Ten years later, in the forests around Hastinapur,

All the five Pandava children were born in the forests surrounding Hastinapur.

Once Pandu saw his first born son, Pandu knew that he had no more desire to go back to the kingdom of Hastinapur.

Kingship no longer meant anything to him. He was a father now and that was all that mattered to Pandu. Nothing else.

He loved to watch his children grow and he taught them all that he had learnt and they learnt very well.

And the five of them were very different. Far too different.

The first boy – Yudhishtara – was a quiet one. Anyone who saw him would know that he had the attributes of Dharma, the God of Justice. Dharma's silence was what defined Yudhishtara. Yudhishtara was very fair in complexion and he talked little, though he understood a lot. He was far too wise for his years. Living in the forest had made Yudhishtara a good spear wielder. But then all of Yudhishtara's attributes were understandable because Yudhishtara's natural father had been a warrior from the tribe of Dharma.

The second Pandava was Bheema. And he was as strong as Vayu Deva, the Wind God. Which was understandable too. Because Bheema's father was from the Clan of Vayu. Bheema was unpredictable, with mood swings and he was ferociously strong and he effortlessly towered over all his brothers and he looked like a mean fighting machine. He was. But despite his huge girth, Bheema had always been the baby among the brothers.

Arjuna. Pandu could not believe it. That dark-complexioned boy was a wonder. With a father who had been an exemplary warrior in the Tribe of Aditi, the Heavenly Bringer of Rains, no one could even doubt that Arjuna was special. With his dark complexion, Arjuna's serious eyes always looked probing and questioning. His restless nature had always made him lookout for new things.

No, it was not just that.

Sometimes Vidura came from the kingdom just to talk to Pandu or sometimes to share information and obtain Pandu's idea on the matter. Pandu was happy to help Vidura.

Those talks and the talks with the sages and merchants traveling through the forests convinced that something was not right in the city of Mathura. Strange rumours had been coming from there.

As had been for the past ten years, any and all news of Mathura was always unclear. Ever since, Kamsa had taken over Mathura, Pandu had sensed that unease from Mathura.

Openly no one said anything, but then Pandu always heard about the Yadus of Mathura trying to get away from the city. No one felt at ease there and even merchants tried to avoid the city – that was despite the ease of trade there. In all his years in the forest, Pandu had seen very few people who had come from Mathura. And the news from there... always seemed curbed... controlled.

But then Pandu heard Vidura's spy network with uncertain rumours about the birth of a child in prison. Devaki's child. A child who had been smuggled out of prison. The reason Pandu remembered this date so well was that Arjuna was born on the same day. On the same time as the son of Devaki.

But try as he could, Pandu received no news about this child who was smuggled out of Mathura. But then sometimes when Pandu looked at his third son, Pandu felt that this was exactly how Devaki's son would look. No, Pandu had nothing to base his belief on. Just surmises and powerful hunches which he just could not ignore.

But now in the forests of Hastinapur, there was nothing that Pandu could do about Mathura. He had not told Kunti about it knowing that she would be distressed....

Pandu was musing this and that was when he saw the twins run towards their hermitage.

Looking at the twins, always brought a beautiful smile on Pandu's face. It made him grateful that Kunti had not been selfish with her gifts. Using her serum, she had helped Madri become the mother of twins – Nakula and Sahadeva.

They were the children of two warriors from the Tribe of the Aswinis and the Medicinal prowess of that Tribe had been phenomenal. But it hardly mattered. Nakula and Sahadeva were loved and cherished by all and the twins loved chasing Bheema, as he played all the games with them when he was babysitting them.

"All of us are the Pandavas." Sahadeva once told all of them proudly, after dinner as they were about to lie down for the night.

The others laughed as Pandu picked up the young Sahadeva and took him to the hermitage and put him on the mattress made of rough hay.

*************

The five boys should have been in the palace of Hastinapur enjoying all the comforts of life. Instead they were in the forests, learning tough survival skills.

No, that was not the reason that Kunti's laugh felt hollow. At least to her own ears.

But then that was not what worried Kunti. Her last son was Arjuna and she loved him a lot.

But the problem was that every time she looked at her last son, she was reminded of that child whom she had left behind. The son who should have been a part of this.... family. But Kunti had been hasty. Which was why, her first born son would never enjoy all this.

For a brief minute, Kunti wondered where her first born son would be..... but then as always she brutally crushed all thoughts in that direction. That was a pain she was meant to carry her entire life. She could not share that secret. She just had to endure it.