expect me to know you so well over the one precious night we spent talking!" To his much needed relief he found her laughing at the memory. "Ohhh Mahadev! Life started making sense only after I heard my wife laugh!"

"Pandu, I might be a difficult wife, but I really need some time."

"Me too! So we leave for a much needed break to the woods tomorrow. You, me and Madri."

"What?"

"I know you need some time to fill my ears with a long list of complaints against this huge family of mine. I need some air away from the Kingly affairs and Madri might do with some of your training about how to survive in this horrendous forest filled with the wild Kuru beasts!"

"Survival isn't a concern when the King lion is on our side." Kunti smiled, resting her head upon his chest. 

With uncertainties like this when would she get to unburden her secrets to the one she loved?