Ding...
The host received the blood essence of Ganga, the goddess of purity. Your aura of the born king is hidden by this blood essence, the hosts demi-god level bloodline is also purified a little and the hosts also gains a little affinity with water.
Congratulations to the host who unlocked Presence control
Congratulations to the host for purifying the bloodline to the extreme. Gaining the Supreme-level flawless bloodline.
Congratulations to the host as you received a super affinity with river water bodies and most of the water dwellers.
Karna was stunned when he saw the rewards issued by the system. He never thought that he would receive the essence. He doesn't know what it is but seeing the system notification, it was definitely not a small thing.
He was also surprised to get another notification this early but then he became a little annoyed. Suddenly he noticed
"Wait, What happened to her?"
His gaze fell on the Ganga, now his adopted mother. The sight he saw shook him to his core.
At this moment, her face was exhausted. Between her eyebrows was also an aura of tiredness. All his nonsense with the system was thrown out of the window as he shifted all of his attention on her.
Karna raised his tiny little hands, in an attempt to touch her cheeks. As if asking if she was okay.
"Ohh, You are worried about me, Karna? Don't worry I am fine, look." Mata Ganga saw his small action and was amused by it. So she held him in front of her face to let her touch her face. She also simultaneously spoke and waved her hand to appear as if she was alright to calm down his worries.
Karna just looked at her now rosy face not believing what she said, after all even if he didn't know in what sense essence means here but he who used to read lots of novels and manhuas knows that it should be very taxing for a body. It's not like this is going to recover in a second after giving it.
He was indeed right. Essence , Mata Ganga extracted is from her divine core. Though it does not have the threat of falling into the Samsara, but it will be going to put that god in a very weak state for almost one day. It's not sound like much but the catch here is that One day will be measured in a loka that the deity belongs to. So depending on the power and place of loka of that deity have to wait even if they are on earth.
"How can a newborn have this much wisdom? Especially a mortal youngling."
When Ganga sees that she failed to trick a child, she was startled. She saw in his eyes that he didn't believe her facade and saw through her little trick. This let her wonder if there is something about him that she was not aware of.
"How I did not see it before?"
She then suddenly notices the half rising sun mark on his forehead making her wonder why she didn't notice before. She looked at him then the Sun at the horizon. Which led her to get very close to the truth.
In the middle of his forehead (Just above his eyebrows) was a symbol of the Sun drawn on it with Sandalwood (Chandan).
Yeah... If Mata Ganga can ignore the bright radiance on his face coupled with the hidden Divine armor and a pair of earrings on his ears, he was indeed a normal child?
As a Devi whose power is to wash the sins of Sinners, how could she not see the divine armor and earrings. When they kept emitting the divine aura of Suryadev.
Due to her wisdom, She easily found a connection between Suryadev and this baby.
Henceforth, She lamented at this demi-god baby. How can a child under Suryadev also known as Surya Narayana's protection have suffered injustice.
'It must be a curse!'
She realized after contemplating everything. Yet, her anger for the mother of this child didn't diminish a bit.
It even flared up a bit as she saw the power contained in the earrings was transferring into the baby's tummy, signifying that he must haven't eaten anything since birth before she feed him.
"Hey, Putra, are you a demi-god-...What did I want to say? Well anyway, I am so happy. If you have this much wisdom in infancy then I wonder how smart you will be, When you grow up."Just as Ganga was about to say the truth, Niyati in dark worked again making her forget all about her conclusion.
This is the terrifying power of curses, Their power just like a boon is absolute. It didn't matter if it was a powerful god like a Surya or Goddess like Devil Ganga, Even if Trimurti and Tridevi can't escape from the effect of the curses and boons.
This makes Boon and Curse the most powerful thing in this universe. And what is even more dangerous is the fact that anyone on the right side of the argument and with enough good Karma can curse or grant a boon to someone, given that it was for a valid reason. As it should be abide by thr rules of equivalent exchange.Once the curse was granted it will become an absolute thing that no one, even the curse giver himself, can't take it back. They can just lessen a curse but never fully take back the curse unless the curse giver himself gives you a way to break free from it but even then that person had to pay a very high price for it.
