Khusibharata I

Devabrata, crown prince of Hastinapura ascends the throne after the death of his father, Santanu. He has made a promise to his stepmother Satyavati never to have children so that her children and grandchildren can become the rulers of Hastinapura after him. The Gods have named him Bhishma because of the vow and his stepmother has given him the boon of 'dying only when he wants' because she is so pleased with him!

Bhisma is a great and valiant ruler. The crown prince is chitrangada , eldest son of santanu and satyavati. Hastinapura prospers! Unfortunately chittrangada is killed in a skirmish with the neighbouring states...Bhisma immediately declares his younger half-brother vichitravirya, as the crown prince of hastinapura!

Vichitravirya grows up and Bhisma goes to the swayamvara of the three princesses of Kashi, to get them as brides for his brother. The two younger princesses, ambika and ambalika are quite happy to marry vichitravirya but the eldest princess, amba declares that she is in love with King Shalya.

Bhisma and Queen mother Satyavati, sends Amba with escorts and presents for her wedding to Shalya. Unfortunately Shalya rejects her as she has been 'touched by another man' ie lifted into Bhisma's chariot! So much for gallantry!

Anyway, Ambika and Ambalika are married to Crown Prince Vichitravirya...and Amba returns to Hastinapura in high dudgeon...she demands that King Bhisma marries her or else...

The king is in a dilemma.  He gently reminds the princess of his vow never to have children.Amba retorts that she does not want children but she wants to be Bhisma's wife. That will teach Shalya a lesson for humiliating her ...

The goddess Ganga, Bhisma's mother and Queen mother Satyavati urge Bhisma to marry Amba, as she has agreed to honour his pledge.The king agrees.

There is great rejoicing in the kingdom as Bhisma marries Amba.Hastinapura has a new queen - Queen Amba. The people are happy.

And now 2021...

 My last post was in 2017. Hmmm...a lot happened after that...

A tiny stray puppy,a blob of black and white, wriggled his way into our hearts. Maya claimed him as her own and named him Zorn.

Now a gentle and dignified dog he has mellowed down fiery Tara a lot. Of course he is timid and suffers from anxiety attacks unlike the confident and sure -as-hell Tara. But they are good friends and we love them as they are.

Maya is a double MA (whew) and a therapist now while Jit is a M.Sc in Biotechnology. 

And what happened to Kaikeyi with my ‘friend’ is another story which I may tell you later!

Incidentally I staged Kaikeyi in 2019 . It was done simply and well received....

And 2020,2021 are the Covid years where a lot changed and a lot remained...

It also happened to be the years where I could not concentrate on reading anymore. My passion from Class 1. 

The book which returned me to reading was Neena Gupta’s Such Kahin Toh. Engrossing. Surprisingly. 

The Covid years...

My husband and daughter worked from home. I enjoyed that.

I missed my son who could not return home because of the pandemic. I missed him. A lot. May that soon change.

I wrote another book After Troy in January 2020 just before the world changed.

I became a super  cook because we could not order in...now I can cook almost anything and everything.

My tetul gaanch was moved from the terrace to the garden where it died but claimed me the garden.

My heart broke...but a bleeding heart vine now twines the dead tree in loving embrace...

And the plants,flowers and trees go on....

As does the world which always will...