Journey through the Grand Canyon (Drisana's Mahabharat #2)

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Okay that was fast guys. Here's the special shot. No target here. You can vote if you wish...The next chapter is coming right with it...😊😊😊

Devika was singing a lullaby for Yaudheya as she walked slowly holding him in her arms carefully. Normally he was as calm as his father. But today he was being fussy. Devika placed a kiss on his head as he was falling asleep in his mothers' warm embrace.
She smiled staring at her sons' face with adoration. For how long had she craved for this very feeling! After the long wait of five years she had been bestowed with this blessing.

A long sigh escaped from her unwillingly as she remembered those days.

Five years!

Five years of disapprovals.

Five years of wait.

Five years of taunts.

Five years of humiliation.

Five years of silent tears.

When Devika first went to Hastinapur, she didn't know exactly what to expect. She was told she would be the Yuvrani of Hastinapur. Devika had gulped in fear hearing that word. She, a Sootputri who was just a little time ago nothing more than a mere dasi, would be the Yuvrani?!
That was beyond her comprehension. But one thing she was assured of. That, she was Yudhisthir's wife and nothing or no one could change that.

But then they arrived at Hastinapur and she was readily accepted as the Kurukulvadhu without much questioning. And she had been somewhat relieved. But alas! How wrong she had been to think that they had actually accepted her. She later understood, it was because of the tension between Pandavs and Kauravas that made them ignore her for the moment and hurriedly welcome her. There was already going to be a battle for succession. So, Maharaj Dhritrastra didn't wanted to waste time in enquiring about her.

It didn't remain that way for much longer though. They probably thought if not a Rajkumari, she was a Brahman or Kshatriya casted girl. Presumably, they would have even accepted a Vaishya woman too. But a Sudra? They had never even imagined that Yudhisthir would bring back a Sootputri as his wife to malign their dynasty.
She was confused at first when Mata Kunti avoided talking about her after they reached there. Every time Maharani Gandhari or someone else asked about her lineage or before marriage life, Mata Kunti had subtly diverted the topic not answering.

She got to know the answer why the next day when Rajkumar Duryodhan or Yuvraj Duryodhan had called her a Sootputri in the court to insult Yudhisthir. Maharani Gandhari had gasped in horror hearing the truth. And after the dismissal of the court, she had snidely remarked that she needed to purify herself and her household. Mata Kunti's lips had thinned hearing that. And that was the start. No one had been able to digest her in the royal family. While some were downright hostile, others disapproved in silence. But not a single person accepted her at Yudhisthir's side.

Unknown to her, before his resurrection as the Yuvraj, Yudhisthir had gotten into an argument with Maharaj Dhritrastra, Gandharraj Shakuni, Pitamah Bheesmh and Mahamantri Vidur and Kulguru Kripacharya. Yes. Surprisingly all of them had sided against him on choosing Devika as the Yuvrani. The argument had been to convince him to choose someone else for the position. Or more specifically, to remarry. The argument had escalated so far that Maharaj Dhritrastra threatened he couldn't sit on the throne with a Sootputri beside him. But when Yudhisthir told them firmly that he would rather not sit on the throne in that case, that's when Pitamah and Kakashree Vidur relented. And with the threat of ousting Karna by them who at the time had been a valuable and loyal asset for Duryodhan, Gandharraj Shakuni and Maharaj Dhritrastra both quietened too.

Days were passing like that. She was either made fun of, insulted or ignored. She wasn't called or allowed everywhere unless they absolutely had to tolerate her presence. One day, she had heard Maharani Gandhari advising Mata to get some sense into Yudhisthir as he wasn't listening to anyone else. He needed a queen beside him to rule. Not a mere Sootputri who even got inside a palace for the first time due to him. How could she be expected to co-lead with him? Devika hadn't let the tears fall from her eyes at those times. Her gentle smile never let anyone know her suffering.