Story Unfolds :
At a Royal chamber of Anga: of the king:
One man was looking at the horizon absentmindedly. He did not know how to go to his young wife. He had made a mistake. Now he lost the way to say sorry to her. He did not know how she was feeling about him. After knowing everything regarding his this secret marriage. With the arrogant and proud Princess of Pukeya. Yes you are absolutely right. He was the male protagonist Karna himself.
Anga Raj Karna
He had no intention. To remarry. He had no idea when he had touched the girl. Or when he had put the blood on her forehead. He was deadly injured at that time and was dreaming of his own childhood. His happy times with his best female friend Baishali. Her smile and wink at him. Another girl bashfully peeping at him. From far. Her anger on the second girl. Padma. Padmavati. Their rolling over Stray bed clutching each others hair. Padma smiling at their foolishness. Each and Everything. And suddenly bang!!! He got up and found himself in the arms of a stranger girl. And she escaped. Without saying anything. And when she returned, she demanded to be his wife. The third one. He was shocked as he had no memory of any indecent act. On his behalf. He was not ready to admit her as his wife. His Priya or dear Padma was enough for him. When Supriya entered into his life. Now both Padma and Supriya were enough to him. He did not need any other wife. No. Not anymore. And that also a proud and arrogant Princess!!! Never!! Padma was a rumoured Sut Kanya while Supriya was a Dasi Putri too!!! Both of them knew the hard life of Karna. Unlike that proud Uruvi!!!
He nodded his head in frustration. God!!! Why could not he forget that girl?!! It was creating a boundary in between him and his Devi!!! His Su or Supriya!!! He could not face her!! He was hiding himself and avoiding to meet her since he came back!!! But how very happy he was now!! He was thinking that his Sudama was coming back to him again!!! That boy vowed to be back soon!! As Karna son!!
The Sun aroused in the horizon. With a deep sigh, he prepared himself. To go to the river shore of Ganges. To worship his father Sun God or Surya Dev. He knew it perfectly that only his father could show him the proper way now!!!
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At another room of Anga Palace:
A girl was packing her luggage in a Pontli. She had nothing as her own!!! Only three or four pairs of simplest Khadi Sarees and some silver and gold jewelries!!! Like gold earnings and the silver bracelets!!! She had been seen wearing the ornaments of her elder sister Padma who loved to prepare her in her own hands!!! With her own clothes and jewelaries!!!
She sighed hard. She had decided her fate yet she had not talked to anyone about that. She knew that none of her family members would be in her own league!!! Neither her Jiji Padma nor her dear husband Karna!!! If they got to know that she had decided to leave them again, they would stop her at once. But she had to go!!! She had to leave the place!! Before her dearest baby sister Uruvi came!!! She had to vacant the place for Uru!! So that that girl never felt undesired here!!! She herself had to endure much adversity at her marital abode!!! When she first came!!! She did not want that for her presence people started to compare her Uru to herself!!! She was truly an illegitimate child and an orphan since birth!!! Her power of endurance was more than Uruvi!!! That girl had to give fair chance!!! To win the heart of Karna!!!
She sat down on the bed. Lazily. She wanted to run away. But could not. Her pregnancy made her too weak. That did not happen in the case of Chitra!!! This baby seemed far more stronger than his elder sibling!!! She had caught her breath!!!
Devi Supriya (2nd Karna wife)
A small smile appeared on her own beautiful lips. She was so happy to just steal a glimpse of him!!! Her own heart fluttered when he looked at her face partially. She was ecastic in joy when he had came back to her!!! By hearing about her this pregnancy!!! But within just a second everything changed!!! Her happy days ended in an instance!!! She was not sorry!!! A bit!! She was rather too happy!!! For herself and her baby sister Uruvi!!! They got married to the most amazing person of this world!!! Most girls did not get married to a demi-god!!! Surya Putra Karna!!! She was so proud of herself and her own luck!!! She had wanted to remain unmarried!!! For his sake!! She wanted to worship him and her Jiji till her end of life!!! And her fate had given her the golden opportunity to be a Karna Sanguini!!! She was very thankful to it!! She had no regret from her own life!! At her childhood she had often misjudged herself as the most unfortunate girl. Of this whole world. But she did not think in this way anymore!!! She married Karna!!! She got everything!!! Now she could die happily!!! One second spent with him was enough for herself!!! To stay alive and be happy!!! In her remaining life!!
