Chapter 283 - 281: Someone Who Can Make Sage Naradha To Run Away...

(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

Guys I hope you put more comments and power stones... Which will encourage me...

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After several days of travelling,

Kunti finally arrived at the gates of Hastinapur with her five sons.

Mahamantari Vidura had personally travelled all the way to Shatashringa to bring them back, refusing to leave such an important responsibility to an ordinary messenger.

The journey had been quiet for the most part, with Kunti spending much of it beside her sons and answering their questions about the city they were about to enter.

None of the five boys had ever seen Hastinapur before.

For them, it was simply the place their father had once ruled.

As their chariot approached the massive gates,

Yudhishthira sat quietly, taking in everything around him.

Bhima leaned forward with barely concealed curiosity, while Arjuna’s eyes moved from the enormous walls to the towers and the soldiers standing upon them.

Nakula and Sahadeva remained close to Kunti, occasionally looking at one another whenever they noticed something particularly impressive.

Then the gates began to open.

The enormous doors slowly moved apart, revealing a sight that immediately caught the attention of all five brothers.

A huge crowd had gathered outside.

Citizens had filled both sides of the road, many carrying flowers, lamps and offerings.

Some had come simply to see the sons of the man they had once called their king.

"Pandu’s sons..."

The words began spreading through the crowd.

"The Pandavas have returned."

"Look, those are the princes."

"May they be blessed."

The five boys looked around curiously.

They had never experienced anything like this.

People they had never met were smiling at them.

Some folded their hands.

Others raised their voices in blessing.

There was no hostility in those faces.

Only affection for the memory of their father.

Kunti watched silently from inside the chariot.

She understood why.

Pandu had been loved by the people of Hastinapur.

Whatever had happened later in his life, the citizens had not forgotten the king he had once been.

Vidura’s chariot slowly passed through the gates, and the crowd continued to watch until they disappeared inside the palace grounds.

Once they entered the royal palace, the atmosphere became quieter.

The chariot came to a stop.

Vidura stepped down first before helping Kunti and the boys descend.

Kunti barely had time to look around before Rajmata Ambika approached her.

"My child..."

Ambika’s voice broke as she opened her arms.

Kunti immediately stepped forward and embraced her.

Neither woman needed to say much.

They were both grieving the same man.

Ambika held Kunti tightly, tears running down her cheeks.

"Pandu should have returned with you."

Kunti closed her eyes.

"I know."

Rajmata Ambalika came next.

The moment she saw Kunti, she couldn’t hold herself back.

She embraced her with trembling arms.

"My son..."

Her voice broke completely.

Kunti could feel the grief in her.

She had already lost Pandu once when the curse forced him away from Hastinapur.

Now she had lost him forever.

Kunti gently held her.

"He remembered all of you."

Ambalika began crying again.

"That foolish boy..."

She wiped her tears.

"He should have lived longer."

Behind them, the five boys stood quietly.

They had never seen these women before, but they could tell from their expressions that they had loved their father.

Then another group approached.

King Dhritarashtra came forward with Queen Madri beside him.

Dhritarashtra’s face carried a deep sadness.

He stopped before Kunti.

"Come home, Kunti."

Kunti folded her hands.

"Maharaja."

Dhritarashtra nodded.

"You and the boys are not strangers here. You are family."

His voice became heavier.

"Pandu may have left us, but his sons will not be left without a place in their father’s kingdom."

Kunti lowered her head respectfully.

"Thank you."

She looked at Kunti for several seconds before approaching her and embracing her.

Kunti’s eyes immediately became moist again.

Madri gently held her.

"I am sorry, Kunti."

Her voice was soft.

"You have lost your husband, and the boys have lost their father. No words I offer can lessen that pain, but you should know that you will not have to face it alone."

Kunti nodded against her shoulder.

"Thank you."

Madri slowly released her.

Her eyes then moved toward the five boys.

They were standing together, watching the adults around them with open curiosity.

Madri’s expression softened.

"So these are Pandu’s sons."

Kunti nodded her head.

"Yes."

Madri stepped toward them.

Yudhishthira immediately stepped forward and respectfully bowed.

"Pranam."

Madri smiled and placed her hand gently upon his head.

"May you always remain truthful and righteous."

She then turned toward Bhima.

The boy stood slightly straighter when she approached.

"May your strength always protect your family."

Bhima nodded seriously.

Arjuna came next.

Madri smiled at him.

"And may your skill always be guided by wisdom."

Finally, she blessed Nakula and Sahadeva, placing a hand upon each of their heads.

The boys looked at her with curiosity.

They had heard about Hastinapur.

They had heard about their father’s family.

But this was the first time they had actually stood among them.

Dhritarashtra listened quietly as his wife blessed the boys.

For a moment, his expression softened.

Pandu’s sons had returned.

His brother might be gone, but his blood remained standing before him.

The palace servants and guards watched respectfully from a distance, while Vidura stood nearby, quietly observing the reunion.

Kunti looked around the palace courtyard.

She had returned to Hastinapur after years away.

But this time she wasn’t returning as the wife of a king.

She was returning as a widow.

And beside her stood five young boys who carried the blood of the Kuru dynasty.

Indra Lok...

Meanwhile, in Indra Lok,

Lord Indra was beginning to wonder whether he had made a serious mistake by allowing Sage Narada into his private chamber.

Narada was standing in front of him with an expression that Indra had rarely seen on the sage’s face.

The man who normally travelled between the realms with a smile,

A veena in his hand and some piece of gossip that could potentially create trouble for half the gods was now looking genuinely troubled.

