Bhishma
Greeting! Your Royal Highness!
Satyavati
Bhishma, where are
your students?
Bhishma claps. And three young princes enter.
Bhishma
Meet Dhritarashtra. He is mighty and can crush
pillars with his hand. He is blind, but he is independent. He doesn’t need any
support to kill enemies.
Dhritarashtra
Greeting! Your Royal Highness!
Satyavati
God bless you
Bhishma
Meet Pandu. He is very efficient in archery
skills.
Pandu
Greeting! Your Royal Highness!
Satyavati
God bless you
Bhishma
Meet Vidhur. A wise and knowledgeable man.
Vidhur
Greeting! Your Royal Highness!
Satyavati
God bless you
Bhishma
Your royal highness, you should make Dhritarashtra our future King, Pandu our chief soldier, and Vidhur our Chief Minister.
Satywati
Let’s hold the ceremony tomorrow.
Satyavati and Bhishma at the meeting hall of the palace.
Ministers have occupied seats. In the centre, three princes are seated.
Bhishma
Dear Ministers meet our
King Dhritarashtra.
Ministers stand up and shower flowers on the King and Queen.
Ministers (in unison)
Hail to the King!
Hail to the Hastinapur!
Satyavati and Bhishma smile.
Vidhur
Your Royal Highness!
Apologies for the interruption! But how can a blind person be our king?
Bhishma
Dhritarashtra is very independent and
powerful
Vidhur
Unfortunately, he can’t be our king. I
suggest that Brother Pandu should be made King.
Pandu becomes king,
and Dhritarashtra cries.
Dhritarashtra
and Bhishma at the meeting hall of the palace. Satyavati enters
Satyavati
Dhritarashtra should get married now!
Bhishma
Yes. Princess Gandhari would be an ideal
partner for him.
Dhritarashtra
Okay, I will marry
her.
Satyavati
Please go and bring Princess Gandhari.
Dhritarashtra
and Satywati are at the palace's meeting hall. Bhishma enters with Princess Gandhari, who is wearing a red
blindfold.
Bhishma
Greeting! Your Royal Highness!
Princess Gandhari
Greeting! Your Royal Highness!
Satywati
Why are you wearing a
red blindfold?
Princess Gandhari
Because I want to
lead a life like my love, Prince Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra (fumes)
I will not marry her. She is of no use to
me. I want her to become my eyes.
Princess Gandhari
Forgive me, Your Royal Highness
Prince Dhritarashtra
walks out angrily.
Prince Dhritarashtra
and Princess Gandhari get married. Bhishma and Satyavati are in the palace's meeting hall. Ministers and the prince and princess are seated in the centre.
Bhishma
Dear Ministers, meet
your Princess Gandhari.
Ministers stand up from their seats and shower flowers on Princess Gandhari and Prince Dhritarashtra.
Ministers (in unison)
Hail to the
Hastinapur!
Bhishma and Satyavati smile.
Kunti and Pandu get
married. Bhishma and Satyavati are in the palace's meeting hall. Ministers are seated. In the centre, the King and Queen are
seated.
King Shantanu
Dear Ministers, meet
your Queen Kunti.
Ministers stand up and shower flowers on the King and Queen.
Ministers (in unison)
Hail to the King!
Hail to the Queen! Hail to the Hastinapur!
Bhishma and Satyavati smile. Prince Dhritarashtra cries.
Prince Dhritarashtra
and Princess Gandhari are in the bedroom.
Princess Gandhari
Your Royal Highness,
I am at your service
Prince Dhritarashtra
I hate you. Because of you, I cannot be a
king. I thought you would become my eyes and make me king.
Princess Gandhari
I am sorry
Prince Dhritarashtra
Leave my room now
Princess Gandhari leaves the room crying.
Kunti and Pandu are
in the bedroom.
Kunti
Your Royal Highness,
I am at your service
Pandu
I love you. Because of you, I became a king.
Kunti
I love you, too
Pandu
But now I have to
leave for war. Farewell, dear Queen!
Pandu leaves the room, and Kunti looks at him, crying.
Vidhur and Sulabha
get married. Bhishma and Satyavati are in the palace's meeting hall. Ministers are seated, and Vidhur and Sulabha are sitting in the centre.
Bhishma
Dear Ministers, meet
our royal wife, Sulabha.
Ministers stand up from their seats and shower flowers on Sulabha
and Vidhur.
Ministers (in unison)
Hail to the
Hastinapur!
Bhishma and Satyavati smile.
Bhishma
Hastinapur is now so
powerful. With King Pandu, Prince Dhritarashtra,
and Vidhur. Three loving brothers.
Prince Dhritarashtra
cries and talks in his mind.
Prince Dhritarashtra
I hate you, Pandu.
Moral: Your enemy can be someone from your family, too.
Happy Reading!