Picture : Indraprasth

A gorgeous fertile land resembling the sceneries of paintings. A well planned city flourishing with agriculture and business. Beautifully constructed houses sheltering happy and content people. This was what Dharmaraj envisioned when he was back in Hastinapur and his thoughts took him to his new province. However, the view infront of him tells him that there is a long road to cross to reach his dreams. The land here in Khandavprasth, is so barren that one might dig a hundred feet and still not find even a drop of water. Making the land liveable seemed like a herculean task, let alone making it fertile. With a heavy sigh, he jumped off his horse and the others followed suit.

Well, it is said that, "The journey of a hundred miles starts with a step." He turns towards his brothers and observes that their thoughts seems to be running in the same direction. The brothers nod at each other and ask Draupadi to start the Bhoomi Puja ceremony. The queen takes the Kalash from a helper and starts the puja by tilting it. As soon as the water touched the ground, numerous snakes slithered out of a nearby forest and launched an attack on the people present. The area that was till then in complete quietness, is now filled with fear filled and pain stricken screams of the citizens. It took a fierce battle between the Pandavas and the snakes, for the chaos to finally end.

Once the dust settled, grief washed over the siblings and their queen, as they took in the aftermath of the chaos. Wounded bodies of their beloved citizens splayed across and low painful groans from the said people at irregular intervals was a sight they did not wish to see even in their worst nightmares. Upon the suggestion of his younger brothers, Arjun used his knowledge of divine weapons to call upon the god of fire to help him get the snakes heal the wounded citizens. Thunder rumbled in the sky as the king of gods, Arjun's father, Lord Indra came to aid of the snakes. The seemingly endless battle between the father-son duo worried the spectators.

"Stop" came an order. All the heads turned in the direction of the speaker. There stood in his heavenly glory, a man whose beauty, words fail to describe. His lotus feet with divine symbols on his soles adorned with a simple yet beautiful gold chain touched the ground blessing it as he descended from his chariot. His yellow dhoti amplifying the glow of his dark skin. A golden crown with a peacock's feather adorned his luscious locks that cascaded down his shoulders. His captivating eyes are filled with kindness. He was definitely a beauty to behold. But nothing was more charming and bewitching than the ever present smile on his radiant face.

The spectators heaved a sigh of relief on seeing their dear friend and cousin. Said person, the king of Dwaraka, Shri Vasudev Krishna walked towards the now halted battle between the king of gods and his son. "Stop this right now. This battle will lead to no good. Both of you wish for the same thing." said the son of Devaki. "How is it the same Dwarakadheesh? I wish for the safety of the snakes and he wishes to protect his people. " queried Lord Indra. "No my lord. I wish for the safety of both the snakes and humans. I would never intent to hurt the snakes." replied his son. "We promise, O lord Indra, to never hurt the snakes unless they attack us or our people." promised the eldest of the five brothers. "With your blessings, we would like to name our kingdom Indraprasth. " said Arjun.

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

Magnificent!

That's the word that pops into the mind of anyone who lays their eyes on the palace and city of Indraprasth. Truly magnificent and exquisite. Words fall short to describe it's beauty. The place that was once cursed not to have even a drop of water, now has a beautiful and magical looking moat surrounding it. Should you be given the permission to enter the city, an arch bridge with intricate designs on the sides, appears giving you the way to the second paradise on earth. (First being Dwaraka). Colorful lights decorate the alleys and clouds hover low in an attempt to witness the heavenly beauty. Hiding behind these clouds is the abode of the heirs of King Pandu - the royal palace of Indraprasth. The palace, in itself, is a sight to behold. It is magical in every sense. The ornate high walls of the palace ooze out regalness and the tips of these walls peek out from behind the cocoon of the clouds. However, the castle is more popular for its enchantments than its beauty. It's most attractive features being the walls that are bewitched to look like archways, the pools that look like land and vice versa.

The due credits for this masterpiece goes to the demon Mayasur who helped the sons of Pandu. Happiness and pride filled the hearts of the citizens of Indraprasth. They felt assured that their sacrifices won't go in vain and their decision to leave everything they know behind is not wrong. However, the same cannot be said for the emperor of this kingdom, the person the entire kingdom placed their beliefs in. Wrapping up a meeting with his newly appointed ministers, he contemplates on the decrees he just passed. He plans on making his kingdom independent soon and plans for his kingdom's welfare were running in his mind.

His mind is firing questions and doubts at him. His cousin Vasudev says questions are good since they lead us to close to answers. However, he feels no closer to answers than he was before. Being under the jurisdiction of Hastinapur, he had to keep in mind it's base principals while making these decrees. But didn't the people follow him expecting a change? If the laws made by both the kings were the similar, what was the point of them leaving their homes. Were the decrees he passed, good enough? Would they do justice to each individual? This particular question took his thoughts to Angraj Karna. Karna was an able and efficient warrior who was crumpled under the weight of laws and practices. Had Karna been born in some other kingdom, he would have been able to learn archery while staying at his home. Were there more such warriors who couldn't shine due to such practices? In that case, is this practice unerring? A kingdom flourishes if the people flourish. So, should the laws not help in empowering all the people?