Indra rested his chin against his hand and stared at him.

"Let me make sure I understood you correctly,"

He said slowly.

"You came all the way to Indra Lok because a young woman is following you around, and according to her, you are her father."

Narada nodded his head seriously.

"Yes."

Indra stared at him for another few seconds.

"Sage Narada... you do understand that you have never been married."

"I am painfully aware of that."

"You have spent most of your existence as a Brahmachari¹."

"Also aware."

"You don’t have any children."

"That is exactly what I have been trying to explain to her."

Indra leaned back against his throne, still looking at him with disbelief.

"Then why does she think you’re her father?"

"If I knew that, do you think I would be standing here asking you to hide me?"

Indra almost smiled.

"Fair point."

The whole situation had begun roughly an hour earlier, when Narada had been travelling peacefully through one of the celestial regions.

He had been minding his own business for once, which in itself was something of a rare occasion, when a young woman had suddenly appeared in front of him.

She had looked at him for a few seconds and then, without the slightest hesitation, called him father.

Narada had naturally assumed she had mistaken him for someone else.

He had calmly explained that she had approached the wrong person.

The woman had simply looked at him and said that she knew exactly who he was.

That was when things had started becoming strange.

Narada had tried walking away.

She followed him.

He had changed his route.

She changed hers.

He had tried using his divine abilities to move to another location.

Somehow, she had found him again.

At one point, Narada had even hidden himself among a group of travelling sages, convinced that there was no possible way she would find him there.

She had found him within minutes.

That was when the great Sage Narada had finally reached a conclusion he had never expected to reach in his long existence.

He was running away from a woman.

And the worst part was that she was claiming to be his daughter.

Narada had never imagined himself in such a situation.

He had loved someone once, long ago, and had been rejected so thoroughly that even thinking about the incident made him want to change the subject.

After that, he had continued his life as a Brahmachari, travelling from one realm to another and involving himself in the affairs of gods, sages, kings and Rakshasas.

Marriage had never happened.

Children had certainly never happened.

Yet here he was, standing inside Indra’s palace, asking the lord of the heavens for a place to hide.

Indra looked at him again.

"So you have absolutely no idea who she is?"

"None."

"Could she be lying?"

"Possibly."

"Could she have mistaken you for someone else?"

"I thought that at first."

"And now?"

Narada sighed running his forehead.

"Now I’m not sure."

That answer made Indra’s amusement disappear for a moment.

"Why?"

"Because she knows things about me that she shouldn’t know."

Indra’s expression became more serious.

"What kind of things?"

"Personal things."

Narada rubbed his forehead.

"Things that even some of the gods don’t know. She knows about my past, places I have visited, things I have said and even certain incidents that happened long before she should have existed."

Indra frowned hearing it.

"That is unusual."

"Very."

"And you still don’t know who she is?"

Narada shook his head.

"Not yet."

Indra was about to say something when Narada suddenly looked toward the entrance.

His entire expression changed.

Indra noticed immediately.

"What?"

Narada didn’t answer.

He simply stared at the corridor.

A faint sound of footsteps could be heard approaching from outside.

Narada slowly turned toward Indra.

"She found me."

Indra blinked.

"You mean she followed you here?"

"I told you she was persistent."

"You came to Indra Lok!"

"I know where I came."

"You travelled across realms just to escape her!"

"Yes."

"And she still found you?"

Narada gave him an irritated look.

"Are you going to help me or continue asking questions?"

Indra had to suppress a laugh.

"Where are you going to hide?"

Narada looked around the chamber.

His eyes eventually settled on one of the large pillars near the side of the hall.

Indra stared at him.

"You cannot be serious."

Narada was already moving toward it.

"Just don’t say anything."

"You’re Sage Narada."

"I know."

"You can disappear into another realm."

"I know."

"You can travel faster than most beings in creation."

"I know."

"And your brilliant plan is to hide behind my pillar?"

Narada glanced back at him.

"Unless you have a better idea, yes."

Indra shook his head, trying not to laugh as Narada positioned himself behind the pillar.

The footsteps became clearer.

Then a young woman’s voice came from the corridor.

"Father?"

Narada closed his eyes.

Indra’s eyebrows rose.

The woman entered the chamber.

She looked around for only a moment before her eyes immediately settled on the pillar.

A small smile appeared on her face.

"There you are."

Narada slowly leaned out from behind the pillar.

He looked at her.

Then at Indra.

Then back at her.

"I have no idea why you keep calling me that."

The woman folded her arms.

"Because you are my father."

Indra looked between the two of them.

Narada’s expression became increasingly frustrated.

"I have told you already, I am a Brahmachari. I have never married, and I certainly have never had a child."

The woman smiled.

"That may be what you believe."

Narada frowned hearing her.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she looked toward Indra.

"Lord Indra, I apologize for disturbing your court. I only came here because my father ran away from me."

Narada immediately protested.

"I did not run away from you."

Indra looked at him.

"You travelled across three celestial regions and hid in my palace."

Narada paused as his hair which resembles antenna twitched.

"...I relocated."

The woman laughed.

Indra finally lost his composure and started laughing.

Narada stared at him in disbelief.

"You are supposed to be helping me!"

"I am trying,"

Indra managed between laughs.

"No, you’re enjoying this."

"Maybe a little."

Narada sighed and rubbed his forehead.

For perhaps the first time in his incredibly long existence, Sage Narada genuinely had no idea how the situation before him was going to end.

And judging by the smile on the young woman’s face...

She knew something he didn’t.

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(Author note:)

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