In the lush green meadow of Ganga, with crystal blue sky painted in shades of red and orange ;in a gushing stream of water is Karn placed in a basket decorated with various lotuses. The music of the meadow along with giggles from the 7-day old could warm even the coldest heart. But what would catch one's attention at an instant is the two Devi's perching on the diwan made of water and meticulously looking after the new born as well as chattering . The two Himavanputris are engrossed in pleasing the little baby to the extent that they have lost the measure of time. They are more than esctatic hearing the giggles and laughter escaping Karn's lips , basking in, the bliss of motherhood & enjoying their sisterhood.

Destiny sure works in strange way..

I , the mother of the universe have procastinated all my responsibilities in the love of this munchkin. Well I don't mind it. It actually feels good to forget everything and enjoy myself. It's been quite some hundred years I have had such a wonderful time with my jiji. It feels like my maiden days are back. Those days where I & jiji would talk endlessly about anything and everything sitting on the garden swings.

Having a baby is a special feeling for a woman but, I could never support one in my womb. When Kartikeya was born, I had to leave him with Kritikas for his safety and benefit of the world & Vinayak was born as a boy of 5. Although he somewhat appeased my motherhood but in the deepest corner of my heart , I still longed for their infant stage. Feeding , cooing , pampering & playing with them. Making those funny & weird faces & laughing to see my child laugh. Singing lullaby to the sleeping infant in my arm. Changing his clothes and adorning him. Talking to him in baby language and trying to understand his moods.... (With teary eyes & slight smile)... & Look , now after thousands of years my wish has been fulfilled and that too.. by this little angel. I would be forever indebted to u Karn(looking at Karn) for the bliss of motherhood u have honoured me with.

I look at Ganga jiji who is busy playing with Karn , is giggling at his antics . Mahadev was right . He would be a lady charmer.

Out of nowhere Karn stops his antics and looks somewhere with .... amazement. I too look in the direction to see Mahadev looking at him smilingly . Out of nowhere Karn begins to cry and throws his hand towards Mahadev... as if asking him to pick him up. Nothing new ... everytime Mahadev visits him Karn cries to go in his arms and immediately stops crying when embraced by him. But what everytime amazes me is how gracefully Dev picks him up and coos him. I know he never shows but he adores our little munchkin a lot. And this little traitor loves him more ....

Karn takes a hold of Dev's Rudrakshamala & looks at it in complete wonder. Mahadev knows what it likes about it or may be he likes it because Mahadev wears it , specially the Saptamukhi Rudraksha. The Brahma muhurat was ending and anytime from now Karn would reach Radha , his deserving mother, in Hastinapur.

I wanted Karn to reach them in presence of Bhishm and Karn to free Bhishm from his shackles. Bhishm wasn't like this always , he was so righteous that he even fought his father to protect the Rakhshas who seeked refuge. But now...I hope this ray of sun can drive away my nephew's darkness and make him Devrata again.

I don't know how I'm gonna hand him over to someone else . Although we spent very minimal time with each other , yet he has become very special to me ...& to u too.

True!! He has become very crucial part of mine and Mahadev's life. Everyday coming to earth just to feed & play with him has brought both of us immense pleasure and refreshed the blissful feeling of parenthood...I can't return the favor Karn did by fulfilling my desires but I can definitely give him something,

With my eyes closed I summoned his gift. It was . I chained it around his neck with Mahadev holding him securely. We knew time was running , therefore , with heavy heart as we were about to hand him to Jiji, Karn started crying and held Mahadev's Rudraksha tightly. I don't know what came over Dev but he suddenly broke his mala & got that particular out & attached it to the trident locket....thus making it a blessing of both Shivshakti & making Karn invincible even by his Trident.

Karn stopped crying & looked at the locket smilingly and was soon playing with it. No doubt he loves Mahadev more.

At an instant , the waves started roaring and jiji bend down to collect something and everything went back to its calm state.

I looked at jiji questioningly and she opened her palms to show a small but beautifully crafted diamond...She looked at us and then attached it to the locket. Soon the first ray of sun hit us and it formed a small ball at the base of the locket. No doubt it's the blessing of Devi Sandhya & Devi Chaya for their son.

We all knew it was time for our little angel to reach his mother , hence , half-heartedly had to part with him. I took him from Mahadev's embrace and kissed his forehead & Dev loving smoothed his black baby hairs just as he was about to be placed in the basket floating in the river, he began wailing . I couldn't stop my tears anymore. How can Kunti do this? How can she traumatize a baby? He thinks we are abandoning him and therefore hold my fingers tightly and wails like never before. He looks at me and then jiji with watery eyes and holds our fingers with both his hand as if begging not to leave him alone.

Streams of tears flow down jiji's and my eyes whereas a single tear slips from Mahadev's eyes too.

O' merciful skandmata . If I have served u with purity of soul , done at least one punya then have mercy on me and provide me with a child. With ur blessings even a barren land can turn into lush greenery.. I beg for ur blessings Mata. Please let the thirst of my motherhood quench by having a child . Please o' mighty and benevolent mother. My motherhood is wailing , waiting for my baby . Please mata please let my baby reach me. I beg of you . Please ...

