Ganga's POV:
I know it very well that no mortal can resist by charm. Shantanu is not a bit exception. I need his help as I want to get rid of my curse. And he needs me as I have to deliver his eight sons one after one. Let's see where the destiny takes us.
Shantanu's POV:
I know may be I seem foolish to her as I accepted her proposal without even deeply thinking. But that is not true. I have faith in my love. With my love and affection I will soon let her forget about her proposal. I swear I will feel her life with love and happiness. She can't complain about anything in her upcoming life. Then she can't ever go against my will.
Alas, he did not know that would never going to happen.
Story Unfolds:
"I love you till death do us apart."
Shantanu told it to his newly wedded bride Ganga at the wedding night. She did not believe him as she was aware of their unfortunate love story unlike him. He could not see the future but she could. She was still a Goddess while he was a mere human. She was here just to survive through hazard of her curse.
They married secretly in the river shore of Ganges. But after coming back to Hastinapur they married again. This time lavishly in front of everybody. The masses of Hastinapur got happy to receive this news that at last their kingdom was going to have a queen. They were worried as their beloved King was unmarried and did not produce any offspring for the sake of the state. But now they all were truly relieved to see him marrying a young and beautiful lady. The masses of Hastinapur was truly devoted to their Kings. Hence they had ample reason to be merry.
However after marriage Shantanu did not attend the royal court frequently. He loved to spent his most of the time with his newly married wife Ganga. The ministers and advisors got scared as he was neglecting his duties as a King of the state. They all gathered together and went to meet the chief Minister or "Mahamantri" of their province.
"Pranipat." They bowed to him in unison.
The Chief Minister of Hastinapur was a clever and intelligent man. He was old and experienced too. He was in this post since his father's time. Hence none could doubt his devotion to the state or the royal family.
Chief Minister Suroth nodded his own head in satisfaction. He gestured them to sit down. They obeyed him as usual they always did.
"We have a pressing matter to discuss. The King himself is now neglecting his official duties. The province is under chaos. In this situation we have to decide what to do." The commander in General or Senapati Debal politely maintained.
Suroth looked at him in interest. Then as an experienced person he smiled gently and answered -
"The situation is not so grave. We can approach the King. Even we can try to tackle the rebels all by ourselves."
"But it doesn't change the fact that the King is unable to handle his duties. Does it?!!" Senapati Debal asked him impatiently this time.
Mahamamtri Suroth lifted his eyes to Debal and reciprocated his own view on this regard calmly -
"Give him some quality time with his newly married wife. We all are more or less married. We know what will happen after marriage. And mostly just because our King Shantanu was married we can't afford to change him or dethrone him. He proved his mettle already."
Debal lowered his head to hide his flustered face. He all of a sudden remembered how he hated his job after getting married himself.
Suroth noticed his dilemma and he smiled to his friends. "Let us wait for some time." He suggested.
"How much?!!!" Kul-purohit Ananda asked helplessly.
"Till the Prince take birth." Suroth had
maintained his calmness and reserve while answering this.
....Within a month the news came about the pregnancy of the queen Ganga. The entire state of Hastinapur became colorful. The people were singing and dancing. They all were hugging each other in merriment. All were happy. Except only one. The would be mother herself. She knew that the time of her examination came rapidly to her.
She was caressing her belly lovingly with her hands and looking at the horizon. She knew what was going on now onwards. She was scared for her husband but not for herself. She had already promised someone to save them the pain of roaming into the birth and death circle.
Suddenly someone hugged her tightly from behind and caressed her huge belly lovingly. She knew it was none but her husband. She nested her head on his chest. He pecked on her head and whispered in her ears -
"I love you, Priye."
She lifted her eyes to him and told him calmly - "Don't ever forget your promise."
He frowned for a second and then kissed her lips passionately while uttering this - "I won't."
....The time flied rapidly. This was the day when she was in labor. The old and experienced famous midwife was appointed to her by her husband as he was scared for her security. But she rejected her help. She wanted to give birth all alone. She was very afraid to keep a witness of her deeds.
"Aaahh"
She was tossing and turning her head in frustration. Her pregnant belly was trembling hard. It felt so heavy like a rock to her.
She stretched her legs apart and bent her upper body. She was trying hard to push the baby out of her. But it was not moving an inch.
She clutched her hair in despair. She needed to give birth securely. She just had to.
In the meantime Her husband King Shantanu was pacing outside her private chamber upside down. He was afraid that something bad was going to happen with their baby. He was right. But he did not know that the bad thing was it's mother herself. She had a scheme running in her own mind.
Ganga was now tossing and turning in deep pain. She could not bear this agony anymore. She at this nick of the time clutched her belly and caressed it gently. She closed her eyes and prayed to her mother.
"Please, mother. Reduce my pain. Let me give safe birth to this baby."
Her mother, Devi Saraswati, with a gentle smile on her face appeared in her lotus throne from nowhere. The room got lighted instantly.
"Tathashtu (as you wish)."
A single glowing pink ray came out her outstretched right palm and it entered into her daughter's pregnant womb. With a jolt Ganga realized a massive movement inside her. The baby was at last slipping out of her body.
"Aahhh... Maaaa..."
She fell down limply and in the next moment a faint cry of a baby started to ring on the air. She had given birth to her first born.
She lifted her hands to her forehead to bow to her mother who stopped her and instructed her -
"Don't waste your precious time, Putri (daughter). Get rid of this baby now. Unless it will be too late."
Ganga lifted the baby in her arms and from her second door near her bed she went to the river shore. She then after kissing it's forehead for the last time put it on the water. The baby instantly got drowned. Only some faint sound it could make before it's disapperence from the earth. In the front door of her private chamber her husband was still waiting eagerly for her baby. Shantanu did not know what happened to his first born. Only a maid noticed it and with a horror she bolted towards the chamber of Minister Suroth. She had to inform Mahamantri this pressing news at this moment.
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Amba: A Reincarnation of lust for Love of Bhism
Historical FictionWe are going to see this story from the perspective of Kashi Princess Amba who longed to marry King Shantanu and Ganga Putra Bhism but was brutally rejected by him for several times. What will happen if a 21st century girl, student of Psychology, su...