A Journey To Discover Life

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...

  Upon the scenes of Malwa’s plains Reva meanders in ripples and waves, She witnesses stories only she could tell Of Love, revenge, lust and pain. The Reva blessed the land with her fertility and nurturing. She also stood witness to the thousands of stories, known and unknown, told and untold on its banks. Here is a tale the Reva tells hundreds of years later as she meanders still through the land that was once called Malwa.  Hunting had from time immemorial been the pursuit of entertainment for many royals. The luxury of hunting for pleasure was only reserved for the rich and powerful and the king often accompanied by his friends would visit the forestlands on the bank of the Reva for the sighting of deer, boars and if they were lucky enough then even tigers. His ears were alert enough to observe the rustling of leaves in the winter afternoon or the call of a barking deer nearby. The chirping birds witnessed the hunting party galloping through the forest, trying to stay low a...

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the Mahabharata. The series is also available on Wattpad. The night of the Bhadra Amavasya saw a funeral pyre in the Pandavas' camp. Wails of the ladies filled the air as the young brave heart was turning into ashes. The ashes lit up a celebration in the Kauravas' camp. Duryodhan, Dushyasan, Shakuni, and Jayadrata all succeeded in their mission. Breaking the Pandavas' backbone, killing their favourite son. Karna joined in the celebrations reluctantly; he had released the boy from the pain. The face kept coming back to him. After all, he was his nephew. He shut his eyes in pain. The air tonight seemed cursed. The pyre burning made the teenage widow run towards it. She had no hope of living without him. Life was already tough; each day, he went to war with a smile on his face. She had already lost her brother. Now she had none to return home to her. "Stop!" His mother pleaded between the wails. "...

She was born to the King and Queen of Mithila after they waited decades for a child. Having adopted a girl child already, King Janaka accepted yet another girl child with open arms, unlike King Dasharatha, who was desperate for sons so much that he gave away his only daughter for it. She was named Urmila, meaning the waves of Passion. From her very childhood, she grew up listening to tales of bravery and sacrifice, legends and Gods from the sages who were patronised by their father. The sisters were taught to be brave enough to question all the rights and rituals rather than blindly follow them like most others. Janaka was too happy to answer all of his daughter's curiosities. She used to travel to various Ashrams of well-known hermits with her father and sister. One such time, she was visiting the annual Yajna of the King-Priest Vishwamitra. They arrived there, amongst other Kings and Royals of Aryavarta and were shocked to hear how time and again the demon Taraka and her son Mari...

The Nagas (symbolically snakes) were a tribe who were well acquainted with life in forests and on rivers. They were said to be the ones who ruled the waters. Historically speaking, the Nagas lived in the northeastern parts of Aryavarta, close to Manipur, and extended their villages up to the land of Burma. The Naga tribe staying in the current state of Nagaland are proof of this. Now, this brings us to the story. The Naga Chief was Kauravya, who ruled the waters of the Ganges. His daughter was Ulupi. Some say she was a widow at a tender age, and some say she was unmarried. The Pandava prince Arjun was roaming around Aryavarta in exile, for he had broken a promise and entered his elder brother's intimate room with their Shared wife. The punishment was this. He roamed all the way from Indraprastha to the mystic lands of Manipur and Nagaland. Ulupi, like any other princess of that time, desired the handsome and brave prince of Hastinapur. On hearing of his arrival in their land, she w...

Shiva - Sati/Parvati:  The Destroyer of the Trinity, the supreme God of Gods, was a loner, vagabond, refusing to settle down and be tied down by earthly relationships. Enters Sati, the daughter of Prajapati Daksha of Kankhal. At such a young age, her love moves everyone except her father. The reluctant Shiva had to answer her calls, and for the first time, somebody wanted to marry him as a boon. What followed was wrath between Shiva and Daksha, a clash of egos that ended the soft maiden Sati's life. She chose death after overhearing her father insult her husband. Shiva's sorrow turned to the angry tandav that destroyed the world. He roamed around as a vagabond again, this time with a broken heart!  A few years passed by in her memory as he roamed the land of Aryavarta, making a Linga at every Sati Peeth beside her. In that way, this time, he will always be there by her side to protect her. Enters Parvati, the daughter of Parvat Raj. She was believed to be Sati reborn by everyo...

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the  Mahabharata . The series is also available on Wattpad. In the palace gardens at Dwarka, ladies of the house were gathered. They were picking flowers and gossiping. Subhadra and Panchali sat in a corner away from these ladies, gossiping, worried. They were awaiting a reply from Hastinapur. They have sent peace offerings, hoping no war would happen. They feared the destruction that the war promised. Their newly married daughter-in-law came up, and they forced smiles on their faces. She, who was brought into their lives with promises of happiness, should not be touched by their worldly worries. " How was your trip through Dwarka Uttara?" "It's a beautiful city, Mata." " Yes, my brother planned it himself. Didn't he, Jiji?" the proud Subhadra lamented. " Where is he?" Panchali asked, ignoring her favourite husband's younger wife's childishness. " Where is my s...