'My precious pearl, I'll miss you so much,' Surasena, the veteran Yadhava king, swallowed his sadness, stroking the curls off his little daughter's forehead. Would that it would remain forever smooth, free of the worry that came with motherhood, sighed his wife Marisha, a Naga princess, enclosing their girl-child in silken saree coils.

Pritha just giggled, hurling her ball high towards the sky. 'One day I'm going to bowl that sun for a six, and bring him right down!' she grinned, breathless. 

'May your aim always be for highest and brightest!' roared her father, lifting his daughter light as a feather, up above his raven-hued mane, placing her safely back on her feet, giving her a 'High Five'.

'Pitashree,' little fingers tugging her father's beard 'when is my new papa coming to get me?'

Nestling close to her mother, 'Ma, can I take your scarf with me...I love the sound of its scent, hissing me to dreamland at night, if I miss home!'

'Pritha...listen... from now on Kuntibhoja's palace will be your home but I am sure we'll  be seeing you soon!' Surasena's words drowned in the fanfare of Kuntibhoja's arrival, and he was relieved that the girl did not see his flood of tears, gently wiped away by her mother.

'You made a promise to your very dear and trusted friend,' Pritha's mother squeezed her husband in her arms, her maternal eyes misting. 

'Ma, I am starving...look at my tummy...it needs filling!' pointing at her sun-kissed mid-riff, Pritha pouted at her mother, then dropped prone to show-off her very best bhujangasana.

Marisha chuckled, pulling her daughter up to her feet, 'Look there is a picnic basket-full of all your favourite sweets and savouries for the journey - make sure to share them!'

In no time at all, their chariot sped to his kingdom in the south-east direction - a very delighted new-dad Kuntibhoja with his newly adopted daughter Pritha, who was thrilled to hold the reins and wield the whip! Before nightfall they arrived, to the warmest of welcomes and hugs from Kunitibhoja's wife, joyful to have a child to call their own at last.

Time passed; arrived soon the season of vasant, with its blue-bright sky over fields of vibrant yellow;   then siblings were born, playmates for Pritha -now known as Kunti- always with a spring in her step, pretty as a blossom; safe yet from the swelter of summer.

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note to readers

Very loosely based on the Mahabharat [various versions] - so please take it in the spirit of 'creative license'

Sorry for the random tags - but doing so because of the 'hit-or- miss' nature of wattpad notifications. Please feel free to tag others who might be interested. Thank you for all your support - we writers need that oxygen!