Story Unfolds:
After 6 years: At a small House: At the outskirt of Hastinapur:
A pretty twenty two years old girl was reminiscening her happy days. Sitting alone. In her own mind. She was very alone here but not dissapointed. She was happy as she had adopted some boys. As her own. They had played together around her every time. Their own playful nature made her satisfied truly. Yet she loved to recall her happy days. With her God and Goddess!! She was so much in love to recall her dear old memories. Whenever she got any time, she sat down alone to think of them. She even adored read all the six letters she got from her husband. In those six years. He was not a very vocal person so his letters were all too short. Like "How are you? Are you okay? Do you need anything?" type. Yet she loved to read them again and again. Day and night. Boys laughed on her foolishness. But she did not mind a little bit. Those letters were symbol of his love to her. She did not write him back. It was neither the case that she was illiterate nor because she did not want to!! The reason was that she did not know what to pen down!! She could not pour Her heart out!!! In a parchment paper!!! She could not be able to confess her love to him!! She was also not a bit vocal person. Just like her husband Karna. Yes you had gussed it right. She was neglected yet adored Karna Sangini Devi Supriya herself.
Devi Supriya (2nd Wife of Karna)
She removed all the Jewelries and expensive clothes. She refutef all the luxury of life. Her House was simple and devoid of expensive furnitures. It was furnished with simplicity yet to elegance. When she came out of her marital abode she had only two pieces of torn clothes. But her beloved elder sister Padmavati had showered her to all of her expensive clothes. She did not reject them as she never wanted to hurt her emotions. She accepted all of them but after coming here she had given them away. To all the needy and poor people. Expect only one cloth. Her wedding dress. She loved that. It would made her feel better. She loved to caress it!! Whenever she clunged to it in her chest, she felt as if she was held tightly in his chest. She loved the sacred feeling and never wanted to be separated from it!! Never ever!!! His memory was her life-force!! She did not want to be deprived of it!!
She wore only gerua colored Khadi Sarees nowadays. She loved to live her life like a Yogin or Nun. Her life was so simple yet so full of pain. But she made friendship with it. She had extreme poverty to deal with. Yet she never lost her hope nor she lowered her head. A bit. To anyone!! She had to struggle to earn her livelihood!! But as she was a master sculptor, so she made many idols, clay pots and clay made utensils and sold them in the local market. To earn her livelihood. Yet the foolish girl never went back to her dear husband Karna!!! Nor did she try to get her wages from him or his own family!! Even if she loved to spent her time with her in-laws and Sumedha, Her younger sister and best friend!!! Alas!! She was a Queen and she lived her life like a Maid!! In Anga, people knew her as the youngest wife of Karna. But in Hastinapur all knew her as the youngest sister of Princess Bhanumati. In her secret marriage no one from the Hastinapur masses had been invited. It was good for all!! Unless people would badmouth her husband Karna!!! For leaving her!! While in the truth she left him alone!! Not he left her!!
If you notice her face then you will all be astonished to know that this girl still looked like sixteen years old. She did not look aged than that. Her mind stopped around the same time. So also her physical Age.
One warning was still ringing in her ears softly -
"Tumhe apne jivan ke path pe akele hi chalna hoga, Putri. Koi bhi sath nahin chalega!!! (You have to walk alone in the road of your life, my daughter. No one can walk with you!!)"
That sage woman was so right in her prediction. Of her future!!
She opened one letter of her husband Karna and read it carefully. A faintest smile appeared in her pretty face. He seemed angry with her!!
"Devi (He always addressed her as his Goddess),
Kya ap hame bhul Gaye?!! Apka koi to sambad Ham tak nahin pouchata. Is Chay barsho Main ham apke jijashree aur hamare Param Mitra Duryodhan ke paksha se Aswamedha Yajna ki ghora leke Bharat bhraman pe nikle hain. Parantu hame aisa kyun pratit hota hain ki sab nirthak hain. (She all the time cried reading this line.)
Biswas nahin hota ki jab man ashant rahe toh Aswamedha karke kya Labh? Kiske liye yeah Yajna? Kya punya Ho ga iss se? Pandavawo se rajya chinke Kumar Duryodhan ko lagta hain yeah ki Hastinpaur unki ho chuki hain. Jo satya nahin hain. Hamare Man kehte hain Pandava apne sakti bada rahe honge. Madhava hain na unke paas. Kyon samjhayega Duryodhan ko? Yoh Mamashree se ham se adhik Biswas karte hain.
