Prakriti P.O.V
After the assembly, we went into common chamber to get ready for our journey to our Kingdom. Mother was sitting on the chair looking sad, I went to her and took a seat beside her taking her hand in mine. "Mother, what happened, are you not happy with our decision?" I asked her, she looked at me giving me her motherly smile. "I am happy when my children are happy" she stated looking around. "We are happy mother" Arya said giving her a smile. She nodded her head sighing, looking down on the floor. "Mother, something is bothering you" I said when I saw her face scrunched up in pain. "I am giving you and Draupadi the responsibility to take care of my sons" she suddenly said turning her head towards me and glancing at Draupadi for a moment. I frowned looking at her in confusion, everyone stopped their work and circled around us. A tear fell from Mother's eyes, I quickly wiped it away and stared at Mother in torment. "I can not come with you to your new Kingdom" she told us finally as more tears fall from her eyes. I flinched when those words came out of her mouth.
"Mother!"
"Why are you not coming with us?"
Everyone gasped around us in shock. She looked at her children "When I married to your father, this Hastinapur was my home, I am daughter in law of kuruvansh, my place is here by Elder and Sister Gandhari, I can't leave them behind" she explained to us. "But, what about us, How are we going to live without you?" Brother Bhima asked in distress tone. She gave him a small smile "You have your brothers, wife and Prakriti with you, everything will be fine" she responded squeezing my hand when I move my head down, tears threatening to appear in my eyes. I have known her since I was a child, she was also a mother to me and more than that, she cared for me as much as she care for her children, now leaving her behind so suddenly is like an arrow piercing through your heart. I couldn't bear the pain to part away from her. "We need your care and Love, Mother, I don' know what I will do without you" I said as tears started falling from my eyes, she sniffed and wiped my tears putting her hand on my cheek "I am always with you and my children, in your heart" she said pointing towards my heart.
Arya sat on his knees in front of her, pulling her hands in his, tears pooling in his eyes "Without you Mother, How are we going to find our path?" he questioned her, crying in her lap, Mother put her hand on his head and stroke his head gently. "I am not away from you, a mother can never be away from her children" she said crying.
"But Mother--" Brother Bhima started saying but Mother interrupted him and pulled herself in standing position. She went towards Brother Yudhishthira putting her hand on his shoulder "Remember one thing my children, always accept Yudhishthira decision" she said looking at us, We nodded our head in acknowledgement. She turned her frame away and started crying, I stood up from my seat going towards her, she turned around and gave me a watery smile opening her arms and pulling me into her hug, I cried on her shoulder. One by one each pandavas joined us while Draupadi stayed behind shedding tears. We broke the hug and Mother went to Draupadi pulling her in a hug, wiping her tears. "Now go, my children, I will always be with you" she said giving us her smile. One by one we touched her feet in respect and she gave us blessings, putting her hand on our head. I pulled her into hug one last time and she cried on my shoulder.
***
We moved towards the entrance of Castle, everyone was there waiting for our departure, we took blessings from our elders and Brother Yudhishthira moved towards Grandfather Bhishma joining his hands in respect "Grandfather, we shall leave now, with your guidance, we will try to establish Dharm" he said, I turned my eyes away as I remembered that Grandfather is not coming with us. He turned his head and gave Uncle Vidur a look. "I have faith in you son, you will expand the prestige of your ancestors, you will never get distracted from the righteousness" he said, Pandavas looked at each other in confusion.
"Remember son, covetousness is the base of Adharm" he said in firm voice.
Draupadi looked at me with a frown on her face while I stared at nothing in particular. "Collect property but never collect the greed for property, never be envious by other's possessions" Grandfather continued.
"And never brag about your resources, satisfaction and patience will be become your power" he said at last. "Grandfather, are you not coming with us?" Arya asked slowly in fear, Grandfather slowly shook his head "Why didn't you tell us before, we wouldn't have accept the division" Brother Bhima said helplessly looking at Grandfather. "That's the same reason I didn't tell you and you should have your own Kingdom, was more important" he said firmly, Arya move forward and glanced at Elder father, his eyes shining bright with tears "By giving us one Kingdom, they took everything away" he uttered in pain, "No son, Everyone foundation is dignity of power and mine as well, think it like that, by taking everything away from you, Dhritarashtra challenged your capability" Grandfather said with a small smile on his face. "I believe in you that khandavprastha will be the center of the Aryavarta" he said proudly looking at us.
"Who will be with us then, Grandfather?" Nakula asked in dejected tone, Grandfather gave him a smile "King has no one with him besides his people and your people are there" he said gesturing behind us. We turned around and saw number of people standing there with their possessions waiting for us. We looked at each other then at our people who have trust in us that they are ready to leave their home behind. After taking blessings from Grandfather, we sat on our chariot and moved towards our Kingdom. I took one last look at my Mother, Grandfather and Uncle Vidur before the door of Castle closed behind us.
***
We reached khandavprastha with our people, looking around, it was only barren land, forests and mountains, I smiled getting off the chariot and looking at our land of action.
This is our Kingdom now, this is our home.
I turned my gaze towards forest, there were snakes hiding in the forest waiting to attack us. We are not here to chase them out, we are here to share our land with them. I walked towards Brother Yudhishthira and stand beside him "We should start land worship, Brother Yudhishthira" I said, he nodded his head and Draupadi came to us and started the ritual as we stand beside her joining our hands in respect. Suddenly a strong gust of wind flung towards us, lightning flashed in the sky followed by thunder rumbling. Our people looked at the sky in fear, we all knew the story of God Indra, he is the protector of serpent in this place.
