(a/n start the song when I'll indicate)
That was the first day of gouri pujan. And as per tradition I was helping my mother in this as long as I remember. My mother was from mithila(not so surprised) so this particular festival had a great value in her life and here when I asked permission to Mata kunti, she gave it even if she wasn't familiar with it. I fairly remember the incident. It was some days ater the princes left for war. Mata kunti was very worried for them. I was in practice with Angraj karn. We were practicing swords. When we heard Rani gandhari's voice.
"Adrika" she said and we stopped immediately. I ran to her as she was about to fall. I caught her in time.
"Rani gandhari! Careful. Why are you here? And alone. You are not familiar with the armory. If there was something you could have ordered me." I said. She felt my body with her hands to reach my face.
"You came here as a guest. But been an absolute help in this critical time. You had been courage to kunti, peace to vidur, advisor to pandava princes and an unusual friend to Tatshree. How can I order someone like yourself." She said calmly but I felt little hostility when she mentioned about pandavas.
"I won't call my words advice but opinions. And they aren't targeted to anyone. It's the way how the person in the opposite end receives it." I said.
She remained silent. Then said
"Kunti is very worried. From the day the princes left her intake of food is slimming. From yesterday she hasn't took any water. I suggest you talk to her. She won't deny you."
"I will. You don't worry." I said. She touched my arm slightly before retrieving. I stood there.
"What thought you are getting?" Karn asked.
"I don't know, what words could calm a mother down who is worried for her sons at war. Will you help me?" I asked him.
"How?" He asked.
"Just come with me that will help." I said. He looked at me with a blank expression before nodding yes.
I took some food and water as we went to her. She was sitting at her bed looking at a table in front of her. It had some earthen toys. Definitely from her son's childhood.
"Maa." I said.
"Adrika! Come putri. You finally got time for Maa. Good, atleast now I can see my daughter's face. Otherwise all I was getting was your praises from everyone."she said. Not looking at me, and hiding the tears.
"Sorry Maa. But we are here to eat with you." I said. She turned saying
"We... Subhadra Is.." she stopped when she saw Karn. A tear rolled down from her eyes.
I went to her and placed the food on the table. I could see how dull she was looking. Days of neglecting nourishment was showing on her face. I sat at her feet and said.
"Do you know Maa, yesterday mahamahim bhisma called me to have dinner with him. He is so intimidating. Scary somehow. I couldn't eat anything with him sitting Infront of me. And this morning this young man here didn't gave me anytime to eat. Tell him Maa, maybe he can survive without any food. I can't." I said whining like a child. To which both Karn and Mata kunti laughed.
"Forgive me Rajmata. But give this devil of a daughter of yours some food. She already cursed me that if something happens to her due to not eating, she will hunt me as a ghost my whole life." I smiled at his attempts to lighten Mata Kunti's mood. She laughed at his words and proceed to feed me. But I stopped her hands.
"I have already eaten 5 plates of this. I can't eat anymore." I said.
"Arey, you were hungry. Now you are not." She said.
"I'm hungry." I said.
"How can you be hungry and don't want to eat?" She asked.
"I'm not lying Maa. All the food of this whole world can't satisfy my hunger. When my Maa is not eating." I said, looking at her. Her smile fade.
"I know Maa, you are worried. I'm too. But they are brave and able. They will return with Victory." I said.
"Rajmata, guru Dronacharya said Arjun can defeat maharaj Dhrupad because he trained him like that. Don't you think you should have faith on them?" Karn said. Bingo. He was praising Arjun.
"Maa people who are close to our hearts form an invisible bond with us, that's why when they get hurt we feel pain. When they are in danger we are restless. If you don't eat, you will be weak. And that will weaken them as well. Do you want your sons to be weak in a war?" I said. She shook her head as no. I started feeding her while saying
"And what will jyesth say when he'll find you all weak and ill? Adrika I gave you this one job to take care of our Mata when we are gone, and this is what you took care of her? You are such a waste of place. No..no..no..no.. I can't take such a decry. Then he will banish me from Hastinapur for ever. Kumar Bheem will banish me from eating for ever. Kumar Arjun will definitely banish me from using a bow for ever. Kumar sahadev is kind but I don't know may be banish me from his prediction for ever. And Kumar Nakul. Though he don't have anything to banish.." they both were laughing. Karn was now sitting next to me on a chair. He then pipped in laughing
"He has horses."
"Oh yah. He will banish me from horses. My goodness so many banishments. I can't handle them Maa. So you have to eat properly." I said. She held my hand while I was feeding her another piece.
"How do you do that? Being such knowledgeable still so simple. Filled with such power still so gentle?" She asked.
