Chapter 351 - 349: Gift Of Bhishma & Pandavas...

(A/N):

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Devara watched his people for a moment with a satisfied smile before returning toward the royal stage with Yami and Indhumati.

That was when his relatives and honoured guests began presenting their own gifts.

Unlike the simple offerings from the citizens, the gifts brought by the royal families and divine guests were of an entirely different scale.

Fine garments woven from rare fabrics were presented first, each embroidered with intricate patterns and threads that shimmered beneath the lamps.

There were ceremonial shields crafted by master smiths, swords whose blades were so finely polished that they reflected the surrounding lights, ornamental weapons designed for royal display, and jewellery containing precious stones of extraordinary quality.

One king presented Devara with a magnificent shield decorated with gold and silverwork.

Another guest brought a sword whose hilt had been carved into the shape of a celestial beast.

Boxes containing pearls, rubies, emeralds and other precious stones were placed before him.

There were royal garments, ornaments, vessels, sculptures and countless other treasures, each carefully chosen as a wedding gift.

Devara accepted them all with gratitude, occasionally exchanging a few words with the person who had brought them.

But then Bhishma stepped forward.

Devara’s expression immediately softened when he saw his elder brother approaching.

Bhishma was carrying something in both hands.

It was not a jewelled box.

It was not a sword.

It was not some priceless royal treasure.

It was a small woven basket.

Devara looked at it curiously.

"Brother,"

He said, glancing at Bhishma,

"what have you brought me?"

Bhishma smiled hearing his question.

"Something I believe will be far more troublesome than anything you have received so far."

Devara raised an eyebrow.

"More troublesome than a sword?"

"Much more."

Devara’s curiosity deepened as Bhishma carefully lifted the cloth covering the basket.

Inside lay a single egg.

It was larger than an ordinary bird’s egg, with a delicate shell carrying faint patterns across its surface.

From its appearance, Devara immediately understood that it was not an ordinary egg.

He stared at it for several moments.

"Is that... a bird’s egg?"

Bhishma nodded his head.

"A bird’s egg."

Devara looked from the egg to Bhishma.

"You are giving me an egg as my wedding gift?"

Bhishma’s smile widened.

"Yes."

For perhaps the first time that day, Devara looked genuinely speechless.

Yami leaned forward slightly, curious about the strange gift, while Indhumati covered a smile. Several nearby relatives were already trying not to laugh.

Bhishma, however, remained perfectly serious.

"Listen before you judge the gift."

Devara folded his arms.

"I am listening."

Bhishma carefully held the basket closer to him.

"I found this egg some time ago. Its mother was guarding it when I came across her. She was injured and unable to travel safely, and there was a danger that the egg would be left exposed. I stayed with her and made sure neither predator nor hunter came near."

Devara’s expression changed immediately.

Bhishma continued, his voice becoming gentler.

"Before she died, I promised her that I would find someone who would care for her young properly. Someone who would not abandon it merely because it was inconvenient. Someone who would protect it until it could survive on its own."

He looked directly into Devara’s eyes.

"And I believe you are that person."

The laughter that had been building around them disappeared.

Devara slowly looked down at the egg again.

For a moment, the enormous arena seemed strangely quiet to him.

He thought about all the treasures that had been placed before him. Jewels worth fortunes. Weapons crafted by master smiths. Garments fit for a king. Shields that could probably survive battles.

And yet Bhishma had brought him something that had no value in gold at all.

Something alive.

Something that had been entrusted to him by someone who could no longer protect it herself.

Devara reached toward the basket and carefully lifted the egg with both hands.

"You promised its mother," he said quietly.

Bhishma nodded.

"Then I will keep your promise."

Bhishma’s expression softened.

Devara looked at the egg again.

"I don’t know what kind of bird this will become."

"Neither do I."

"I don’t even know how to hatch it properly."

Bhishma chuckled hearing him.

"You have faced rakshasas, gods, cursed beings and armies. Surely you can learn how to raise one bird."

Devara looked at him with mock annoyance.

"That is exactly the sort of confidence that gets people into trouble."

Bhishma laughed.

Yami stepped closer and looked into the basket.

