"I'm abdicating the throne to live in exile with my wives for the rest of our lives".

Ever since Pandu had forsaken his position as the King of Kuru Empire due to the curse placed on him by a wounded sage to die should he become intimate with any women, he had embraced a life as an ascetic in the mountainous forest of Shatāshrīngā.

His elder brother, Dhritarashtra, had been recently coronated as the King of Hastinapur. Left with no heirs due to a horrific curse he encountered in a hunting expedition, he and his wives lived a life of solitude among the other sages in Shatāshrīngā.

This was his penance for the crime of killing a Brahmin and his wife when they were intimate in the forms of a deer.

He closed his eyes with a sigh and was about to resume his meditation when he heard his chief consort call out for him.

"Arya", Kunti came rushing towards him with a joyful glint in her eyes. Pandu reminisced the time when Kunti and his second wife, Madrī, were decked in rich robes of silk and jewellery, were now reduced to wearing the plain saffron attire and strings of Rudraksh beads befitting an ascetic's wife.

"What's the matter, Kunti"? The former royal questioned as he forced a smile.

"Arya, it must have slipped my mind but I know of a way to beget a child", she answered excitedly with the beam in her eyes brightening at every word.

Pandu raised an expectant eyebrow. "And what might that be, Priye"?

Kunti took a seat next to her husband as she unfurled the solution to their dilemma. "When I was a child, the sage Durvasā visited my kingdom and I was put in charge of his welfare. After his stay, he blessed me for my services with a boon that could permit me to call upon any of the Devās for a demigod. In that manner we can finally have children of our own and hence, the Kuru dynasty can have its heir".

The gleam in Pritha's eyes were shared by her husband as he heard news. His heart leapt with joy at her words and was almost tempted to hug her when he was reminded of his bane.

"This is a marvellous news, Kunti! You must immediately call upon a god for his offspring"! He exclaimed.

Kunti nodded vigorously and asked, "But, which Devā should I call upon, Arya"?

Pandu pondered upon the question. His brother's wife had still not birthed a child for the dynasty, hence the responsibility for the throne's heir falls upon him. A perfect heir for the crown and a numerous gods to choose from.

After a pregnant pause he decided, "Call upon the god of death, Yamraj".

Kunti was befuddled. The god of death? Did she hear him correctly?

"B-But why him, Arya? Why the death god out of all"?

"Because apart from being the god of death, he's also the god of justice, that is Dharmā. And a demigod son of Dharmā would be the perfect Crown Prince for our kingdom. He would be the most righteous King in this country", Pandu explained patiently with hidden mirth.

"You're right, my lord. How can I forgot such an important detail! I shall immediately call upon Yamraj", Kunti agreed and recalled the mantra given by the sage Durvasā. Pandu moved from her perimeter to allow her to perform the mantra when the sky darkened and thundered violently.

Kunti's eyes snapped open at the frightening disturbance to see a resplendent deity clad in a magnificent red saree and various gold saree with numerous arms holding weapons and a ...child.

Kunti quickly took a glance at her husband only to see him equally transfixed at the form before them as her. She looked back at the deity with an awestruck expression who stared back at her with her sharp eyes.

She recognised the heavenly woman before her as the Goddess Durga, the goddess of war, destruction, protection and motherhood. She was definitely sure that she hadn't called for her.

"No you did not, child", Her auspicious voice responded to her thoughts, stunning Kunti at the spot.

"Before you call upon any other Devās, I would like to appreciate your generosity, devotion and commitment towards your family and your subjects. It takes a great amount of courage and strength to leave behind your family members to accompany your husband to a life of exile in a forest. Kunti, as a wife, you have impressed me with your dedication towards your husband and the extreme penance you have performed for the past three years in Shatāshrīngā," The Mother Goddess announced with a booming voice that rattled the mountains of Shatāshrīngā.

"A part of me has to take birth on this mortal world to accompany my husband and thus I have decided to bless you with my ansh. She shall be known as the eldest Pandava and act as a supporting pillar to the rest of her siblings at all times of calamity. O former King and Queen of the Kurus, this descendant of Bharat, born under the Māgha star, shall teach the entire region of Aryavart and the its forthcoming generations the ultimate sacrifice needed to make in order to restore Dharmā and invoke the spirit of Durga in every women should any threat befall their family", Durga's statement gave way to a hint of worry in Pandu's conscience as Kunti took the baby girl from Durga's divine arms.

