"I have survived. But I have not been spared."
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I watch as the lady braids my hair and I cannot beleive she was the girl who braided my hair when I was married.
She was so young then. So pretty. Her skin was as fair as snow. Glass bangles clinking on her wrists. She had this mischevious smile. She was just on the cusp of womanhood but sindoor had already been drawn through her hairline.
Bheem found her now and brought her for the rajasuya yagna. For me.
"You look beautiful rajkumari." she had said then, eyes widening and blushing.
Now she is old her face lined with age, her hair curling and grey.
I have not aged due to my blessing.
But what use is appearing young when your heart is dead?
She does not say a word. Not a word.
I understand what she doesn't say. I can see it in her face. All she has for me now is
Pity.
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The rajasuya yagna takes place in the same hall I was thrown in, my saree disheveled, the hands of Dushasana on my silk.
Yudhithra is crowned and Gaandhari walks in. She walks like the grief she wears is heavier than her blindfold.
How could I not understand her pain? I lost my sons too.
She stares straight at Krishna. She can't see. But she faces Krishna straight.
Her voice isn't powerful, it isn't loud, it doesn't even sound venomous. She sounds like a girl, a lost girl.
"Krishna, you knew what would happen. You knew this would happen. You saw the ending before all of us could even imagine the possibility of anything bad happening."
"You knew what would happen and you let it happen."
"You could have changed it all if you wanted to. Everything. Every single thing. But you didn't. You let us bleed. You let us grieve. You let us scream. You let us lose everything. Every single thing."
"I curse you Vasudev Krishna, Your clan will find it's end just like us. Your own people will fall as mine did. Your kith and kin will rot from inside finding it's devastating end. You Krishna, king of the Yadavas will find a lonely death"
"I swear on everything I know that this will come to pass."
There's no sound after everything she said. Only silence. I feel as if the world is spinning beneath my heels. I'm going to faint.
Arjuna shouts "Mata Gaandhari no, You can't condemn Krishna to sorrow. You can't do this mata. What are you doing?" his voice shakes, his body trembling.
Krishna smiles and walks to blinded queen and places his hand on her shoulder. "So it will happen to my mother's desire."
Gaandhari then holding on Krishna sobbed, her tears wetting his chest. He gently held her wiping her tears with his angavastra.
How does it feel to be consoled by a god you've just cursed?
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Draupadi
Ficción histórica--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dharma was the cloth I held closest. I was draped in dharma. No one could ever take that from me. No amount of pu...