This is the reason even Mata Ganga is affected by the curse of Chhaya given to Suryadev. Unless Suryadev tells the world that Karna is his son, No one can know about his birth secret other than the parties involved in it.
The same goes for Boons. If anyone can please his devoted deity with their penance or can do a thing that deserves a boon can get an absolute boon. The power of that boon can even work on Trimurtis.
"Okay, Don't worry putra, I will be fine in a day. Now let me take you to that family, Suryadev said about."
Mata Ganga tenderly looked at Karna and then flew towards the town of champanagiri at full speed.
Karna's eye leads also got heavy as his body needed time to get used to the change of a new change in bloodline. It is cooperating with the Constitution of improvementing of the all-around stats.
So he sleeps along with chick in the safety of the arms of Ganga letting those power do their work without any restraint. It might take a few days fir him to fully integrate with this bloodline fully.
Near of the river, South Bihar
When the voyage reached the city, it was already evening.
The Sun was setting, the creatures of the day were returning home and the creatures of night were slowly awakening from their sweet dreams.
At that very moment, the veil of light vanished.
Huu...
Devi Ganga appeared seated on water from the curtain of light. A wax basket was floating beside her.
It contained a newborn baby. The source of divine hymns and a young eagle chick along with some jewels and gems.
Just like every morning and evening, Adhirath and his wife came to the bank of river Ganga to do his puja to the rising sun and sun setting. Adhirath was a charioteer by profession, working for the royal family of Hastinapur. He was an ardent devotee of Suryadev and every morning or evening he came to the river to pay his tribute to Sun God. Today he was very upset. Adhirath lived in his ancestral family house with his wife Radha, his elder brother Vikram and sister-in-law Renumati (these are all fictitious characters developed by me just for the story's sake and have no historical or mythological relevance). Adhirath and Radha had no child and because of that both Vikram and Renumati always humiliated her. Every time Radha gave birth to a child it was stillborn. Because of that now all other people of their community were also considered Radha as a bad omen. No one called Radha to an auspicious ceremony and day by day Radha was getting depressed. Yesterday she gave birth for the fourth time and like previous times this time again she again had a stillborn son. Radha was heartbroken. After performing his son's last rites, Adhirath came with his wife to the bank of the river to calm his mind.
It was evening and ray of sun can be seen in reflection of the river. Couple were completing their prayers in the foot steps of temple when notice something.
"Hmm? Nath look here!" She hastily called out to Adhiratha.
Splash!
As they are married for years, there's no need for Radha to express her concern. As soon as Adhiratha's gaze fell on the baby in the basket, he swiftly jumped into the river.
His hands and feet coordinated with each as he reached the basket in moments. After he reached the basket, he ignored the Jewels and gems inside the basket. Instead he took the baby wrapped in silky clothes along with the young eagle chick to the riverside.
After reaching the land, he passed the baby to his wife while he observed the young chick himself.
"Fortunately, both of them are safe."
"How can someone do this? What kind of stone cold-hearted man was to even able to do this?"
Adhiratha was enraged.They are begging gods to give them a blessing of a child, and here are some people even after getting this blessing decided to do this with it.
"Did that man don't know how big of a sin is to do this? Why involve him in your little mortal quarrel This is nothing but an innocent baby. Sending him in this raging river is equivalent to killing this infant. I just can't imagine how much pain and sorrow his mother will feel when she finds out."He was shocked and enraged. He thought some man out of jealousy and dispute do this to a child. He never thought that woman can able to bring herself to do this inhuman thing, Much less his own mother.
"No Arya , it's not done by a man."
Suddenly a silent Radha spoke. Her tone of voice was neutral without any emotions in it.
"What do you mean Radha- "
Adiratha confused by her words. Turned around to look at his wife but he was shocked by her facial expressions. She at this time had no expression on her face but her eyes filled with rage. He never saw his ever-smiling wife like this.
