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.
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