Chapter 367 - 365: Three Years Time Skip... Gandhari’s Labour...

(A/N):

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Three and a half years had passed since Gandhari’s pregnancy began.

What had started as an extraordinary pregnancy had gradually become something that even the greatest physicians and sages of the kingdom had never witnessed before.

Gandhari was not carrying a single child.

Within her womb were the lives of one hundred and one children, and the divine boon that had made such a pregnancy possible had also made the period of gestation unlike anything known among ordinary mortals.

For three and a half years, Devara had watched his wife endure the physical and emotional burden of carrying so many lives.

For the last year, she had barely been able to walk.

Today, however, everything had changed.

Today was the day of her delivery.

Outside Gandhari’s chamber, Devara paced back and forth with barely enough patience to remain standing still for more than a few moments.

His usual composure was nowhere to be seen.

His hands repeatedly tightened and loosened at his sides, and every few seconds his eyes moved toward the closed doors as though he could somehow see through them.

Beside him stood Bhishma, Karna and Ashwatthama.

All three had remained there because they knew exactly how worried Devara was.

Karna placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

"Devara, you have to calm yourself."

Devara stopped walking and looked toward him.

"How am I supposed to calm myself?"

Karna had no immediate answer.

Devara turned toward the chamber again.

"I know she is strong. I know the physicians are among the best in the kingdom. I know Lord Shiva himself told me that everything would be fine."

His voice lowered.

"But she is carrying one hundred and one children, Karna."

Bhishma’s expression softened.

"We all know."

Devara resumed pacing.

"It has been three and a half years."

Ashwatthama folded his arms, trying to reassure him.

"Your wife has endured this entire period. She has survived every difficulty that came with the boon. She will survive this as well."

Devara stopped again.

"I hope you’re right."

He had asked Shiva about it many times during those years.

The boon Lord Shiva had granted Gandhari had made this extraordinary birth possible, but even Shiva had warned Devara that such an unusual pregnancy would naturally place enormous strain upon her body and mind.

He had told his son that everything would be all right.

But he had also given Devara another responsibility.

Take care of her.

Gandhari’s emotions would become unstable during the pregnancy.

The sheer number of lives developing within her, combined with the divine nature of the boon, would make her emotional state unpredictable.

Devara had taken those words seriously.

He and other his wives had cared for Gandhari constantly.

Whenever she was exhausted, someone was there.

Whenever she became frightened, someone stayed beside her.

Whenever her emotions became overwhelming, Devara never treated her as though she were being unreasonable.

He understood that what she was experiencing was unlike anything another person could easily understand.

And his other wives had gone even further.

They had sacrificed something deeply personal.

One by one, they had eventually told Devara that they would wait until after Gandhari gave birth before conceiving their own children.

It had not been demanded of them.

Devara had never asked them to make such a sacrifice.

They had chosen it themselves.

They knew Gandhari was their husband, and they also knew she was their sister who loves the same man.

Whatever differences existed between them, they had come to care for Gandhari deeply.

They wanted her to have Devara’s complete attention during the most dangerous period of her life.

And now, after three and a half years, that wait was finally coming to an end.

Inside the chamber, Gandhari cried out again.

Devara immediately stopped.

His face tightened.

Behind the closed doors, Rajmata Satyavati held Gandhari’s hand firmly, refusing to let go.

"That’s it, child,"

Satyavati encouraged her.

"Breathe. You can do this."

Gandhari’s face was covered in sweat, her breathing uneven as another wave of pain passed through her.

"I... I can’t..."

"You can,"

Satyavati said firmly.

"You have carried them for three and a half years. You have endured more than most could even imagine. You will bring them into this world."

Around the bed, Devara’s other wives stood together.

Some held Gandhari’s hands.

Others encouraged her.

"Keep breathing."

"You are almost there."

"We are all here."

"You can do this, Gandhari."

The royal physicians moved around the chamber with extraordinary concentration, carefully monitoring Gandhari and preparing for the unprecedented delivery.

Never before had they been asked to assist with the birth of so many children at once, and every movement had to be precise.

Another cry escaped Gandhari.

Outside, Devara flinched.

At that exact moment, footsteps rushed toward the chamber.

Ganga and Bhudevi had arrived.

The moment they heard that Gandhari’s labour had begun, both had hurried directly toward the chamber without wasting even a moment.

"Gandhari!"

Goddess Ganga called as she entered.

Bhudevi followed immediately behind her.

The two mothers rushed inside, joining Satyavati and the other women.

Devara watched the doors close again.

