Week 7: Kunti's request

                                                   Image Details: Kunti praying to Surya, Source: Wikimedia

It was a brisk and foggy morning. I was running through the park, feeling the crunch of the crisp leaves underneath my shoes. I sat down on a bench and pulled out my phone. I saw that there were 10 missed calls. I looked at the caller ID and deleted the messages. I didn’t want to think about it

“How dare she call me? After everything that has happened between us, now she wants to build a relationship with me.”

I could feel my blood boil beneath my skin and hear my breath begin to shudder. Just thinking about her made me furious. I decided that I needed to get back home. Dev would probably be awake by now and so would the baby. I got up and jogged back home, listening to the playlist on my phone.

I opened the front door and could hear silence. “Thank god! No one’s awake yet.” I ran upstairs and entered the bedroom. I noticed that Dev’s briefcase and car keys weren’t there. I walked into the nursery and saw that the baby wasn’t in her crib. “Hmm… Where did everyone go?”

I walked into the kitchen. There was a small note attached to a magnet on the refrigerator.

“Sorry, I got called into work. Apparently there is a new lead on the case. I tried to call you, but you didn’t pick up your phone. Don’t worry; I dropped Naina off at daycare so you can pick her up after work. See you later, Dev.”

I plucked the note off from the refrigerator, folding it in half and placed it on the counter top. I grabbed the TV remote and turned on the television. The news channel was on and I could see Dev giving a statement to the public. I noticed the dark circles forming under his eyes and the few wisps of gray hair that mingled with thick curls of black hair. He was addressing the media and telling them that there was another murder that occurred last night.

A chill crept up my spine and I couldn’t help but think that it was him. “No, it can’t be…” Before I could finish my thought, I heard the doorbell ring. I walked over to the foyer and unlocked the door. Before I could register who it was, I heard her voice call out to me, “Hello Divya, may I come in?” I glared at her and could feel my hand slowly curl up into a fist. “No, you may not. I have nothing to say to you.” I saw that the smile on her face slowly fade, but I didn’t care.

She looked at me with pleading eyes, “Please, I desperately need to talk to you.” I couldn’t help, but feel a little bad for her. I opened the front door and allowed her to walk inside. She sat down at the coffee table and folded her hands across her lap. I leaned my body against the wall, trying to distance her as far away from me as possible. “Why are you here? What do you want from me now?”

She didn’t look at me, but I saw her twisting the edge of her sari between her fingers. “I’m here to ask for your forgiveness and your help.” I scoffed, “After all the years, now you want to ask for my forgiveness. You deserve nothing from me.” I saw her shifting in her seat, “I know that you are upset with me and you deserve to be, but I am your mother…”

I hurled around and cut her off, “You will never be my mother. Not today, not ever. The day you decided to abandon me was the day you lost the right to call yourself my mother.” I could feel the tears pool at my eyes, but I brushed them before they rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t want her to see that I cared. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. I shook my head and looked at her, “What did you want me to help you with?”

She stood up and walked towards me. “I need you to help protect my family. Arjun made a mistake and I need your help in order to protect him.” I was shocked; she was asking me to cover up a crime. I said, “Your son killed an innocent woman last night and you want me to help you cover it up.” I turned around and ran my fingers through my hair, “No, no I can’t help you. It’s wrong.” She reached for my hand and I was shocked at the affectionate gesture, “Please, you must. He is your brother after all and if you just speak with your husband…”

I pulled my hand away from her grasp, “I can’t ask Dev to cover up a crime. Especially after everything we’ve been through together. You can’t come after twenty years and ask me to jeopardize my relationship.”

I could see that she was not satisfied with my answer. I stood a little taller and looked straight at her, “You left me in order to keep your family together and for a long time you were very happy with your decision. It wasn’t until your son made a mistake that you remembered you long lost daughter who was married to a police officer. Well, now it’s time that I protect and keep my family together”

I exhaled the deep breath that I was holding. She took the edge of her sari and wiped away the tears that had escaped her eyes, “Is that you decision?” I could see her eyes pleading with me, but I made up my mind, “Yes, it is.”

She nodded her head and turned around to leave. She stopped in the middle of her step and turned around to look at me, “You are still a part of my family.” I looked at her, but not with the cold stare that I continued to give her. Instead I looked at her like a pleading mother who was doing anything to save her son. But, I couldn’t change my mind. “No, I am not.”

She nodded her head and drove away in her car. I lingered at the front door and breathed in the cold, fresh air. For the first time, I could feel the burden lift off of my chest. Maybe this is what closure is. I couldn’t help, but chuckle. I turned around and shut the front door. 

Authors Note: For my story, I wanted to use Karna’s conversation with him biological mother, Kunti, but add a modern twist to the story. I thought that in Narayan’s version of the Mahabharata, we don’t get to see enough of Karna’s perspective about the situation of fighting against the Pandavas, who are his stepbrother’s. Also, I wanted to highlight the fact that Karna was not willing to betray or leave Duryodhana because of his loyalty towards him. For this story, I changed around the name of the character’s by changing “Karna’s” name to “Divya.” Also, I changed the Pandavas from being the righteous and moral side of the family to be immoral and essentially murderous. I wanted Divya’s character to be upset with her biological mother who gave her up at birth. Also, I wanted the character of Divya’s mom to seem opportunistic and trying to manipulate Divya’s feelings. In the Mahabharata, Karna’s promises Kunti that he would spare the rest of her sons except for Arjuna. However, in my version, I wanted Divya to not give into her mother’s emotional manipulation and stand up for herself. Also, I wanted her to gain closure and be able to move on with her life. 

Bibliography: R.K. Narayan, Mahabharata: A shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic, 1978.