Hey Guys!!!! 

Here is the hundred and thirty third chapter. 

I don't own Mahabharat. 

Happy Reading!! 

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Third POV  

In Kampilya 

Shikhandini felt her blood chilling as she saw the rishis being tortured to work.
She had been watching her father commit sins and Adharma as he was blinded in his anger, revenge and hatred. It was not nice at all. 

"Pani ... Pani!" (Water ... Water.) A pandit, who moments ago had been pulling a heavy load, gasps as he falls down. Shikhandini looked around worried. Seeing a pot of water, she rushes to it and brings the pot to the Rishi.

And pours some water in his cupped hands. She continued to pour the water as he drank. She could not let the man die like this. Above it, the man was a Rishi, it would be a great immorality to do so.

"Shikhandini!" Her father's voice reverted in the room. "Unhe pani deni ki anumati tumko kisne di?" (Who gave you the permission to give them water?)

"Agar unhe abhi pani nahi dungi main, toh yeh sab mar jayenge!" (If I do not give them water, now they will die.) Shikhandini says sharply. "Hum par brahmin ko marne ka pap lagega, pita shree!" (We will be sinned to have committed murder of a brahmin, father!)

"Bevakoof! Unke niyati Mein marne hi likha Hai!" (You fool! It's their fate to die.) Her father rants. "Yeh koi brahmin devta nahi Hain. Yeh jhoothe Hain. Yeh sab ke sab brahmin nahi dhokhe baj log Hain." (They are no Brahmin's. They are lier's. All of them, none of them are brahmin they are all decivers.) He pushes Shikhandini away and the pot falls from her hand.

"Agar nadi ka pani pine layak nahi hota Hain toh Hume use sukhne dena chahhiye!" (If the river's water is not the one to drink from, then it should be left to dry.) He drags the pandit up by his hair. "Agar yeh log aapne tap se Mujhe Putra nahi de sakte toh inhe main jivit Kyun chod dun?" (If from their prayers, they cannot give me a son then why should I let them live?)

"Par Maharaj aapke Bhagya main srif putri Hai!" (But King, its in your destiny to only have daughter.) One of the pandit shutters out. "Aapko Putra nahi Ho sakta Hai!" (You cannot have  son's!)

Looking at her father, Shikhandini could see that he was going mad in fury.
I need to stop him. This cannot go on! Shikhandini thought to herself.

When her father raises the sword, he snatched from the near- by soldier to cut the rishi's head, Shikhandini stepped in between her father and the pandit.

"Main aap ko yeh pap nahi karne de sakti Hun, pita shree." (I cannot let you do this immoral act, father.) Shikhandini says, her voice firm and her face a mask of determination.

"Bahut badi galti kar rahi Ho tum, Shikhandini!" (You are making a very big mistake, Shikhandini!) Her father all but screams. "Main tumhe maaf nahi karunga, is ke liye!" (I will not forgive you for this, at all!) 

"Par yeh kary main aapko kabhi nahi karne dungi!" (But I also cannot let you do this deed.)

"Main mazak nahi kar raha Hun, Shikhandini!" (I am being serious, Shikhandini!) Her father repeats. "Mere samne se hat jau, abhi isi wakt. Warna mere hathoan, kuch aise Ho Gaye ga jis ka tumhe koi ahsaas bhi nahi Hai." (Get away from me, right now. Or else I will do something, you have no dream of happening.)

"Ruk Jaiye Maha Raj Dhrupad!" (Stop, King Dhrupad!) A voice stops her father.
And both of them turn to look at who stopped the king of Panchal.

Shikhandini went ahead and bowed her head in front of the two great men, "Pranipatra, Maha Rishi Yaj. Pranipatra Maha Rishi Upyaj!" (Greetings Maha Rishi Yaj. Greetings Maha Rishi Upyaj!)

"Kalyan Ho!" (God bless you!) They bless her in unison. 

"Maha Raj Dhrupad, in rishiyoan ko mar kar aap narak Mein aapna sthan bana rahein Hain." (You are paving your path to hell by killing these Rishi's, my king!) Maha Rishi Yaj looks at him un- impressed.

"Aur aapni beti par hath uthakar use bhi badi galti kar rahein Hain aap." (And raising hand on your daughter will be even bigger mistake than that) Maha Rishi Upyaj is the one to talk, this time.

"Hum aapki manokamna purn karenge, aapko yeh karne ki koi zarrorat nahi hai." (We will fulfil your wish, you do not need to do this.) They say in sync.

