Mridula tells us about a beautiful, young, and valiant Princess, Aparajitha. What was her sacrifice? Find out – exclusively in Different Truths.

Prince Rahul, belonging to the Gangadhara kingdom in India, had everything in his favour to become the rightful heir to the throne.

His wife, Aparajitha, was beautiful and well-versed in the Vedas and upheld the cultural heritage of  Bharatam. Unknown even to her husband, she was skilled in martial arts too.

As Aparajitha stood, gazing out of the enormous French windows in the palace, her eyes clouded, her breath heavy…she felt agitated and restless. Her future seemed bleak and colourless.

She had two options in front of her, both most depressing either she could forsake her life as the Princess of the Kingdom or go back to her home to be once again with her parents. And she wanted neither.

She kept on going over and over in her mind. How can the Prince, Rahul, her husband, gives up all that he held with love and reverence and accept the life of a monk?

Or is it that even while they lived as husband and wife, devoted to each other as they were, was he harbouring thoughts of giving up all worldly pleasures to embrace spirituality?

Where did she falter in her role as his Princess and wife?

Did she not cater to his every need in life? Now that she thought about it, she realised, he had been the ideal husband; he never demanded anything beyond her reach as his wife. He was always calm and composed, with a smile lingering on his lips.

Were all these then a prelude to what was happening to them? The calm before the storm?
For her, it was as if a pack of wolves was hounding her life, and she was so shocked to the core she was at her wit’s end. She adored her Prince; he was all she had imagined in her life partner. And to lose him was to her the end of her life’s journey.

Her only regret was that even after seven years of marriage, they never had a son or daughter to call their own.

Never did Rahul or his parents ever accuse her of being a barren woman. All these only aggravated the depth of her impending separation from her beloved husband.

The day she dawned clear and fresh. Yet as Aparajitha opened her eyes, she felt uneasiness, a premonition of evil tidings.

When she sat down at the breakfast table with the King and the Queen and looked at their solemn faces, her worst fears were confirmed.

Yes, Prince Rahul had left the palace for good after bidding farewell to his parents and invoking their blessings.

He had been careful not to wake his wife since he did not want to take leave of her – her beautiful face with tears streaming down her fair cheeks.

She sat with downcast eyes, her heart heavy with grief but holding on to her pride, careful not to break down in front of his aged parents. She loved them, revered them, and could never in any manner cast a shadow of sorrow in their lives.

After breakfast, just before going to her chambers, she very solemnly but with immense affection made them understand that she would never forsake them; in fact, she would act as their most loving son in his absence. She was confident to go on in life with firm, sturdy footsteps. They both smiled warmly at the Princess and thanked her for her words of assurance.

The days passed without any news of Rahul, but the palace lived in expectation of their beloved Prince’s return any moment. All in vain. The Prince never came; life went on as usual.

It was almost one year since Prince Rahul had forsaken his family and Kingdom.

One warm afternoon, as Aparajita sat immersed in her painting of a beautiful landscape, she could hear someone hurrying and knocking at her chamber door.

When she did enter, a messenger from the King bowed and informed her that the King himself immediately needed her.

She very carefully laid aside her painting, brushes, and colours, and after straightening her satin robe and ensuring she was neatly dressed, she walked down the steps and entered the royal chamber.

Bowing with reverence, she looked at the King in askance, searching his tired face for any information.

The King asked her to be seated in a chair. As she sat, she looked around to find the Minister and the Senapathi (Chief of the Army) assembled there.

Thoughts like lightning traversed her mind. Has something happened to the Prince? Yet the presence of the Army chieftain spoke of something else. Was the Kingdom in danger?

While all these questions raced through her mind, she sat calm and composed.

It was the Senapathi who spoke first. “Your honour, I have just now had disturbing news from a special envoy. Salwa, our neighbouring Kingdom, secretly plans to attack and overthrow the King and thus annex our Kingdom to theirs. Since the news is from reliable sources, we should be alert and do whatever we can to thwart their moves.”

The King heard the sad news with mounting terror. Still, his long experience as the ruling monarch had made him keep his cool, whatever the situation.

The King knew he had to be extra cautious in further procedures with his ailing health and sagging spirit without the Prince to stand by him in this hour of need. He was wracking his brain for an adequate solution.