In a congenial mood she was packing her luggage. She had got a golden chance. From Hastinapur the news of pregnancy of Ashavari (It was the same Ashavari who insulted Karna to marry and he gave her hands to the young Yutyutsyu) came. She had to go there as Padma refused to go. She did not forgave Ashavari for insulting her husband. Till now. In this occasion she would go and would refuse to come back here again. She would vacant her place!!! Forever!! For her Uru!!! Just like her elder sister Padma had condemned Karna to come into her room after marriage with her Su!!! Her Jiji sacrificed her own marital bliss for her!! She had to do it for her Uru!!! You can see yourself how very selfless this girl Supriya was!!! She was truly the epitome of loyalty and devotion!!! Hail to you Supriya!!! You are truly a Maha Sati yourself!!!
She looked at the direction of the sky. It was golden. The Sun was rising. In the eastern horizon. She sighed hard. She knew that he would go to pray to Sun God now.
Absentmindedly she put her right hand on her womb and if teary eyes whispered softly "Putra, apne Pitah ke bhati banna. Shur beer par dan beer bhi. (Son, be like your father. Be a warrior. But a benevolent one too.)"
God knew what the baby understood!! But in later life most people praised her son Vrishaketu as an exact replica of his dead father Karna!! Even his uncle Arjuna too!!!
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At the Royal Garden:
One boy was sitting grumpily. He was not practicing archery today. He was not in the mood. His other siblings were seen running and playing while Satya and Chitra were seen doing archery. But he was timid today. He was angry!!! On his father!!! Karna!!! Let me introduce him to you. He was the second son of Karna and Padma whom people mistook as their first son. Vrishasen.
Prince Vrishasen
He was not in the mood. Of playing it talking. To anyone. He had avoided his father Karna. Since he came back. The news of his father's remarriage had questioned his sicenerity to his sons. His young heart was hurt!!! How could his father marry a very young girl who was just 3-4 yrs older than himself?!! He could not believe that!!! This boy worshipped his father as his God!!! His this hero worship was the only reason of his proving himself best than his other siblings!!! But his this trust had been shuttered now!! He needed some time to adjust with the changes!!! It was he who had listened to his parents conversation about the accidental marriage of Karna and Uruvi!!! It was not a bit his fault!!! He ran to meet Karna when he had heard the discussion by mistake!!!
"Vrish Bhaiya, aona khele. (Come. Let's play a game together.)" His dear young siblings Banasen, Sushen and Prasen insisted.
He nodded his head violently. He was not in mood.
"Vrish bhaiya, ham dono ko shakti punj banana sikhao na!!! (Please help both of us to make Shakti Punj!!)" His middle brothers Satya and Chitra had called for him.
He looked at them and wiped his tears forcefully. He could not show his own emotions. To his siblings. Only he had the knowledge of making Shakti punj after his father!!! But he hated to do that now what he loved to teach to his brothers!! At other times!!!
"Vrish bhaiya, hamare sath kusti karo na. (Come. Wrestle with us.)" Shatru and Deep asked him.
He got up and hurriedly turned his head. To hide his growing tears. "Tang mat karo mujhe. (Stop harassing me. You all.)" By telling this he ran away and went to the pond area. To cry all alone.
His siblings looked at each other in shocked face. They did not know a bit what was going on!!! They had no idea of the third marriage of their dear father!!! Vrish did not tell it to anyone!!! Except his Choti Ma!!! His beloved Supriya maiya!!!
He went near the pond side and sat down clutching his knees. He put his tired head on the knees and cried his heart out. He could not believe that his father would marry again!! When he had two best mothers of the entire world!!! Padma and Supriya!!!!
A soft feminine touch on his hair had broke up him from his cry. He knew how it was!! He could tell it blindly that it was his Choti ma Supriya!!!
"Tuh ro kyun raha hain, Vrish?!! (Why are you crying, my son Vrish?!!)" She asked her gently.
"Pitashree ne tritwiya bibah kyun kiya? Main unhe kadapi kshama nahin karunga!!! (Why did father had married again?!! I will never forgive him. In my life!!)" He sniffed hard to finish the sentences.
She narrowed her eyes. On his face. She was not ready to hear that.
