Chapter 17: THE NEXT KING
NO ONE'S POV
Pandavas were near the gates of hastinapur and everyone cheered their name proudly "hail pandu's children, hail pandu's children" and they entered the palace to see everyone was there to welcome them. They got down their horses and walked towards the elders and yudhishthir touched dhritararshtr feet saying "pranaam maharaj, all the other pandavas bowed as well and then yudhishthir said " due to your blessing we came home yashasvee and completed our duty of gurudakshina" to which dhritararshtr said "kalyaan ho, i'm sure maha guru drona is very proud of you guys", and yudhishthir went and touched the feet of gandhari and said "pranaam maharani", to which gandhari said "kalyaan ho, congratulations on winning the contest", hearing what gandhari said dhritararshtr turned and went away and then they all proceeded after taking everyone's blessings.
AADHYA'S POV
After freshening up we all went to mata's room as she told us she is going to feed us dinner today. Going to her room I called her "mata!! i'm ready to eat by your hands!", "not so fast aadhya as i'm older then you I will have the honors to eat before you" said bharata bheem and nakul said "bharata bheem don't forget jesth bharata is elder then you so before you he will have the first bite", and we all giggled and sat down to eat.
After thanking god for the food mata started feeding us food then I said "jesth bharata you said I can ask how you guys fought when we reached home so now tell me tell me!! and how can I forget!!!!!!! bharata sahadev!! I said fake glaring and I said "remember what you have to do right?", everyone looked at him confused and bharata sahadev said "yes I do, mata give her my share of two ladoos!" to which bharata arjun said "oh why what did you do or say, that caused you losing two ladoos!?" and bharata sahadev said "I just joked about how she came unharmed and finished early then me so she said I have to give her two ladoos as a punishment", yudhishthir said "thinking about ladoos even while fighting, was our little warrior that confident and excited?" he said jokingly and bharata nakul said "after all she is vrikodar's sister she takes after him too and bharata bheem hearing this patted my back or should I say hit me making me choke the ladoo I was eating and I looked up glared at bharata bheem who was laughing for what he did to me, I was about to say something to him but a ladoo was put in my mouth causing me to turn and see who it was.
It was bharata arjun and he said "for backing me up, it was our first official fight and you fought so well!! and i'm proud of how well you fought" saying this he ruffled my hair and smiled proudly even I gave a happy nod at receiving a ladoo then I said "well how can I not be excited, confident or fight well as I knew nothing will happen to us as we were together just like mata told us together we are unbreakable and tell me your fighting scene now I can't wait any longer!" and then they started saying everything one by one and aadhya as always excitedly told them how she fought just like old times making everyone smile.
NO ONE'S POV
After eating everyone was doing what they wanted to do and arjun, sahadev and aadhya were in the practice room just trying to burn some calories and having small conversation, aadhya said "i'm so satisfied today, I was able to give gurudakshina to gurudev and make him proud, what do you think about it bharatashree's?", both of them agreed and they started practicing again and suddenly sahadev stopped practicing making arjun and aadhya ask him what happened and he said "i'm having a bad intuition about jesth bharata", they all ran to his cambers without wasting a single second.
ARJUN'S POV
We all reached jesth's room and entered seeing tatshree there confirmed it that what we thought was true and he asked jesth to ask our review about what he has suggested and I said "there is no need to think tatshree", making tatshree a little angry he came towards me but I continued "your every word is a command to jesth bharata and five of us as well". I shared a look at aadhya and she nooded so I started talking again.
I have a doubt tatshree can I ask you?", to which he replied a "yes" and I asked "why does a raja do the sheth yagya and is the first one to use the plow at the starting of rainy season I couldn't get the purpose of doing so?" tatshree said "it is not the time or season for that but I will still explain it to you, many small jeevs are killed by the hands of farmers while farming, so a raja does sheth yagya to take all this blame on himself and this is the reason why a raja spends at least a little amount of time in hell", and I asked "then why would a king do that through which he will will have to live in hell?", he replied "because if the farmer doesn't farm due to being sacred of living in hell then our people will starve and it is the duty of a raja" he stopped realizing his fault and what I was trying to say and I asked "can't a raja let someone else do the sheth yagya and not live in hell? can't we change this?"
After hearing what I said tatshree said "yudhishthir tomorrow the first thing in the morning in the raj sabha your rajyabhishek will be done" and left the room and aadhya sighed in relief and said "we made it in time" and went towards her jesth bharata and hugged him saying "i'm sure you will make a good king just like pitashree said and i'm sure you are going to make everyone happy and our pitashree proud too" and yudhishthir patted her head and told us to go sleep as it's late and we nodded and went to our respective rooms.
THE NEXT DAY
KUNTI'S POV
The next morning we all went to yushishthir's room so I could talk to him and give him blessings. I entered the room with all my other children and did a tilak on yudhishthir and he touched my feet for blessings. Then I went to jiji as she sent me the cloth she had to chose and I asked why she did that as it is her right to do so and she said "I know but I can't see and you are the right person to do that right now and it's not about rights it's about the suitable one".