While there was a stunned silence in the room, with great calm and dignity, Aparajitha stood up and bowed to the King. “Dear King, your esteemed self is not only my revered Father-in-law but the most competent ruler of our Kingdom. And this is indeed a time when we all have to put in our diligence, intellect, common sense and prowess as our Kingdom’s guardian warriors.

“I am well trained in martial arts, I can very well ride a horse, and above all, I am determined to assist the Army Chieftain in my own humble as well as most competent manner.”

The three older people turned to look at her with much respect and faith; all the while, their hearts overflowed with fatherly affection for this incredibly young Princess.

At first, they would not hear anything about her suggestion, but the Princess argued and cajoled them to her way of thinking. It was decided that preparations for confronting their enemy would be made the next day.

A messenger was sent with the news that the Gangadhara kingdom was willing to fight a battle to establish their supremacy. Aparajitha prepared herself both mentally and physically for the war, which was only a few weeks away. She spent wakeful hours in the night wishing for Rahul’s presence. Yet the next moment, she took a long breath, instilling courage and hope to cope with the harrowing days to come. 

The day of the battle, they dawned bright and hopeful. Aparajitha, adequately dressed and fully prepared with weapons like the bow and arrow, the sword and mace, presented herself before the King and the Queen waiting for her in their chamber. As they looked at their beloved daughter-in-law, looking so young but with her held high and her eyes sparkling with courage and determination, tears rolled down their cheeks, and they both looked at her with their hearts swelling with love, prayers, and blessings.

Aparajitha, with her bowed head, whispered charan sparsh as she touched their feet. A gamut of emotions raged in her heart, but calm and serene, she stood. Later with her face lighting up with a smile, she left them without a word.

As Aparajitha reached the scene of action, with great trepidation and her heart racing in anticipation of the action to be followed, her eyes scanned the entire area, disciplining her mind to be composed.

The Army chieftain riding on horseback, followed by the entire army, came into her vicinity. The brigade charged forward, attacking the Salwa army with tremendous grit and courage. The battle waged on for days together; many lost their lives. Many animals, too, were killed.

On the fifth day, things changed in favour of the Gangadhara kingdom; the chieftain of the Salwa forces was taken prisoner, and in the absence of their chieftain, the Salwa army lost its strength. With Aparajitha leading from the front, it was a great victory for the Gangadhara kingdom.

Sadly, the rejoicing was short-lived. As Aparajitha was turning back, triumphant in the victory, from the battlefield, suddenly, an arrow from their enemy forces pierced her heart, and she fell back from her horse and breathed her last as she fell to the ground. Yet as she lay dying on the battlefield, her lovely face attained a glow, most ethereal, an expression of contentment, of peace, that she had kept her promises to the aged King and Queen, that she would never forsake them in their hour of need.

Indeed, it was an epoch-making moment in the Gangadhara kingdom’s history. The Senapathi rushed to the tragic spot, and with tears rolling down his cheeks, he looked at the inert body of their beloved Princess. So young, so full of energy, a lady with so much integrity of character, who could have led her people with great elan for many years to come…sad indeed the tragic fate that befell her.

Prince Rahul had left the Kingdom and his family to search for peace.

Prince Rahul had left the Kingdom and his family to search for peace. In doing so, he had conveniently ignored his duties as the Prince of his Kingdom. He has also conspicuously shirked his responsibilities as a dutiful son and a considerate husband.

Princess Aparajitha, on the other hand, even when her husband abandoned her, moved on with courage and determination, being the breath of life and solace to the aged King and Queen. Not just that, despite being so young and scaling still on the wings of her dreams and desires, she gave up all her aspirations in her life. With her overpowering responsibility and love for her country, she saved the country from the clutches of its enemies.

A real Bharathiya Nari who forever carried in her heart the love for her family and her all-pervading allegiance to her country.

She was not simply Prince Aparajitha. She was a brave warrior who lived and died for her motherland.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Mridula Menon

Mridula Menon is a postgraduate in English literature. Presently, she is a director in her family concern, Bharati Electrical appliances. She has been in this business for two decades. She’s been passionate about writing from a very young age. She enjoys reading and writing poems. She loves listening to music, cooking, interior designing, and painting. A homemaker, she lives with her husband, children and grandchildren.

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