Takshak and his army attacked us from the forest, our people started running in different directions in terror to save themselves. "Elder Brother, we have to pick up the weapons and save our people" Arya said looking at the upcoming army. Brother Yudhishthira nodded his head "Panchali, you should stay with our people, Bhima, Prakriti and me will defend our people, Nakula, Sehdev, you both stay with Arjuna" Brother decided, we nodded our head and moved around. I materialized my sword out of thin air slashing the snakes who were attacking our people. Suddenly I saw one snake moving towards Draupadi, I quickly turned in her direction and fling the sword in the direction of snake cutting it in half, Draupadi looked at me in relief and I nodded my head gesturing towards my sword, she understood and pulled the sword from the ground defending herself. I called for my axe and started slaughtering the snakes. When chaos died down, we looked around staring at our people lying on the ground. Draupadi came running, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at the bodies. "Why did it happen, Why does these innocent people died just because they were walking on the path of Dharm" she cried looking at a child's body. I walked towards her and put my hand on her shoulder in reassurance "Calm down Krishne, they are not dead yet" I said, she looked at me startled and I nodded my head giving her a small smile.
"We can bring them back, if we pull the venom out of them" Brother Yudhishthira said in comforting tone. "How are we going to do that?" Brother Bhima asked looking at Elder Brother in confusion. "And the forest itself is elusive" Nakula said looking at the forest where all snakes are hiding now.
"There is only one option, those snakes have protection of God Indra, to save our people we have to fight to the God himself" I said staring at Arya, he looked at me in determination and nodded his head in the end. He has to fight his father for our people. "God Indra is father to you, can you fight against him?" Brother Yudhishthira asked him.
Arya looked at him with sense of purpose "Vedas says that only God Agni is as powerful as God Indra, I will worship him and get my father's love and if I don't then I will die by his hands" he said with fierce look on his face, I smiled and my heart filled with more respect for my husband.
He moved forward and called for God Agni and pointing his bow towards the magical forest, fire erupted from his arrow and attacked the whole forest quickly. Clouds appeared in the sky with lightning, we looked upward in sky where God Indra came into view looking angry. "This forest have my protection, stop your fire" he snapped in annoyance. Arya responded to him with respect trying to make him understand but God Indra use his weapon and rain started pouring from the sky to stop the fire, Arya again use his arrow to call the fire, swallowing the water from the sky not letting it reach to the forest. We all stared at the scene in fascination. In anger, God Indra started attacking Arya mercilessly, my eyes widened when Arya got injured by the assault from his own father and lost consciousness.
I quickly moved towards him in panic sitting beside him "You have to stand up, Arya, you have to" I said , he slowly started moving and stand up on the ground, I stand up beside him and looked at God Indra who was ready with Vajra in his hand. "This is not the fight to show the power, God Indra, Arya is fighting for the life of his people, you cannot use Vajra on him" I said, trying to stop him but he ignored me and attacked Arya with the weapon, Arya responded with his divine weapon to save himself, if both the weapon clashed together they are going to create a heavy explode in the world. I thought of stopping them but halt in my place when I feel Brother Krishna presence nearby. With his sphere, he stopped both weapon in mid air stopping the fight. God Indra looked irritated at the interruption and I signed in relief when I saw him standing on his chariot looking at us with his divine smile adoring his face. He called his sphere back and get off from his chariot coming towards us. A smile appeared on my face, he always came for our aid. "Brother" I said, he smiled and nodded his head. He joined his hand in front of God Indra "With his capability, your son gave you the glory, respect his potential" he said, God Indra vanished from the sky and appeared in front of us. "Vasudeva, I have promised Takshak for the protection" he said looking at the forest.
"Arjuna has also given the promise to his people to save their life" Brother responded, "It will be right if you help your son" Brother continued putting his hand on Arya, God looked at Arya with raised eyebrows "Help cannot be asked by weapons" he said, Arya smiled "I was trying to satisfy you with my art and capability" he said bowing his head in respect, God smiled and nodded his head impressed with his son.
"We will call our Kingdom Indraprastha" Arya announcement in delight in the owner of God Indra. "We need your help in creating our Kingdom" Arya requested, God Indra nodded his head "I will tell Vishwakarma to make a Kingdom for you but before that you have to change this barren land into greenery" he said glancing in my direction. I understood and nodded my head and he vanished from the view.
Arya looked at me with a smile on his face, snakes from the forest slithered towards us and pulled the poison out from our people giving them their life back. "Now, we have to establish our Kingdom" Elder Brother said, our people standing behind us. I looked at my brother with a smile on my face and he nodded his head gesturing towards the barren land. With a smile on my face, I moved slowly towards the barren land calling my earth element in the process, power running in my veins, where I stepped foot, lush trees and plants started appearing on the barren land slowly turning this land into a beautiful place, I went back to my family and people, they looked at me in admiration, I stand beside Arya as our Kingdom started fabricating in front of us by Vishwakarma, we looked at the Kingdom in wonder as our people started cheering for us.
"Indraprastha" I whispered with a smile on my face, Arya took my hand in his as we stared at our home with happiness.