SAMRADITYA SAGA Part 2 - TANGLES OF HATRED

Entry of the demon

Kusumavali started with daily prayers and immersed her mind in the worship of God. She began giving respect to the saints. Paying special attention to the poor and orphans, she started doing charity for them.
She wanted a son!
She wanted an heir!
***
A group of clouds had gathered in the sky. Amidst them, the moon of the fourth lunar night was shining. The darkness of the night would somewhat diminish due to it! Sometimes, one or two stars could also be seen. In the bedroom of Neelmani Prasad, dimly lit lamps were burning. Queen Kusumavali was sleeping. Nine hours of the night had passed. Queen Kusumavali, who was lying in the lap of sleep in the silent night, had a terrible dream. A black snake entered her womb, came out and bit the king sitting on the throne. The king fell down from the throne. The dream ended and Kusumavali woke up screaming.
Hearing the scream, the guard came inside the room and asked, “Queen, what happened? Did you see anything? Why did you scream?”
“I might’ve screamed in the dream. There is nothing to be afraid of. I am alright now.”
The guard returned to his spot after closing the door gently.
“What kind of a nightmare did I have! It was like never before. Why did such a bad dream come today only? How tragic and horrifying! Good I had this dream after the king left from here. What if he was in the bedroom? He would definitely ask me, ‘What happened, Devi?’ And what if I would tell him? Perhaps, he would also tremble with fear. I will not tell him about this dream at all. Wise men say that we should not tell anyone when we have a bad dream. We should not even wake up but go back to sleep so that the result of the dream nullifies! Kusumavali lay in bed again.
With closed eyes, she tried to fall asleep. She kept trying but the distance of sleep from her eyes remained the same. She couldn’t sleep. She gazed at the ceiling with open eyes. Sometimes she would look at the distant black horizon emerging from the lap of darkness with a reddish glow. She was restlessly switching sides. In the meantime, the redness of sunrise started spreading in the east direction. She got off the bed with a hesitant mind. She went to the bathroom, took a bath, got ready and went to the king’s room. The king was awake. He was waiting for Kusumavali.
He had a conversation with Kusumavali. After some time, Kusumavali stood up suddenly.
She said, “King, I’m going out. I am getting sour burps. It feels as if I’ll vomit.”
She walked out quickly. Her personal maid, Priyankara was standing outside.
“Priyankara, I am feeling nauseatic. Get a vessel quickly.”
Priyankara immediately brought a vessel and Kusumavali vomited. The king was standing behind. Nursemaid Pushpalata had also come. She rubbed her hand on the queen’s back. Kusumavali was huffing, her eyes and nose were watering. Priyankara gave a clean cloth to the queen. She cleaned her eyes, nose and face. With the help of the king, she came to her room and lay on her bed. The nursemaid came and sat next to the queen.
After the queen felt a little better, the nursemaid asked her, “What is happening to you?”
“I am getting sour burps and feeling nauseous.”
“Was there any issue in food?”
“No, nothing like that. But it seems like I’m pregnant.”
“Oh! That’s good news. Then it is natural for this to happen. I will give you medicine now. Vomiting will stop. Burps will also reduce.”
The king, who was standing nearby, listened to the queen. A beam of joy emerged on his face. He looked at the queen. But there was no sparkle in the queen’s eyes. Colours of deep anguish were emerging. The king could not understand the exact reason for that pain. He felt that she was in pain due to excessive vomiting. 
“Devi, prayers turned fruitful.”
But there was no response from the queen’s end.
***
Agnisharma!
The one who had done severe penance.
In the last years of his life, he had vowed, ‘I shall be the one who kills King Gunsen in every life. This is the fruit that I want from my penance.’ He died. After dying, he was reborn as Vidyutkumar. Since he was a heavenly being, he burnt the king alive by showering fiery sand with intense animosity on King Gunsen who was meditating!
