Abandoned Arjuna-Gharani Chitrangada: A Roar Of Revenge

Arjuna's Repent for Chitra

He was sitting alone in his room. The end of Kurukshetra was diminished his will power too. In this great war he had lost many well-wishers of him like Pitamah Bhism and Guru Drone. He himself killed Pitamah or grand-father. Guru Drone was killed by Dhristadhrumna, brother of Panchali Draupadi. But the two murders that were still hunting him were his son Avimanyu's barbarous killing by 7 warriors and his killing of Angaraj Karna. He killed Karna when he was weaponless and helpless drenched in soil and sweat trying to pull out the wheels of his chariot from the ground. When he killed Karna he felt he was avenging Avimanyu but when at night he realized that he had killed his own eldest brother he felt stink of guilt in his heart. It was unjust to kill any warrior without weapon but he had done that. Twice. Pitamah Bhism and Bhrata Karna. The greatest archer of India. Huh!!! Who would ever believe that after his treachery in war??!!

He was laying awake on his bed since those days. He could sleep an ounce. Whenever he tried to sleep three faces hunted his dreams. Two men and one woman. Pitamah Bhism. Bhratashree Karna. And Chitrangada. He had debts to them all. Those two men gave their lives in his hands and bound him in debt of blood. Chitrangada had debt of abuse and abandonment from him.

He got up and looked out of the open windowpane. It was dawn time. Sun was about to rise. But his sun had not come yet.

He sighed hard. He had already lost touch with his wives long. He was leaving alone in his private chamber and accepted his own fate. When he abandoned Chitra, he never went back there. He lost touch of Ulupi too. He did not dare to face her in the fear that she would mock him. He could not gather courage to enquire about Chitra too. Her proud answer was still ringing in his ears "Wait for 20 years. I will send my proof of innocence to you." He ran away from her like a coward and took shelter in childhood sweetheart Subhadra's arms. But after the untimely death of Avimanyu, even she went to exile to her father's place and vowed not to come back.

He sighed again. This time much more loudly. He did not want to marry any of these girls. He was just infatued by Ulupi. He was worshipped by Chitra and begged by Subhadra. Except only Chitra all gave him powerful heirs, including Panchali. But they all were gone now. Subhadra's son Avimanyu was killed brutally at the age of 16. Ulupi's son Iravan died childless and unmarried at the age of 20 in the Kurukshetra war. Draupadi's son Shrutakarma was brutally killed by Acharya Drone's son Aswathhama. Now he remained alone and childless.

His other brothers had left at least one son as their legal heir. They were not left alone like him. Jyestha (elder) brother Karna left Brishaketu while brother Yuddhisthir had Yaudheya from Devika, Princess of Sivi. Bheem's three strong ans powerful grandson's were beer Barbarik, Anjanparvan and Meghbarna, son's of great Ghotakach. (Bheem married demoness Hirimba and he fathered Ghatokatch from her.) Nakul's son named Niramitra whom he fathered with with princess Karenumati, the princess of Chedi and daughter of mightly king Shishupal. Sahadev's son was Suhotra whom he fathered by Princess Vijaya. But he did not have anyone with him. He felt dejected and lost. Only if he had a son to support him.

He missed Avimanyu's mischiefs and Iravan's smile as a father. He was so proud of them. But he was alone. Very very alone.

Suddenly he felt someone's hands on his shoulder. With a jolt he looked back and discovered Lord Vasudeva was smiling at him. With him were Devi Satyavama, Devi Rukshmini and his wife Panchali.

"Whom are you missing, Partha, in this fine spring time??!! Huh?!!" There was a hint of mischief in Vasudeva's tone.

He nodded dejectedly to avoid the answer but this time Panchali asked the same question -

"Madhyam Pandav (Middle Pandu-son) I think Vsudeva is right. You are truly misding someone."

"Good heavens, do you please stop mocking me?!!" Arjuna's voice was unnecessarily loud in everyone's ears.

"Why Partha?!! You are very surely thinking of my sister. Now. Come. Come. Tell me." Lord Vasudeva tried to pester him.

"I am not thinking of Subhadra." He answered truthfully.

"For the first time in your life you are telling the truth, devarji (brother of my husband)."

Someone answered from the farther corner of the room. Everyone stood up in coutesy to honor Karna-patni (wife) Padmavati. She was a magestic and charismatic personality. She too wanted to be Sati on her husband's pyre but stopped due to her young son Brishaketu. Even Draupadi respected her very much for her self-restraint.

"From when I came here, I always saw him deep in thought. He was talking to someone or looking to something, but his mind seemed as if roaming somewhere else. Why so??!!" She sat down gracefully by taking Panchali's hands. They fast became friends.

"I don't know, didi (sister). Ask all by yourself." Panchali anawered her.

Satyavama and Rukshmini looked at Arjuna in interest as they both knew the answer.

Lord Vasudeva patted his friend's shoulder and told him -

"Are you thinking about your mistake, Partha?!!"

"What mistake??!!" He asked.

"Your mistake of abandoning Chitra." His feiend gave the short answer.

"What mistake?!! She was a.."

Before he could even get the chance to complete his whole sentence, his wife Panchali raised a hand to him and told this line -

"Enough. A bad word let towards the downfall of a mighty warrior like Karna. don't utter it again." (At Kuru hallroom, Karna was rumoured to call Draupadi "Beshya").

Padmavati looked at her friend and sister-in-law in gratitude. She also did not want to hear the word.

"Partha, are you sure till now that she cheated you? What proofs do you have in your hands?" Lord Vasudeva asked him in serious tone.

"Evidence??!! What evidence you need ??!! Ulupi saw her in her eyes. isn't it enough?!!" Arjuna asked him.

"Sometimes what you see and what is been shown to you are different. Very very different." Lord Vasudeva told him in similar serious tone.

"And who told you that your Ulupi was telling the truth, devarji?!!" The attack came from Devi Satyavama.

"Why she will lie to me? What will be the reason?!!" He asked again.

"Jealousy, Partha. Pure jealousy." Lord Krishna answered.

"But.." He tried to protest in vain.

Devi Satyvama got up and put her soft arms around his neck. Arjuna was now shocked. What was she doing?!!! In front of her husband??!!

"Now tell me Pati dev (husband), are you jealous?!! Huh??!!" She tilted her neck to her husband Lord Krishna.

"A bit." Lord Vasudeva smiled.

"Didi (sister), you? What will you think of me? Kulta?!! Beshya??!!!" She asked this to Devi Rukshmini.

Devi Rukshmini pouted her face and twisted her nose to prove her anger. She adored this girl as her own sister. Why on earth she would suspect her at all??!!

"See. Even seeing both of us in such compromising situation neither my Didi (sister) nor my Swami (husband) suspects me. But any other person can." Devi Satyavama put her logic.

"What do you mean by that, Devi (madam)?!!" Arjuna asked her.

"I mean husband and wife's relation is based on love and mutual trust. No suspicion can break it apart." She put her case beautifully.

Arjuna narrowed his eyes. Where did he heard the same sentence??!!

Now it's Devi Padmavati's turn. She too opened her mouth to say -

"You truly misbehaved with her. She is clearly innocent and victim of your wife Ulupi's jealousy and lies."

He looked helplessly at Padmavati and then to Panchali who was still silent. She understood the signal and gave a short answer -

'Bring my sister back from Manipur."

His whole world gone dark once again and he collapsed helplessly on the chair. Some questions started to roam in his brain -

Am I mistaken?!! Am I wrong??!! Had I done a sin??!! Was she innocent??!! If yes, then what had I done??!!!

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