ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇꜱ | Republished ✓

Interlude : Kunti.

Stand for what is right, even if it means you have to stand alone.

I am Pritha, the daughter of Shurasena,the adopted daughter of Kuntibhoj, the sister of
Vasudeva, the aunt of Shri Krishna, Subhadra and Sri Balrama. I am the first wife of Maharaja
Pandu. After his death, I became the Rajmata of Hastinapur.
I am also called Kunti.

But above all, I am the mother of six sons. My precious children.
Suryaputra Karna, Dharmaputra Yuddhisthir, Vayuputra Bhima, Indraputra Arjun and Ashwini
putro Nakul and Sahadev.

I was bought up with luxuries and everything I want. I was taught morals and high values.
Knowledge was important in every sphere of life. A mantra I truly believed in.
Everything was going well, when a sage named Durvasa came into my family home. I served
him and got a boon. The boon allowed me to invoke any God of my choosing and be blessed
with a child.
I did a huge mistake then. In my curiosity and foolishness I used the mantra to check if it was
viable or not. I invoked Suryadev, thus getting a son. My Karna.
To save myself as well as my father from social accusation, I floated him on a basket. After
years, I got my son back.
Now, all my six children were together with me. I have a daughter-in-law as well.
Advika. The daughter of Devi Prithvi. The blessing of Mahadev and Devi Gauri.
When I first saw her, I was blinded by her beauty. But the thing that attracted me the most was
her personality. I knew the moment I saw her that she was the force of nature.

Her mere essence spoke of a calm person, who could turn into a hurricane in he blink of an eye.
She was protective towards those she considered a family. She was fiercely independent but
her independence never hurt anyone.
When I had heard about the proposal of marriage for my eldest, I had agreed. What is there not
to agree? I would love to have her as my daughter.

One by one, happiness spread and bore wings from Advika's arrival in the family. I was happy
and glad that my children were together, without any strife in between brothers.

M children, they were the apples of my eyes. I will do everything for them. They were my life.
Karna, my eldest. When I got him back, I was hopeful. Fear had griped my heart, when I
apologized about the sin I had done. Then hope has bloomed when he had forgiven me. I spent
time with my eldest, getting to know him slowly but surely. Learned about his life, his struggles,
his pains, his happiness. I would forever be in debt to Adirath and Radha for raising him so
well. It is truly said that the mother who brings up the child, inculcate values in him/her, is
greater than than the one who gives birth to the child.

My other children had shifted and adjusted so well at his arrival. Now, it seemed as if they have
all grown up together. I was right when I had thought that he would become the Sun, and keep
them on their path. All my sons looked happy and strong. What more can I ask for?
My sons were here with me, I have daughter-in-law and my family was growing. I was happy.
But, when had happy times remained?
We came to Varnavrat. Instead of having a peaceful vacation, we all got entangled in a web,
that was devised to murder us. I could not believe it, when my children informed me. They
showed me proof and told me their plan to escape.

My mind had become the place of chaos from then onward. I saw my children tirelessly
working, day and night. To make sure we get out of this trap alive. Advika, Karna, Arjun,
Yuddhisthir, Bhima, Nakul and Sahadev, all had dark circle on their eyes.

I was exhausted by the end of it. I just wanted to leave from here and go away to get some
peace and return some semblance of normality in our lives.
When the fire had surrounded all of us, I was so afraid, that we will be burned alive. But Karna
had thrown the fire away, and immediately send all of us down the hole. And my brave, brave ,
daughter had used her powers, when she was as tired as any one of us, just to give us a bit my
time.
I was glad my son grabbed her before anything could happen to her.
My family was safe now. But what about the future?
I pray to God that there is some light to the dark path ahead of us.