We 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...
With each stroke of rowing in the Yamuna river she looked graceful. She looked like a Goddess reincarnated as a simple Das Kanya. Her movements of both arms, her calmness in the big green eyes, her small smile on the lips, her youthful petite body covered in the pink "Angavashtram" (dupatta or shawl), her simple yet cute dimple on the right cheek, her white lilies tugged in her side bun, her long black wavy curly hair, her flowing locks over the forehead on the gentle breeze of air, her golden attire along with golden ornaments all made her more and more graceful in his eyes every single second. The great and mighty King of Hastinapur could not resist her charm and fell in love with her.
Satyabati was rowing her small boat with quite efficiency. Her movements were elegant and dignified. It was very hard to believe that she was just a Das Kanya (from low caste origin). She looked as if someone from a royal family. She was brought up by a well known "Dhibar" (fisherman) family that seemed low caste in Hastinapur. Her very calm and composed persona was contrary to his. He was loosing his calmness of mind while she was completely calm.
After some time they reached the end side of the river.
"We reached our destination, Dev (Mr.)." She told him politely. Her tone sounded like a flow of the river to him.
"But it is not my destination, Devi. Bring me to the other side." Shantanu answered her with a big smile on face.
"Not your destination? But we already came from there?!!" She asked him by lifting her green eyes and slightly tilting her head to the right. She was looking elegant.
"No. I want to go to the other side. It must be my destination." He told her.
She sighed hard. She knew that she could not argue with him.
She struck her row in the mud and effortlessly backed the boat to the other end. She was rowing her boat now to the opposite direction.
He was staring hard at her face. He forgot to even bat his eyelashes or to catch his breath. In his long years of detachment from his wife Ganga he never felt drawn to any other woman. But this girl seemed an exception. She was making him dubious. He was all of a sudden felt all alone. He was now feeling incomplete without his wife. After so long years he felt that he was living like a sage, instead of a King. He forgot about his grown up Son or of his state. He remembered only one thing in mind. This girl. No. He was not lustful. He was just mesmerized by her beauty and gentleness.
"We reached from where we started, Rajan (King)." She uttered by lowering her head.
With a jolt he broke up from his own daydreaming session. He looked back. Yes, they were back from where they started. His chariot with Charioteer Sumedh was standing under the tree. Suddenly he realized something and asked -
"You know me, Devi?!!"
She smiled a little and looked at him while uttering this - "As your people I know you, He Rajan (O King). I have seen you doing charity in my own neighborhood." She lowered her big eyelashes to the floor again as if she was ashamed to admit that her heart was fluttering too. She was dreaming to meet King Shanatu all along her childhood. She worshipped him as her deity. She even vowed to remain virgin till death for his sake. But how could she tell this to him when he was sitting uptight before her?!!
"Kindly give me your name. I am feeling inquisitive." He politely asked about her identity.
"I am Das Raj Putri (daughter of Das King). My name is Satyabati." She folded her palms in front of her face to bow to him.
Satyabati!! What a sweet name!! What a sweet smell!! Suddenly Shantanu became aware of everything. He was experiencing something unworldly. He broke up from his dreams and gently promised her "Devi, I will come back tomorrow. Will you wait for me here?!!"
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She gently nodded her pretty head in areement. It meant that she would do that definitely.
Days passed away. King Shantanu had came to meet Satyabati every single day. She rowed the boat. He looked at her. At first both of them felt quite awkward to talk. But after sometime the ice broke. They talked with each other easily. When he talked about his life story, she sat by putting her palms on her chin. When she talked about herself, he looked at her mesmerized way. They were knowing each other's heart in this way.
But in the meantime his grown up son Debabrata became inquisitive about the well-being of his father. After his mother left him under his father's protection, he loved his father very much. He had nowhere to go except his father in this big world. He was the only solace of Debabrata. Till now and forever.
His father Shantanu also dotted upon his son. But his life story was now changing drastically without the very knowledge of his son.
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Crown Prince Debabrata
Debabrata was pacing upside down in his tent room. He accompanied his father in the "Akher" (hunting). They had to return within tomorrow but his father was still missing. They were here for a fortnight. It was not good to be absent from the capital for so long time. Something could happen. A King or a Crown Prince should not neglect his duties to his state. But his father unwillingly was doing the same. What was going on?!!!
Minister Suroth was trying to assure the Crown Prince that the King was quite capable to save himself. He was a great warrior after all. But a caring and dotting son was not listening to him. His heart was fluttering inside his chest. He felt something bad could happen with his father. He was right. Something bad had happened with King Shantanu. He had fallen in love once again. Now with a girl half of his ages. Satyabati. This Shantanu and Satyabati union would cost Debabrata heavily. And from here we could be able to understand the perspective of our heroine, Amba and the reason of her lifelong agony for Bhism's blunt refusal.
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Okay friends I completed another chapter. Hope you like it. This long back story was necessary to realize mindset of Bhism and the reason of his refusal of Amba. So please don't get bored. Enjoy.
