REIGNITING THE FLAME

REIGNITING THE FLAME Around 5000 Years Ago The tumultuous events in Mahabharata had occurred in 3139 BCE, also called the Dwapara Yuga. It is widely believed in Hinduism that the Dwapar Yuga lasted twice as long as the Kali Yuga would last. Pandu, one of the principal characters of the Mahabharata, and the King of Hastinapur was exiled to the forest along with his wives Kunti and Madri to perform a strict regimen of penance. He was also to abstain from any sexual gratification in order to atone for the sin he committed. Dhritarashtra, his older brother, born with a congenital eye impairment and otherwise blinded with avarice and detestation could barely conceal his glee at the plight of his sibling, especially since he was going to be crowned the King of Hastinapur. Present Day, December 2020 In the middle of the flight, Dr Kiara woke up and walked to the washroom in a languorous and torpid manner. When the winsome woman returned, she found herself too sapped to push her way into the middle seat. Her chiselled and curvaceous body was the result of hours spent in the gym, in the pool and toned with Pilates and yoga. It was no surprise that she was the cynosure at any gathering. With Rishaan readily offering to shift seats, the seating arrangement changed. With twenty minutes still remaining for the flight to land, the sleep-starved medic who had just recovered from the lethal Covid-19 decided to take another power nap, this time holding Rishaan’s right hand more firmly. Rishaan’s other hand, though, nervously moved to touch Diya’s. Her heart skipped a beat. Diya pulled her hand away. But a defiant Rishaan held her wrist, this time firmly and more reassuringly. The changing behavioural dynamics between the triumvirate was a foreboding of what could be expected in Goa. When the flight landed at the Dabolim Airport, Rishaan felt his excitement replaced by an unknown fear which he found difficult to decipher. Diya had been quarantined with Kiara and brother-in-law Rishaan, her unrequited love. The two reignited their passionate love when Dr Kiara was afflicted by the pestilence. The pandemic had wrecked numerous lives the world over. Millions were afflicted and thousands perished across the globe. Quarantine, fresh mutations, lockdown, migrant labour, human problems, unemployment, suicides, new relationships, working from home, sanitizers, social distancing and masks had entered the lexicon. Rishaan and Diya were unable to mask their feelings and keen to reignite the flame. Dr Kiara was a frontline worker in an estimable hospital and staved-off hospitalisation through remarkable fortitude and resilience. Diya and Rishaan were feeling holed up, working from home for such a long duration. They planned a visit to Goa to get over the blues and persuaded the surgeon to take a break too. Dr Kiara looked at her sister and husband somewhat incredulously but gingerly agreed. She needed a breathing space as something weighed on her mind. However, amidst the widespread bleak environment, at the end of the tunnel there seemed to be light. The cases of people testing Covid positive were on the decline. There were positive tidings on the horizon with vaccinations round the corner. Around 5000 Years Ago Pandu, the son of Rishi Veda Vyasa and Ambalika, was educated in the fields of archery, politics, administration and religion by none other than the ace warrior Bhishma himself. After ascending the throne of Hastinapur, he married Kunti, the daughter of Kuntibhoja. Younger sibling Vidura’s claims to the throne were ignored as he was the son of a dasi. Vidura was born of niyoga, between sage Vyasa and Parishrami, handmaiden to the queens Amba and Ambalika. An ambitious Pandu embarked upon an expansionist policy and annexed Sindhu, Kashi, Anga and the principality of Kalinga among others. He was bewitched by the prepossessing Madri, the princess of Madra, during one such military campaign and took her as his second wife. Now it so happened that while hunting in the forest, King Pandu trained his arrows at a deer couple. The deer were actually Rishi Kindama and his wife who were blissfully unaware while copulating. The king did not seem initially remorseful for his indiscrete act and instead misquoted Sage Agatsya’s ruling regarding the moral right and privilege of Kshatriyas to hunt. Pandu, the King of Hastinapur was cursed by the sage as he cast his mortal self, that if the latter ever indulged in sexual gratification his life would be snuffed out. This was since the king wantonly extirpated the sage’s life. However, the queens were immensely grieved and so were his grandmother Satyavati, Bhishma and younger sibling Vidura. They were overwrought at the turn of events and solicitous about the safety of