The Black-Hearted

Chapter 1

I inhaled the scent of a fresh day from my room's balcony, my fingers caressing the balustrade, the sun, heaven's pride shone through behind the tall trees of the palace garden, I smiled with my lips pressed forcefully.

Dushla, my only sister, says I should smile more often but perhaps in these past ten years I have forgotten to curve my lips in a positive expression.
I have always wondered how I would look with a smile pasted on my face, would I still look like the royal heir? My post which fascinates my father requires me to struggle day and night with soldiers, to breathe only the air of the weapon's room and spend time in the court even at times when I am not keeping well.

I stretched my upper limbs outwards, my arms trying to hold the exciting atmosphere of Hastinapur, I could see tiny muscles on my upper arm, apparently, the training of ten years was finally fruiting.

It was a normal day for us, palace dwellers but not for the kingdom,
our cousins, the sons of my father's younger brother were coming today, to live with us for forever.

I had never seen my uncle or his wives or his five children but heard about them from Pitamah, who calls them a unique element of divinity, maybe because they were born with the blessings of various gods?

How would they five be? Their mother, from what I heard was a pale woman with high thinking, her strength renounced and courage unmatched.

A silent prayer escalated my mouth for the uncle and aunt I lost last week, something fishy about their death but no one told me or my siblings.

My ears heard a strange fluttering of a palm leaf, oh yes! My mamashree has sent a letter for me but I couldn't read it last night due to my new fad of maintaining Dushla's long wavy black hair.

I turned around immediately thanking the sharpness of my ears and also the breeze ventilating my room, a bizarre ray of sun boomed inside my room as if trying to tell me something, was the sun wanting me to not read the message?

I jerked away from the weird thoughts inside my quizzical brain, marching proudly towards the table, I mumbled satisfactorily,
Mamashree loves me the most.

At least whenever he comes to meet us, I get a day off from my hectic schedule of 'heir in making' sessions.
An automatic grin decorated my face, though I don't know how to express my happiness I can't ignore the amount of joy I receive after getting any news of my mamashree.

Dear Duryodhan,

Those words were not just written by nominal ink but from his heart only to touch my heart's deepest point, nobody calls me dear except Mata,
Pitashree sometimes praises me but then again goes back to his strict mode.

It is time for you to learn the harsh realities of your life and also to apply the most appropriate approach to secure your future. I am coming to meet you soon.

For the first time, I felt irked by the man whose whole life revolves around us, his words were not mere words but a game of treasure hunt in which I wanted to win.

"They are here!" Dushasana's heavy voice screamed, he shouted on top of his lungs so that I can rescue myself from drowning into the ocean of thoughts.

"A sprint to the palace's entrance!" Dushla squeaked, hiding behind her second eldest brother, I pronounced in agreement,
whatever she says is God's wish for us, our baby sister, our bliss.

I jumped before my legs could strengthen to run-up to the palace gates, the two were long gone but I knew who would win or who will be made the winner, I only have to jog until Dushla steps ahead of the finishing line.

Merrily jogging past she servants, a tiny blush crawled onto my cheeks, sometimes listening to our little girl makes me embarrassed and even forget the limits of a royal heir.

My eyes caught the sight of my mother who was scolding her only daughter for running and hollering in victory, seeing the two most important women of my life together makes me euphoric, my mother's tiny version is my sister, excluding the red cloth which silently soaks in the tears of the woman who gave birth to me.

Maharani Gandhari, an epitome of sacrifices and love, her affection for us children is boundless and her sacrifices for Kururashtra are unlimited,
the foremost being, her covered eyes,
Mamashree has told me for umpteenth times about his sister's selfless nature.
Sometimes I wonder how beautiful her eyes would be? Have I inherited her prepossessing pupils because my orbs are vaguely different from Pitashree's?

Vikarn, my second brother fist-bumped with me after darting towards us, we two along with Dushasan and the little princess of Hastinapur trailed behind our mother whose sharp senses had scanned each corner of the palace many years back.
She took us to the entrance where Pitamah, Kakashree Vidur and others were already hugging five boys,
many times I feel that the elders of our family do not like me much, however, I try to abide by whatever rules they make.

I observed a thin lady with a worn-out face joining hands in front of Pitashree, must be Maharaj Pandu's first Queen, Maharani Kunti.

We walked further near after our mother was actively called by her long lost her sister in law.

Almost suddenly I felt something obstruct my path which I couldn't perceive before as I was scrutinising the newcomers, the world rushed in a blur as my body started succumbing to gravity, everything went black but I could hear waves and waves of laughter, those voices were new.

"Jyest!" Dushasan shouted, my pupils, dilated as I apprehended myself surrounded by new faces,
a healthy and chubby boy of about my age,
laughing with his hand on his stomach, my cheeks turned red with shame while that boy laughed shamelessly.

His brothers, my cousins were blankly staring at my fallen body, two boys with similar appearance were chuckling with their lips pressing against each other.

Dushasan's fingers clutched my fingers, I forced myself to get up from the unexpected humiliation.

"Bheem, stop chortling!" My, seemingly Kakimaa raised her voice's volume until it was heard by everyone.

The angered aura of my Pitashree encompassed me, I dared to meet his burning eyes, he would have never expected the royal heir to unbalance and fall down like this.

"Nice to meet you, brother!" Bheem sniggered.