"Devi, isn't that a difficult fate for a child?" He questioned his worry aloud.

Hearing his distress over his newborn daughter, the Goddess smiled and replied, "All mortals despite having the essence of divinity, are to face hardships on earth and make mistakes in order to learn and teach others. No mortal incarnation of any divine being is exempted from this rule. And the same applies to your other future demigod children. But fret not! This girl has the mental endurance of her mother to withstand the hurdles thrown at her, and she shall bring the destruction of Adharmic creatures polluting this earth. She will grow into a great woman".

The divine aura of the warrior Goddess disappeared along with her as the couple stood with tears of gratitude in their eyes at the sight of their daughter, now sleeping peacefully. They mentally thanked the Mother for her blessing and departed for their cottage to show Madrī her newborn daughter.

"Madrī, look who-" Pandu stopped mid sentence at the crowd gathered near their minimalist home. All the hermits present in the mountain had huddled expectantly waiting for the former royal couple with Madrī tending to her guests.

At the sight of her Co-wife and husband, she excitedly rushed towards them."Arya, show me the baby"!

One of the sages greeted Pandu and explained the reason for their gathering. "O scion of Bharat, the holy voice of the MahishasuraMardani was heard throughout the mountains of this abode, and we hermits have come here to witness the manifestation of the divine woman in this girl child. Please allow us to have a glimpse of the Demigoddess".

Pandu and Kunti were moved by the words of the sage. The son of Ambalika smiled and said, "O great sages, I thank you for the trouble you have taken to see our first child and so, I would have to implore you to bless the child by predicting a suitable name for her".

A sage from the crowd voiced, "It wasn't a trouble, Great Pandu. It is a blessing to hear the birth of your daughter and an honour to receive the opportunity to name her. Durga has already announced that she will grow into a great woman of Bharatvarsha and thus, shall be called as Maheswari, meaning great lady".

"Maheswari", Kunti gently whispered as she fondled the child in her arms with utmost care. The sages and their disciples murmured whispers of agreement within themselves at the accuracy of the name's meaning and it being an epithet of Durga herself.

Pandu thanked the said sage and turned to Madrī. "Priye, would you like to hold your daughter"?

Madrī eyes glistened with unshed tears and nodded. Kunti handed Maheswari to her companion who handled her like a china doll that might break with a single breath. Despite her being her stepdaughter, Madrī was overjoyed at the prospect of having an opportunity to hold a baby.

Maheswari, who was in a deep slumber the entire time, opened her large eyes and stared back at the woman curiously. Madrī let out a gasp at seeing the girl's eyes.

"Jiji, Arya! Look! The child's eyes are wondrous red!" She exclaimed in shock as Kunti and Pandu took a glance at Maheswari's curious eyes.

"You're right, Madrī! They are like rubies"!

"Just like the Goddess in her Mahakali form", the sages spoke amongst themselves.

"Manikakshi! I will call her Manikakshi, meaning eyes like rubies"! Madrī declared as she admired the blood red irises of the Jewel of Hastinapur.

"Her complexion is pale like her father's but resembles the fresh snow atop the Himalayas. Shweta would be apt too", Pritha gushed, running her fingers on the baby's hair.

The mountains stood proudly against the monsoon winds of Shravan month as they welcomed the birth of Shailputri on earth with the Devās in heaven celebrating the occasion on their own ways at the prospect of them being reborn as sisters and brothers of the Mother Goddess in their mortal incarnations.

"Welcome to Earth, Mata Prakriti", The flowers, winds and mountains echoed in their language as the Gandharvas struck a melodious note in their Veenas and the Apsaras danced in joy. Long in a distance, the son of a poor Brahmin, stopped momentarily in the midst of his playtime to listen and understand the heralding of Nature.

A/N

I Thank all the readers that decided to give this book an opportunity and I promise not to disappoint y'all. And do let me know your thoughts on the first chapter in the comments section and please vote and add this book to your library for notifications. The plot of this story and the character of Maheswari had been in my mind for a very long time and I was pondering on the ways to bring them both to life.
I'm glad the way the story has moulded into and I'm excited to share it with you.