Kunti looked at her son, Arjun. She had to set him afloat, for her father, her respect. What would the society say?
Decked in lotus, the basket took Arjun far from her. The just born child wailed, waiting for his mother to embrace him, but she was left behind, tied in the shackles of Marayada created by the society.
Kunti sobbed as she could hear his cries, she could feel him calling her, but there was nothing she could do. And soon her son disappeared from her sight.
Arjun wailed, waiting for his mother. The child was too tired to even his eyes, when he felt the warm soothing embrace of a mother. He felt motherly love, but he turned his face and cried again, she wasn't his mother, there was a different aura of his mother.
Radha, looked at the child her husband has found floating in the Ganga. She didn't have children in seven years of marriage, and this child, left abandoned in the holy waters of Ganga could relieve her from the pain of childlessness.
"Radha, we have to find his parents, they must be searching for him." Her husband, Adhirath spoke. He could see the motherly affection she put on him in few seconds of meeting him, but how could they keep someone else's child?
Radha looked at her husband, she knew what he said wasn't wrong, but even was right in her view. "I know him, I know his parents," she confidently spoke, holding the sleeping child close to her heart, "His name is Radhey, his mother's name is Radha. He is Adhirathi, his father is Adhirath." She firmly kept her words.
Adhirath sighed, he knew his wife would never the child now. He was happy, happy to be a father, but not at the cost of someone else's happiness. He vowed to himself that the day this boy's parents would come looking for him, he would give him back.
He sat near his wife, taking his son in his hands. "The one who has got Radha as his mother has earned the wealth of entire world, and hence the world shall know you as Dhananjay." Adhirath spoke, lifting his son in his hands. Tears of joy left his eyes as the bliss of fatherhood entered his life.
Radha smiled happily, Dhananjay was officially their son now! Dhananjay was sleeping his arms, holding her little finger tightly. Like holding her so she won't leave him. "Dhananjay." she kept repeating and smiling madly. Her happiness knew no bound.
She promised herself to take best care of Dhananjay, and she did so. Years passed, she raised Dhananjay as her own son, teaching his values, and turning him in a boy, every parent would want. "Mother, why are the markets so silent? It seems like the whole Hastinapur is silent." Dhananjay pouted, he went out to play with his friends, but he could not even find a single person out.
"Son, our King, Maharaj Pandu has attained heaven, and everyone is mourning for him." Radha told her eleven year old son. "Mother I shall pray to Indra, the King of Heavens for him, also , isn't Maharaj Dhritarasthra our King?" the young boy, questioned again. Radha sighed, "As expected, and Maharaj Dhritarasthra is our temporary King, it was Maharaj Pandu, who were our true King." She replied. "Then who will be our King now?" he inquired like a question box, "His eldest son, Yudhisthir, when he grows up." "Yudhisthir?" Arjun inquired again, holding the hem of his mother's dupatta.
Radha chuckled and replied, "Maharaj Pandu has five sons, they are the Pandavas. First is, Yudhisthir, son of Dharmraj, second, Bheem, son of VaayuDev, third Karn, son of SuryaDev, Nakul and Sahdev, twin sons of Ashwini Dev. Yudhisthir, Bheem and Karn are sons of Rajmata Kunti, Nakul and Sahdev are sons of Maharani Madri." she explained the family of King Pandu to her son who was keenly listening. "Now before you come up with more questions, I will leave, I have works." Radha excused herself, and walked out leaving her son in confusion, her son had questions beyond her thinking capacity. And excusing herself before he poured his questions was the only thing she could think of.
Arjun sat down sadly, his questions unanswered. His mother always avoid his numerous questions- he could not understand why she would do so.
He took his bow and walked out, as usual out in the forest area to practice in privacy. Archery, his eternal bliss, the bow, his undying love. Covering his eyes with a blindfold, Arjun shot his targets.
"What is it that you are doing?" Arjun heard a voice, he opened his blindfold to meet the person.
"I'm practicing," Arjun replied walking towards the person, who was a young boy, nearly eight years old.
"What you are doing is brilliant," the young boy chuckled, "who are you?"
"Dhananjay, and you?" Arjun asked.
"Drauni," the boy smiled at Arjun.
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
The roads of Hastinapur were soon crowed by the people as Kunti entered the Kingdom with her sons. The sight of her dressed in white, devoid of any ornaments, bought tears in the eyes of the subjects.
The ever smiling Princess of Kuntibhoj, now carried a monotone face. The young Princes looked at the majestic Kingdom, the Kingdom their father spoke so fondly of. They had a desire to see this imperial beauty, but not in this way.
Yudhishthir held on his younger brothers, he was their father figure now. Holding back his tears, he passed a small smile to them, comforting them.
He noticed the love the people of Hastinapur had for his father, it felt more than the love his father had described.
══✽✦✽══╡✽✦✽╞══✽✦✽══
*Sighs in relief* done.....
As you might have noticed and read in previous chapter-
I will not writing the things we know and have seen it many times-
That things which are new or different will be written in detail.
I had this thought that Pandavas, Kunti would meet Arjun while he practicing, i.e. is before coming to Hastinapur.
A brief meet.....
But then I decided against it-
And Arjun met Drauni,
Now before you ask, Drauni who?
Drauni is the son of Dron, Ashwatthama.
And when will Arjun get his name as Arjun?
Means Radha and Adhirath don't know his name, so any idea how will he get???
Also-
Karn was first named as Vasunsen by Radha and Adhirath, the one born with wealth.
And Arjun's name related to wealth was Dhananjay, so I fit it somehow.....
Now meme time 😂
Radha when Arjun starts asking questions-