Pandu. To atone for his acts, Pandu had to renounce his kingdom and live as an ascetic along with his wives. The erstwhile king while performing severe tapas abstained from any physical relationship with his wives, apprehensive of the curse of Rishi Kindama. Pandu often wondered how he would continue his lineage in such circumstances and often shared his fears with the elder queen, Kunti. Kunti however had an ace in her armory. “Lord, I have been blessed with a boon by Sage Durvasa. Through this boon I can invoke celestial beings and Gods from the empyrean and bear a child through them.” An ecstatic Pandu directed Kunti to invoke Yama, Vayu and Indra so that she could bear their offspring. Thus Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna were born. Kunti generously shared the secret and the sacred mantra with Madri who invoked the Ashwin twins and thus Nakul and Sahdeva arrived on planet Earth. Goa, December 2020 Doctor Kiara, her husband and sister reached the upmarket Zuari White Sands where they were booked. The first few days were spent lazing on the beach and taking walks on the sands. Kiara was happy to feel the warmth of the sun at Goa, unlike the cold Delhi winter. She spent considerable time on the lounger, taking her vitamins to recuperate. Tenderly she felt the waves as she stepped into the water. The ace swimmer in her was yearning to get into the pool and even the sea, but held herself back. However, two images were etched in her mind as she lay on the lounger. As the sun sank in the coastline of Goa, she saw her husband and Diya rather close while swimming in the sea. Was it a delusion? Rishaan passionately kissing Diya …she wondered if she should believe her eyes. Around 5000 Years Ago Life in the forest went on, until one fine day, Pandu happened to see Madri bathing under a waterfall. She looked bewitching. From under the cascading waterfall, Madri looked at her handsome husband and could feel her hormones stirring. Pandu’s testosterone levels were rising too. Soon he could not control his carnal desires and was keen to make love to Madri. They were keen to reignite the flame. Madri could not refuse, though aware that both were hurtling towards hubris. But their minds were emblazoned with passionate and carnal thoughts. During the act Pandu suffered a major stroke and died. Wiser counsel had been eclipsed by momentary pleasure. To atone for being a complicit partner, Madri committed sati, with Kunti looking-on, aghast at the cataclysmic turn of events. Reigniting the Flame Diya who was quarantined with Kiara and brother-in-law Rishaan, her unrequited love, found her opportunity to make love at Delhi and reignited the flame at Goa. In the plenteous hotel, Doctor Kiara found Diya and Rishaan in a compromising position. Even as Kiara was going to confront the two, Rishaan suffered a stroke. Kiara rushed Rishaan to a nearby hospital, even as he sobbed inconsolably for breaking the trust of his wife. He was also concerned about his survival. At Kiara’s insistence, Diya stayed back at the hotel and did not accompany her sister and brother-in-law to the hospital. Rishaan was wheeled into the ICCU. It was New Year’s Day as he feebly opened his eyes. He had survived a stroke. “You are blessed to have such an attentive and concerned wife. Dr Kiara played a pivotal role in your recovery. Truly commendable, despite having just recovered Covid,” Dr Pinto, the cardiac specialist commented. Two weeks later the two were walking on the sands of the beach. Dr Kiara had summarily dismissed Diya from her presence. “You know Rishaan, we would not have had any children. For a moment in the hospital, I wanted to castrate you and knife Diya. But wiser counsel prevailed,” the doctor confessed. “This year, 2021, will be the year we’ll reignite our flame,” added Kiara. As they continued walking, silhouetted against the sun emerged a figure, escorted by a charming lady. The couple caught their eye and Doctor Kiara was stupefied as she recognised the blind chess player, Rishaan’s older sibling and her unrequited first love. He had been presumed dead when he met with an accident and had been untraceable for more than seven years now. The law provides that if a missing person remains unheard of for seven years, a presumption that he is dead can be raised through appropriate proceedings before a court. There need not be any evidence about the actual date, time and place of his death. However, for reasons best known to them, none from the family had raised the matter in the court of law. Dr Kiara was married to younger brother, Rishaan. She always mused that the vicissitudes of life are such that all flames are not reignited. Rishaan and her sister would learn their lessons too, not all flames can be reignited.