DEVASENA THE UNSUNG WARRIOR (Discontinued)

Part 13

UPON ARRIVING in Hastinapur, things weren't any better for the Pandu family. Since Panchali married all the five brothers, everyone considered it adharma. Duryodhan even started bad mouthing Panchali in front of the whole maha-sabha to which Pandavas raised their wepaons against him. And Dhritrashtra being Dhritrashtra ordered to throw them into karavas.

"Mere haath kyun baandh rahe ho, mera kya dosh tha?" Devasen asked as the sainik (soldier) tried to bind her hands. Nakul laughed.

"Arre Parthvi, agar hum karavas jaayenge toh humein saath dene ke liye bhi toh koi hona chahiye na." he teased as Devasena cracked a smile and looked at Yudhishtira.

"Jyeshth, ye jo bhi ho raha hai kya wo anyay nahi hai?" she asked as Yudhishtira sighed.

"Anyay toh hai kintu agar hum Maharaj ka aadesh nahi maanenge toh praja bhi kyun unka aadesh maanegi aur sabha mein shastra uthana adharm bhi tha." he reasoned as she nodded.

"Aap uchit keh rahe hain Jyesth paruntu kya aapne vichar kiya ki aapne shastra kyun uthaye the?" she asked as the brothers looked in thought and started to understand of what she meant.

"Aapne shastra apni patni ke samman ke raksha ke liye uthaye the, jo adharm nahi kehlata." The brothers looked at her as they started to understand her point. "Agar dosh kiya ho, tab dand svikarya karna dharm hota hai kintu agar dosh hi na ho aur tab hum dand svikarya karein, wo mere netron mein murkhata kehlati hai."

"Kintu aapki sahayta kaun karega?" they all turned to see Panchali standing their with tears in her eyes. "Aapki yeh baat kaun sunega?"

"Hum Maharaj se kshama maang-"

"Hum kshama nahi mangenge." Devasena sharply said.

"Paruntu kisko aap samajheyengi yehh baat?" Draupadi urged as Devasena looked in great thought until a smile formed on her face.

"Main ek vyakti ko jaanti hoon." she smirked.

"Mahamahim," the das began. "Aapse Rajkumari Devsena bhent karna chahti hain."

Bhishma looked surprised. "Unhe bhej do."

Devasena entered the room with her hands tied by rope, Bhishma looked at her hands confused. "Pranipat Tatshree." she greeted, a smile formed on Bhishma's face.

"Main antim baar tumhe smaran dila raha hoon, putri, main tumahre Tatshree ka Tatshree arthat tumahara Pitamaha hoon." he said in fake anger as she smiled.

"Agli baar se smaran rakhungi, Tatshree." she bit her tongue as Bhishma let out a laugh.

"Aao baitho putri paruntu tumhare haath kyun bandhe hain, kaunsa khel khel rahe ho tum log?" he asked as a grim look was casted on her face.

"Maharaj ne humein karavas mein jaane ka aadesh diya hai, Tatshree. Sabhi Bhratashree abhi karavas mein hain." Bhishma looked at her .

"Paruntu tumhare bhaiyon ne sabha mein shastra uthaye the-"

"Apni patni ke samman ki raksha ke liye. Unhone shastra dharm ke liye uthaye the. Aap hi ne kaha tha na ki ek pati ka sarvottam dharm uski patni ke samman ki raksha karna hota hai?" she looked at Bhishma, who thought for a while.

"Tum uchit keh rahi ho putri, chinta mat karo tumahre bhaiyon ko nyay avashya milega, ye mera vachan hai ab jaakar vishram karo, thak gayi hogi." he softly said as she nodded and got up.

"Dhanyawaad, Tatshree." she bowed in front of him as he smiled.

Bhishma being a man of words, fulfilled his promise. The Pandavas were freed and Yudhishtira was crowned as the next Yuvraj.