Six Years Later, In the forests surrounding the kingdom of Hastinapur,

Kunti looked at her dead husband and she was feeling numb. The wails of Madri seemed to be coming from a far away place and it did not make sense. Not one bit.

She was surrounded by her five sons.

Sahadeva came and sat on Kunti's lap.

"What happened ma?" He asked as he looked worried.

Sahadeva did not understand. Like his twin, Nakula, Sahadeva was too... young. Nakula was beside the eldest Pandava – Yudhishtara and it was obvious that Yudhishtara was explaining to Nakula about their father's demise.

Despite the situation, Kunti felt a stab of pride as she looked at her eldest son.

And even at that minute, sixteen years later, Kunti forcibly reminded herself that Yudhishtara was her eldest son... not the one that she had consigned to the rivers of Aswa.

A dry sob escaped Kunti's lips as she saw Bheema looking despondent and worried.

Yudhishtara had always been the eldest one among the five. Despite Bheema always hovering protectively around, in all these years, Kunti had never even once seen Yudhishtara panic or even raise any histrionics. Probably it was because of Yudhishtara's biological father.

"Why is Madri ma crying? Yudhishtara says that father will not wake up."

Kunti felt a lump in her throat as Sahadeva looked at her sadly. "What has happened to father, mother?"

They had lived together as such a close family that it hardly mattered to Kunti that Nakula and Sahadeva were not born to her. In fact, it was more than obvious that Sahadeva was her most favourite child.

When Pandu had been alive, he had often told his sons the stories of Hastinapur. But to the young Pandavas, Hastinapur seemed some sort of mirage. Something like a dream. The king of Hastinapur. The young Pandavas tried thinking about it and found the idea too incongruous. Their father, who always wore the coarse clothes made of tree bark and who lived in a thatched hut in the middle of the forest and who ate simple food, did not look anything like the king of Hastinapur.

*********

Mother Madri was sobbing so hard that the younger Pandavas felt more sorry for her than they felt for themselves.

Finally, unable to stop herself, Madri took Nakula and Sahadeva – the twins, aside and took them to Kunti.

"She is your mother from now on. Follow Yudhishtara and support him. He now holds the position of your father." That was all she had told her twin sons.

Kunti found her voice as she ran towards Madri and whipped her around. "What are you doing?" She demanded in a strangled tone, as she caught Madri's shoulders tightly, so tightly that her own hands trembled.

Madri smiled mirthlessly as she saw Kunti. "Both of us knew of Pandu's health. We knew that he was destined to die the minute he decided to enjoy his family life. But I could not stop myself. And our husband is lying dead because of it." Madri choked and she was unable to talk, as fresh tears assaulted her already puffy and red eyes.

Kunti hugged Madri as Madri sobbed unrestrained into her shoulder unable to stop herself.

The twins watched the entire scene looking worried as neither of the women said anything for some time, each mourning the death of the man that they had loved.

Finally, Madri controlled herself and pushed herself up as she looked at Kunti. "I am going to pay the price for my foolishness. I am going to join our husband in the afterlife."

Kunti shook her head. "You have your sons, Madri. You need to live your life. You cannot..."

"I CANNOT!" Madri shouted harshly interrupting Kunti.

Kunti said nothing as Madri was panting angrily. "You love all the five boys like your own. In fact, Sahadeva is more attached to you than he is to me. He is your favourite son." Madri caught Kunti's hands as her own hands were trembling and she led Kunti to her sons. "Take good care of all our sons, Kunti. I will join our husband in the afterlife."

Kunti opened her mouth to say something, but she realized the futility of her words and closed her mouth.

The young Sahadeva and Nakula, both did not understand as they saw Madri. Sahadeva clutched Kunti's hands tightly, as his hands were trembling.

Kunti said nothing, as she slowly nodded her head at Madri.

Madri smiled a little sadly at Kunti and then turned.

Without a backward glance, she stepped into the funeral pyre along with Pandu's dead body.