"A dream may fade with dawn, but a mother's love never leaves."
The backyard was silent, heavy with cold. Adhiratha stood there, his breath misting in the night air. His chest felt heavy, his thoughts running wild.
Then, all of a sudden, he felt warmth.
Arms wrapped around him from behind. A hug.
He didn't need to turn to know who it was. That touch, that comfort—he remembered it from long ago.
Still, his body moved, and he turned.
It was her. His mother.
She looked the same as she did on the day she had left him—same gentle smile, same kind eyes. He had seen her like this many times before, in moments of great stress, before battles, or when his mind was breaking under pressure.
This time too, she had come.
Adhiratha's throat tightened. His voice broke as he clung to her.
"Mother… where is Radha? Tell me—where is Radha?"
His mother didn't speak. She only placed her hand softly on his head, as she used to when he was a boy.
Tears rolled down his face as he buried himself in her embrace.
Adhiratha lifted his face from her shoulder. His voice trembled as he asked again,
"Mother… you are here. That means I am dreaming now. Then why is the sky turning red, as if heavy rain is about to fall? Why is the wind growing so strong, so cold? Look—my house is drowned in darkness. Even if I light a lamp, the flame dies in the storm. I cannot bring light into my house. And Radha… Radha is missing completely."
His chest shook as he grabbed her arms, his voice rising into a cry.
"Why? Why am I dreaming this?"
Until now, his mother had only listened to his broken questions. But after hearing all of them, her smile slowly faded. She grew serious. Placing her warm hand firmly on his shoulder, she looked straight into his eyes and spoke,
"Adhi… do you really not understand what the universe and nature are trying to show you? My son, I always knew you were capable. Others take many years to become the head charioteer of Hastinapur, and even longer to lead the whole Suta community. But you became both while still a young man. And yet… do you not even try to understand the hints placed before you? Or do you understand, but choose to lie to yourself—because the sweet illusion feels safer than the bitter truth?"
When Adhiratha heard her words, his body froze. The next moment he dropped to the floor, his knees hitting the ground hard. His hands trembled as he covered his face, but the tears still slipped through his fingers. His shoulders shook like a child as he began to cry heavily.
In a broken voice he said,
"Yes… I understand something bad is coming. Maybe it is a trial, maybe it is related to Radha. But I am with Radha, I will never allow anything bad to happen to her. If we are together, we can pass every trial.
But then why am I seeing this dream? Where is Radha? Is this dream telling me that Radha will not be with me anymore? If something happens to Radha, I cannot live. I will have no one left to live for."
His mother's eyes softened. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground beside him and wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. Pulling him into her chest, she whispered in a low, steady voice,
"But Adhi… the upcoming trial is not for you. It is for Radha alone. The gate ahead opens only to empty hands. If you stand with her, how can she ever walk with empty hands?"
The words pierced him. Adhiratha suddenly tore himself away from her embrace, his hands gripping her arms tightly as he shouted in frustration,
"But how could I leave her alone in this coming trial? I love her! I cannot leave her to face it alone!"
His chest heaved, his breath broken with sobs. For a moment his mother just watched him, her face carrying both sorrow and strength. Then she pulled him back into her arms, holding him firmly like she once did when he was a small boy crying in the dark.
Her voice was low but filled with unshakable calm,
"But Adhi… She never stopped you, even when you left for long campaigns. Even when her heart trembled with fear for your life. She could only fold her hands to nature and pray for your safe return. Love never binds, my son. And now… the time has come for you to let her go to her war alone. We can do nothing but pray to nature and the universe for her safety."
Adhiratha's lips trembled as he lifted his head from her shoulder. His voice cracked, heavy with despair,
"Then… Mother… does this mean I will not be part of my wife's… and my upcoming son's life journey anymore?"
His mother froze. For a long moment, she did not answer.
That silence crushed him. His hands slipped from her arms, and he bowed his head, broken. Tears rolled freely down his face as a sob escaped his throat. He pressed his palms against his eyes, but the grief only deepened, and his body shook as though his heart itself had cracked open.
Adhiratha's voice broke as he poured out his pain.
"Mother, why am I this unlucky? When I became the head charioteer of the Hastinapur royal family and the head of the Suta community, when I married Radha, I thought I was the luckiest man in the world. After marriage, I believed soon our son would come into our lives and then I would finally have a complete, perfect life. I made so many plans for my child.
But after marriage I waited so many years… and now he is coming. He is not even a normal mortal child, but a divine-human child. And now you are telling me I have to leave my wife alone, that I will not be part of their life's journey. Why me? What sin have I committed to deserve this fate?"
His mother listened quietly, her heart aching for him. She reached out and stroked his hair, her touch soft and steady. Her voice was calm, almost like a lullaby.
"Adhi, it is not that nature is forcing you. If you choose to stay, you can. But your presence will only weigh on her trial, turning her path heavier. If you let go, you give her the chance to walk her own destiny. Nature only shows hints of the better path for your son and wife.
And you already know, life does not always go the way we plan. It has its own path. But still, we can choose. You could choose what you want. I can only tell you one thing, my son — if you truly want the best future for your child, then do not bind him with your background. Free him and your wife from all social chains. Because without empty hands, the gate will not open."
He wept uncontrollably, his body wracked with sobs, and his mother only held him tighter, her arms wrapping around him as if she could shield him from all pain. His tears wet her shoulder, but she did not move away. She gently stroked his back, the way she used to when he was a small boy, and let him cry until his voice grew weak.
After some time, when his sobs slowed down, she bent close to him and spoke softly, her voice steady and warm, "Now you must wake up, son. The sun is about to rise. Before this dream fades, remember—whatever path you choose, your mother walks with you. The body may come and go, but the soul is never born, nor does it ever die. Remember this, my son."
She gave him a gentle smile, and then her form slowly dissolved into the air.
His eyes flew open. The backyard stretched around him, washed in pale dawn. The air was cool against his skin. A bird chirped somewhere close. For a moment he lay still, half-expecting her arms still around him. But there was only the cool air. He turned to his side, but Radha was not there beside him. This time, he did not panic.
He quickly stood up and walked towards the main door of the house. The door stood open. The sight struck his heart, and in that moment he knew where Radha had gone. Without wasting a breath, he stepped out and followed her path.
Author's Note :
Hey everyone,
How did you feel about Adhiratha's talk with his mother? Till now, I've shown him as someone who worries, feels sad, but still keeps himself under control. He never really allows himself to cry openly. But here, when his mother comes into his dream, he finally breaks down. Because isn't that how we all are sometimes? Outside, in front of people, we stay strong… but when we feel truly safe, that's when the tears come. Crying isn't weakness, it's just being human.
Through this scene, I wanted to show a softer side of Adhiratha — not just the strong charioteer of Hastinapur, not just the leader of the Suta community, or Radha's husband, but also a vulnerable son who can finally let go when he feels safe with his mother.
And now we move into Chapter 7 — where Radheya will finally enter the story!
But the big question is… will Adhiratha listen to the hints nature is giving him and accept them? Or will he refuse, just like Dhritarashtra once did with Duryodhana in the original Mahabharata?