Kairavi

Chapter 84

Vindhya and Som were laughing vociferously along with Panchali. Although the hut looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, it was still a sight for the sore eyes.
Draupadi's lips, which seemed to have left their laughter at the dyut sabha were curved into an alluring grin. Such was the company of the two upapandavs.

Their sole presence had the power to turn someone's gloomiest day into a memorable one.
A day which one would cherish in their remembrance forever.

That was one of the prime reasons why Kairavi felt so empty without a kid.

"You are seeing it for the first time, Bheem. This is what we put up with every day." Drupad joined the chuckling trio.
"And now you are taking another one to add to the misery, aren't you?" Yudhishthir smiled, making Dhrishtadyumn put his arm around his shoulders.

"This is not called misery, Samrat. These are the souvenirs of their childhood.
If I could, I would have shown you what goes down in Panchal when your and my sons join forces." He laughed.

"Do they even practice their weapons or just goof around all day?" Bheem inquired with faux-strictness, making the two kids whine in protest.

"They are equally good in studies and weaponry, Rajkumar. Dhrishtadyumn takes care of their advanced military arts himself." Drupad defended his grandsons.

Kairavi was already among the kids. She ruffled their hair lovingly while catching up on what they had been up to since the separation.
God knows how long they talked; for none of the ladies noticed when twilight settled upon the broad sunlight outside.

The two eldest upapandavs stalked their mothers to the kitchen and even when they were serving food to the men because they just had so much to tell them.

But all good things come to an end. And so did their little rendezvous. The queens couldn't hold back their tears when it came to parting ways with the young princes of Indraprasth.
The thought of not seeing them for years was like a kiss of death.

Haunting and agonizing.

Nevertheless, they blessed them to be stout-hearted and deft at their spheres of proficiency.
The ordeal was tough, but they had to be tougher, in order to emerge triumphant from the other end.

Kairavi and Draupadi watched the decorated chariots roll away from their huts, carrying a piece of their hearts with them.

Prativindhya and Sutsom were practically hunched upon the seats to drink the last sights of their mothers bidding a painful adieu to them.

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The following days were particularly hard for all of them.
None of the pandavs or their wives could focus on their chores in the absence of their children.
The wolf-bellied Vrikodar had relinquished his massive appetite to a small number of fruits.

It felt like the visit had plowed their wounds instead of palliating them.
Panchali missed her newborn profoundly, but she was paralyzed.
The only thing that kept her from escaping the hut silently at night and running to Panchal was Kairavi's steadfastness.

Who will be her sister-in-law's mettle if she submitted to her eagerness?

How could she just give up on the circumstances when Chandraja was drinking her pain without a bicker?

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"Samay se uttam oushadhi sansaar me koi nahi,
Aur usse bura ghaav dene wala brahmand me koi nahi.

Samay ko 'Kaal' kyu kaha jaata hai jaanti ho, sakhi?

Kyuki jis vyatha ko Ashwini Kumaron ka vaidya-shastra bhi nahi mita paata,
Usse samay parast kar deta hai.

Kabhi mrityu dekar, toh kabhi dhairya dekar.

Phir bhi manushya apni paristhitiyon ka dosh bhagya ko deta hai.
Kyuki usme uska dayitva lene ka sahas hi nahi hota.

Udahran swaroop, Angraj Karn.

Jab-jab samay unke ghaav bharne jaata hai,
wo tab-tab swayam ko ye smaran dilate hain ki sut parivar me janm hona unke jeevan ka kataksh hai.

Aur aise asthir mann ka upchaar nahi ho sakta.

Toh nishkarsh ye nikalta hai,
ki yadi samay ko apna chikitsak banaya hai,
Toh sthirta dhaaran karni hogi.

Kintu,
Kya vastav me mrityu ka dusra naam sthirta nahi?

Vichar karo."

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While scribbling something on a lotus leaf, it occurred to Sahadev that it was the correct time for the four of them to leave for their penance.
He got up from the boulder he was sitting on and walked towards Yudhishthir.

The eldest pandav looked up from the wood he was shaving, to make a spear.
"What is it?" He asked.

"Remember what Vasudev had said, jyeshth.

Bhrata Bheem should invoke his celestial brother, Hanuman to obtain the boon of increased strength.

Bhrata Arjun should please Mahadev and acquire the Pashupatastra.

Me and Nakul should procure the knowledge of preparing divine medicines from our biological fathers,

And you, along with bhabhishree shall serve brahmans and earn virtues in the rest of this exile."

Knowing very well that Vibhatsu's tapasya was going to be the most strenuous of them all, he understood that it was time to let them go as well.

Shiva was a difficult God to impress. Even the most eminent sages used to devote ages in his penance; for obtaining a boon from him was a herculean task.
They only had 12 years in their hands before disappearing into some remote corner of Earth to survive the incognito.

Dharmraj nodded ambitiously at the verdict proposed by his youngest sibling.
There was nothing to counter the suggestion of the brilliant astrologer.

"Tomorrow's daybreak shall mark your departures."
And thus, a pioneering decision was made.