The voice has meticulously served me and always supported righteous. The voice was of a longing mother and I can't refuse it.

I have to calm Karn. For which I have to be calm first Children easily guess ur mood and react accordingly

Devi Shakti: Son!! We aren't abandoning u but we are taking you to someone special. Someone veryyyy special. Someone who would play with u , feed u , coo u , cook for u , guide u , protect u , support u , care for u and most importantly love u unconditionally. Yes son!! We are taking u to ur mumma. Ur maa ..ur Radha maa. Ur real mother.Don't u want to meet and stay with her?

Woow!! Look at him ...so calm attentive and ... eager?

Devi Ganga: Son how can you even think we will abandon u? Do u think so low of ur mothers? Don't worry none will abandon and even if they do u can always return to ur Ganga maa and we will live together in my palace under the river where u can play with all water animals ... Gotcha? My little munchkin...😚 Uhmah!!ummah!!

And there is that soul warming giggle of our angel.

The neon-blue sparkling stream and eden-green beautiful ghats of Ganga was covered with sky of cocktail blue with hues of orange and red. A young man with broad shoulders , tan skin , muscular body and warrior stance , clad in simple dhoti and white shawl is offering prayers to Surya Dev and his beloved mother, in this serene atmosphere. The man is none other than Hastinapur's protector, Devrata Bhishm. It seems the man hasn't aged at all. He still seems to be in his early 40s, handsome than most princes of Aryavrat ; the perks of being nityayuvan and having icha mrityu boon.

Not far away from him , is a couple sincerely offering their prayers to their revered deities. The man is lean yet muscular , probably in early 30s, radiant with short black hair, clad in cream coloured dhoti and angravastra. Beside him is a woman of late 20s , fair with long black hair in a braid adorned with flowers, clad in royal blue blouse and long skirt paired with pink floral scarf and minimal jewelry. ...The couple is none other than Adhirath and Radha.

12 years!! For 12 years I have been barren. For 12 year's I have longed for a child...A child of mine & aarya(husband). For 12 years my motherhood has been cursed how much more? How much more pain will be enough for me to have a child? Never in my 28 years of existence I have wished bad for anyone. Neither has aarya. Never have I sided or kept mum at unjust decision. Then for what are u punishing me? Is it the sins of my previous birth ..then punish me but y aarya? What has he done to have this fate? Hasn't my husband suffered enough?

He left his birthplace for me ....to save me from people's taunt, to save me from skipping in depression. Many of his extended family members urged him to remarry and some have even got proposals but he had always stayed put on his decision of being eka-patni vrata & never for once wavered from it. He readily denied every piece of sweet that I couldn't have . He has done a lot for me . Once under their pressure when I asked him to remarry he got real angry and didn't talk to me for 10 days ...

Adhirath: Remarry? Really? U can manage that? Me bringing in another woman , favouring her ...u can share me?

(Radha shuts her eyes tightly)

Wow!!! I didn't know u loved the non-existing child that much to trade me for him... See u can't even hear me talking about another woman and are ready to share me . Hmph!!

..Y? Do u really think so low of me ? (Shaking her head in no and gonna say something but Adhirath shows a hand ✋ and stops her)

I married u in the presence of holy fire accepting u as my wife , my ardhangini with all ur in good and bad and promised to stay by u in both pain and pleasure. Do u think I said those vows for the world? U are my wife , not a baby bearing machine for me. & Moreover what would me remarrying solve? Won't it be injustice with both u & her .. Because I will never be able to love her the way I love u. & To top it off what if the problem is in me abd not you? What if I can't get u or her pregnant?Will u ditch me & marry another man?

Radha: Aarya...(yelling)

Adhirath: What aarya? U can't right? & Even if u could , u wouldn't have done it. Then y do u expect me to do such a thing?

Even Mata Parvati couldn't have babies for years but Mahadev never left her. He always loved and cherished her. That's what lovers do , accept each other with all talents and flaws . That's what true love is. No, I am not saying that I love you as much as Mahadev lives Mata Parvati because none can love like him...but be assured that I love u that much to lay down my life for you.

Radha, I have always said & I'm saying it again we are enough for each other and would always be. U complete me & I complete u & we both are enough for each other . We don't need anyone else.

(Adhirath angrily leaves the place)

Soon after this incident , we were in Hastinapur. He always said this place provided better opportunity but I know he did it to get me out of that toxic environment. Here we were accepted by everyone. Not only me but some other women here aren't able to bear kids & were accepted as easily. Soon aarya became the head of Sut Samaj and we together brought changes like having personal wells and cattle stock for sut community. Teaching self defence , hand-to-hand combat and basic weaponry to sut community to be of help in war. Although this caused a ruckus but Mahamahim Bhishm understood the proposal and accepted it. The Sut Samaj is proud of us for bringing change in their lives but they do feel pity for us.

