Bhagiradhi tiptoed to the armoury. A whiff of nostalgia barraged her as scenes from her childhood played out before her eyes just as if it was yesterday. She pushed open the doors and sneaked in bettering even a cat in its stealth. She leaned against the stack of weapons as she glanced across the huge hallway.

The furnace was burning. An adult figure stood near the fire stirring it. A cherubic boy of six, with messy, curly, jet-black hair, black eyes sat on a wooden rocking chair, far away from the fire, swinging back and forth. She recognized both of them. The first was her brother, Gajendra Baahubali, and the second was her truant son, Shivaansh.

"We dip the steel into the furnace when the stones of Gauri Kanth are half cooled. It makes the weapons strong and unbreakable. During the Agni Prastham, Bhavani Pinni will walk with a pot of burning half cooled stones and a staff in her hand to the temple of Lord Shiva in the forest fortress. She should not stop anywhere for food, water or rest till she reaches the temple. Then, I will shoot down the Demon of Drought with a weapon fashioned like this."

Shivaansh pulled and tugged his yellow silk shirt and his cream-colored dhothi as he hung on to Gajendra's lips with unblinking eyes. Quite a bit of healthy kid flab was showing beneath his shirt as he shouted, "Now an animal fable, please."

Bhagiradhi sighed to herself as she looked towards Shivaansh, "He has outgrown his clothes. I must order a new trousseau one size bigger."

The boy's uncle looked like a kid himself as he waved and gestured with his hands and feet enacting the entire story out. He made occasional silly faces and weird sounds. They elicited noisy giggles from the young kid who held his stomach hard.

At the end of the story, the young child's mood turned sombre as he asked, "When are you going to Kunthala?"

"After the Agni Prastham", Gajendra replied.

"I wish you weren't going. I wish you could stay here with me forever. Why can't Bhavani Pinni and Avanindra stay with us?

"Your Pinni is the Queen of Kunthala. She can't leave behind everything. Avanindra is too small. It is just two months. After that, I will be with you here in Mahishmati."

"Still the two months are going to feel like two years", Shivaansh said as he ran up to Gajendra and caught hold of his legs from behind. The furnace suddenly crackled and the flames rose up higher. The sparks flew all around. Gajendra picked up Shivaansh in his arms and retreated from the furnace.

"Amma!" Gajendra said to divert the young kid from his despondent mood. He jerked upright and held his finger to his lips as he hushed the kid.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Very funny! You've played this joke three times, Mama."

"Shivaansh..."

"Mama..."

Shivaansh..."

"Pinni!"

"Where? Where? Did you see her?" Gajendra let him down gently and jumped behind a curtain. He peeked out slowly realizing the young child had fooled him.

Shivaansh's high-pitched laughter echoed through the huge hall from end to end. Gajendra hoisted Shivaansh up his shoulders and twirled him round and round. Bhagiradhi eyes moistened with tears on witnessing the love between the uncle and nephew.

"Put me down, Mama. My head is spinning", the boy shouted. "Why are you so scared of Bhavani Pinni? What is she going to do to a man as big as you?"

"Your Pinni makes me feel so small when she is angry. I'd rather be anywhere else when she is mad", Gajendra said. "Now you tell me. Why are you so scared of your Mom? She doesn't even lift her voice at you leave alone lifting a finger."

"I am scared of looking into her eyes. They pop out of her sockets like this."

Shivaansh produced such an accurate imitation of Bhagiradhi at this point that Gajendra doubled up in laughter. Noticing a pair of feet behind the stack of weapons, he quietened down.

"Psst....Amma!" Gajendra whispered to Shivaansh muffling his voice with his hand.

"Mama, you act really well. But do you know the story of the boy who cried wolf?"

Gajendra did not reply. Shivaansh stopped talking midway on seeing Bhagiradhi emerge from her hiding place. Shivaansh pinched Gajendra's back, "Not fair. You should have warned me, Mama."

"I did but you didn't listen. Now you'd better go and have your bath. An oil bath with bath flour and soap nuts is very healthy", Gajendra advised Shivaansh clearing his throat.

"Amma, Mama says that an oil bath is very good, isn't it?" Shivaansh's eyes narrowed down and gleamed a bit wickedly.

"Of course, it is", Bhagiradhi answered smiling, not understanding where her son's question was leading to.

"Alright, I think Mama also ought to have an oil bath along with me", Shivaansh revealed as he grinned from ear to ear.

Gajendra silently fretted and fumed. He mumbled to himself, "Faithless boy!"

Bhagiradhi rolled her eyes and pleaded Gajendra, "It is just a bath. No big deal. Just for Shivaansh's sake."

"Amma don't forget the bath flour and soap nuts too", Shivaansh added.

Shivaansh was happily chattering away and making plans for further mischief. Bhagiradhi gave her brother an arch glance, "I was chatting with Bhavani just now. She seems to be very unhappy. Will you promise to talk to her?"

Gajendra acquiesced to her suggestion with a brief nod. He posed the tricky question that had been running at the back of his mind to his elder sister, "Akka, when will you talk to Bhava? Please fill the rift before it is too late. Shivaansh is growing older. He will also start feeling the pinch of these things."

Bhagiradhi agreed to his request without replying in words. Shivaansh skipped ahead completely clueless about the complexities that plagued the lives of the two adults who followed him.

Meanwhile, in the town square, the town crier banged the drums and blew the gongs. The people gathered around the raised platform looking at each other and towards the crier.

He announced in a loud voice audible to everyone who had gathered there, "Hear! Hear! Hear! Our Queen Bhagiradhi has hereby announced that the Agni Prastham festival which falls on the coming new moon day will be grandly celebrated at the temple of Lord Shiva in the forest fortress. All the people are requested to participate and partake in the festival."