The Groom Abductor

She was sitting inside the Palace at Dwarka. Her brothers were busy attending to guests. The Prince of Hastinapur had arrived that day with a proposal for her elder brothers. Being aloof from political scenarios, the young princess, the only sister to her two brothers, was not bothered. She hated the sight of the prince who troubled her aunt and cousins back in Hastinapur. But he was her brother's student and hence a favourite at Dwarka.
A maid came in a hurry and informed, " There is good news, Rajkumari. Your wedding has been fixed to the Prince of Hastinapur, Suyodhan, by your eldest brother"

Shocked, she could not speak. Her brother did not bother to ask for her opinion. Her childish anger overcame her as she rushed to her other brother, the one who always had the way. Crying, she reached his chambers, where his wife Rukmini was present. Seeing his dearest sister cry, Rukmini got up worried from her seat.
"What is wrong, sister? Why are you crying?"
" Where is my Bhratashri?"
" He is out to meet some Rishis regarding your wedding. Why are you crying?"
" I want my Bhratashri!" The childish princess rushed into her room, crying and shut the doors. She heard maids talk outside. The wedding was to happen any day now. People were flocking from Hastinapur to make arrangements for the grand wedding.

Teary-eyed, the princess thought of the man she loved. By fate, they were cousins, by heart lovers. He was a warrior who couldn't express his love, but she could read him; she could understand they both loved each other ever since they understood love. His marriage to Samragni Panchali, too, did not bother her. But now, when she was going to be married to his enemy, where was he? He went on pilgrimage, and nobody knew where he was.

" Subhadra! My sister! Why these tears?" It was Krishna, her brother. How he got in through the closed doors, she did not care.
" Brother! Why are you marrying me to Duryodhan?"
"It's Dau's decision, Subhadra, I can't change it."

"Then go away!"
" I have come to take you out, to meet with a Rishi in the forest."
" I don't want to."
" Believe me, you want to!" He smiled.

Deep inside the forest was a Rishi deep in meditation. Subhadra touched his feet, and their eyes met.
" What do you want, Kanya?"
" I want my marriage to Duryodhan to be cancelled, Rishiji."
" Why?"
" Because I love another man, I am already his wife."
" Who is this man, lady?"
" Kuntiputra Gandivdhari..." Krishna witnessed this at a distance with a smile.
The Rishi got up, shocked.
" Subhadra, you too love me?"
Shocked, she looked up, and it was indeed Arjun.
" What to do now, Parth?" Krishna broke their stares.
" Go home, Subhadra, marry him. I can not fight my cousins for you. I can not fight Madhav"
"No, either you take me as your wife after this or else I die."
" Don't be naive!"
Krishna smiled, " Maybe there is a way."
" What?" The lovers looked surprised.
" Subhadra abducts Parth and takes him out of Dwarka. I will give you my chariot. When I settle things here, come back and marry at Dwarka."

Thus, the strangest incident happened. Krishna rushed into the court where Balaram sat with the guests from Hastinapur. Subhadra had abducted Arjun!!
Everyone knew this was a made-up tale; everyone knew Natkhat Nandalal was behind this, but who dared raise a voice against him?

Balaram was the hardest to convince. After all, he had called on his favourite student to marry his sister. At last, he agreed, but with a condition, " She will travel with him to Indraprasth and live there, unlike his other wives."
" But Panchali will not allow..."
" If so, then he should stay here."
Arjun was forced to take Subhadra home with him, and thus Krishna weaved the threads of the birth of the greatest warrior Abhimanyu, Son of Arjun and Subhadra.

She was pregnant within a few months, and Krishna told Draupadi that this son would make her future. Draupadi took great care of Subhadra and left her at Indraprastha when they went to Hastinapur, where they got humiliated. Subhadra, still pregnant, was sent back to Dwarka to be taken care of, and Arjun went to leave her. There he stayed with her for a year before they all left for twelve years of Exile and one year of Agyatbyas! One night, they were talking of weapons and formations on the battlefield, and Arjun lamented how bravely he had broken Chakrayuvh as a teen against Drupad Raj.
" Tell me how it's done, Arya."
" No, you will be bored."
" Please tell me."
Arjun told his pregnant wife in great detail how he got in, but while he said how he got out, he saw his wife asleep, and he smiled at her sleeping face. Unaware of the future.