"A daughter can have knowledge of everything but still will be as innocent, scared and fragile Infront of her mother. I'm so far from my Maa so all my fear, mischievousness, childish behavior comes out Infront of you." I said suddenly remembered my mother. So many days have passed while I talked to her. Last time we talked. We fought. I didn't get time to say sorry. And now it's impossible. I even didn't know whether I'd ever get to see her or not. All these thoughts made me ach in heart. I placed my head on her lap mostly to hide my tears. She stroke my head and said
"Dwarka ki yad aa rahi hai putri?"
(Missing Dwarka daughter.) Of course she thought about Rohini Maa. I nodded as a sob escaped from me.
"Why are you crying? Send a messenger to ask about the whereabouts. What will krishn say if he knows that you cried while here with me?" She said.
"No messenger can reach my mother. She is far. Very far." I said while remembering my mother's face.
"Arthath?" Karn asked.(means)
I knew I needed to control myself otherwise there would be questions hard to answer. I wiped my eyes and said
"Nothing. I have to set my affairs in order before meeting her again. Now feed us. We haven't eaten anything before practice." I said
Mata kunti laughed before feeding a bite to me. She took another bite for Karn surprising both Karn and herself. She couldn't understand what to do before karn ate that bite from her hand. I noticed her joy of feeding her son for the first time. We ate well.
"Now we are going to leave you to rest. I'll make you some potion to retrieve your strength. Chale Angraj?" I said.
(Should we leave Angraj?)
We started walking towards the door and She called me from behind.
"Putri! They will come back well na?"
"In some days there is a festival of Gouri pujan. I promise you Maa. We all will have last day of pujan with all your sons as a celebration of their victory." I said. And I looked at Karn. Mata kunti did as well. Poor guy didn't get anything.
Today was the first day of the 3day festival. After making the clay idol of Mata Gouri near the pond I was playing my mini harp.
I heard some heavy footsteps. I immediately knew it was him
"Kumar duryadhan's cunning plan backfired, didn't it Angraj? Pandavas proved their ability once again." I said.
"You are happy that my friend won't get the throne." He asked.
"No. I'm happy that the rightful heir will get the throne now. There are differences between them." I said. And he nodded. And said
"Mata kunti is coming."
I looked at the direction he was looking at. A delighted Mata kunti was coming. She hugged me and said
"Your words always gives hope to hold and peace to soul. But it is coming true word by word. They won putri. They won. They will reach on the last day of Gouri pujan. I feel like Mata Gouri is here in you."
When pandavas reached Hastinapur after 2 days
After official meeting to everyone. King and queen left when Kumar Yudhistir said
"Mata we should go and meet Adrika. She helped a lot. If she wasn't here this war was going to be more difficult than it was."
"She wasn't just a help to you all but to your Mata as well. And to me also. Her insightful words and knowledgious verdicts kept me occupied positivity." Mahamahim bhisma said with a satisfactory laugh.
(Start the song now)
They all looked at the direction of the sound.
"There she is. It's her believe that we all will do the last day celebration of Gouri pujan together with your victory. Let's go."
They all started walking towards the puja place.
(Jai jai girivara rajkishori..
Jai Mahesh mukha chandrachakori..
Jai gajabadana.. sadanan Mata.. jagatajanani damini duti gata.....)
(This conversation is in the music break between the fast music stars)
"Putri. They are here." Mata kunti said.
I looked back. There they were. Standing in victory. I knew they would win. I knew everything. But I didn't knew why I felt so much joy in that moment. I was in between aarati so I just had that aarati song to express my joy, which I turned with smile and started singing it with fast pace, with joy.
(Starts the fast music)
I felt a strong hand on my hand it was mahamahim bhisma. Yes everyone joined us. On my one side it was subhadra, Mata kunti, kumar Arjun and Kumar Nakul and on the other were mahamahim bhisma, mahamantri vidur, Kumar Yudhistir, Kumar Bheem, and Kumar sahadev. In the middle of aarati I felt someone joined which cause me to stop and looked to the side of Arjun. Karn was holding Arjun's hand. I felt like I got everything in the world. I was feeling the happiness radiating from Mata kunti. For some minutes I united the whole family. I felt a satisfaction beyond express. I felt like I did what I was meant to do. Then it hit me, what if it's what Bhrata krishn's motive of bringing me here. Aarati was over.
"Where did you learn such an unusual song? Language is different still it is so calming." Kumar Yudhistir asked.
"It's in Maithili language written by Mata sita herself." I replied. They all nodded.
"What is he doing here?" Bheem said indicating Karn.
"He is a friend. Kumar if you adore and respect me you won't disrespect him. Atleast here." I said.
"Besides he has something to tell to Kumar Arjun." Nodding to Karn. He nodded and both of them left to far from our ear with Arjun giving me confusing glare. I saw Mata kunti looking at them.
"Maa I told you. We will have this pujan with All your sons." I said and she just nodded smiling happily.