Padmaja:
Born from lotus.
Found in a lotus,
That mystery her parents have forgotten.
The girl's life will be glorious,
And now all will hearken.
A Mahabharat epic fanfiction.
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"Who are those two with Dhatri Kaki, maa?" The question was whispered by Padmaja into Kunti's ear as she looked at the two girls walking towards them.
The elder woman smiled at her daughter and replied in the same tone. "You will know that if you wait, my dearest."
"Your dearest! Really?" Padmaja exclaimed.
Kunti nodded with an amused smile on her face. "Why do you ask?"
A silly grin settled upon her face "I am going to tell this to, Bhrata Sahadev, that I am your dearest, not him."
"Are!" Kunti exclaimed at the giggling younger Kuru princess as she enlighted the environment around her.
"Pranam Rani Kunti, Rajkumari Padma." Dhatri greeted and urged the two girls who were with her to do the same, who like small ducklings behind their mother followed her.
"Parnam."
"Saubhagyavati bhava." Kunti blessed the girls and then turned to Padmaja. "You were asking who these two are right? So listen now. These two girls are Lalita and Vishakha. Daughter of a relative of Dhatri."
"Dhatri kaki's relatives?" Padmaja smiled at the two girls and greeted them. "Pranam, I am Padmaja."
Both of the elder women looked at the young princess in amusement.
"You don't need to greet them as such, Padma. They are here to become your friends."
"To be my friends? But why? There so many people around the whole palace."
"It's not like that, my child." Kunti sat down on a couch pulling Padmaja beside her. "You see, soon your brothers' will be going to gurukul. And Dusshala Kanya ashram. Then you will be here studying with Tatshree and Vidur, will be left here alone, won't you? You would too need someone to spend time with, right?"
"Why Dusshala can not stay with me and study with me too?"
"Because that is what Gandhari didi and Jeysth want for her." Kunti smiled.
Padmaja pondered over what was being told by her mother and from the expressions on her face, both Kunti and Dhatri knew that she was going to say something for which none would have an answer.
"Maa, you said they are here to be my friends, right?"
Kunti nodded, her face now having frown lines as she prepared herself for the next question.
"But, maa, how can we impose friendship on someone just because we can?"
There wasn't a word that left Kunti's mouth after it as she stared at her daughter with sheer admiration, fathoming the words wisdom which all knew but only a few spoke.
"Then Padma..." Kunti smiled at her and then looked at the two young girls who stood by Dhatri, fidgeting in what she concluded was nervousness. "Why dont you ask them if they want to be your friend or not?"
