Pradhyumna - Part 2 of 3

The palace at Dwaraka was in the midst of a huge celebration. Queen Rukmini and Lord Krishna had just had their first son ...Pradhyumna! All over the palace, stories spread from one person to another about how exquisitely handsome the child looked....The child looked like a perfect mix of Rukmini and Krishna, with his dark body and her delicate features.....Nobody could stop describing the beauty of the child.....

A large figure approached the palace and maliciously looked at all the people in the palace. It was not surprising that the people had not noticed the stranger, though he looked very much out of place. The stranger was an expert in the art of illusion. He could create any illusion and make people believe in it....Making himself invisible to the people of Dwaraka was no big deal for him....

The figure walked inside the palace. He was careful to avoid Krishna. Carefully he made his way straight to Queen Rukmini's apartment where he knew Pradhyumna would be....The figure walked inside the apartment and saw many ladies surrounding the child. Now that he was inside, he was in no hurry. The figure chose a hiding place in the room and stayed there. He heard the ladies gush over how beautiful the child looked as he felt an anger build up inside himself....

Slowly, after what seemed like an eternity, the ladies left the room. The figure slowly came out of the hiding place as he walked towards the cradle. He could hear the cooing sounds of the baby and knew that the child was still there.....He walked near the child and for the first time looked at the child. He had to admit that it was an extraordinarily beautiful child. He smiled as he picked up the baby. Pradhyumna! So you are the great Pradhyumma, who is going to kill me! Me – Shamabara, the one who can create the greatest illusions in the world....No Pradhyumna....Shambara looked at the baby as he thought fiercely. I am afraid you are not even going to get a chance to fight with me!

The child seemed to suddenly sense that he was in the hands of someone who was definitely not a nice person. He woke up with a start and started wailing.....Shambara looked around as he heard the footsteps of someone who was coming towards the room. Before the door could be opened, Shambara clutched the child tightly in his arms and flew out of the window....

As Shambara flew out of the window he could hear the loud screaming and wailing from the women below in the palace. What had only a few seconds ago been a palace of great celebration had suddenly become a full fledged nightmare. Shambara smiled wickedly at people in the palace and quickly flew towards his own kingdom.

As Shambara was flying he glanced at the baby and grinned. He knew that if he had to put an end to Pradhyumna, he had to do it with his own hands. There was no point in believing his guards. Guards were not trustworthy and he was not willing to put his life in the hands of some other person. Shambara looked at the sea below as he was going towards his own kingdom and laughed maniacally. Without a second thought, Shambara dropped the baby inside the sea. As the child fell inside the water, Shambara looked arrogantly. I am supposed to be killed by Pradhyumna....Now that Pradhyumna is no more....I cannot be killed by anyone...I am invincible!

**************

Mayawati was pacing the floor of the kitchen looking anxious and worried. Through her friends, she had come to know that Shambara had received the news of the birth of Pradhyumna. But try as she might, Mayawati could not find the King anywhere and that worried her. She believed that Shamabara would have the baby abducted and then bring it here....That was when she could save the child....But if she did not even know where the king was, how could she save Pradhyumna....Worried Mayawati continued pacing....

Suddenly Mayawati saw a flurry of activity,all over the palace. The guards stood in attention. 'The king has come....' They whispered to each other. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mayawati looked outside the kitchen. She saw Shambara come inside the palace. She had to now follow him to find the child.

The guards came inside the kitchen. 'The king wants to see you..' He whispered as he looked at Mayawati.

Mayawati looked confused. 'Me! Why?'

The guard shrugged. 'The king looks slightly...crazy!' The guard shuddered as he asked Mayawati to follow her. Mustering her courage, Mayawati followed the guard as she entered the main palace room.

Shambara was heartily laughing, looking almost giddy when Mayawati entered the room. 'Ah! Yes! You are in charge of the kitchens, is it not?' Mayawati nodded as Shambara continued. 'Prepare a feast! Today we are celebrating the most important day of my life!'

Mayawati swallowed rapidly as she asked the king. 'If I knew the reason for the king's happiness, I may be able to prepare for the feast better....'

Shambara nodded fiercely as if he was anxious to tell someone the reason for his happiness. He let out a fierce laugh. 'I have conquered death, today! I have become invincible.....'

Mayawati struggled as she tried to take in a deep breath to calm herself. 'What has Your Majesty done?' She asked in a croaked voice.

Shambara took a deep breath as he spoke happily. 'Long ago, it was prophecised that Krishna and Rukmini's first son would be the reason for my death....And today I have made the prophecy wrong!'

Mayawati found that she was unable to open her mouth. Her heart was beating rapidly as she was unable to understand anything that king said. 'What have you done?' She whispered. Shambara told Mayawati everything that he had done on the way to the kingdom.

Mayawati felt like screaming again.....Sage Narada had been wrong....How....How....could this even happen....Why did this have to happen? Mayawati felt so spent that she did not even know that she was still in the presence of the Shambara and was looking at him murderously....

Shambara was feeling distinctly uncomfortable. The look that his cook was giving him...did not feel right. Suddenly he was feeling afraid. He was about to say something, when a guard came in. 'Sir...the chief fishermen, he is here to see you!'

Almost glad that he did not have to look at the cook, Shambara hastily called the fisherman inside. The fisherman came inside with a huge plate. Shambara was looking surprised as he saw a huge fish on the plate. Shambara had never seen such a big fish in his life....The fisherman bowed to Shambara. 'My Lord! Today while fishing, I found this fish....I have never seen such a huge fish in my entire life! As you are our king, I have decided to present the fish to you as our tribute!'

Shambara smiled at the fisherman. 'Thank you! I was thinking of having a nice feast today!' He looked at his cook and nodded to her. 'Lady! Take this fish and make this as the main course for the feast today.....'

Shambara failed to notice that the cook was still looking like a thunderbolt had hit her. She did not even seem to know where she was going as she stumbled outside the main room with the fisherman following her...

The fisherman kept the fish in the kitchen. Mayawati was looking as the other cooks came and were examining the huge fish. She felt detached from everything. She had nothing left to go on.....The purpose of her life had been taken from her, not once but twice.....And both the times she had been powerless to stop it....

Mayawati felt a tear in her eyes as she felt her whole body tremble....The Gods had lied to her.....She was never going to be whole again....She would always be half.....

'My Lady!' Came a shriek from one of the cooks. Mayawati looked in the general direction of the voice, but she could not concentrate on what was being said. 'My Lady! Please come here and see this for yourself....'

Mayawati still could not bring herself to go when the assistant came forward and almost dragged her. 'You are not going to believe this!' Mayawati felt tired and had no energy even to argue with the assistant. 'Look at this!' The assistant said dramatically as she pointed at the place where the fish was kept.

Disoriented Mayawati stared at the fish but she did not understand....She blinked again and still did not understand.....Mayawati breathed in rapidly wondering whether she was hallucinating! Looking at Mayawati's stunned look the assistant nodded her head. 'Yes my Lady! There is baby....inside the fish! A human baby! A beautiful baby....'

Mayawati suddenly felt faint and she collapsed on the kitchen floor. She stared at the beautiful dark child and knew....knew instinctively what had happened...

Shambara had thrown the child in the ocean. The minute he had thrown it in, the fish had swallowed the baby....And immediately afterwards the fisherman had caught the fish and brought it here. Mayawati looked at the baby as she could not stop crying.

The Gods had brought the child here,safe and sound. Now it was all upto her. Mayawati smiled slowly....The child whom Shambara wanted to destroy was going to grow up right under his nose and he would never know it.....