Infertility is a curse..a pain of grieving the loss of someone who was never born. The death of dreams of a happy family. But somehow I have got used to this now. May be aarya's idea of meditation and taking interest in music and dance helped me.

But I still feel like a part of me is missing. It feels incomplete. It feels as if a baby there is wailing for my love , calling for me & no matter what I can't get rid of this feeling , specially from the last seven days. I know it may be my destiny of not being a mother but humans change their destiny by their deeds then y can't I? I want to have a baby , to raise him to a fine gentleman like aarya & I will have it no matter whatever happens.

( This is where Karn got his stubborn streak of challenging and changing destiny from)

Radha:(in mind) O' merciful skandmata . If I have served u with purity of soul , done at least one punya then have mercy on me and provide me with a child. With ur blessings even a barren land can turn into lush greenery.. I beg for ur blessings Mata. Please let the thirst of my motherhood quench by having a child . Please o' mighty and benevolent mother. My motherhood is wailing in wait of my baby. Guide him to reach me..Bless me Mata ..please..

I know what she is feeling, her longing the pain hidden in that smile . I know my wife is longing for a baby for the past 12 years & it's her only wish that I couldn't fulfill. Sometimes I feel worthless, worthless for not being able to help the woman whom I love. For not being able to get her out of her miseries. For not being able to soothe her. But ....

I don't seek anything for myself because her presence is enough for me. But I really want her to be happy. In these 12 years there's not a single vrat she hasn't done for getting a baby. There's not a single day she hasn't prayed for her unborn. There's not a single Dev or Devi she hasn't begged. She has visited doctors and served sages. Done everything in her power for her baby.

But ....After all these years of despair and hope I have never seen her giving up but instead she always fought back with double intensity... Although she has somehow accepted that she couldn't have a child , she still longs for it .. & I don't blame her. Nursing children is a second instinct of a woman , first is loving and caring for them.

I know this meditation, music and dance are all her new ways to please Mata Parvati and Mahadev for their blessings & I don't feel like stopping her. Afterall hope is the only thing that runs the world, hope for better tomorrow.

I juz want her to be happy no matter what.

I was done with my prayers and so was see when suddenly her pupils and she jumped in the gushing river....What the !!! Has she gone mad?I too without a second jumped in and raced after her ...I saw her moving towards a basket having golden aura hurriedly. Her eyes were trained on the basket but not on the threat behind it....a mighty giant crocodile 🐊. I called her but she didn't pay attention. I increased my strokes and suddenly heard baby cries coming from the basket...Shiva!!!! I have to save both of them. I have to distract or fight the water beast to keep him away from them. I increased my stokes vigorously to reach Radha & our baby..our baby ..forget it ..swim fast Adhirath fast...... I was happy seeing Radha reach the baby and coo him...Damn it!! There's no time for that Priye!!

Adhirath: Radha !! Get out of the water with the baby now.. There's a crocodile near u both.....

I saw her looking at the crocodile terrified and then at the baby..She placed the baby on her head tried to move towards me as fast as possible. The crocodile wasn't far behind. I swam as fast as could and reached them on time . The crocodile was about to bite my beloved when I threw the heavy log of wood in his jaw & swam fast with both of them. We were near the shore when the water turned..... red...No no no...Ra..dha..

I instantly looked ob her and she looked at me panicked..That means we aren't hurt..I turned back and was horrified...the crocodile was mere inches away from us with arrows sealing his jaws. I instantly took Radha and our baby out of water & looked over to see Mahamahim standing with how in his hand. I nodded at him and he did the same in return and marched towards us.

He was about to say something when the baby started wailing...

& Radha was cooing him & ....It was a cool sight to my sore eyes.. For 12 years I have longed to see this sight . A treacherous tear slipped my eyes . A squeeze on my shoulder brought me out of my lala land....

Engrossed in watching the soon to be mother-son duo and their antics , the two men didn't notice the presence of Devi Ganga nearby...

Devi Ganga: Cute & adorable !! Isn't he?

This caught the attention of everyone and all of them bend to receive her blessings. But Devi Ganga swiftly moved towards Karn and smoothed his hair ..

Devi Ganga : So when are u inviting me for feast Radha & Adhirath?

Both looked at her confusingly...But nevertheless replied..

Adhirath: Whenever u say o' pure one!!

Devi Ganga: y should I say anything . Afterall it's ur feast for ur son's arrival. Select the date and don't forget to invite me . Even if u forget I will definitely come to meet my munchkin (pulls Karn's cheeks softly)

AdhiRadha : (slowly) Our son??

Radha looks at the baby in her hand as if there's nothing more important than him and tears up in joy. The baby is looking at her with smile and hope. Adhirath is confused but yet happy looking at both of them . Somewhere or other he too has accepted the baby as his.

Bhishm: Mata..who did this great sin of floating a baby in ur gushing waves? How cold hearted was that person to leave him like this? Where was his mother? What was she doing when somebody floated her child.

Devi Ganga: What if I say the mother was the one who floated him?