A few months later, a son was born to them. His eldest son, Subhadra's only heir and Krishna's nephew.
" Take good care of Jiji Arya. She is in pain even if she doesn't show it"

" You take care of yourself, Subhadra and my son." He hugged his wife and kissed his son's forehead. Almost two now, the baby was beautiful. Some said he was after his mother in beauty and after his father in behaviour. The baby, unaware of the sad departure, giggled at his father. " Ma"
" When did he learn that, Subhadra? "
" Today only Arya! You don't worry, Bhratashri will take good care of us, you go and do your duties."
" What will you call him, Subhadra? Have you decided yet?"
" Bhratashri said he will be called Abhimanyu."
" Abhimanyu... My son, when I come back, you will be a teenager and I won't recognise you. Do recognise your father-child, and forgive him for not being there."
Tears came to the warrior's eyes as he looked back at his wife and son waving with smiles at the Palace gates of Dwarka.
Krishna smiled. The future was decided, and things were going as they should be going. He looked at Subhadra playing with her toddler. He walked up to them, picked up his nephew and hugged him. Subhadra was watching Abhimanyu being loved by his Mamashri, and Krishna was silently begging forgiveness from the toddler for the future.

Uttara's Hope

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the Mahabharata. The series is also available on Wattpad. She was clad in white attire. Her churamani and jewellery were all taken away. She sat numbly in front of his dead body for a whole day, pregnant with his heir, looking at his face as though he was asleep. He had told her more than once that this day could come and that she had to protect their heir. He feared her future without him. That one day turned the fifteen-year-old Princess of Matsya into an aged lady. She became quiet and aloof. Her only concern now was her baby. Her baby wiggled in her womb. She remembered him saying, " I will always be with you." All she wanted now was a son like his father. But she knew all Hastinapur wanted was an heir to the throne. The war had ended five days after his death, and they were back in the palace of Hastinapur victorious. She, for the first time, entered her real in-laws' home, but without him. All sh...

Asuras are not Demons

Demons in the Abrahamic religion are not the same as Asuras of Hinduism. Originally deities of Iranian origin, they were seen in the tribal context as no different from Devas but as counterparts to maintain balance. In early epics and Puranas, asura meant a chosen leader of great capacity. Only later, perhaps due to the Iranian link, their image declined. It was with the Brahmanas that the sharp divide appeared: devas as divine, asuras as evil. Puranic myths demonised them mainly to assert the superiority and immortality of devas, while asuras were cast as symbols of the "other." Since Tribes still worshipped them and embraced their power of negativity, being important to balance, they soon became synonymous with tribes, which was not the case mythologically. There are instances of Bali or Ravana being Kshatriya or Brahmin Asuras and competent kings. Indian demonology itself is vast and layered, shaped by surviving tribes, each with unique myths. Celestial, aerial, and terres...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested, and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon ...

Rakhi Tales

The year was 1535 CE. The Rajmata of Mewar, widow of Rana Sanga, was in a dilemma. On one hand was an attack from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat as a threat to her capital, Chittorgarh, and the throne of her beloved teenage son Vikramaditya. On the other hand, there was the son of her husband's archenemy, Humayun, who could be of some help. Rani Karnavati wrote a letter to Humayun, who was in the east at that time. Along with it, she sent a Rakhi, a thread of brotherhood, asking him, as a sister, for protection against the enemy. But the road was too long and time, of great essence. Humayun arrived at Chittorgarh, in response to her letter, keeping his end of the bargain but a little late. Rani Karnavati had already performed the Jauhar. They never met. Humayun established Rana Vikramaditya on the throne of Mewar, as he had promised as a brother, and returned to his post. Two dynasties, political rivals and sworn enemies, from Sanga-Babur to Pratap-Akbar and even Raj Singh-Aurangzeb, yet ...

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja. Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons. Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga. Saj...

