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When the Heavens Descended on Earth: Misters Kuru | EXCERPT

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The women had the adventure of a lifetime in Ms. Draupadi Kuru: After the Pandavas, and Trisha Das returns with the sequel to the acclaimed novel to ensure that the men from the Mahabharata, Yudhistra, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, give them a run for their money. Read an excerpt!

 

Arjuna was nothing if not an honourable man.

He reached Subhadra’s chambers and stood outside the door for a few undecided moments. As her husband, he’d never knocked before. But, to be perfectly honest, in the last thousand years, he had felt less like a husband and more like a nagging, older brother around Subhadra.

He knocked.

‘Come in,’ her soft, sweet voice chimed from inside.

He entered her silken, peach-coloured chambers. Her golden bed glowed like a halo at the centre of it. In its folds sat Subhadra. She smiled at Arjuna and got up to greet him.

‘I’m glad you came, my husband.’ Her doe eyes and heart-shaped lips beamed up at him as she took his hands in hers. ‘I thought I’d lost you forever.’

Arjuna pulled her petite body into a hug and felt her stiffen slightly, as she always did when he touched her. It usually took her a while to warm up to physical intimacy. He rubbed her shoulders gently and smiled back. ‘I’ve missed you.’

Subhadra’s smile broadened. ‘As have I. But I have some news.’

‘What is it?’

‘I’ve decided not to become a Vidyadhari,’ she said in a wispy voice.

Arjuna chuckled. ‘Good. What made you change your mind?’

She disentangled herself from his arms and stood back, her eager eyes blinking excitedly. ‘I’ve thought of something better!’ she declared.

Now what, he thought, and then immediately felt guilty for feeling impatient with her. He sighed. ‘Tell me.’

Subhadra gestured towards an armchair near the bed. In the old days, Arjuna would have ignored the chair and swept her up in his arms, falling with her on the bed. Laughing, touching, talking, easing out her studied formality. But today, he walked over and sat in the armchair, dread creeping over him. She wasn’t going to announce that she wanted to become a nymph, was she? No, probably not. Nymphs were creatures of pleasure, and Subhadra hadn’t taken hers in over a thousand years. At least, not with him.

‘I think we should be reborn!’

Arjuna frowned. ‘What?’

She sat on the edge of her bed and continued in an excited voice, ‘We should be reborn as mortals! Think about it, my love. We could be farmers who live off the land, or travelling merchants who see the world, or maybe even gypsies!’

‘Er… that’s not how rebirth works anymore, Subhadra. Remember the announcement before the start of the Kalyug? You can’t choose who you are or where you’re born, and you certainly cannot choose your mortal companions. We talked about this,’ said Arjuna, valiantly trying not to talk to her as if she were a child even while knowing he was failing miserably. The rules had been different for a while now.

Only the truly enlightened could walk past heaven’s silvery gates and become immortal now. The rest of mortal-kind was doomed to an endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth until the gods decided to destroy the earth and everyone on it. Although it was pretty clear, despite constantly threatening to do so, that they weren’t in any hurry.

Subhadra waved her hands dismissively. ‘Yes, I know we discussed it, but it turns out the rules are flexible. After all, your other wife and your mother have both done it.’

Arjuna blinked. ‘What?’

She nodded. ‘Draupadi, Kunti and that lady who stood in your chariot during the Great War, Amba or Sikandi or whatever they called her back then, are all ensconced in the mortal world right now. I heard it on the grapevine. Apparently, my brother, Krishna, allowed them to visit the mortal world for thirty days and they decided to stay! Isn’t that marvellous?’

Not in the least. ‘That’s not possible,’ he replied, shaking his head.

Subhadra’s lips twitched and her eyes twinkled. ‘Have you seen Draupadi in court lately, my love?’

Arjuna stilled. He hadn’t, not for at least a year. It was unusual, but he’d put it down to one of her antics—Draupadi periodically stayed away from court, trying to organize female tribunals or protests or some such thing. And his mother had become a bit of a recluse lately. Could it be true? No, they wouldn’t have taken such a huge step without consulting him. Without consulting Yudhishtra.

‘That’s not possible,’ he repeated, with more bravado than confidence.

‘It’s true. They really went down there. And we can do it too!’ Subhadra squeaked. ‘Imagine looking up at the night sky again. The warmth of a gypsy fire.’

 

To read more, pre-order your copy of Misters Kuru today!

Misters Kuru
About the Book - Misters Kuru

The Pandavas are back! Draupadi, Amba and Kunti are well settled in their modern-day Kalyug in New Delhi. So, imagine their surprise when, completely out of the blue, Yudhishtra, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva - the Pandava brothers - drop…

About the Author - Trisha Das

Trisha Das is the author of The Mahabharata Re-imagined, The Art of the Television Interview and the internationally acclaimed How to Write a Documentary Script. She has written and directed over forty documentaries in her filmmaking career. Trisha has also…

To read more, order your copy of Misters Kuru, by Trisha Das today!

₹ 350.0000
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