His walk and the conversation with his grandfather flashes infront of his eyes. The support and belief they have on him gives him determination. Their unsaid expectations from him convinces him to strive further. He wants to do right by them not just because it is dharm but because he wants to see happy and satisfied smiles on their faces. The question of how, still lingers in his mind. If only there was someone to talk to..

"Pranipat Jyeshth" someone calls him.

He turns around to find his cousin Vasudev. Arjun was right. Vasudev always knows when someone needs him. With a pleasant smile on his face, he says "Please come in Vasudev. I was hoping to contact you." "What happened Jyesth? Anything that you want to discuss with me?" Kanha asks with a mischievous smile. " Is there anything that you don't know Vasudev?" asks Dharmaraj with a serene smile on his face. "I want to do justice to my people. They willingly gave up everything and followed me here. I want to bring happiness to each individual in my kingdom. However, I have an inkling that, to achieve this, things need to change." "Change is the only constant thing in the world Jyesth. Change is highly necessary to evolve. Something that causes good now might not cause good few years down the line." answers Krishna. "What do you suggest I do now, dear brother?" asks Yudhishthir. "What do you have in mind Jyesth?" questions back Krishna. "I want the best for my people. Every administration has its own benifits and drawbacks. But before deciding on Indraprasth's way of administration, I want to have an idea of the various ways possible and their ups and lows. " Yudhishthir let out his thoughts. "Then what are you waiting for? Why don't you start looking for ways to find out about different constitutions?" suggests Vasudev. "But Vasudev, are there any constitutions that support equality?" Madhav responds to this query with a mysterious smile, "Time has seen regimes when equality was a mere dream. Time has also seen regimes where everyone strived for equality." Having received all the answers needed, Yudhishthir gratefully thanks his cousins and continues for the day.

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

The study of the Maharaja of Indraprasth is filled with pin drop silence. The king has conveyed his concerns and his idea to his wife and brothers and is now waiting for their reactions. "Arya, I am in line with your concerns. We have to provide the best possible comforts to our people. I am ready to join you in this journey." the fire born breaks the silence. "Yes, Jyesth we all are ready to go with you." says Nakul. "But Nakul, I don't know what this journey has in store for me. How can I subject you all to the unknown miseries that this journey includes.?" asked a worried Yudhishthir. "Jyesth. Remember what mother used to say. We are invincible when united. How can we let you face the unknown miseries alone? Whatever happens, we face it together." replied Sahadev. Receiving a similar response from his other two brothers, he discussed about the next required steps with them.

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

Clad in simple clothes, all the five brothers and their queen set out to a nearby forest and started their prayer calling out for Kali, the goddess of time. Just a day prior to this, the Maharaja has passed out an announcement saying that the royal family will be going on an important trip for a while. He instructed his ministers and enabled them to take care of the kingdom till their return.

It took immense commitment and severe prayers from their to end to impress the goddess of time. She appeared before them and offered them a boon. "Mata Kali, please accept my greetings. It is known that nothing is hidden from time. Time is the most powerful of all. My brothers, my wife and I wish to travel to a place where people strive for equality and give importance to ability. If there exists such a place, please allow us to go there." asked Yudhishthir.  The goddess of time was in a fix. The apt place that fits their description is a different Yuga. Time travel would defy the rules of nature. But she has offered a boon and has to fulfill it. She replies, "O pious one, I grant you this boon. However, I warn you to use it wisely. I will teach you a mantra which you can use to return to your kingdom. Do not take its power lightly. May you find what you are looking for." Saying so, she teaches them the mantra and disappears.

A bright light appears and as it dims, the group see a flight of stairs leading somewhere. Wearily, they go ahead. They step foot on wet soil.

BEEP

"What kind of horrible music is that!!!" Exclaims Bheem.

Dwarakadheesh - King of Dwaraka

Jyesth - Elder Brother

======================================

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry for the delayed update. I was busy and I was also not satisfied with what I wrote, so I rewrote this chapter multiple times.

DISCLAIMER : Everything mentioned in this chapter and from here-on are my opinions on the topic. Constructive criticism is welcome and I'm open to discuss about my views but I won't take any kind of bashing.

So, Pandavas and Draupadi finally reached Kaliyug!

One more thing guys, this book is ranked 268 in 22.2K stories!!!!!! I'm so over the moon!! For someone who thought she could never write a book, this is HUGE 😃😃 Thank you so much everyone for reading and voting for this book❤️❤️❤️❤️

Please vote and comment your thoughts ❤️

Stay safe and be happy