Hidden behind those red blindfolds, were curious eyes that once saw the world, soaked it's hue and carried dreams like every other girl. Gandhari, mother of 101 kids, sister of Shakuni but most importantly, she was yet another bird shackled by rules...
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The silvery moonlight cascaded through the window on my face, creating a contrast with a golden glow contrived due to the torch burning at the adjacent wall. It had almost been two springs since the incident. Though darkness still aroused fear in me, burning down everything; I realized stairs could be replaced too.
The clatter of articles thrown was resonating the entire quarters but that wasn't enough to stop maids from performing their duties. Amidst various fragrances being splayed in the entire room, the subtle whiff of Raatrani lingered, calming the thoughts that were running in disarray. Today, was my marriage, is my marriage. The fleece of merriment was shrouding the entire palace with threads of sorrow stitched along it. I was getting married to the prince of Hastinapur, a blind prince.
Belonging to a kingdom far less influential, there was hardly any option but to accept this as my fate. Shreeman Aniishwara must have painted me in some ethereal beauty for the Kuru clan to accept me as their bride. Unknowingly, I clenched onto my skirt. The wires of gold pricked my vermillion painted palm and blood gushed out of the wound. The crimsons delved into one another, losing themselves in the hue of another with the golden light acting as the witness of their bond. I would have winced typically but today, I stared at it, lost in my world of musings and possibilities.
Soon, I was drawn back to reality when another sharp clang resonated. A sigh escaped my parted lips and a tear trickled down my cheek. I strived to taste the sweet nectar of silence, comfort and perhaps, freedom. With open eyes, I dreamt of running on vast slopes, making garlands of flowers, not my inactions.
Then another thought surfaced, of my to be husband. The one who never saw light in his life. Was he ridiculed? Or did he escape this fate due to his princely status? Regardless, darkness could be unnerving. Like vines tangled around one another, darkness too weaved net, net of despondency.
He must have many companions, one who would guide him and be his stairs but weren't the stairs... forgotten? I bit my lips and looked away. Underneath the torch, my belongings were scattered. Amidst those, a strip of cloth fluttered along the zephyr that entered the chamber.
With slow steps, I started to move towards the strip. The world started to grow smaller, getting concentrated on the strip of cloth, rest got zoned out, from the melody of music to the clang from breaking of the vase, the giggles that were jubilant to the scream of anger; everything faded.
Accompanying the strip dancing in its tune, thoughts articulated like can companionship ever come without empathy? Was my light wrapped in darkness worth what I was about to do? All I knew was in the world swathed in deceit and illusions, a warm touch is all I could dream for. Just a small abode of happiness, a sanctuary of hope, where one doesn't have to pay the price of beauty but shrine the inner pulchritudinous self more than anything. Far away from the grasps of beguiling mirages.
Every step of mine brought out new aspects of my musings, another one was the dread of darkness. The futile trial to win that trepidation was getting harder and my feet started trembling a bit as I approached it. A sob escaped my lips and with shivering fingers hovered above the strip when the diary given to me by my brother caught my eyes. Over the years, it had turned a bit dusty and pages looked crumbled except the last page that for some reason I never touched.
Lifting the quill that was kept beside it, I, at last, mustered the courage and stained the parchment with my tears and words that refused to articulate my lips. Peculiarly, these were my own words, words that I contrived during my salubrious escapade. Syllables that reminded me I was- blindfolded and now I would be, "The Blindfolded Majesty".
I whispered out the words and the quill smudged it on the paper before the strip of clothes covered my eyes, taking me to the darkness where I sought light.
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Hello people! The Blindfolded Majesty finally ended. Never thought this would be possible considering my procrastinating self.
How was the journey? Did you like it?
Also, by no means I am claiming this was the reason behind Gandhari's blindfolds. This book is a figment of my imagination. Please don't bash me if you found something that wasn't correct according to Mahabharata. I tried to avoid aspects of Mahabharata as much as I could.
