Night ’N Shining Armour

 

She had oiled out the last trace of frizz from her hair and smeared a splash of red on her lips. And now she was examining her face in the mirror from various angles. The face that stared back looked so much prettier than her real visage. Pleased, Hidimbi stood up. It was now time to select a fabric that would complement her voluptuous frame. If anyone found out that she was investing so much time on her appearance under the present circumstances, they would have doubted her sanity. But Hidimbi did not care. When it came to him, she did not pay any heed to the rules. She had always been unabashedly crazy about Bheem. It had all started a long time ago when she and Bheem were rather young.

###

Back then Hidimbi used to live under the care of her elder brother Hidimba. They had been orphaned at a very early age but being heirs to the richest family in the forest district, the siblings were not exactly helpless. In fact, it made Hidimba much fiercer than his ancestors.

He knew that he and Hidimbi would have to rule the forest district one day. And, he did all that he could to train her to be a capable leader.

When Hidimbi was in her late teens, she was assigned to work with the security team of the district. Hidimba used to oversee the bigger duties and ensure that each one in the tribe was happy and well-fed.

At the end of one scorching day, Hidimba was bathing himself in a stream, when two of his trusted men came running and informed him about the vicious Pandavas being sighted in the outskirts of their territories.

“The Pandavas from Hastinapur?” a shocked Hidimba sprang out of the water and began to dry himself. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” confirmed his men. “They are in disguise. But we’re sure it’s them. Their mother Kunti is accompanying them too.”

“Then they must be here to survey the situation,” said Hidimba, grinding his teeth. “And soon they will be back with an army to encroach upon our land. Run off and warn others to stay indoors. I’ll deal with the scoundrels.”

Hidimba started looking for Hidimbi. She was supposed to be the one in charge of security. At length he found her gazing into the stillness of a pond, trying to line her eyes with the thick, dark sap of a crushed flower.

“Hidimbi!” he roared.

Startled, Hidimbi dropped the berry and stood up in fear.

“I can’t believe you are sitting here doing nothing,” he yelled. “Come with me and help me to stave off the frail princes while we can.”

With this, Hidimba strode ahead through the forest while his sister followed him, grudgingly. Any other brother would have shortlisted a few potential suitors for his sister but Hidimba just did not seem to notice that his sister was all grown up. Hidimbi thought of their dead mother and sighed. Had she been alive, Hidimbi would not have to tolerate such poor treatment.

“Our mother was a valiant warrior who throttled and devoured the frail kings and princes,” Hidimba commented aloud as if reading his sister’s mind. “She’d be so ashamed of you.”

“Mum wasn’t a cannibal,” shot back Hidimbi. “Nor would I ever eat human flesh.”

“You don’t have to actually eat them, you idiot,” said Hidimba. “It’s a figure of speech. Just kill them and throw them to the wolves. That’d get the signal across and they’d fear us as cannibals. Fear…that’s the only thing that would keep those greedy people from imposing their ways on us.”

“Ok, I understand,” said Hidimbi. “But let’s just shoo them away. No need to kill them.”

“Yeah, you shoo them, I’ll kill them,” said Hidimba making a face at his sister.

The siblings stepped fast through the thick trees, dry leaves crunching under their feet. As they were about to reach a clearing, Hidimba hushed his steps and came to an abrupt halt. He parted the leaves of a bush and peered. The hut of the Pandavas was visible at a short distance. He pulled Hidimbi and gestured at her to observe carefully.

A tall and broad fellow was guarding the hut. He looked very different from the usual lot of frail princes. Unlike them, he was huge in build, much akin to the men of the tribal clans and his pale complexion was tanned to an alluring shade of brown. Hidimbi kept staring at him with an open mouth.

“Can do you do it?” asked Hidimba, after a long moment.

“Oh, sure, him I can eat up,” muttered Hidimbi cheekily and followed her words with an audible gulp.

“So, can you bring him here for a fight?” Hidimba repeated his question firmly.

“Yes, let me try,” answered Hidimbi and she proceeded towards the hut.

Bheem, the fellow guarding the hut, was looking at the setting sun when Hidimbi approached him in small, silent steps. All of a sudden Bheem turned around and saw her. The fading rays of the sun cast an orange halo on Hidimbi’s face and for a second Bheem was charmed.

“Who are you, young lady?” asked Bheem. “You shouldn’t be alone in this strange, evil forest.”

That one line of apparent concern pushed a besotted Hidimbi off the edge. She fell in love.

“Erm, I came here to warn you,” began Hidimbi. “My brother Hidimba does not like you or your type. You have to leave soon.”

“We’re no ordinary people,” disclosed Bheem. “I’m Bheem, the second son of Kunti. Your brother can’t tell us to go away.”

“My brother knows who you are,” elaborated Hidimbi. “Maybe you should come with me and talk to him.”

“Yes, I will,” Bheem got up. “Your brother seems to be a difficult person. I think I should rescue you from him.”

