Book 1 of Maharani Devika Trilogy (Previously known as DharmaPriyaa: The Lady Who Loved Yudhishthira)
She struggles to prevent an unwanted marriage.
He is thrown into murder attempts.
But love still found its way, overcoming all the dangers.
_______...
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She woke up to another sunrise which was very different from the others she had seen so far. The fresh memories of the previous day tried their best to make her burst into tears, but finally they had to accept defeat before her unmovable patience.
"He has left." Her brain reminded once more.
"That's never possible," protested her heart with complete confidence, "He lives inside me. My heart beats with his very name. It's his love that makes me breathe. His existence has mingled with that of mine. How on the earth can he get separated from me?"
"Jiji!" a familiar female voice made her turn.
"You want to say something, Subhadra?" her unbelievably calm voice and tearless eyes made Subhadra admire her more. She was just like him, as if a single soul split into two different bodies!
"Jiji, I wanted to ask you whether you want to return Shivi kingdom."
"Why would I want to go there, sister?"
"As you know, Jiji, after the five brothers have left for Mahaprasthana," Rajmata Subhadra paused a little to send her tears back. Sensing it from her choked voice, Devika rose to give her sister-in-law a tight embrace. Her affectionate caress helped Subhadra to collect herself.
"The other wives of Pandavas are leaving Hastinapura, Jiji." Continued Subhadra, "Ulupi and Chitrangada Jiji have already left for their father's abodes. So I thought to ask you that..."
"No Subhadra, I won't." Devika's voice was calm but determined, "I have responsibilities here to fulfill. I have to bring Parikshit up with the values and ideals my husband has left for the future of Bharatavarsha. I have to help him follow his grandfathers' footprints, so that none can say in future that Maharaja Parikshit could not be a deserving successor of Dharmaraja Yudhishthira!"
While explaining her present goal, Devika felt a new surge of energy within. She remembered her responsibility was much more than what she had voiced. Before Kaliyuga began as Maharishi Vyasa had warned, she would have to uplift her husband's ideals of Dharma to the world, to provide guidance and assurance to the people of Bharatavarsha when Dharma would be deteriorating.
For that was all she could do for sake of the people her husband had loved like his children!
================================== Meaning of Sanskrit/Indian words:
Mahaprasthana : final journey to reach heaven.
Rajmata : Queen-mother
Dharmaraja : the righteous king
Kaliyuga : the epoch of Kali/present era
Maharishi : great sage
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