The Emperor's First Wife

Ruqaiya Sultana Begum was born to Babur's second surviving son, Hindal Mirza, and his wife, Sultanam Begum, in 1542 C.E., merely a few months after Hamida Banu gave birth to the heir Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar. She was well-versed in Persian, Urdu and Arabic and was attracted to poetry and music. Being a proud descendant of the Timurid clan, most of Rukaiya's childhood was spent in Kabul, near the Bagh E Babur, built by Babur himself. From early childhood, she had seen the struggle of her family to regain their lost power in Hind. In 1551 C.E., just after her father died young at a battle for Humayun, leaving her and her mother in the harem of the emperor, it was Hamida Banu who wanted the marriage of Rukaiya to her first cousin, Akbar. Theirs was the first in-house marriage of the Mughals, soon to be followed by many more in the generations to come. At the mere age of nine, she had married the crown prince, and when Humayun won back Lahore, she was fifteen. At the mere age ...

Nawab E Bengal

Background: Nawab Alivardi Khan was ruling Bengal at the peak of Nawabi rule, expanding his strong empire. He had successfully suppressed the Marathas and had given a strong message to the British East India Company’s rising influence at Calcutta. Highly aware of the British Colonial policies across the globe, Nawab Alivardi Khan was strict with his policies and stronghold over Murshidabad, the then capital of Bengal (including present-day Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, and Bangladesh). He had two daughters and no sons. Amina Begum was the elder one, followed by Ghaseti Begum. Amina had three sons with her husband and courtier, Ahmed Khan. The second son, Mirza Mohammad, fondly called Siraj-Ud-Daulah (light of the country)by his grandfather, was born in 1733C.E. He was his grandfather’s favourite because he was born while he won over the Marathas. Alivardi Khan never let the “fortune child” of the family out of his sight. Siraj grew up accompanying his g...

The Reva Cries

Roopmati had watched the troops leave. She had stood behind the chief queen as she traditionally bid goodbye to her sons. She had waited for the Sultan to come to her. He did. He was confident that the sudden advancement of Akbar’s foster brother Adham Khan could be curbed. It was not war, just precaution. He reassured her. Malwa would never bow to the Timurids. And he would not let anything happen to her. To Her. Roopmati felt suffocated by her husband’s affectionate hug. She felt trapped in the scrutinising eyes of all the people in the palace. Angry, blaming eyes. She tried to pace herself and sing, but her voice cracked in fear. Her melody was drowned in tears. Every evening, a messenger would come to the chief queen with the news of war. Roopmati was kept in the darkness. She was not told about anything. She knew the rumours. She was a witch. A temptress who caused doom to the Sultan of Malwa. She was a spy of the enemy planted in his life to destroy him. She wondered if he came b...

Prithviraj Chauhan: A Saga

Note: This piece is a work of fiction based on folklore and the Prithviraj Raso, an epic saga by Chand Bardai, who happened to be the court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan. The dates corresponding to wars, names of people and places are, however, historically fact-checked from various sources, including the works of Todd (semi-historical), The Amir Khusrau and contemporary sources like R.C.Majumder. The incidents are fictionally woven. Rai Pithora Around the year 1140 A.D., Ajmer was ruled by Anangpal of the Tomara Dynasty. Delhi was the seat of power of the Sultanate, which was a constant power struggle for them. He managed to capture briefly most parts of west Rajputana, and present-day Haryana and Punjab were also part of his kingdom. The old king had a son and two daughters. His concern grew as his son Surya was not talented enough to rule Ajmer. His youngest daughter, Princess Karpuri Devi, was married to Someshwar Chauhan of the famous Chauhan clan. Their son, Rai Pithora, helped...

Mewar: Origin of Guhilots

Origin: Lord Rama had two sons, Labh and Kush . The Ranas of Mewar are descendants of the former. Labh had built his capital at Lah-Kot (Lahore) , and the branch from which the Mewar blue blood arrives resided there until Kanaksen (Often traced as the founder)moved to Dwarika, Saurashtra. "Sen" was used as a title term for many decades by this Suryavanshi clan until it later changed to "Dit" or "Aditya", names of the Sun. Aditya was changed to Guhilot permanently after the expulsion from Saurashtra when they settled in the Ahar valleys (Aravallis). The Sisodia clan sprang from a Prince of Chittoor who had killed a hard chase hare (sissoo in local dialect). The branch often used " Ranawat ", meaning "Royal Blood", as a title, but over time, Sisodia emerged as the retained branch name. Kanaksen wrestled dominance of the Parmar race and founded Birnagar in AD 144. Four generations hence, Vijay Sen ...

A Journey To Discover Life

Search This Blog