As Dhritarashtra and Pandu had now come of age and maturity, it was a suitable time to pursue an alliance that would bring strength and power to the Kuru race. The ever-vigilant guardian Bhishma began to search for an appropriate bride for Dhritarashtra. In this quest, he reached the kingdom of Gandhara, ruled by King Subala. The king had a very virtuous, learned, and wise girl named Gandhari.
King Subala and Bhishma had arranged the marriage of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, which had been destined to be so very significant. But when Gandhari found out her would-be husband Dhritarashtra was blind, she decided on a great and very unselfish resolve. She kindled a fire and became blindfold in order to share the world in the darkness of his husband's life and be there at his level as a helper. She, being so dutiful and sacrificing, was respected and adored highly.
She would stay true to Dhritarashtra; that was the vow she took while getting married to him, and now she would cover her eyes and fulfill it. As she put on the blindfold to enter Hastinapura, every eye the length and breadth of the city that saw her sent an amazement running through them and a tremor of apprehension. It was a gesture supremely personal and strangely potent in the symbolism of loyalty and empathy it conveyed.
Shakuni's feelings for his sister took a totally different turn. It was his sister for whom he had a tender affection, and he could only feel betrayed and mourn the injustice the Kuru family had rendered her with this sacrifice. Convinced that he would remain with Gandhari and take care of her for the rest of his life, Shakuni made a fateful decision. So as to make himself unsuitable for the life at Gandhara, he broke his leg on purpose, shattering the bones. It's through this self-mutilating act that he secured a position in Hastinapura itself, where he could monitor his sister and indeed influence how matters will end.
The arrival of Shakuni into Hastinapura created a dangerous contradiction. On the one part, he maintained an overt support for his sister, though in his mind, he felt a seething hatred for the Kuru dynasty. His mind, strategic and cunning, began working on machinations and plots whose consequences extended into very far-reaching effects.
For in the case of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, as they gradually and slowly stepped into king and queen positions of the Kingdom of Hastinapura, their reign was marked by much strength and vulnerability. Dhritarashtra, although being blind, would rule with much determination many times; he would depend on Vidura and Bhishma for counsel. Gandhari would become the pillar of strength for her man, guiding him through the challenges of kingship with much wisdom and grace.
The player that he is, Shakuni played all his cards very cautiously. All of this was being seen by Shubham, now Arjun, through the immersive VR game, and he felt the burden it put on each character, who had sacrificed so much in relationships since the beginning. It was the same way for the marriage of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, now with Shakuni, which further filled the story with layers of intricate stories, thereby providing him insight into the subliminal feelings and moods that propelled the tale.