His life as a heavenly being came to an end. He was reborn in the animal kingdom. Then he had many incarnations in the form of birds. And now, the same soul had come in the womb of Queen Kusumavali!
Gunsen’s soul i.e. Sinhraja!
Agnisharma’s soul came in the form of his son!
Queen Kusumavali got the sign of his arrival in the dream. It was a poisonous snake! That dangerous snake was going to be born as a human and bite his own father!
The water of innumerable years had flowed into the river of Kaal. Yet, the seeds of enmity were lying deep in that soul. Those seeds had the possibility of becoming a tree. Irrespective of the form or body in which Gunsen’s soul was present, the feeling of grudge had no relation with the transformed body. It was directly connected to the soul!
The soul that entered the womb with intense hatred affected the mother’s mind. The feeling that Kusumavalihad for King Sinh in her heart, that affection also began to change! Whereas love for Kusumavali increased in the king’s heart because his soul had kept feelings of friendliness with Agnisharma in the previous life.
When the king expressed his happiness knowing Kusumavali was pregnant, Kusumavali did not like it. She did not respond to him with joy but expressed distress. This was noticed by the nursemaid, Pushpalata. Her mind got skeptical.
She did not like this kind of behaviour of Kusumavali at all.
The king left the room. Kusumavali remained silent. A thought flashed in her mind, ‘It’s better if the king neither comes nor talks to me!”
The king sat in his room and started thinking. After thousands and millions of years, Kusumavali’s intense aspiration is taking shape. She will be a mother. Her happiness will be limitless. But before she gives birth, her mind has to be kept happy. I know what all she likes, where she likes to travel, what things interest her. Whatever she likes, I will do that. I will fulfill every wish of hers. This will keep her mind cheerful and the baby will be healthy.
Here, Pushpalata and Kusumavali's friends – Madanrekha, Priyankara, Shubhankara and others also talk about the things that keep Kusumavali’s mind joyous. They crack jokes, adorn her with beautiful clothes and ornaments. But Kusumavali neither joins their conversations nor does she laugh with a free heart. Fog of sadness and disinterest surrounded her.
Suddenly one day, an unimaginable incident occurred.
The king came to Kusumavali’s room. Her friends stood up and welcomed the king. But Kusumavali neither stood up nor did she greet the king. Not even a smile full of affectionate warmth blossomed on her face!
The king sat very lovingly near Kusumavali and said, “Devi, you are very dear. I have brought these gem-studded earrings for you. You will definitely like them.”
The king gave the pair of earrings to the queen.
The queen said in a tone of criticism, “I don’t want these earrings of yours! Who asked you to get them?”
She threw the earrings in the room and turned her face.
The king was shocked and felt humiliated.
Madanrekha and Pushpalata who were standing there said, “Oh, Queen, what are you doing!”
Speaking this, they reached near Kusumavali, grabbed both her hands and raised the queen’s face with both their hands.
Looking at the king, they said, “Your majesty, the queen’s health has not been favourable since morning. That’s why such inappropriate…”
“I haven’t done anything inappropriate. I don’t even want to talk to him. He can leave from here!” Kusumavali expressed anger by cutting her friends in the middle.
The king slowly got up and left the room. The nursemaid also came out behind him. Both stood at a distance.
The nursemaid said politely, “Your majesty, sometimes such mental imbalances occur during pregnancy. I have seen this in some women. Don’t worry, I will get her treated by some well known doctors. Everything will be fine, please relax.”
“The imbalance should not increase, take full care of it.”
The king left with a sad heart and dull face. The nursemaid came back to Kusumavali’s room. Kusumavali was lying upside down on the bed and crying.
Pushpalata said, “Queen, don’t sleep like this. Lie on your side.”
Raising her face a little, the queen cried out in a furious voice, “Why? What will happen if I sleep like this?”
“Its hurts the womb.”
“That’s it? Alright, he’ll die! Who are you to tell me? After today, you don’t need to give me any advice! Do you understand?”