Aur ham bhi kyon se sukhi hain? Ap ke jane ke uprant Vrishasen sadaiba apko smaran karta tha. Apke Vrish ap se atyadhik Prem karta hain. Itni ati adhik ke woh sambhata aur kisiko apna Mata swikar nahin kar payenge. (She cried on this sentence too.) Apki Jiji bhi apko smaran karke rote hain. Jyse ap ro rahe honge ab!! (God knows how he guessed that!!) Ham nahin Jan paye ke Ham se kyonsa apradh huwa tha ki apne hamara tyag Kiya! Par koi bhi karan Ho ham apko bhulane main asamartha hain! Yeah asambhab hain hamare liye! Jab tak jibit rajhenge ap ko smaran karte rahenge!!!
Apka gun mugdha bhakta,
Radheya Karna"
[My Goddess,
Do you forget me? Perhaps so. Unless you will write answer of my letters. I don't get your news. Nor you called for me. You became more stern than your elder sister who had taken back her vow, not to See Me, merely in two months. And you took ages. You don't need to know what goes on me. Is it right? However I am accustomed with my agony nowadays. In those 6 long years I have been roaming all over the Indian subcontinent with the horse of Aswamedha. Your brother-in-law and my dear friend Duryodhan foolishly thinks that sending Pandava to the forest will grant him the throne of Hastinapur. But it is not the case. The Pandava brothers are already fierce fighters themselves. And most of all they had the blessings of Lord Krishna who would probably potect them. But nowadays Duryodhn is not listening to me too. He is becoming the pawn in the evil hands of his uncle Shakuni. A disaster is looming in the horizon!! I can sensed that!!
I can't make him believe that when our mind is restless then no Yajna or ritual can calm it down. For those sake is that Yajna? Who will be happy by it? I can't make him listen to me a bit. He is hanging Day by day. He is becoming more power hungry. Often I forget to identify him. As my Param Mitra who helped me to climb on the social ladder and made me the King of Anga. I am feeling helpless!!
By the way, I am not happy too. Your son Vrishasen loves you very much. He all the times asks about you. I am afraid he will never accept anyone as his mother except you!!! (He really did that with Uruvi.) I have seen your elder sister Padma to cry for you in secret. Just like you are crying now. In the similar way. However they did not complain to me nor I can handle it. So I escape the situation. Yet I can't be able to escape my heart that asks me every single moment of my fault for which you left me alone! I don't know that till now!! I tried hard to forget you in vain. My heart beats for you. I can't stop it to remember you. I love Padma as my friend and wife. I love you too as my Devi or Goddess!!
Your truly devoted devotee,
Radheya Karna]
She cried aloud while reading this last letter. She cried again while reading it more and more. She cried murmuring at every single line "I am sorry". Her eyes were now red. She wiped them forcefully. She could not see a line of the letter!! Her eyes were now blurred in tears!! He at last pen down his own feelings for her. "My heart beats for you." "I can't stop myself to remember you. " "I love you too as my Devi or Goddess." and also on the last line "Your truly devoted devotee". She had understood his pain and agony!! She was not so gullible as she was 6 years ago!! She clutched the letter to her heart and kissed it feverishly. She felt her heart was thumping aloud inside her chest!!! She felt as if she was now holding his heart!! In her own hands!!
All of a sudden she sensed two light footsteps behind her. She wiped her tears gently. She did not want her adopted sons. To see her tears. Those boys adored her very much!! They had worshipped her!! They could not bear the sight!!
Twin boys of around 5 years came to her and looked at her. In worried face. Then they looked at each other. They knew their mother was crying!!! She always tried fanatically whenever she read their father's letters!! Even if they did not meet their father Karna in person but they knew perfectly in their tiny heart that she was in love with him. So they worshipped him too. As their mentor!! As their Guru!! As their father!! They knew that their mother could not worship a bad man. He must be a great man in heart!! They had listened many glorifying rumours about him too that increased their curiosity!! They wanted to meet him!! In person!!
The first boy looked at the face of the second Boy. In shock. He asked what to do in total silence. The second one nodded his head to his brother slowly. To agree with him. They could read the mind of each other. With ease.
Then they both ran to their mother and sat on her lap together. She with a pained smile tilted her head towards them. They wiped her tears gently and told her confidently in unison "Chinta mat Karo, Mate. Ham pitashree ko dhund ke layenge. Apke pass. (Don't you worry, dear mother. We promise you to bring back father to you.)"
She looked at them. One after another in pleasant face. Then she kissed on their forehead lovingly. She knew that they would definitely do that!! Daan Beer Karna son's know how to keep up with their vows!!! They hugged her tightly. By putting their heads on her chest. Their mother was their sole Goddess!! Their entire universe!!
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Why Supriya leaves in poverty? Who are those young boys? Will she ever get a chance to meet with her God or husband Karna again? Will Karna be able to accept those boys as his own? Most of all what is their identity? Stay tuned for more updates. Enjoy.
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