"This is a woman's job, A man can't do it like this."Radha said as she reached out to pick up sleeping Karna from the basket. As she held him, the coldness in her eyes vanished and was replaced by infinite tenderness. There was also a hint of longing look in it.
"Radha how can you say this? How can women able to this to a child? Don't slender someone or gods might become angry."
Adiratha quickly diffused Radha from making wild guesses. After all, in this age of gods, humanity is not fallen for now. People are still afraid of doing any evil deeds.
"No Arya I am not slandering anyone. Not only this is done by a woman but also that woman is the mother of this child."
Radha's voice now contains boundless anger and disgust. She was disgusted by the thought that a woman like that was even able to become a mother.
"They bless someone like that to be a mother and yet let my motherhood dry out in wanting of the child."
She paused and said with grief, "Arya, Niyati is quite unfair right? This child was given to a woman who didn't want him. And yet, the Lord hasn't answered our prayers..."
Radha felt its unfair. She was longing for a child that she can call her own. She can give all the love she has to him but yet gods did not see that and contrary bless someone undeserving as that woman a child.
Her eyes once again drenched her dried cheeks as warm tears dampened the silky cloth wrapped around the baby.
This time, Adhiratha didn't console her wife with honeyed words. Instead, he asked Radha, "Priye, Why do you think lord didn't answer our prayers?"
Radha wiped her tears and faced her husband with a questioning look.
"We prayed for a child. Right?" He pointed towards the child and the chick as he continued, "Look here! Our lord gifted us with two! So... Do you think we should return him to his mother? Give him to the royals? Or, we should take care of this child!"
Saying that Adhiratha looked at Radha intently.
Radha's heart was filled with warmth when she heard her husband's words. She knew that Adhiratha was serious as he said those words.
Therefore, she agreed to Adhiratha's suggestion of keeping both the child and the chick.
"But Radha are you sure what you mentioned earlier? How can a mother do this to her child? Please don't say that, we should hurry up and tell the royals, then we together will search for his mother."
Adiratha said in soft voice after thinking for a while looking at Karna's face. He didn't believe that any mother can be this cruel to her own flesh and blood.
"I am sure it was his mother who did it. Look this is proof, I will not return this child to someone like her."
To convince her husband Radha reached her hand out in a basket. The basket was filled with gold jewelry, and straight up picked up twin bangles ignoring all other things.
"Look this is a bangle from his mother, She put it in it. Man will never fill this basket with this kind of jewelry."
Radha spoke as her disgust for that woman increased second by second.
"That— If that is true then maybe she did it to protect him. See she even put all those jewelry in it for his good life."
Adiratha comes up with a reasonable excuse for that woman. He is a simple honest man who also thinks the world is as simple as him. He didn't know the dark side of the human heart.
"No, Unfortunately, she did not do this to protect him. Look at the decoration of this basket. This was a premeditated thing."
Radha said as she hugged Karna a little tight in her arms. She felt very pitiful for him.
"As for this jewelry, this is an even more disgusting thing. This jewelry is a mark of her hypocrisy. She wanted anyone who find this basket to think that she loved this child that's why she left this much gold jewelry. She wanted to create an image of a helpless mother."
Radha sneered at the hypocrisy of the woman.
"If she really loved him she never put this sharp metal jewelry in this small basket. This is here not for a child but for us. That woman standing on a high ground giving us money to take care of her abandoned child."
Radha said as she disgustingly throw the basket aside. It seems like she doesn't touch a basket filled with gold but a filth.
"What is happening to humanity? Even a Rakasha's mother will not do something like this."Adiratha was finally convinced by Radha. This is a lot to take for him.After all, the mother is a sacred title that even Trimurti respect. It's even said that the whole world is below the mother's feet and now someone tarnishes that sacredness.He picked up the basket and walked towards the river's shore.
"We don't need this sin-filled gold, O Goddess of river please bring it to someone who is really in need."