I felt that she isn't happy about this so I asked her about it "jiji are you not happy with this?" and she said "of course i'm it's just i'm sad about my putras losing, plus I have a right to be sad about it because ever though i'm a maharani i'm a mother as well", I asked her "if you want I can tell yudhishthir not to take this position and give it to duryodhan", but she refused saying "as I said i'm a maharani as well I can't do that and let's go it's time for the rajya abhishek" she started walking and I asked her a last question "why do I feel like this is making us apart jiji?" and she said "we were close when there were sad times but it's your happy time right now kunti, sad times makes one closer but happy times does the opposite."
I felt bad about what jiji said I touched the cloth my putra is going to wear after his rajya abhishek and thought what is happening is happening for good and it is for the best for our people and went to sabha kaksh, the rajyabhishek was about to start but it was interrupted, when I saw kurav's coming all armed and I got scared as my children walked and stood besides their jesth but turns out duryodhan was here to tell him that he accepts yudhishthir as the king.
The abhishek started, making me feel proud of yudhishthir and I looked at my other children they were so happy and proud of their jesth, their feelings could be seen on their faces they couldn't stop smiling, I smiled and thought "arya are you seeing this your every dream is coming true, yudhishthir being a king, our children's bonding never ends and increasing, they being with their jesth all the time and being his shield and our aadhya has proved her samarth to everyone, I hope you are proud", and we started showering flowers at yudhishthir and when he sat on his throne he looked at me and I nodded indicating i'm proud and then I looked at my other children and I saw their eyes shining with pride and happiness but I saw aadhya wiping the lone tear from her face making me sure she is missing his father.
AADHYA'S POV
After the rajyabhishek we all hugged jesth bharata after we entered his room and then a dasi said mata is calling me nodding. I took a leave from there and went to mata's room. When I entered she told me to sit besides her but I said "nope I won't sit besides you I want to put my head on your lap mata", she nodded and told me to come, I put my head on her lap and she stroke her hand on my head and said "are you happy?", I said "happy? i'm beyond happy mata I can't express my feelings" and then she asked "you missed your father today right, I saw you wiping the lone tear that escaped your eyes" and I faced her saying "i'm sure everyone did mata they just hide it and I couldn't but mata pitashree is proud of all of us right?".
I finally asked her what was in my mind and she said "your pitashree is beyond proud putri, i'm sure there is no extent of his happiness right now", I nodded and said "thank you mata, you are really an amazing mata, you are very strong and I know I get this strength from you, you have given us everything and i'm really grateful to you about it we all are, I love you mata, really thank you for everything" she smiled crying a few tears and then we talked about few things but I couldn't stay awake for long as you know a mata's lap is heaven the best feeling ever and I had the best sleep in awhile.
After few hours I was woken up by a dasi coming saying she has some news I got up and sat besides mata to know what happened and we came to know that the asur named "kalyawan" which is behind killing krishna and it won't be safe for my sakhi to go alone so I asked mata that "mata can I go with sakhi to ensure that she reaches safely?", she nodded and said "we should tell her this news", I nodded and we went to her room.
When we entered her room I saw bharata arjun was there too I smiled at that and mata told subhadra the news and she came running into mata's arms and started crying and mata said "don't cry subhadra i'm sending aadhya with you to ensure you reach safely so there is no need to be worried", but then I had a brilliant idea and I said "mata if she is so scared it's better I take bharata arjun with me as she will feel safer and she won't be bored with me on the journey", mata nodded and said "that's true arjun you go with them to" and bharata arjun asked "is it necessary for me to go too? isn't aadhya enough? and what about jesth?", to which mata said "right now the situation is good you don't need to worry and it would be nice if you go too", bharata arjun just nodded and mata told us to get ready as we will leave tomorrow.
UNKNOWN PERSON'S POV
We are finally going to meet priye, the time has come when I make you happy this time.
FLASH BACK
Shuchi open your eyes I'm finally here to see you, tell me what do you want?, "hey prabhu is that really you?, did you really come to see me?", yes priye shuchi i'm here just for you now tell me what do you wish for i'm ready to give you anything as you have made me very happy from the tapasya you did and i'm moved by your love and devotion for me, "prabhu I don't need anything seeing you once is more than enough I don't want anything else, thank you so much for coming here and letting me see you this is all I wanted", hey shuchi even though you knew you could ask for anything you didn't, even though you knew you really love me, why didn't you ask for me as your husband?, "hey prabhu i'm just a ordinary human being and I know that you can only be hers and I wouldn't dare to ask that and it is better that way plus loving isn't about marrying the one you love, being happy in their happiness and seeing the person you love happy is love prabhu, but if you really think I deserve something just give me what you feel is right, I will accept it", hey shuchi then I gives you the boon of you marrying my next avatar as a human being in your next life as you have impressed me by having such pure love for me and you will show the world the real meaning of love and teach them how love is beyond anything, shuchi do you want your next birth to have any specialty or something like that?, "hey prabhu you have given me so much without even me asking I'm really grateful, but let me be selfish and ask that let my next birth be a partner who helps you finish adhrama and I wish to stand by you doing that but at the same time I don't want to remember this until the right time comes and I would like to be a warrior who fights for the right dharma", your wish is fulfilled shuchi, you have made me really happy with your selflessness, we will meet soon.[]