Bhagi was standing on the outskirts of Magadh. She had kept Chalukya ji as a proxy for the time being. It was time for her to face Hastinapur. Bhagi was aware from now onwards her true journey is beginning. She took a deep breath and glanced back towards her kingdom once and started moving forward. She removed her necklace and transformed her necklace into her bike.
As bhagi was travelling towards Hastinapur, she began remembering some very rare but beautiful moments she had spent there.
Flashback...
A woman could be seen weeping sitting behind a shiv temple. Her face was not visible as it was covered by a veil. She had a small child in her arms. But anybody could see she was weeping bitterly. The woman was not some ordinary women, no. She was the one who had lost her freedom, the one who unknowingly became the reason for her family's death. People tend to fear their greatest fears but she, she was living her greatest fear every day. But still she persisted and fulfilled all her duties despite being married forcefully, she fulfilled her duties.
She did Tapasya and gained the boon of 100 children but when even after 2 years she was not able to give birth instead of supporting her, her husband chose to sleep with her best friend. She in immense grief had struck her belly due to which she gave birth to a mass of flesh. Her husband and family members criticized her, blamed her but thankfully Ved Vyas had come and helped her out. Since her marriage she had tolerated all the hardships, all the hate, all the taunts but today, today her patience was over; today Gandhar Putri was finally broken.
Yesterday after so many hardships, so many prayers her firstborn took his first breath. It was only seconds she had felt the joy of motherhood. Only mere seconds before people declared him a bad omen and ordered that he should be killed. And for what? Because there was bad whether? It seemed that people had forgotten that second Pandava also took birth at that moment and when she courageously bought that forward, she was silenced by saying they were Dev Putra's. SO, WHAT! HER PUTRA WAS BOON OF MAHADEVA., and then for the first time she stood Infront of the elders, not as Gandhar Putri or Hastinapur's Maharani but as a mother, as a shield for her child. She was being called as a mother of bad omen. How can they declare a newborn who hasn't even opened his eyes properly a bad omen?
And today she was facing the truth. She knew it doesn't matter how hard she tries the people will always see her children as bad omens.
What sin has she done that she was suffering so much. Today she wanted answers from her aradhya. Today here her every tear is demanding justice from her Mahadeva.
Just as she was cursing her fate, she suddenly felt someone wipe her eyes. Being so lost in her suffering she failed to notice the oncoming presence. But She didn't feel threatened. NO, no.. The touch was so pure, so gentle that for a moment, for the first time in Hastinapur she felt peace. She quickly turned her head in the direction she thought the touch came from.
"Please don't cry. Is there something that's hurting, please tell me. I'll solve it. Promise", said the voice.
Gandhari could clearly hear concern in the voice. She could recognize the innocence in the voice of the girl. She quickly wiped her cheeks and smiled. "No Putri there's nothing. see I'm not crying. Tell me your name Putri".
"My name is Bhagirathi but people who love me call me bhagi," said the girl as she came and stood Infront of the lady and asked, "and my mother always tells me that we should not tell lies. So please tell me what is making you cry? Are your eyes hurting? Let me see".
As bhagi finished she reached for the blindfold on the woman's eyes. She could see a red cloth was tied to the woman's eyes. It was wet so in her innocence she had assumed that the woman was hurting there.
As soon as bhagi was going to touch the blindfold, Gandhari held her hand and said, "No Putri. The Pain is not the eyes."
Bhagi held the woman's cheeks in her small hands and asked, "Devi, your eyes are wet. If not your eyes than tell me where its paining? Please. And why have you tied your eyes?"
And slowly hearing the care in the voice of the little bhagi, Gandhari started to vent out all her emotions, all her thoughts. And our precious bhagi listened silently and continued to wipe the tears of the woman.
Hearing her story, Bhagi extended her hand again and touched the cheek of Gandhari with the softest touch Gandhari has ever felt.
Bhagi smiled and said, "devi, you're one of the strongest persons I've ever met. And you're children will never be bad omen, you know why?".
Gandhari nodded no, and why not. After seeing so much hate from her own In-laws, her praja, she was demotivated. She had forgotten the reason why her children where not bad omens.
Bhagi smiled and asked, "Tell me devi, how can Mahadeva's boon be bad omen?"
