Midnight Drabbles

Of Fathers

"HOW DARE HE? WITH WHAT SHAME DOES HE COME BACK TO CLAIM THE CHILDREN AFTER HE ABANDONED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE?" Santanu yelled at the minister.

Sharadvat had come back to claim the now six month old Kripa as his son.

The child and his twin, Kripi were discovered on a stack of heath near Sharadvat's stranded hut in the forest when Santanu had left for a hunting expedition there. Finding no claiming authorities, he had taken them under his wing and raised them since as his own children.

"He wants only Kripa, your Majesty. He said son." The minister corrected him.

"Of course." Santanu scoffed. "What more did I expect from him? He just wants his name and lineage to be taken forward. Not the child."

"It was by pure luck, Mantriji," He said, "that the children weren't harmed. They were left there. Alone. For nearly two days without a guardian. If not by hunger, they could've been killed by the wild animals. How does such neglectful specimen of father come back for claiming the child?"

The minister remained silent for a while. True that. The children didn't deserve him. More than that he had himself seen his king crave to raise a child of his own and he knew that this ran deeper through him than anyone.

"He's quite adamant, your Majesty. We can't settle him. Any suggestions, please." The minister pled.

"Ask him to meet me at my personal office, at the sixth prahara." Santanu said, after calming himself.

How simple was it for few, he thought, to abandon their child when he needs his parents the most and then run back in to claim the child.

Sharadvat was a Brahmana. If he wanted, he could easily lead the people against Santanu, even though he was the king and get the custody of the children and Santanu wouldn't even have a voice against that.

He sighed as he looked at the chamber of his new children, the babies, Kripa and Kripi. Did he have to give them away?

•••

"SO THERE WERE TWO?!" Santanu heard a loud voice from his office as he walked towards it, with the babies in his arms. He guessed that it was of Sharadvat's.

"Yes sir. A son and a daughter." An unsure voice, which Santanu knew belonged to his attendent, answered.

"A daughter?!"

Santanu entered the room, with his majestic aura lighting up the place as if in an instance.

"Kripi." He said to the brahmana.

"Huh?" Sharadvat turned to look at the King and froze at the sight of the kids.

"The daughter's name. Kripi." Santanu pointed at the son. "And the son's Kripa."

Sharadvat stood wordless as he watched the King signal the guards outside. The babies were perched on his arms, comfortably, pulling his robes and jewellery from time to time.

Kripa and Kripi. Sharadvat's children already had a name. They were taken up by another man as his children. Getting the best of all amenities and resources as they grew up, for they were adopted by the King himself. What right did he have over those two little sentients anymore?