The whole Surylok (Kingdom of Surya) is decorated like a new bride. It felt like some kind of festival. Everywhere was an atmosphere of joy.
All subjects of kingdoms gather around the palace of their king Surya to celebrate the birth of their new prince.
But inside a palace is a totally different atmosphere from the outside.
"No impossible, Sandhya (Goddess of Twilight)¹ this child can never be mine".
My roar reverberated in the hall. As a look at the newborn in my beloved wife's hand.
"No svami (Husband), He is our child."
"Sandhya", My wife pleaded as she brought that child to show me.
As she came close I saw a very beautiful infant. At this moment he was still asleep in his mothers protection. Looking at him my heart softened a little.
Indeed he was as beautiful as me. If anyone compares us with only our looks then they really think of us as father and son but it's just that there was one big problem.
"How can he be my son Sandhya? Look at him, How can my son be this black?"
I shouted, I felt unbearable pain in my heart, The feeling of betrayal eating my heart out. My beloved wife betrayed me.
If it was before I will never imagine of this but the proof is right in front of me.
Yes, The child in front of me is black, Not just black but as black as charcoal. His colour is like of a shadow.
I looked at my extremely fair complexion, my brilliance, my charm, my uncanny glory and then I looked at him who was cold, dark, and stiff. Other than his looks nothing about him can stand out.
In hope, I looked at my wife "Sandhya" to find an excuse for the child's looks but I only got more disappointed.
How come she, as the goddess of Twilight, is less beautiful than me? She also has an extremely fair complexion like me and our other children. Her beauty is otherworldly with the glow of unreal charm shrouding her.
This child did not have any characteristics of us. I am devastated after confirming this reality.
We gods are not like mortals who pass their characteristics generation to generation and need to have physical relationships between plcouples to move forward the new generation.
We gods use a much more intimate process for bearing a child, God uses their godly spirit to mate with each other for the creation of new life. That's why a child can only have characteristics of the parents, either a single one or a combined characteristic of both of them.
"No, He is your son svami (Husband), He is black because...because..."
My spirit lifted as I heard my wife have a reason, I so madly wanted to hear a reason why this happened. Any reason will be sufficient, At this moment no matter what she says I will believe her. I know my wife will not be unfaithful to me, There may be a big reason behind it.
But my lifted-up spirit was crushed again, As she failed to give any reason for it. I felt hopeless, Severe grief of pain hit my heart.
Because of my anger and pain, my restrained heat becomes volatile, Threatening to run wild.
"Please just look at him once, Hold him and you will find out he is our child svami (Husband)."
"Sandhya" came close to me trying to give me a child for me to hold, Thinking it may convince me to accept this child.
"No, get away from me both of you. Don't come close to me, He is not my child."
Just as she came close to me, I panicked. My power was in a very unstable state right now. If they were too close to me, I couldn't make sure that my heat did not hurt them.
So in a hurry, I used my divine power to push them aside but because of my anxiousness, I wasn't able to control my strength and used a lot more than I wanted to.
*Bang*
*Stump*
My wife flew out and hit the other side of the wall. She never thought that I could attack her, So she was not ready. Still, she managed to protect the baby in her arms but she got very injured as she used all of her divine power to protect the child at last moment.
She slumped from the wall and landed hard on her knees. I even heard the sound of the crushing of bones. A little pool of her blood formed around her as blood started flowing from all of her injuries.
"No, Priye (Dear)...
I did not expect she wouldn't be able to react, Which means she never thought of me attacking her. Realising this huge wave of guilt hit me. While trying to protect her I hurt her even more.
I subconsciously lifted my feet, I wanted to go lift her, check her injuries and heal them but my action halted when I realised what I was doing.
As my emotions agitated to the extreme, My power became too unstable. At this moment, I am like a ticking time bomb, A threat to everyone around me.
I looked at my wife with guilt as I saw hope in her eyes dim and disappointment appeared on her face. When she saw me keep standing in my palace without moving towards her, I couldn't help it. I turn around and am ready to get away from here.
At this moment I have one thing on my mind, Which is to go into my room because that is the only place in the universe which can handle my extreme heat.
But when my actions fell into "Sandhya's" eyes, She became more disappointed, Her sad face straightened up and she burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, Suryadev, how cruel are you? You can even heartlessly attack your wife and newborn, No wonder she leaves you."
"Sandhya" cried out, Her voice filled with anguish, Tears constantly rolling down from her rosy cheeks. Her gem-like eyes filled with a lot of disappointment, sorrow and self-blame?
