In the Wake of the War

Chapter-10

How dare they call him family?!?! What right did they have?

Vrishaketu was fuming. Only an embrace from his mother could calm him now.

Vrishaketu stormed into his mother's chambers only to stop abruptly as he came face to face with the Dread Empress Draupadi(as he had taken to calling her in his head) and the Princess Subhadra who seemed to be on their way out of the chambers. Of his mother's chambers.

He gaped at them.

The Dread Empress stopped to give him a brief smile and then swept away. Princess Subhadra put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I hope your stay here has been comfortable so far."

"Ye-es." His shock made him stutter out.

"If you need anything, just ask." Saying this, she followed her sister-wife out.

Vrishaketu stared at the departing women and then turned to stare at his mother.

"Was that the Princess Subhadra and the Dread Empress?"

Vrushali raised an eyebrow. "Dread Empress?"

Vrishaketu flushed. He hadn't meant to say that bit out loud.

"I--Ah--It's just something-something I-- Can we please forget that?" Vrishaketu pleaded.

Vrushali snorted. "As long as you don't call her that to her face."

"No no of course not." He said hurriedly. Then he remembered what he had actually been asking.

"Why were they here?"

"Oh they wanted to get to know me apparently. If we are to coexist peacefully we must get to know each other, since it seems we might continue coming here just as often as we did with Radheya. We must get along after all."

"And do you? Get along?"

"Oh, don't look so upset, dear." Vrushali told her son, who now had a scowl on his face. "I can hardly deny the Samrangi anything, and besides, while I am not fond of them, they are not actually terrible people."

Vrishaketu huffed in displeasure and flopped on the bed.

Vrushali sat beside him "I see you didn't outright disagree. I take it you got permission for Radha Ma and Adhirat Baba to come here then?"

"Yes but-- they are unbelievable!! Especially the Samrat! Out of nowhere, he's just like 'allowances are always made for family.' I cannot believe him!! Family indeed!"

"Well they've lost--killed--", She corrected, upon seeing Vrishaketu's glare, "Most of their family, so I assume they are desperate to keep all parts of whatever family remains, close."

"Why, so they can all be swept up in their family drama and be killed as well?"

Vrushali sighed.

"Consider the fact that they have lost all their children and you are the only male of your generation left alive."

When Vrishaketu didn't reply, Vrushali pursed her lips tightly, as if wondering whether to say the next words. She seemed to reach a conclusion.

"Did you know, after your father died, I had very much considered doing Sati."

Vrishaketu's head snapped up, fear and disbelief filling his heart. He grabbed his mother's hands as if to prevent her from disappearing in a terrible puff of smoke.

His mother would have committed Sati?! He-- he could have been left all alone?! He could not believe it. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"What are you saying, Ma?! What-what are you saying?! Surely this cannot be true?"

"But it is. The love of my life had just died. My other half had just died. The pain-- I almost couldn't bear it. I was even getting ready for it. I had taken the ritual bath. Instead of dressing in the Widow's white and ochres, I had worn your Father's favourite sunny colours, I had not worn any jewellery except my chudamani. I was just about to tell the maids to make the remaining preparations."

"No," Vrishaketu said, violently shaking his head. "No, that's not possible, it's simply not--"

Vrushali pulled away her hands from Vrishaketu's and instead cupped his face and wiped away the tears that had rolled down his face.

"But then I thought of you." She said and silenced him. "I thought of you and I thought of how alone you would be. You had lost your father. And you had lost all your older brothers. You would be all alone. I could not let that happen. I could never let that happen. So I stopped. Because of you. You are my reason to live, my dear. Without you, I am nothing now."

Vrishaketu let out a sob and clutched his mother tightly. He had come so close to losing her without even knowing it.

They stayed like that for a long time. Wrapped up in each, the only one each had left in the world.

Eventually his mother pulled away to look Vrishaketu in the eye. He reluctantly let go.

"You see my dear, it was you who inspired the will to live in me. It can only ever been a child who does so. And the pain of losing a child... Losing so many children.... "

Vrishaketu reached forward to wipe the wetness out of his mother's eyes, before the tears even had the chance to form fully.

Vrushali smiled weakly.

"What I meant to say was, that I am not the only one who has gone through this pain. Mata Gandhari has. Your kuru kakis have. Millions of others have. And so have the Pandavas."

"Ma... "

"I just told you about how it was only you whose presence kept me alive. That's what a child's presence is like. The Pandavas have lost all their sons as well. They probably want to get to know you to lessen some of that pain. Although... " Vrushali said thoughtfully, "I'm not sure all of them even realise the reason yet."

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