His heart pounded.

He could fight an army.

He could face an asura.

But none of those things had prepared him for the helplessness of standing outside while the woman he loved endured something he could not take from her.

He clenched his fists.

"No."

Karna looked at him.

Devara suddenly turned away from the chamber.

"Tell me when she and the children are safe."

Bhishma frowned hearing him.

"Devara..."

"I need to do something."

Ashwatthama stepped forward.

"Where are you going?"

Devara looked toward the nearby temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

"I am going to the temple."

Karna immediately understood.

"You are going to perform penance?"

Devara nodded with a serious expression.

"I can’t stand here doing nothing."

He looked at the three men standing beside him.

"Please. Stay here. The moment Gandhari gives birth, the moment you know she and all the children are safe, come and tell me."

Bhishma placed a hand upon Devara’s shoulder.

"We will."

Devara gave them a grateful nod.

"I am trusting you."

Without waiting any longer, he turned and walked toward the temple.

His pace quickly increased.

By the time he reached the temple entrance, he was almost hurrying.

He stepped inside, crossed the sacred threshold and approached the shrine of Lord Shiva.

The temple was quiet.

The familiar scent of incense filled the air.

Devara folded his hands.

Then he slowly knelt before the image of his father.

His head lowered.

"Father..."

His voice trembled slightly.

"I know you told me everything would be fine."

He closed his eyes.

"But I am still afraid."

For perhaps the first time in years, the mighty King of Trivenivrata looked less like a warrior and more like a husband desperately praying for his family.

"I don’t care about the kingdom right now. I don’t care about anything else."

His hands pressed together more tightly.

"Just keep Gandhari safe."

He bowed his head toward the shrine.

"And keep all of our children safe."

Then Devara began his penance.

Outside the temple, the world continued moving.

Inside the chamber, Gandhari fought through another wave of pain.

Satyavati continued holding her hand.

Ganga and Bhudevi stood beside her.

Devara’s wives surrounded her with encouragement.

And somewhere between the temple and the royal chamber, an entire kingdom waited for the arrival of one hundred and one new lives.

When Devara entered the temple, he realized that he was not the only one who had come seeking Lord Shiva’s blessings for Gandhari and the children.

The entire temple had already been transformed into a place of prayer.

Several sacred fires burned within carefully arranged yaga kundas, their flames rising steadily toward the ceiling as priests chanted ancient mantras for the protection of the queen and the unborn children.

Offerings of ghee, herbs, grains and sacred flowers were being placed into the fires at regular intervals, while other priests performed separate poojas before the Shiva Lingam, invoking divine protection over Gandhari and every life she carried within her.

The moment the priests noticed Devara entering, several of them paused briefly and turned toward their king.

They folded their hands and gave him respectful nods, but none of them interrupted the rituals.

They understood why he had come.

Devara returned their gesture with a small nod before walking deeper into the temple.

His eyes briefly moved across the sacred fires.

Every prayer being offered was for Gandhari.

Every mantra being recited carried the same intention.

May the mother remain safe.

May the children remain safe.

The realization brought a strange comfort to Devara.

Even though he had been unable to remain outside the chamber, he had not truly left Gandhari alone. His kingdom was praying for her.

His priests were praying for her. His family was beside her.

And now he would pray as well.

Devara found a quiet place near one of the temple pillars and slowly lowered himself to the ground. He crossed his legs, straightened his back and closed his eyes.

The noise of the outside world gradually disappeared from his awareness.

The crackling of the yaga fires remained.

The chanting of the priests continued.

The fragrance of incense surrounded him.

But Devara allowed his mind to move beyond all of it.

He focused entirely upon Lord Shiva.

His breathing became slow.

Then slower.

His heartbeat gradually settled.

He began his penance.

He did not ask for power.

He did not ask for another boon.

He did not ask for victory over an enemy.

There was only one prayer in his mind.

Keep Gandhari safe.

Keep my children safe.

Every breath became an offering.

Every mantra he silently repeated became a prayer for the woman waiting in the chamber and the one hundred and one lives fighting their way into the world.

Around him, the priests continued their rituals.

One yaga reached its final offering, and another began.

The flames rose higher as sacred herbs were placed into the fire, illuminating Devara’s still form.

The king who had once stood against armies now sat completely motionless before Shiva’s shrine, waiting for nothing except the news that his family was safe.

And for the first time since Gandhari’s labour had begun, Devara’s mind became still.

He would remain there until someone came to tell him that his wife and children were safe.

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(Author note:)

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