Adiratha placed folded his hand and prayed. He will rather live in poverty than to have the richness of this gold. Not to mention he is not that poor either though not rich but he is well capable of feeding his family three times a day.
"Arya Wait!!"
Radha hurriedly stopped her husband as he was about to put the basket in the flow of a river. Adhirtha stopped and looked back at her with a confused face.
"I didn't think she was greedy by the speech she gave but her heart is the same as the woman she condemned."
The goddess Ganga who watching the couple from afar thought to herself. She at first thought she find the right place for her little son . When she heard the conversation between the couple. Even now she was ready to reveal herself as she saw Adiratha was about to let those gold flow confirming that he is not a greedy person but Radha's words stopped her in her tracks. Ganga thought that greed is the thing that make her stop her husband.
"What happened Radha? Why are you stopping me?"
Adiratha asked a little hesitantly.He knows his wife is not someone to be tempted by this gold but even then little doubt arise in his heart. After all, this is really too much gold. Not only that but this gold in the form of jewelry is a fatal weakness of every woman. This is not something that one can refuse.
"If she asked to keep it then what I will do?"
Adiratha fell into a dilemma. On one hand was self-respect while on other hand was the first wish of his wife. He knows that even if tried to work all his life he can't able to earn this much gold jewelry. So he can't even promise that he will give it to her later.
"What are you thinking Arya? I will never be tempted by these sinful filthy things. I was just saying you forgot to put his bangles in the basket."
Radha saw that Adiratha misunderstood her. So she quickly explained. She at first not going to put bangles in the basket. Not because of greed but because of tradition. Mother's bangles are the ones used to give them to the first bride of her son but then all of a sudden she thought of something and changed her decision.
"But Radha those bangles are the right of the mother of this child.We can't take that away from her, even if she did not deserve it she still is the mother of this child."
Adiratha said reluctantly. The bangles represent the acceptance of the daughter-in-law. When the groom's mother sees her soon-to-be daughter-in-law or a candidate for one, she will take out her bangles to convey the message to a girl. This right only belonged to the mother of the groom. Though he didn't want to keep this gold he had to keep those, bangles.
"Yes, this right only belonged to a mother but just giving birth is not make a woman a mother, taking care of that child does. Look don't I also have the bangles? I will take care of this child, I will be his mother of him. So these bangles are useless to us."
Radha raised one hand to show her gold bangles. While looking tenderly at sleeping Karna in her other hand. Her bangles were passed down from generation to generation, She received this when she first met her mother-in-law and now she has the fortune to pass it down to her daughter-in-law.
*Tremble*
Just as her voice fell above heaven shake. The couple can't feel it but Ganga felt it. She looked towards heaven in astonishment.
"How!!! even heaven accepted her as a mother of Karna? How can she have this much love for him? Suryadev doesn't lie to me.This couple will be the best parents for my son." Mata Ganga thought
This trembling is acceptance of the decision made by Radha. Though she felt a little guilty she misunderstood Radha but she was more than happy to be wrong because this way she can hand over her son in safe hands.
Soon Adiratha hesitated and said,
"Radha do you want to raise him as our own? But look at this much gold. He is definitely a Kshatriya. What if the parent or the child returns for him" Adiratha though ecstatic to have a son still remains reasonable. This much gold and preparation prove that he was definitely a highborn. If they raise him they will only become a hindrance for him as there cast him as low borns.
"Then— "
Radha wanted to argue but she doesn't have anything to contradict the claim of Adiratha. Indeed with them, he only receives a life of hardship.
"Th-Then we give him to some childless royals. They will take good care of him."
Radha with a bleeding heart suggested.
Though she can able to give all her love to the child but she knew no matter how much she tried world only humiliates the child because of them and if the parent came to claim she don't have the rights to stop them. So she hardened her heart and was ready to take him .
"No need Devi. You can raise him as his mother. I will take care of the rest.
Suddenly river surface rose and Bhagirathi walk out of it.
To be continued.....
(A/N: Hey guy please comment below and vote me 🙏😭)