Hearing her words my footsteps stagnated. I wonder who is she talking about? As she is the only woman in my life I ever loved and got married to but I shake my head this is not the time to think about this as time is running out. I resumed my footstep and increased my pace.
"Sandhya" saw all this and became extremely sad.
'Even saying all of this did not stop him, Why? Do you not love me anymore and stop caring about me? Can't I atleast get benefit of doubt? The man front of me, who can't even bear to see tears in my eyes and now he doesn't even care about my injuries?'
"Sandhya", thought about it. Her whole identity revolves around her husband. She loved her husband so much that she even broke her oath for him, It does not matter if he hurt her. She is just terrified by the thought that her husband does not love her anymore.
"Please svami (Husband), Don't go, It's hurting me, It's hurting me a lot. I can't walk svami (Husband). It does not matter to me, I deserve to be punished for my crimes but at least take our child with you, Take him away from here, Don't let him see me in my current state."
Pleading words of my wife's sorrow-filled voice fell on my ears. I felt excruciating pain in my heart as if someone was hammering my heart with the hammer. For the first time, I heard her crying, pleading me.
I had to use all of my willpower to stop myself from turning around and taking her in my arms. I know if I do that I am just going to harm her and the child more.
So I hardened my heart and ignored all her pleas. I am just about to exit the hall.
"Svami (Husband)!!! Please just take our child from here, Don't punish him for my crime."
"Sandhya" Looked at me, Who was about to exit from the main hall. She pleaded and pleaded but they all ignored by me.
So I hardened my heart and ignored all her pleas. I am just about to exit the hall.
"Svami (Husband)!!! Please just take our child from here, Don't punish him for my crime."
"Sandhya" Looked at me, Who was about to exit from the main hall. She pleaded and pleaded but they all ignored by me.
She looked at the sleeping newborn in her arms and then at my fleeting figure helplessly. All of a sudden all grief and sorrow turned into immeasurable anger.
At this moment she is not my wife but a mother who wanted to protect her child.
"You refuse to accept and even felt disgusted to hold our newborn son, So I as a mother curse you Suryadev, You are never able to take your next son to home or even able to tell his identity as your son to the world, If you do then that child will suffer worst fate can be imaginable."
She in anger cursed me...No she indirectly cursed our next newborn.
"Sandhya!!!"
I roared in extreme anger.
"If you wanted to be curse, Then you should have cursed me, not our next innocent kin."
*Burn*
*Poof*
In fleeting moments of my anger, A speck of golden-coloured power was released from me, which directly burned the gold door and door frame to ashes in a second.
This was a sign that time was up and the next moment all my power will be released, incinerating everything in my surrounding into ashes.
"No...I can't let this happen, Mahadev (Shiva)* I beg you please stop this from happening."
I am frightened, I know in the next second everything I love will turn into ashes, My kingdom, My subjects, My...Childerns and My wife will leave me forever.
I beg my lord to stop this unholy thing from happening. I was desperate to do everything to stop the burst of my power but all my attempts became futile.Just as I lost all hope and closed my eyes miracles happened. Newborn in "Sandhya's" arm feeling his mother's sorrow opened his eyes and directly looked at me with resentment.
As his sight fell on me all my glory, brilliance, and charm vanished. My extreme heat and power also disappeared. Sun in the sky was eclipsed, and the whole world fell into darkness.Feeling the change in myself, I opened my eyes in amazement. I looked at myself, All my glory, beauty and power got lost but it did not make me angry but happy as the worst I imagine had not happened.
I couldn't wait to go to my wife to take her in my arms. It does not matter to me anymore why the newborn is black. After almost losing her, I was reminded of how much I loved her.
I pretty much ran towards my wife, Who was still kneeling on her broken knees but a loud shout from behind stopped me in my tracks. I turn around in surprise to look at the speaker.
"CHHAYA (Shadow)!!! How dare you!!!"
At the burned entrance of the hall was standing a very beautiful woman completely ignoring the residual heat. Both me and my wife looked at her in horror.
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[1] Sandhya is the wife of Surya. Sandhya means evening but I changed it because of the twilight suit here.
[2] Mahadev means God of Gods. This is also the name of lord Shiva.
[3] It's said that only trimurtis can bare the heat if Surya and no one else can. Also Surya is devoted of lord shiva amd even the trisul (Trident) of shiva made using materials come from Surya. Its also has Suryas heat in it.