"Maha Rishi Yaj, Maha Rishi Upyaj." Maha Raj Dhrupad notes, "Jab main aap ke pas phele Gaya tha toh aapne mere liye Yajna karne se mana kar Diya tha. Kya aap ab dar Gaye? Kya aapko is baat ka bhey Hai ki aapki mrityu ka karan main Ho sakta Hun? Iska bhey ki aapki mrityu mere hathoan Ho sakti Hai?" (When I went to you before, you said you would not do this Yajna. Are you scared now? Are you scared of the fact that I can be the reason of your deaths? Are you scared that you can die by my hands.)

"Hume aapne jivan ka koi moh nahi Hai, Maha Raj Dhrupad." (We have no endearment of our lives, king Dhrupad!) Maha Rishi Yaj says, his tone was almost annoyed.
"Par in rishi par aap jo atyachar kar rahein Hain woh hum sahan nahi karnge." (But the atrocity you are showing on the rishi's is not acceptable.)

"Toh, in pandit sab ki Jeevan ke khatir aap mere liye yajna karne ko taiyaar Hain? Ya fir aap sahi Mein Mujhe Putra pane ka ashirwaad dena chahhte Hain? Mujhe sach- sach batiye, Maha Rishi Yaj!" (Then for the lives of these rishi's you are ready to do Yajna for me? Or do you really want to do the Yajna for me and want to bless me with a son? Tell me truthfully, Maha Rishi Yaj!) Maha Raj Dhrupad demands.

"Aapko Yajna se awashya Putra ki prapti hogi, Maha Raj." (You will surely be blessed by a son through the Yajna, King.) Maha Rishi Yaj says.

"Par Maha Raj Dhrupad." (But King Dhrupad.) Maha Rishi Upayaj speaks up, and every eye turns to him, for he spoke so suddenly. 
"Aapke Bhagya main putri Hai. Aap putri ko swikareinge tabhi, aagni dev aapko Putra denge." (You have daughter in your destiny. When you accept an daughter then only, the god of fire will bless you with a son.) He warns the man.

"Putri!" (Daughter!) Maha Raj scoffs. "Woh mere kis kam aayegi? Woh mere saman ki Raksha nahi kar sakti! Woh toh mere liye badla bhi nahi le sakti! Yeh ek Shikhandini kafi nahi thi? Iske janm ke samay sab ne kaha tha ki Bishma ki mrityu iske hathoan likhi Hai. Us Bishma ne mere pita ka apman Kiya tha! Ise us se badla lena tha. Dil Mein yeh umid liye mere pita shree chal base! Par isne kuch nahi kua! Agar Putra pane ke liye Mujhe Putri ka bhar uthana padega toh woh hi sahi! Woh is raj mahal ke kisi hisse Mein reh sakti Hai! Par Mujhe ek Putra chahhiye hi chahhiye!" (I have got nothing to do with a daughter! She cannot defend the honor of her father! She cannot take revenge for his insult! This Shikhandini! At the time of her birth, everyone had said that Bhishma will die at her hands! He had insulted my pita! She was supposed to take revenge for that! With that hope in his heart my pita passed away! But she did nothing. In order to have a putra if I need to accept a putri then so be it! She can stay in a corner of my Rajya Bhavan! But I want a putra.)

Shikhandini felt tears fill her eyes but she swallowed it, she could not at all show her weakness. Especially here.

"Aapke shabdoan Mein Hume agyanta dikhai de raha Hai, Maha Raj Dhrupad. Putri ka hona vishva Mein sabse bade saman ki baat Hai! Yeh baat mat bhuliye ga ki jinhone putriyoan ko janam Diya unhe hi Prajapati bulaya Gaya. Aur unhi ke putri se jivan ki shuruvat hui Hai har jagah." (Your words reflect ignorance, Maharaj. In the world it is the greatest honor to have a putri. Do not forget that the ones who had given birth only to putriyo yet we called as Prajapati. It was through his daughter that life sprang in all spheres.) Maha Rishi Upyaj says.

"Maha Raj Dhrupad, satya ko sahi se samajh lijiye ga. Yajna se peda hui putri aapke saare manokamna aur chahat ko purn karegi. Us par Bhagwan ka aashirwad Hai!" (Maharaj Drupad, understand this truth real well. The maiden born from the yajna will fulfill all your hopes and desires. She is blessed by the gods!) Maha Rishi Yaj adds.

"Theek Hai!" (Fine!) Maha Raj Dhrupad sighs.
"Yajna kab shuru Kiya jayega?" (When will we start with the Yajna?) he questions.