Gandhari smiled for a bit, but another thought quickly entered her mind and she frowned a bit and said "you're correct Putri but there's no one to shield them from the hardship I know the future will throw at my children. I fear the hate they are getting from the praja, the biasness from their family might make them just what the people are calling them. Afterall there's no one to love them unconditionally other than me."
"I fear for my firstborn, My Suyodhana" she looked down at her newborn who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. "I fear he will be alone in this world. He will take care of his 100 siblings but who will hear him? Understand him? Guide him? I fear he will become what the people are calling him", Gandhari took a shaky breath as she looked up, "I fear that they will become corrupt."
Bhagi lifted her hand from Gandhari's cheek and kept it on the head of the newborn and looked down, "Devi, you are there na? How can they become corrupt if there's a presence of such a strong mother? I know till you are present in there lives no harm will ever come to them and Mahadeva is also with them. And who said he is alone in this World? Suyodhana has his big sister who will always stand by him as his guide, who will understand him, who loves him," bhagi looked up, "And I know it isn't much but I'll always try to protect them, Guide them. I promise you, devi. Till the last moment I won't let them become what the people are saying."
Gandhari's eyes became num by hearing the words of bhagi. She knew it was naïve of her to believe the words of a little girl but something in her told her to blindly trust the girl. That this little girl was going to do exactly as she promised. So Gandhari finally submitted to her heart and held bhagi's hands and said, "Putri, Today I had lost all hope. Today here I had come to find answers from my Aradhaya and look he gave me you. My life was filled by darkness but you came in my life and illuminated it just like a morning sun rays illuminate the worlds darkness. If you are my son's Big sister then you are also my Putri.," Gandhari smiled and asked in a tender voice, "Is it okay with you if I call you, my Aditi?"
Bhagi just smiled and touched the feet's of Gandhari and said, "As you wish devi... aahh..."
As soon as bhagi had finished her sentence Gandhari had clutched the ear of bhagi and said, "what is this devi, devi? HUH? You are my Putri. Is this how you address Your Mata?"
"aAH... sorry ma ... leave na its paining," said bhagi as she pouted a bit.
Gandhari immediately left the ear and started caressing it to lessen the pain. Bhagi was just smiling seeing her and was thinking how lucky she is to get two mothers in one life.
Bhagi sat beside Gandhari and they talked for a bit. Bhagi came to know how Gandhari loved white lotuses the most as they were rare. And Gandhari came to know how bhagi loved kheer the most. Gandhari was feeling utmost peace.
After a while the newborn started to cry. Bhagi looked towards him and smiled.
"It seems my Anuj is hungry..." said bhagi
Hearing her Gandhari knew, it was time to say goodbye and became sad.
Seeing her bhagi immediately cupped her face and said, "This is not a goodbye Ma. I've called you Ma from my heart. We'll meet again, I promise. Please take care of Anuj, Ma... I know that he will be a formidable warrior but please teach him true dharma. I know with your teachings they will become great. Take care ma."
Bhagi kissed the forehead of the newborn and as if sensing her he immediately stopped crying and was looking at her curiously. Bhagi looked towards him and said, "Suyo, take care of our Mata. If I hear one complaint from her, I will come and pull your ear."
Just as she was moving away suyodhana started crying. Gandhari looked at him then her Aditi and said, "He already misses you. He knows other than you there's no one else to love him, Putri. No one to guide him to right path"
"Ma, what are you saying? You are here with him. I know even if the whole world is standing against him, plotting against him. I know you will protect him. And ma, I promise I'll come back. And you take care of yourself, okay?". Gandhari just nodded with tears in her eyes.
Flashback Over...
Bhagi had tears in her eyes as she was riding her bike. She was eager to meet her Suyo and her Mata Gandhari. She hoped they remembered her, that Ma Gandhari didn't forget her but if she did forget her, bhagi knew she would be heartbroken, but she would understand. After all, why would a Maharani of Hastinapur remember her insignificant presence.
IN HASTINAPUR
A woman was sat Infront of A shiv Linga, she was offering kheer to her Aaradhya, "Hai Mahadeva, please take care of my daughter. Please protect her. My Suyodhana needs his big sister. Her Mother needs her, Aditi. Tell her how her ma is waiting eagerly to meet her again."
And similarly, another house there was a family of two eating food alone missing their dear daughter. Not one day had passed since Indrina didn't remember her daughter. Jayant was also missing his Jayanti a lot. But finally, the wait is over. Their Bhagi is coming to meet them.
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