The Mythical Mornings

Parvati's Tandav

"You touched my Son..You forgot the curse I bear due to your anger. And cut the head of my child"said Parvati as she looked at Shiva,after the tear of pain of looking at her headless child subsided..

Shiva,Vishnu and rest of the Gods looked stunned. They have seen her anger before. She had been uncontrollably angry before too. But now,she was enraged. She was not angry. She was calm. As calm as volcano.

Shiva could feel the particles vibrating around the Universe. The wrath of Adi Shakti,who would bear it.

Narayana looked at Devi Laxmi. Her expression painful. She was the God of Prosperity. Means life. Growth. With the intense energy shift of Parvati,she was feeling most pain. Because she was the flow of life. Parvati looked at Shiva enraged.

"Again and again,my honour came to stake. I bore it smiling. I danced naked to kill demons whom you Gods blessed with boons. I drank. Drenched my feet with blood. Drank blood. Fed godheads my blood to keep their hunger at bay. And you could only watch. The talks about Stree, Purush and whatnot. You told them. I accepted. But what gave you right to show your anger on a child? You knew it was me inside. You came to meet me. That child called me mother. So who was he to you? How could you rage your trident on a child?"asked Parvati as her eyes looked at the body of the child. He was so innocent. Indefinitely strong. But he just was her child. She had already lost Karthikeya. No matter how much she wished. He was the child of Krithikas. Ashok Sundari had married too. And her heart felt tired. Could she not keep a child with her ever? Was her existence a God or a cursed being?

Narayana gulped. She was summoning a power much more than she could handle. Her love for her son and the pain she was going through had reached something beyond their control. They all knew it. But still did not know at all.

"Devi .."Parvati heard a soothing voice. As if the gentle caress of a mother,as if a sweet scolding from a father..

Parvati looked up. There was a star shinning.

"No matter what happens Devi. You should never forget you are Parvati. The mother of all. You should not loose yourself like this.."the same voice spoke.

Shiva looked at her as she calmed down.

"Devi..Your child would not leave. He would stay with you until the end of this Universe. But still. He would leave you. You are not alone. You have your half in him. Look at him. In him you would find your child too.."they could hear the voice. But it was like an echo. Coming out of nowhere.

Shiva knew. He had faint idea. Whom did that voice belong. But he did not speak.
 
The voice did not speak again. But they could feel the faint flow of life in the child lying there.

Soon,the Devas started looking for a suitable head for the headless God child. And found the head of an elephant child.

But it was actually a demon elephant. He had performed austerity for too long. And was about to cross the threshold to gain boon from Gods. But somehow he was transformed into a baby elephant sleeping near a mother..

Before he could realise the Devas had already cut his head and fixed it on the child of Devi Parvati. The child woke up. Soon boons after boons followed the miracle child.

But the child gritted his teeth as he could not control the anger he felt thinking about someone squeezing him into a small elephant. He was a gigantic demonic form. But now. He was a child and near him were Shiva and Parvati..

Someone afar smiled.

Now,this elephant would cause no problem. Because Ganesha was indefinitely strong. With Devi Parvati's love. Slowly he would digest the vast knowledge inside the head of the elephant and would be the guiding light of his realm..

After all chaotic time was approaching. That is why someone moved personally.

One day,Devi Parvati sat near her son and talked..

"Son..Do you have some recollection of that existance,who killed that demon?"Parvati asked..

Ganesha was not shocked. It did not take a long time for Paravti to connect dots. Gods had the power to give boons. But how it was fulfilled,it was not in their hands. That is why,she often hesitated to give promises. But her husband was quite opposite. Every God,except Narayan and Parvati were expert in giving boons and creating mess. But something was there to balance it out.

"Mother. I saw. But I have no recollection. Just. I feel I have seen a youth in white. But how did they look,I cannot quite recall"said Ganesha..

Parvati sighed..

"But as much as I recall. They sat nearby. Even chatted between themselves. There was an animal with them. They chatted. When they sat,the little demon was just a child. Wandering. But as they talked. It just sat, listening. Then suddenly it was squeezed. To a tiny elephant. And it's head came to me"said Ganesha..

Parvati nodded. She could understand few things. But she dared not define. There was no define. A parent would never harm children. That everyone knew.

Narayana smiled hearing Ganesha's explaination. He had come to meet his dear nephew.

Parvati looked at her brother and both exchanged a knowing glace. At times even Shiva could not understand this pair of siblings.

"It seemed,somewhere,someone lost their child. And it made something move. Sister. Whoever it is. They must be very special to that existance.."Narayan said as both brother and sister stood. Looking at the snowy cap of the mountains..

Somewhere far away,a blurry figure stood,as two children broke a woman. They almost drained her blood to gain power. And foolishly she gave..To help her lover grow up. But little did she know. Her lover was no longer the same.

The blurry figure closed its eyes. Was it right to get close to someone mortal? Of course she was not mortal. But for him she was mortal.

But he was already close. And it was not just her. He saw many. Some less,some more in pain. Why not bear it all. Why not take it all? Drink the poison.

To seek an answer he had travelled all around. But he never saw any place as heartless as that. She was about to die. All he could assure her was a future. If she willed. But would she look beyond,was the question..