She got up and turned her back. To him.
He clunged to her feet. He realized that he had made a mistake. She did that only when she was hurt by his misconduct!!!
"Choti ma" He softly whispered in shock.
"Tuh kyon hota hain yeah bolne ki woh thik kiya uyeah nahin?!! Tere kyonsi mansa apurna rakha tere Baba ne!!! Tuh toh Raj Kumar banke janam liya. Par woh!!! Ek sadharan balak Jisne apni nistha, pratigya aur zid se yeah rajtwa labda kiya. Kya tha woh? Ek sadharan balak. Agar nahin deta woh Arjuna ko chunti, toh nahin ban pata won Karna!!!! Nahi hota Anga Raj!! Aur na aj tuh wonka alochana karta!!! (Who the hell you are to say that he had done an indecent act?!! How dare you to condemn Your Own father?!! Like this way!!! Did he fail to fulfill his duty as a father?!! Did not he give everything to you?!! Then why?!! You had taken birth as a Prince while he was just an ordinary Boy who had nothing except his eagerness and love to show his mettle to the world!!! Where would be he now if he was not in the archery Competition arena to challenge Arjuna!!! He would not get this state and nor be it's ruler!!! Then will you be it's price?!! No right?!! Can you attain this state in your own calibre?!! No right?!! Then how dare you to say that you are sorry for being his son?!! How dare you to condemn his acts?!! Who give you audacity?!! Of doing so!!)"
He looked at her face intently. With awe. He never saw her so angry. In her entire life. She was a soft and gentle soul who never even talked in loud voice. Even to a servant. Then?!! He understood that he made a biggest mistake!!!
"Maiya!!!" The boy murmured softly.
She sharply turned back and faced the crying Boy and uttered proudly "Agar main unki Patni hoke unki alochana nahin karti, tuh kyon hain yeah karya karnewala!!! Agar unke alochana karna hi hain toh apna parichay swayam likna sikho. Biswa ko Jake yeah mat bolna ki main lajjit hoon. Tuh Karna Putra hain. Sina thokke bolna sikh ha "Main Dan beer Karna Putra hoon.' Lajja se nahin!! (If I, as his wife, is not discussing about it, then how can you do so?!! Who gave you the audacity?!! If you are so very ashamed of his identity, then try to write down your own identity. And if you want to say that who you are, then say it aloud that yes, I am the son of benevolent king Karna. I am the son of Karna. Be like him. Be his pride. Not his weakness. Give your identity to all with pride. Not with shame and guilty feelings.)" Then she added confidently "Tuh apni Pitah ke alochana kar sakta hain. Paranatu Main sun nahin sakti. Woh tere pass tere Pitah hain, parantu mere liye mere Bhagwan hain. Aur main apni Bhagwnan ki samalochna sunne se purv Apni Mrityu ke swikar karna pasand karungi. (You can judge of your father's character, but I can't. He is just a father to you. But he is my God. My deity. I, as his devotee, can't judge my God. I will die soon before hearing any bad words about him.)"
Then by finishing the last sentence she looked at his direction proudly. The boy lowered his head. He was ashamed of himself!!!
She with long and steady strides went away and faded from the scene. She was so satisfied today!! She had saved the honor of her God!!!
The boy lifted his teary eyes and had whispered softly in his mind "Choti ma, ap kya Ho?!! (What are you, my dear young mother?!!)" He was now amazed yet proud of her!!!
He heard the familiar husky baritone voice in his eardrum and looked at his back with a jolt. "Ap nahin jante Ho Putra ki apki Choti ma kya hain!!! Ham aj tak nahin jan paye!!! (You don't know what she is?!! I myself till now can't be able to comprehend!!)"
He looked at his father and suddenly hugged him tightly. He was so sorry for judging his father!!!
Karna had sighed heavily and hugged Vrish too tightly. In his arms. He had looked at the disappearing silhouette of Supriya and thanked her in mind. This girl had united a father and a son again!!! With her sincerity, love and devotion!!! Once more!!! Just like she had done in the case of Satya and her Chitra!!! She had done the miracle again with Vrish!!!!
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What will happen now? Will Karna face Supriya? Will she surrender to him and stay at Anga? Will he go back and vacate the place for Uruvi? The answers are in the next chapter.
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