At this Hidimbi’s heart danced in joy and she gave Bheem a spontaneous hug. Bheem was taken aback. But he liked the feel of Hidimbi’s warm, supple body against his skin. He was hesitantly placing his arms around her when they both heard a murderous roar in the background.

“Get off my sister,” cried Hidimba as he jumped ahead and separated Bheem from Hidimbi. Then he rained a slew of punches on Bheem’s face.

“Brother, I like him,” begged Hidimbi. “Please don’t strangle him, I want to marry him.”

“Shut up, you idiot,” said Hidimba as he challenged Bheem to get up and fight.

Bheem was not someone to cower away in fright. He got up and promptly engaged in a duel. For several minutes they fought, ignoring Hidimbi who cried in the background.

Finally, Bheem pinned Hidimba down in the ground with his arms behind his back, and with one sharp dig of the elbow, he broke Hidimba’s spine. He died on the spot, letting out a terrible scream.

Bheem turned towards Hidimbi with a jubilant smile on his face, expecting another hug from her. What he saw instead gave him a big shock. Hidimbi was weeping with her face hidden by her hands. Right behind her, Bheem’s four brothers and mother Kunti were standing, watching the spectacle.

After a while, Hidimbi looked up and said with a broken voice, “You didn’t have to kill him, he was my brother after all.”

The hurt in her voice pained Bheem and he folded his hands to apologise for this action. But Kunti spoke up first.

“Bheem, you have to marry this girl,” she ordered.

The idea of marrying an unknown woman whose brother he had just killed seemed to be preposterous to Bheem. He walked quickly to Kunti and whispered into her ears, “Are you sure, mother? She is nice but I am not ready to marry her.”

“You killed her brother who was the de facto king of this forest district,” whispered back Kunti. “The only way to save the situation from here is by marrying his sister and becoming a part of their family. Do you get it, you airheaded son of Vayu?”

And then Kunti marched ahead, knelt down beside Hidimbi and took her in her arms.

“Don’t cry dear,” she said. “My son will marry you and give you all the happiness that you deserve.”

Never having received any form of maternal love, Hidimbi’s heart was moved by the tender touch and she began to sob heavily.

The very next day, right after the funeral of Hidimba, Bheem and Hidimbi got married in a small ceremony conducted as per the tribal rituals. The people of the forest district were utterly confused in their feelings about Bheem. They could never love the killer of their leader Hidimba. Yet, they could not hate the man who married their other leader, Hidimbi. They decided eventually that the past had to be laid to rest, and welcomed the new son-in-law with some uneasiness.

For a year Bheem and Hidimbi lived together in maddening joy. Once married, Bheem realized that it was the best decision that he had ever made. His wife was very different from all the other princesses he had ever met. Unlike them she never made fun of his unusually large appetite, nor did she ever chide him about his weight. In fact, Hidimbi was the only one who ever cherished Bheem for who he was and it did not take him long to reciprocate her love. In due course of time, Hidimbi gave birth to a baby boy. The baby was huge at birth and he squabbled loudly, flailing his chubby limbs in air. Bheem was the happiest man that day. He went to call his mother and brothers to come and bless his baby, Ghatotkach.

“Sit down, son,” said Kunti, handing Bheem a golden chain. “This is for your son.”

“Won’t you come-” started Bheem.

“And, these are for Hidimbi,” continued Kunti, handing out a pair of gold bangles.

“But mother, will you not-” tried Bheem again.

“No, I have to stay here and pack,” said Kunti firmly. “You will give the gifts to your wife and son and tell her that we are all very proud and happy.”

Bheem turned to his brothers for some support but they were looking at Kunti, nodding their heads in agreement. He accepted the gifts and stood up uncomfortably.

“And, then, you will come back,” said Kunti. “Tomorrow, we are leaving this place.”

“Hidimbi has just given birth,” said Bheem. “Plus, the baby is too small. They can’t travel now.”

“They are not coming,” clarified Kunti. “Only you are. A simple tribal girl won’t fit in our royal lifestyle.”

“But she is my wife,” Bheem was shocked. “And she is so much better than the typical girls of royal lineage.”

“Oh, please Bheem,” said his elder brother. “Even you didn’t like her in the beginning.”

The reasoning went on for an hour. In the end, they had convinced Bheem to leave his wife and infant son behind before they left the forest.

For months Hidimbi could not believe that her beloved Bheem was really gone. If it was not her little boy Ghatotkach, she would have probably killed herself.

###

Even decades later, the memories made Hidimbi flinch. She got up and wiped her eyes.

Picking up the recently received scroll from her desk, she read the lines again.

“My dearest Hidimbi,

I write to you to find out how you have been. In all these years that we have been apart, there never has been a day when I have not thought of you.

You might be aware that a terrible battle is ongoing at Kurukshetra between us and the evil Kauravas. The day has come when I present to our son the most blessed opportunity that one can imagine. I call upon him, on behalf of emperor Yudhishthir, to report to Kurukshetra immediately and to take part in this battle of honour and truth.

