“Only one!” the blue toned magician said melodiously. “There is only one that is worthy of you.”
I did not feign indifference. Nor did I blush. There was nothing I could hide from him. I don’t remember when he came into my life-he was just there! My sounding board; the only man who was never tongue-tied in my presence.
“Maharani Kunti’s third son, the peerless archer Arjun! And my cousin.”
I had heard of this name, countless times. The youth who had forced Father to perform a yagna for a son; the man who had compelled me to be born; but of course- I was born because of him; who else could own me?
But, “Why would I marry my father’s captor? And why would my father wish to hand me over to his enemy?”
“Strange are the ways of a woman’s heart. And stranger still are the caprices of a bride’s father! He certainly would like to have his enemy’s most potent weapon on his side.”
Enemy--- Dronacharya? Father will conquer an enemy with another enemy? Using me as barter?
“Without my permission? Why is he peerless?” I asked, my questions jumbling up in irritation and curiosity.
“He’ll ask for your permission as soon as he finishes finalizing everything.” He coolly ignored my knit eyebrows and continued, “He’s the best disciple of Dronacharya. He excels in all arts of warfare-and especially the bow and arrow. Nobody can wield it like him, with the exception of Dronacharya, Bhism and Parshuram. (That’s three already! I counted to myself. Why call him peerless when he had three equals? ) His acute hunger to excel, his never-ending quest for perfection, and his powers of concentration…”
“How so?” I butted in.
He then told me the story of Dronachraya’s test, the wooden bird on the tree.
I shrugged my shoulders.” A motionless wooden bird! The street boys of Panchalnagar can do that. In war, on battlefield, the target will not be motionless. There wouldn’t be time to ponder, think, and reflect. I would, however, be more impressed if he can hit a moving target at speed. Without looking at it. Or maybe looking at it but… I don’t know…something more difficult.”
He smiled “You like things to be difficult, do you? As you wish, Princess”
“Anyway, how do his skills qualify him to be my soul mate?” I asked
“It doesn’t. It’s just the means to get you.”
“..Provided Bhism, Dronacharya and Parshuram don’t turn up to vie for my hand.” This time I ignored his knit eyebrows and continued, “So give me a reason to marry him.”
“Because he’s a nice person.”
I waited for him to go on. But he had finished.
“Is that all?” I asked
“It is. When everything else is gone, it’s the only quality that remains.”
“How typical of you” I said,” Typical of you to jump to the end of the script while life is till on the first page.”
“That’s because I know” he said
“Bhagwan Krishna, I keep forgetting you are God!” I teased, folding my hands deferentially and bowing down. He didn’t look irritated; just patient and kind. He was very difficult to rile.
I sighed “Can he talk?”
“As far as I know, he can both hear and speak.”
“I didn’t say speak, I said ‘talk’. I’ll be so bored if he just stares at me all the time without getting a word out.” He gave me another of those indecipherable looks. I decided to change track.
“So how am I supposed to recognize this nice guy? Let me know how he looks.”
He shrugged. “Nothing special. Very attractive; or maybe very ugly.”
“Ugly is special too. Is he really ugly?” I asked in concern.
“Is it very important?” he asked
“It certainly helps if he’s good looking. You may have married your wives for their kind, loving, pious nature. But you wouldn’t reject them for being beautiful, would you?”
“Your frankness is so charming!” he said
I checked suspiciously whether he was being sarcastic. “Well, it’s my life. And I have only one.”
“So the Princess wants everything in her husband? No man is so perfect. Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.”
“If he marries me, he better be better than ordinary.”
“There’s no perfect woman either” he said
“Is that why you married more than one?” I couldn’t resist teasing him. He looked appropriately shocked. “Don’t act so innocent. If you had found your perfect woman, would you have…?”
“Kshatriya dharma…” he began explaining. I swat aside his Kshatriya dharma.
“We were discussing Arjun” he reminded me, deflecting attention away from himself.
“Alright!” I conceded, “Tell me why you are so eager for me to marry your Arjun? Am I to be a puppet to my father’s ideas and your wishes? Do I have a choice or say in the matter at all? ”
“Sure. You can refuse any suitor if you so wish. But you better have a good reason ready on the tip of your tongue. Swayamwars have a way of getting ugly.kshatriyas will get the first preference to try their skills. Brahmins can try only after the Kshatriyas fail.”
“Brahmins know how to wield weapons?”
“Usually they are the tutors who train Kshatriya princes in warfare. But your father may agree to open up the contest to anyone.”
“But my father doesn’t have to spend his whole life with that suitor. Can I refuse a suitor after he wins the contest?” I was trying to clarify all possibilities. How ironic that I forgot to ask if I can refuse suitors who have neither tried nor won the contest. Somehow, that just seemed logically out of all bounds of decency.
He sighed. “It’s never simple and straightforward with you, is it? You just have to complicate your life. But you being you, anything is possible. Why would you want to do such a thing anyways?
“I’m just getting all the rules and possibilities clear in my mind. There’s always a first time for everything. Remember, it’s a contest in which I don’t get to participate except as a trophy. I don’t like being relegated to that dumb role at all. And if your Arjun…”
“Trust me. You and he belong”
“How will I know it’s him?”
“Follow my signals. I’ll guide you. Though, of course, he may already be dead!”
“What? Nice and ugly and dead as well?”
“Plus, I’ve never met him yet” he concluded.
Great!!
