Uttara's Love

The Princess of Matsya was now the bride of the Prince of Indraprastha. They were leaving her Paternal home at Viratnagar and going to Dwarka, where the Prince grew up in his maternal home. Her actual Sasural was Hastinapur, where his mother had been, but the upcoming war between her husband's clan forced them to go to Dwarka. It was a day-long journey. From Bairat in Rajasthan to Dwarka in Gujarat. They stopped midway in the forests to give the charioteers and horses rest. When she started the journey, she was sharing a chariot with her mothers-in-law, Panchali and Subhadra. Her husband was upfront with his father. The chariots were in line, the new bride's one in the middle of the long procession. She was in conversation with the ladies.

" So, did Abhimanyu talk to you or was he this shy?" Asked Panchali, noticing the young bride trying to catch a glimpse of the groom up front. Uttara blushed. Subhadra added, " He is very shy with ladies; he has had no younger sisters, maybe that's the reason. Tell us, did he talk?" She smiled. Last night she had the sweetest of conversations. They had confessed love, and a week earlier, their secret meeting was indeed special.

" Arya told me about the battles and how he fights..."
"That's the only conversation he can make, my son!" The ladies giggled. Hearing their laughter, both father and son turned back. Their eyes met for a short moment. Arjun told his son, " That giggle, my son, is when they talk of us; always remember." The father-son duo shared a light moment.

The chariots pulled up in a clearing. The servants made preparations for a meal, the men rested, and the women supervised the cooking. She was made to sit in the tent. Her companion was his father's first wife, Panchali. They were talking about their memories from Viratnagar. Abhimanyu came in, startled at the sight of Panchali. His elder mother smiled. Young love, she remembered her first trip with Arjun as his wife. She stood up. " I should go find Subhadra; she needs to rest, too. Abhimanyu, you too, rest a little in the sheds of the tent." Like an obedient child, Abhimanyu sat down in the ashan's neat doorway, steps away from his bride. As Panchali walked out, he let out a sigh, looked at his young bride and gushed, " I didn't know Jesth Maata was here... I thought you were..."

" When will we be arriving at Dwarka, Arya?"

" Soon, by nightfall. We will rest for a few more hours here as the horses are tired."
" Tell me about Dwarka, Arya."

Happy with his wife's question, Abhimanyu walked up to her. " Oh, you will love it there, Uttara. Nobody is the king, yet there is immense respect for everyone; there are rules and laws, the city is magnificent, and there is so much peace in the palace. Raani Rukmini maata is very caring and .... " He was rushing with so much information that she laughed. It was not the right behaviour for a wife to laugh at her husband; no wife dared to. But these teenagers were too young for that kind of formality with each other alone. Abhimanyu was not pleased.

Why are you laughing, Uttara? I am telling you about Dwarka, and you think it is funny? You don't need to know anymore." " No, Arya, the way you said... I am sorry." She was scared. What had she done? Angered him? Seeing her face about to cry out of fear, he also laughed. " You are so naive, Uttara! Do you get scared by this? The daughter of the brave Virat Raaja cries at these mere things?"

" But you were... weren't you angry, Arya?"

" No, Uttara. I was scaring you. Maha Veer Abhimanyu's wife is so naive and scared?"

His sarcastic smile made her angry. The guard came in to inform them that they were called for. Food was served. For the rest of the journey, Panchali suggested to her eldest husband, " Arya, I want to travel with you; let Subhadra go with Arjun and let the new Bride and Groom travel together."

A happy couple shared a smile. As they travelled through the forests, he said, " The Princess of Matsya seems to be very quiet now."

"I am not the princess of Matsya, Arya."
" Who are you then?"
" Abhimanyu patni Kuru Samragni Uttara."

Abhimanyu looked at his childish wife, looking away from him. This was the girl he did not want to marry because of the impending wars. Such was her childish innocence and naive ways that it scared him. He was in love with his bride, yet he had known her for only a week and three meetings. There was a battle coming, and he wanted to prove his worth. He wanted to show his father his skills with the arrow. There was danger and uncertainty. Was she strong enough to take the worst?

Looking away, she was lost in her thoughts. He was indeed a brave warrior. She had heard stories of his excellent archery. But for her, he was the polite groom who looked into her eyes with love and smiled shyly. The rules of marriage were still not prevalent between them, and they were just in love. She knew his thoughts. His eyes and expressions said what he thought. He thought of her existence rather than his life. He feared her survival rather than his own.

The silent journey ended in Dwarka with a grand welcome to the new bride. People flocked to the streets to catch a glimpse of them as Abhimanyu comfortably waved to the crowd. The homecoming rituals were performed by Subhadra and Draupadi, and Rukmini greeted the new bride and took her to her husband's chambers.

That night, after a grand feast and merry-making, the elders sat down to decide that Vasudeva should go to Hastinapur with peace offerings in an attempt to stop the wars. Abhimanyu went to his new bride, who was waiting for him. " What is wrong, Arya?"

" Tatshri is sending a peace offering to Hastinapura, hoping for the war to stop."
" That is good news, Arya, I am so..."
" No, Uttara, I am not happy."
" But why, Arya?"
" Those people need to be punished for what they did to Jesht Maata."
" I know, Arya, but wars, lives lost, families..."
" I am ready to die for the cause."
" Arya!!"

His bride was in tears at the thought. " Never talk of death again; Yama hears us."

" Does he? There is nothing more honourable for a warrior than death in a war, Uttara."

" What about a husband? A son?"

" Country and justice are above all."
Uttara became quite worried. Abhimanyu held her close.
" A warrior's wife always encourages him to fight. She does not fear death. Be the wife of a warrior"
" I can die for you, Arya, but..."
" Shh.... enough talking about deaths for a day! Let's enjoy the time we have together before the war, shall we?"
" Tomorrow I want to see Dwarka. "
" Yes, I will seek Mother's permission and take you out. I will show you what I can do with the arrow... Now, enough worries..."

That night, the teenage kids became man and wife. A sixteen-year-old boy and his fifteen-year-old bride, who had a life ahead filled with dreams and aspirations, matured just a week into their marriage. Their thoughts and fears, bravery and ideology made them great at a young age. Myths made them immortal. History witnessed their sacrifices. Abhimanyu and Uttara become immortal through sacrifices and bravery on the battlefield and off it, in the biggest family feud in history.

This is a work of fiction with no resemblance to the scenes in the pictures or the real portions of the epic. It is a story written in an attempt to prove the greatness of this teenage couple in the epic.

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