Love,

Bheem.”

Hidimbi crumpled the scroll within her fist as she went out of her room. The handwriting was Bheem’s but the words were not. It was either Kunti or Vasudev who had been dictating the letter to Bheem, she knew. Hidimbi went down the winding stairs and ran across the garden to reach the west wing of the palace where Ghatotkach lived with his wife and children. She had to discuss this before she could make a decision.

Hidimbi went inside the hall and called out for her daughter-in-law, Ahilawati. But no one answered. She sat down on a cushioned seat and decided to wait. As she glanced around, she felt very pleased. Her son had built this palace on his own. It was a well-decorated and comfortable home. And, unlike the frail kings and princes, Ghatotkach and Ahilawati did not employ slaves to clean or cook for their family. Hidimbi wished Bheem could take a look at what a fine man his son had turned out to be. A faint cackle of laughter broke Hidimbi’s chain of thoughts. She walked towards the big open window and looked out.

Ghatotkach and Ahilawati were seen playing with their children in a field. As she watched them happy in the company of each other, Hidimbi felt a deep sense of contentment. Despite the absence of his father, Ghatotkach had succeeded in being a good husband and father.

She wondered what she should do about the call from Hastinapur. If she did send Ghatotkach to the war, they would use him as a pawn for sure. His role would be to protect a cousin, or a step-brother, or an uncle of higher value.

And, if she did not send her son to the war then it would be Bheem who would have to step up and take the hit to save the more precious ones in his family. Bheem has always been expendable to Kunti.

Hidimbi felt immensely enraged at the awful situation and thumped hers fists down on the panes. Through the window, she could see Ghatotkach starting to walk back towards the palace with his wife and children. In a split second, Hidimbi made her decision.

She took out a sheet of parchment and wrote a note to Ghatotkach telling him that she was going to the south for pilgrimage and would be back within two weeks. Placing the note on the writing-desk, she left. Hidimbi went to the stable and took out her horse. She was going to go to Kurukshetra, alone.

The journey was long and tiring. It dishevelled Hidimbi’s clothes, melted her facial make-up and blew up her hair into a mess. But she no longer cared about how she looked. She would see Bheem for one last time and then face the deadly weapons at war.

It was night time when she finally reached the battlefield. It was not hard for Hidimbi to recognize Bheem’s tent. The emblem of Vayu was inscribed on it. Hidimbi sneaked past the sleeping guards into the tent and sat on the floor beside Bheem’s bed. She stared at his sleeping face and gently placed her hand on his forehead.

“Hidimbi?” said Bheem, rubbing his eyes as he woke up.

Hidimbi nodded her head. Bheem sat up and looked around.

“Where’s my son?” he asked.

“I decided to keep Ghatotkach out of this,” Hidimbi said. “I will fight in his place.”

Bheem placed his hand on Hidimbi’s head. He lovingly stuck the loose strands of hair behind her ears before tilting her face upwards towards himself by the chin.

“You’re still the same brave girl I fell in love with,” said Bheem. “You did the right thing by not letting Ghatotkach come. But I can’t let you fight, dear. Your husband is still a strong man.”

Bheem held up his arms and flexed his muscles for display. Hidimbi smiled shyly.

“I am so glad you came,” said Bheem. “I can die in peace if my time comes tomorrow.”

“Don’t say that, please” Hidimbi urged. “Let me help you.”

Bheem pulled her closer in an embrace and caressed her back.

“I will not die,” he said. “We will win this war. But you must go back to safety, my love.”

“And after you win the war, what will you do?” asked Hidimbi, as she rested her head against Bheem’s chest, listening to his heartbeats.

“I’d serve my brother, the emperor happily,” Bheem replied.

Hidimbi looked at Bheem. His face, lined with age, reflected pain for a moment. And then it was gone.

“You’d never be happy here,” protested Hidimbi, pulling herself away.

“Perhaps,” he said. “But this is my duty.”

That is when Hidimbi realized what her duty was.

“You are coming with me,” Hidimbi said, decisively.

In the next few moments, a dumbstruck Bheem saw Hidimbi drag in a dead solider and drape him with Bheem’s clothes. She arranged the body on the bed and pulled Bheem out of the tent with herself. She doused the tent with inflammable oil and attached the end of a long, burning coil to it. Then she and Bheem stepped through the shadows to leave the battlegrounds quietly.

Just as they reached the waiting horse, they saw Bheem’s tent explode in flames. Confused guards began to shout and several men started to run towards the big fire.

Hidimbi mounted her horse first and pulled Bheem up quickly. Then she patted her horse and it gathered speed.

“Hidimbi,” whispered Bheem, holding on to his wife, as the horse sped through the darkness of night.

“Yes?” she asked.

“I’m finally going home,” said Bheem. “Perhaps I have always wanted this…thank you...”

“I had to do this for you,” replied Hidimbi. “It was my turn to save you from your evil brother.”