Story Unfolds :
From the point of view of Padmavati:
One pretty and petite lady was now seen waiting patiently and watching the road. She had a dream today. At the dawn time she saw her baby sister Supriya was calling her repeatedly. She answered her in dreams. Supriya smiled innocenntly and by folding her hands together pleaded to her.
"Jiji mere Santan ko bhej rahi hoon. Unhe Mata ka Prem dena."
Devi Supriya
She ran to her baby sister. To go near her. With a small nod in her head she disappeared in thin air. This girl fell down limply and cried her heart out. She lifted her hands. To touch her baby sister. To hug her. To kiss her forehead. But she was long gone!!! She screamed loudly in pain. She did not want to loose her again. She had the knowledge of the whereabouts of her baby sister. Her two best friends and sister-in-law (Nanads) Bhanumati and Charuamati wrote of her Su in every letter. To her. But she had to keep it in secret. From her husband. Her heart broke in thousand pieces. To see him searching for her Su fanatically. Day and night. But she could not tell him!! She was forbidden to do so!! She did not keep anything hidden from him. Till now. But she had to noways. As it was Su's own choice!!! A small sigh had escaped her lips. She knew that quite well what was the place of Su in her husband Karna's life!! That foolish girl did not know what had she done!! She captured his heart!! But she felt so sorry. For her own existence!!! In between them!!! She understood the reason of Supriya's seclusion. Her Su was giving him endless sorrow for her sake!!! Her existence was also doomed like her Su. Her parents died!! So also her dear elder brother!!! Her sister-in-law was missing!! Along with her two toddlers!!! Where she could go?!! She had no living relatives in this earth. Yes, she could go to her marital abode. To live with his parents. But they both would suspect something amiss. In between them. More of all her masses loved her wholeheartedly. Her only son Vrish needed her. She could not go to live in seclusion. Like her baby sister Supriya. She would love to do that too!! To save her marital life!!! But she could not do that!! As a queen she had to put on a mask. Before all. She had to show herself happy and proud. Of her family. While she was not!!! She was repenting hard!! To let her Su go away!! Only if she could go there and drag her here by pulling her earlobe!!! You could see that how much this elder sister of Supriya was missing her!!!!
Another soft sigh escaped her throat. If only she was not present in between Karna and Supriya, then they could live happily ever after. She had seen love and adoration in both of their eyes!! They loved each other tenderly and tremendously. Even if none had reciprocated their love but she knew that they could not live without each other!!! But what could she do?!! She wanted to unite them at any cost. But how?!! That she did not know!!! Now let me introduce this selfless woman to all of you. She was Devi Padmavati, the first wife of Karna. His dear Sakhi Padma. Supriya's Goddess.
Devi Vrushali Padmavati
But she would do anything to unite them. She knew that if her husband could not do that, then only she could do that. Her Su would definitely listen to her pleads!! Then she would leave the throne to her Su and live him. For her sake. You could see why this girl was known as selfless to all!!! But alas she did not know that she had to wait three more years for doing so!!
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At main entrance gate of Anga Palace:
One lavish chariot stopped before her. She was standing for hours. Holding a plate of Arati. To welcome her Su and her sons!! Wholeheartedly!!!
She gave the plate to one of the maids and ran to the chariot. To welcome her Su!!
With a big smile the came near him. And saw him. Coming down. Of the chariot. Alone!!! He was accompanied with five boys!! She looked inside the chariot and searched fanatically. The boys were scared stiff!! They were not known of their this mother!! They did not know how would she behave with them!! They thought she could be an evil step-mother!!! Unless why she would disown their dear mother and why should she refuse to come along with them?!! Alas!! They did not know how much this girl loved her Su!!
She ran to him. He faced her. With tired face. And teary eyes. His mouth was silent. But his eyes told the entire story. To her. His big hazel doe shaped eyes talked too much. They showed his Suffering. Frustration. Sorrow. Depression. Heart break. Agony. Pain. Everything.
She opened her eyes wide in horror!!! She was right!! Supriya did not come with him!! Her nightmare became true!!! Her baby sister's voice rang in her eardrum repeatedly
"Mere Santanoke Khayal rakhna. Unhe Mata ke Prem Dena."
She lifted her both hands and shook his shoulders. In frustration. He lifted his eyes to her face. In shock.
"Mere Supriya ko kiske bharose chod ke a gaye, Arya?!! Uttar do. (Under whose observation you leave my baby sister Supriya?!! Tell me.)" Her voice had choked up. Her cries heard like a heart felt lament.
He sighed softly and answered "Uske Bhagwan ke. (To her God.)" His eyes were blurred too. But he controlled himself. He had great control over his nerves!!!
Karna (Husband of both Padma & Supriya)
She nodded her head slowly. In the dismissal. She was not satisfied with the reply!! Her Supriya was left alone. To die alone. She wanted to run to her. She wanted to drag her here. She wanted to give up in him too. For her. But why did he failed to converse with her?!! To convince her? A girl of 22?!! When he had already conquered Her heart?!!
"Woh bawri toh keval aphi ko apni Bhagwan manti hain, Swami. Aur aphi usse aise majhdar main chodke a Gaye?!! (That crazy girl admit you as her God, my dear husband. And you left her alone?!! In this kind of cruel world?!!)" She lamented hard. Her soft heart melted down. She had cried again aloud.
He closed his eyelids too tightly. He knew that.
She fell down on the floor. Clinging to his feet. "Mere Supriya ko le ao. Main chali jaungi. Main vachan deti hoon. Main ap dono ke bich se hath jaungi. Keval usse le ao. (Bring Her back. I promise to go away. From both of your lives. Just bring my Supriya to me. Only once.)" She broke into a heartfelt cry.
