Mahabharata Katha

1. The News

"Yesss!" Suthanu exclaimed after finishing reading the scroll. Her brothers raised their eyebrows, wondering what news had come.

"What is it, Thanu?" Abhimanyu stretched his hand to take the letter.

"No!" Suthanu took it away from him, "first tell me what I will get after I give it to you!" Her doe eyes suppressed mischief.

"Whatever you want, Your Highness!" Abhimanyu smiled, bowing to his sister in mock courtesy which made Suthanu roll her eyes.

"Sure?"

"Without a doubt! Is there anything I can refuse you?" Abhimanyu grinned.

"Listen, then, this letter has come from Upaplavya."

"Upaplavya?" The brothers exclaimed together.

"The capital of Matsya kingdom? But why would a letter come from there to us?" Prativindhya wondered aloud.

"Because Matsya is the place where our very existence belong to, at this moment!" Said the princess of Indraprastha.

"Our existence is our parents, Thanu!" Shrutakarma said.

"Undoubtedly! And that is what I meant!" Suthanu smiled a meaningful smile.

"Wait, you, you mean that..." Shatanika rose on his feet in excitement, but could not finish, fearing that his expectation was not true.

"You mean our parents are in Matsya?" Shrutasena finished his brother's line.

"You guessed it right, Bhrata!" Suthanu nodded with emphasis. "They spent the last year of incognito there in disguise."

"This means the thirteenth year has been over!" Sutasoma was impatient as well as emotional, "that intolerable wait has seen its end!"

"It is over, Bhrata! They have successfully completed the terms of exile that was decided in that cursed dice hall!" Anger flashed in Suthanu's eyes. But she controlled it immediately and smiled to her brothers, "we are going to meet them soon!"

"Really?" Sarvaga jumped out of his seat, almost falling down before Yaudheya held him in his arms.

"When are they coming?" Niramitra eagerly asked.

"Wait Mitra, I sense there is even more! Is not it so, Thanu?" Abhimanyu narrowed his eyes, "otherwise you would not have taken a promise from me!"

"Who can hide anything from you, dearest Shishya of Mama Krishna!" Suthanu sighed in mock despair and simultaneously beamed in pride, for her brother's unmatched intelligence.

"You are going to get married, dear brother!" Suthanu said lovingly, handing over the scroll to him.

"Me...getting...married?" Abhimanyu's mouth stayed wide open for a while. Meanwhile, Prativindhya took the scroll from his hands.

"Yes! To the princess of Matsya!" Suthanu nodded.

"Thanu, don't try to pull my leg!" Abhimanyu tried to hide his emberassment, "How can a marriage proposal come for me while my elder brothers are still unmarried?"

"But it has indeed come, Abhi!" Prativindhya has finished reading by then, "Pitashri Arjuna has proposed your marriage to the daughter of king Virata. And all the elders have accepted it." He patted Abhimanyu with a wide smile, "You are soon going to enter a new phase of your life, dear! Congratulations!"

"Congratulations, Abhi!" Sutasoma embraced Abhimanyu tightly.

"Softly, Bhrata! I will die by this expression of your love someday!" Abhimanyu exclaimed. Everyone patted him and laughed aloud before joining in their special group hug.

Today they had laughed their hearts out. After thirteen years!

***

"Bhrata!" Suthanu called thoughtfully, but Abhimanyu did not listen. He sat extremely confused in front of a small mountain of collections of precious wedding outfits and jewlary. It seemed to him like the entire Dwaraka had sent gifts for his wedding. The valiant warrior did not know how to come out of this vyuha of gifts.

"Bhrataaaaa!" Suthanu raised her voice.

"Yes, what?" Abhimanyu somehow managed to utter from his trance.

The pampered sister of thirteen brothers pouted, "What Bhrata, you are so lost in Uttara Bhabhi's dream that are not even listening to me?"

Abhimanyu lifted his eyes to his pouting sister, a bit emberassed. "Thanu, I'm stuck with Maa's order to choose one from all these, don't you see my problem?"

"Well, give yourself a break from this choosing thing for a while." Prativindhya said, "We need your opinion to plan out something."

"What plan, Jyeshtha?" Abhimanyu raised his eyebrow.

"Do you even remember that Pitashri's birthday is coming, even before your wedding tithi?" Suthanu asked.

"Oh yes, right!" Abhimanyu left his seat in excitement, "how could I forget Jyeshtha Pita's birthday?" He bit his tongue.

"Relax, Abhi," Prativindhya placed an arm on his shoulder, smiling calmly, "There is still time. We just need to plan it soon."

"What plan we are making? Any idea?"

"I suggested to arrange remarriage between Jyeshtha Pita and Maa, which our honourable Rajkumari denied." Shrutakarma informed.

"Yes I did." Suthanu nodded, "Because it's his birthday, not marriage anniversary."

"That's also correct." Suhotra nodded, "But what can we gift to him then?"

"We have to give him something that will make him smile after thirteen years!" Abhimanyu could not resist a sigh. He could never forget his beloved Jyeshtha Pita's face before leaving for exile. The pain, shame and guilt his face held then had been still pierced within his heart like an arrow. He dearly wished to heal his pain, as he always used to do in his childhood.

Everyone else nodded in assent.

"I'm sure that our very sight will do." Prativindhya said, "And Abhi's marriage will add to his pleasure for sure."

"It will. But still, it has to be more happy for him." Sutasoma added, "Like, I will cook his favourite dishes?"

"And I can decorate the entire palace for the celebration!" Shatanika was excited.

"I too will help you, Bhrata." Niramitra added.

"All these are fine. But have we thought about the one who could draw smile immediately from Pitashri? Someone who also has lost her smile thirteen years ago, just like him?" Suthanu looked at her brothers.

"Who you are talking about?"

"Devi Maa!"

Chocked in emotions, all the princes fell silent for a while. The realisation had dawned upon them that they would have to make them reunite again. And nothing else can be a better gift for both the sides!

"You are right, Thanu!" Shrutasena nodded slowly, "We must not forget how intensely our mothers have been missing our fathers! We have to make them reunite in a very special way!"