The nursemaid looked at Madanrekha with sad eyes. Madanrekha was astonished.
She said, “Then why were you so desperate to have a son? Look Kusum! Listen to one thing very well - you are the queen, but for others! For me, you are my friend. If you do something wrong or inappropriate, then stopping you is my personal right. That’s why I am telling you, you did no good by insulting the king like this. What has happened to you? Will you say something?”
Kusumavali kept staring at Madanrekha and after a moment, she started crying loudly! Pushpalata sat on the bed beside her and started caressing her. Madanrekha got out of the room. Priyanka also followed her.
Pushpalata had resolved the king’s mind, but was herself stressed. ‘What did the queen, who never behaved inappropriately with the king, do today! Where did her deep and intense love go? Where did her dutiful queenship go? What has happened to her? What should I even do now?’
Weeping Kusumavali fell asleep. Therefore, Pushpalata also slowly stepped out closing the door of the room. All the friends gathered in the lower section of the palace.
Priyanka said, “Madanrekha, something has happened to the queen’s mind. You should find out what has happened and why has it happened. Only after knowing this, we’ll be able to find some solution. Pushpalata also had the same opinion. Even her eyes were moist due to the humiliation of king.
Madanrekha said, “Mother, don’t cry. Kusumavali has not insulted the king, but she has been possessed by some evil demon. It’s that demon who has done it. I know some mantra healers. I’ll talk to them. The devil has to be removed from the queen’s body!”
“Madanrekha, you seem to be correct! Leave all other work and take up this work first!” Pushpalata said with some confidence.
“Priyanka, Shubhankara and you stay with the queen. Don’t leave her alone at all. Don’t go here and there. I’ll do my work.” Madanrekha left the palace.
Here, Pushpalata and others stepped towards Kusumavali’s room.
***
The dim light of earthen lamps was scattered in Kusumavali’s bedroom. King Sinh entered the bedroom. Kusumavali was sleeping on the bed. On one side, Priyanka was lying on the ground. Kusumavali neither had ornaments on her body nor sandalwood paste. There was no peace on her face like everyday, and the smile on the lips was also missing! The king sat down by her side and kept watching Kusumavali.
It was morning.
Kusumavali’s eyes opened. Priyankara also woke up. Both of them saw the king sitting. Kusumavali’s face turned furious with anger.
“You? Why have you come here now?”
“To ask about your well-being.”
“Didn’t I tell you? I don’t even like to talk to you! You don’t need to come!”
“But why? Any reason?”
“I don’t know!”
“Okay, you don’t know. But there must be a reason, right?”
“What will you do knowing the reason?”
“I will look for a solution.”
“Enough. I don’t need any solution. You get out of here right now!”
Kusumavali got down from the bed.
“Kusum, you are being unreasonable,” saying this, the king got out of the room with a sad heart and face.
Priyankara, who standing in the corner, was trembling. Her heart was shattered into pieces. She burst out.
She was going out of the room when Kusumavali thundered, “Priyankara!”
“Yes, mistress!”
“When I fall asleep, do you sleep too? You have to stay awake! And don’t let the king come here.”
“I can’t do this.”
“What do you mean?”
“What has happened to you, queen? You, who used to worship the king like god, are insulting the king so grossly.”
“I don’t need any advice or lessons, understood? You have to act as per my order.”
“I can never do this!”
Meanwhile, Pushpalata entered the room. Standing outside, she had listened to the entire conversation. As soon as Pushpalata entered the room, Kusumavali immediately hugged her and wept bitterly.
She said, “I don’t know what has happened. I humiliated the king even today. I’m really a sinner. I don’t want to live. I’ll die!”
Pushpalata carefully made Kusumavali sit on the bed.
Caressing her head, she said, “Devi, a demon has entered your body!”
“That’s right. That demon is very fierce!” Saying this, Kusumavali started crying.