"Pratah kal." (Tomorrow morning!) Maha Rishi Yaj declares. 

A fortnight later  

 With the Trinity  

The group of trio had reached Chedi. A small state that had a brash ruler names Shishupal. Even though none of the trio wanted to be here, they had to pass through this area to reach to Kalinga.
The other way was too long to take and it would only waste time and energy.

"Hume thodi yahan rukh kar, aage ke liye prasthan karna chahhiye." (We should stop here for a while, before we proceed further!) Ananya suggests, once they have had some water from the near water source.

"Mujhe laga tha aap yahan aana hi nahi chahhte the." (I thought you did not even want to step in here.) Duryodhana comments.

"Mujhe Sishupal pasanda nahi Hai." (I do not like Shishupal.) Ananya explains.
"Yahan ke logon se thodi Mujhe koi dushmani Hai. Ek ya do din reh kar hum aage chal lenge." (I have no enmity with the people living here. We can stay for a day or two and then leave.)

"Theek Hai, toh hum kuch din Mein aage nikal chal lenge, theek hai?" (That's fine. We can stay here for few days and proceed further, alright?) Karn confirms from his two travelling companions.
"Hume us mandir Mein jana chahhiye!" (We should go to that temple!) He gestures to the large temple a little away from where they were currently.

Nodding in agreement the two- Karn's wife and Karn's brother- follow Karn as they head for the large temple. It was a huge temple made out of white concrete marble. It's pristine color making it an eye sore. In all it was beautiful.

It was temple of Ram- Sita.
The idol was beautiful. It had Ram in the middle, Sita on his right and Lakshman on his left. And of course, Hanuman was kneeling on Ram Ji's left paying his respect, almost in front of Lakshman. The idol's must be at least two feet tall. And was decorated with clothes, jewelry and flowers.

A pandit was there helping people around as people came to pray.
He smiled upon seeing the trio and beckoned the towards himself.

Ananya pulled the pallu of her saree over her head and followed her husband and brother- in- law as they walked towards the pandit.

The pandit gave them prasad, smiling at them, "Aap log yahan ke toh nahi lagte. Kya karte Hain aap log?" (You do not seem of our lands. What do you people do?)

"Nahi, hum yahan ke vasi nahi Hai." (No we are not residents of the kingdom of Chedi.) Karn agrees, with the pandit.

"Hum brahmin is Pradesh se us Pradesh safar kartein Hain." (We are Brahmin who travel from state to state.) Duryodhana responses to the Brahmin's question.

"Aaiye baitheye." (Come sit.) He gestures for the three of them to sit beside him.
"Bhagwan Ram ne sabko karma karne ke liye bheja Hai. Dharma ka palan aapne karma se karne ko bola Hai." (Lord Ram has sent everyone here do do your Karma. Follow your dharma by doing your karma, always.)

The three nod along with the pandit's words. But were confused as to where he was headed. And what was the need of this.

"Aap tino ko thodi den yahan reh kar kuch sikh lena chahhiye, jise ki aage aap aapna Karma karte rahein." (You three should stay here for some time and learn some skills, so that in future you are able to your karma.) The pandit enlightens the three of them.

"Abhi Aarti hone wali Hai, aarti ke bad hi jaiyega." (There is supposed to be an Aarti, right now, you should leave after it.) The pandit stops them when the three try to move away.

"Bhabhi bahut aacha gati Hai." (My sister- in- law sings well.) Duryodhana blurters out suddenly.

The pandit looks at them with a mysterious smile. "Yeh toh bahut aachi baat Hai, Devi. Aaj ki aarti aapko hi ko gani chahhiye." (That is a very nice thing, lady. You should sing the Aarti for today.)

"Par pandit ji -" (But Pandit Ji -) Ananya tries to protest but is cut off by the pandit.

"Bhagwan Ram ke liye gaane se aapke karma aur dharma dono ka maan bhadega, Devi." (To sing for Lord Ram, both your dharma and karma's esteem will rise, lady.) He says. "Mana mat kijiye ga." (Please do not say no.)

Ananya nods.
And prepares herself to sing for the ultimate lord of universe. 

******** 

How was the update for the day? 

Draupadi is arriving! 

King Dhrupad is too egoistic. 
He does not realize what big mistake he is making treating Shikhandini like this. 

The Trinity is in Chedi!

Thanks for Reading this. 

Do Vote and Comment. 

(2330 words.) 

--Sxxxxx