"Perhaps we should find out what kind of bird it is before deciding how to care for it."

Indhumati joined them, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"It certainly doesn’t look ordinary."

Devara carefully held the egg closer, studying the faint patterns on its shell.

"Then I suppose my brother has given me another responsibility."

Bhishma smiled.

"Not another responsibility, Devara. A life."

Devara looked toward him.

Bhishma’s expression had become completely sincere.

"And I know that life will be safe with you."

Devara’s gaze returned to the egg. His fingers gently moved over its shell without applying any pressure.

"Then it is safe with me."

He looked toward one of the attendants.

"Prepare a warm and protected place for this egg. Find the best people in the kingdom who understand birds and bring them to me. Until we know what species it belongs to and what it needs, nothing is to be done carelessly."

The attendant bowed.

"Yes, Maharaja."

Bhishma watched his younger brother give the instructions and smiled quietly.

Among all the magnificent wedding gifts surrounding the king, the strange little egg had perhaps received the most serious attention of them all.

And Devara had no idea that the tiny life sleeping inside that shell would soon become one of the most unexpected members of his household.

While the citizens slowly made their way toward the wedding feast, carrying their plates and calling their families to join them, another group approached the royal stage.

This time, it was the five Pandavas.

They were still children, yet they walked together with an unusual seriousness, clearly having spent considerable time preparing for this particular moment.

Bhima was carrying a large wooden plate with both hands, and whatever was placed upon it had been completely covered by a piece of rich red velvet cloth.

The object beneath the cloth was not particularly large, but Bhima held it with such care that anyone watching would have assumed he was carrying something extraordinarily fragile.

Yudhishthira walked at the front of the five brothers.

As the eldest, he stepped forward and respectfully folded his hands before Devara, Yami and Indhumati.

The other four brothers immediately followed his example.

Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva bowed respectfully as well, their eyes occasionally drifting toward the covered object in Bhima’s hands.

Their expressions made it obvious that they were eagerly waiting to see Devara’s reaction.

Devara looked at them and smiled.

"Come closer, children. What have you brought?"

Yudhishthira glanced at his brothers before turning toward Devara.

"Great-Uncle, when we heard that everyone was preparing gifts for your wedding, we wanted to give you something too."

Devara’s smile widened.

"You know that none of you needed to bring me anything."

"We know,"

Yudhishthira replied respectfully.

"That is why we decided that whatever we gave you should be something we made ourselves."

Devara’s expression softened.

He immediately understood what that meant.

These five children could easily have asked one of the palace craftsmen to make something magnificent for them.

They could have chosen an expensive ornament from the royal treasury or requested something from their elders. Instead, they had apparently decided to create the gift themselves.

Yudhishthira turned toward Bhima.

Bhima carefully stepped forward and lowered the large plate onto the table prepared for the gifts. The red velvet cloth remained draped over the object.

Yudhishthira looked toward Devara once more.

"May we show you?"

Devara nodded.

"Of course."

The five brothers gathered around the plate.

Yudhishthira reached for one edge of the red velvet cloth.

Arjuna immediately took another corner, while Nakula and Sahadeva carefully held the remaining sides. Bhima stood behind them, watching with a proud expression.

Together, the five brothers slowly lifted the cloth.

The moment the covering was removed, Devara’s eyes widened slightly.

There, standing upon the wooden plate, was a small stone-carved statue of him.

It was not a large statue.

It was perhaps only a little taller than the length of Devara’s forearm.

Yet the moment he looked at it properly, he understood exactly how much effort had gone into creating it.

The statue depicted him standing proudly, with his posture straight and his expression calm.

The sculptors had tried to recreate his clothing, the arrangement of his hair, the ornaments he usually wore and even the general shape of his face.

The details were not perfect, of course.

The carving carried the unmistakable marks of young hands and limited experience.

Some lines were uneven, certain portions were slightly rough, and the proportions were not entirely accurate.

But the Pandavas had tried to capture as much realism as they possibly could.

There were tiny details carved into the clothing.

His belt had been carefully shaped.

The folds of the garment had been etched into the stone.

Even the ornaments around his arms and neck had been attempted with remarkable patience.

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(Author note:)

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