WEAPON OF GOD :: Mahabharat

CH.25. RELINQUISH

"Sadly I am a human" Shikhandini humoured which made Kunti open her eyes from sleep. She whipped her head around towards the entrance, as shock marred her face.

"What did you just say Mata?" Yudhishthir breathed out in disbelief. "How can you say that?"

Shikhandini's eyebrows knitted in a frown as she nudged her husband. "Its fine, she probably mistook me as an object".

" People who have the power to give orders, don't have the freedom of being ignorant Rajkumari" Yudhishthir stated. "You know it more than us"

Shikhandini agreed but still couldn't understand why it was such a big deal.

"Mata, what was your complete order?" Yudhishthir demanded to know. "We need to hear it before we can make any decision"

Kunti stayed silent as she turned her gaze in shame. She couldn't make herself utter those words again. Yudhishthir realised and turned towards Arjun. "Arjun, tell me. What did Mata say?"

Arjun fidgeted at his place, but conjured up enough courage to speak.

"Nakul and I, we told Mata that you have got a big prize in daan.... And... She... She told us that all five of us... We share equal rights over the daan. So we need to divide it equally among us" Arjun felt pricks stinging him all over body as he said each word.

"Well... That's impossible right? I am a human. I cannot be 'divided' can I-" Shikhandini's eyes widened in horror. She realised only she was the one who was taking the situation lightly. Everyone else's body tensed at the order. "Are they really going to cut me up?".

She looked towards her husband and asked

"I don't understand what this order entails. I am not an object and thus cannot be divided. What are you all intending to do is not even fathomable to me. Please, make me understand so that I can help"

"No, I am the one who gave the order, I can take it back. Yudhishthir, you don't need to follow it. Leave it be. Let's go and settle down for dinner. Please" Kunti pleaded.

"You can take back your order, but the words have already been heard by us. The intention is understood by all, and we cannot defy it"

Shikhandini didn't understand a thing going on in the household. She herself never went against her father, as her father's wishes were her orders, but this was still absurd. The one giving the orders was herself denying them, and the ones carrying it out were adamant on doing so.

"What do you mean by that Rajkumar? How are you going to divide me? Do you plan on killing me?" Shikhandini asked. She knew what she would do if they had planned that. Run away. It wasn't like marital bliss was her forte. And living around nature by herself was a dream come true.

"WHAT!? obviously not!" Yudhishthir exclaimed. "We wouldn't ever do anything to physically harm you"

Shikhandini rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is getting too much for me. I am going by the river bank for fresh air. When everything is sorted out call me" She left.

After walking for a few minutes she realised she hadn't touched the feet of her mother-in-law. "An inauspicious way to start this marriage" she chuckled. She realised she had been humoring herself since she had gotten married, and wondered if it was Evi from whom she had picked the habit.

"I hope I get to meet her once before she leaves for Dwarka" Shikhandini yawned. It was already dark, and she hadn't had her dinner yet. But she felt sleepy, and decided to give the Pandavas some space to come up with a solution. She felt weirdly at peace, as she drifted off to sleep on the bank of the river, wondering if tomorrow she would be able to experience the first day of her marital life.