In the Wake of the War

Chapter-21

They accompanied their mother to Mata Gandhari's Shivamandir the next day.

There she sat, the eldest Kuru Rajmata, her lips moving silently as she read the Rudraksha beads in her hand before the Shivalinga. Taatshree sat beside her, his eyes closed and hands joined in prayer. They were surrounded by some of their daughter in laws, including Bhanumati who was the first to notice their presence.

Her somewhat peaceful expression was immediately replaced by a rather pinched one as she nudged her co-sisters in law beside her.

"Mata? Pitashree?" She called out. Gandhari and Dhitarashtra turned to them. "I think we'll be leaving now. We'll join you again in a few hours."

Just as well, Arjun thought, as much as it pained him to see their sisters in law practically running at the sight of them. It will be easier to apologise to both parties separately.

"Ah yes." Taatshree said. "We have five guests accompanying Kunti today."

Right. Of course. Bhanumati Bhabhi had not been the first one to notice their presence. Arjun was still somewhat amazed and somewhat creeped out by Taatshree's ability to hear even the most silent footsteps and figure out exactly how many people were present and who they were.

As their sisters in law left, Mata Gandhari turned towards them with a rather blank face.

"What can we do for you?" She asked in a monotone voice.

"Nothing!" Bhrata Yudhishtir said hurriedly. "We have come here to talk."

"Talk?" Mata Gandhari asked, the barest note of derisiveness in her voice. It might have gone undetected in anyone else's voice but in the voice of Mata Gandhari who had been nothing but kind to them since they had first arrived in this Palace, Arjun could hear it all too well.

"What is there to talk about, your Majesties?"

Oh yes. Now the derisiveness was there for everyone to hear. Arjun winced.

"You haven't spoken to me in actual decades. Not even for years before the dice game. You lot hardly ever came to visit from Indraprastha given that Kunti eventually went to live there and even when you did, you spoke to Taatshree Bheeshma, your Guru Drona, Vidur, rarely to my husband and never to me. And now, you've come to talk."

The brothers exchanged looks amongst each other realising in dismay that what she said was true. Even since the war they had only seen her and never spoken to her in shame and they had heard her speak only when she had cursed Madhav. That memory still made Arjun's insides shrivel up so he did his best to forget it for now.

Regardless, it was true that they had not actually spoken to her properly in decades and coming here right now.... after killing all her sons and grandsons..... well. He could certainly understand her derisiveness.

Taatshree put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her and she took a deep breath.

"What do you want to talk about?" Taatshree asked with a very obviously fake smile.

The Pandavas all stared at each other. Had this really been such a good idea? Arjun started to wonder.

"My sons wish to apologise." Their mother said when none of them said anything and the silence had started to get awkward.

"Your sons are capable of saying so themselves, I presume?" Gandhari said in a cutting voice. Kunti pursed her lips but remained silent. And well. This... sort of... falling out between Mata Kunti and Mata Gandhari was another result of the war, but as awful as Arjun felt about it.... he supposed this was to be expected.