"Madhava ka ichha!! (As desired by Lord Krishna!!)" Her husband Karna answered her firmly. Then he went out of the scene. He could not bear the pain anymore!!! This man had a bad habit to cry alone!! Like his Devi!!! His Supriya!!!!
All the boys had looked at each other. Then at her. In shock too!! She did not seem as an evil step-mother to them. If she was, then why she was now seen repenting?!! Like this?!!
Satya and Chitra approached her. Cautiously. They both put their own palms in her both shoulders. Her own shoulders trembled slightly. She was still crying heavily!!! She wanted to meet with her Su!!!!
"Mate.." Both had called for her. In unison.
She lifted her own teary eyes. To those boys. Then to others. Her big lotus shaped eyes started to roam in their faces. One after another. They were so innocent!!! So proud!!! So small!! So tender!! So gentle!! Yet so sheepishly meek!!
They tried to touch her feet. In love and devotion. But she stopped them. Both. By lifting her right palm. To signal them to stop. They obliged. They were loyal and devoted sons!!!
She wiped her tears gently and asked them firmly "Apna parichay do. (Give me your own identity.)" She wanted to test their sincerity!!! She wanted to see the upbringing of her Supriya!!!
Chitrasen bowing down to Padma
Satyasen bowing down to Padma
They folded their palms together. In unison. Then answered her proudly
"Ham Supriyo hain. Apne Maiya ka ashru. Apne Pita ke bharosha. Apne Badi Ma ke Garv. Apne Vrish Bhaiya ke dhal. (We are sons of Supriya. We are tears of her. Because she left them all. We are our father's trust as he had trusted them. We are our step-mom's pride. We are armor of our elder brother Vrishasen.)"
They had looked fierce. They looked so determined. They looked like their five Pandava uncles.
She looked at their faces merrily. They surely made her so proud!!! Her Su had been proven as a better mother than herself!!!
She lifted her arms. To those boys. All of them looked at each other in unison. Then to her in moister eyes. At the next moment they all jumped on her and hugged her too tightly. All of them had found their stepmother just like their mother had described to them!!! Loving. Gentle. Caring. Soft. Tender. Motherly.
She kissed each of the boys forehead with love and affection. Then she had lifted her teary eyes to the sky and murmured softly
"Main pran leti hoon ki Su Main tujhe wapas laungi. Aur tere har ek Putra ko apni pran se adhik Prem karungi. (I am taking the vow to bring you back. To your own household. And I myself promise to take good care of your all children. And safeguard them. With my own life.)" She kept the first one but failed in the second. She failed to save those boys. In the epic war of Mahabharata. Her urge of living was beginning to destroy from that days!! But that was a different story.
Imagine Parma hugging Satya and Chitra like this way
All of the sudden the naughty Bansen asked her meekly "Badi ma, hame ap chod toh nahin dogi na?!! (My dear elder mother, don't you ever live us alone!!)" by huffing her knees.
She hugged her tightly in her chest. She would never do that!! Ever!! Her Su had trusted her!! She sent her dharohar or sons to her!! How could her Jiji would dissapoint Her?!! She had to prove herself as a good elder sister to her Supriya and best elder mother to her sons?!!! You could see how great this girl was too!! She was apt to be the Goddess of her Supriya!!
Banasen (5th Son of Supriya)
"Asambhab (Impossible)."
A loud thundering boyish voice rang on each of their eardrums. They lifted their puzzled faces and looked at the determined face of a nine year old boy who uttered this. With confidence.
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Entry of Vrishasen:
The boy looked at the stunned faces of all of his younger siblings. A faintest smile appeared in his lips. He smiled at them!!! They reciprocated too. In this small endeavor he won the little hearts of his siblings. Without even uttering a single word of consolation. Or assurance.
Young Vrishasen
Vrish was sulking alone. He was so very angry!! On his little mother or Choti Ma!! Guards informed him the news of his beloved father's sudden arrival. So he hopped on to the spot. To welcome him. He saw and heard everything. In his very eyes.
He did not know what was going on. He was expecting to meet with his Choti Ma!! He was so angry of her!! To leave him all alone!! How could she left her own Lalla behind herself!!! Was not he had cried hard for her every single day and night?!!! Was not he sounded so hopelessly in love with her?!! Was not he expected her to save his skin when his mother bit or scold him?!! Was not he searched for her desperately?!! Was not he cried to be loved by her?!! Was not she prejudiced against him?!! If not, then why she left her alone?!!! He wanted to ask her everything. But he got the news that she did not come along!! She just sent her sons!!! So very bad attempt of her!!! But he forgave her as he till now dotted upon her!! He loved to meet with his younger siblings!!!! He felt disappointed not to get a chance to meet with his Choti Ma yet he was happy to meet with his own tongue brothers. He heard the query.
"Kadapi nahin. Bhale prithivi chod de parantu apka Vrish bhaiya ap logo ko kadapi nahin chodega. Jivan-maran Ham sarbada sath rahenge. (It will never happen. In this lifetime. The world can forget about you but your brother Vrish will never forget you all. We will all live together and die together too.)"
They all ran to him. By calling him in his name "Vrish Bhaiya. Hamara bade bhaiya." And all hugged him tightly.
His mother smiled brightly at him. She felt so proud of him. She did not know that he would keep his vow too. Those Karna sons would live together. Play together. Grow up together. And even die together. Prematurely!!!
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What is in the fate of Supriya? Will her jiji Padma unite Her again with Karna? But how? Stay tuned for more updates. Enjoy the story.
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