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| Pregnancy Test photo found on Wikimedia Commons |
"I can't be pregnant, I can't!" she said, nearly screaming at this point. "It's senior year, I'm not even out of high school yet and I am set to go to the school of my dreams in the fall. This will absolutely ruin me!"
Kunti sat down on the bed next to her best friend. Her eyes were wide with shock but when she spoke, her voice was calm and soothing. "Kunti it's okay, let's just think this through," she advised. "Just breathe and calm down. We can fix this."
Leaning her head on Dhatri's shoulder, she began sobbing. Her parents would never forgive her and if she did not have their support, there was no way she could get through college with a newborn child dependent on her.
"How? How can we fix this?" Kunti demanded. "You know I'd trust you with my life, but I don't think this situation is fixable."
Dhatri opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, Kunti continued, "You know how traditional my parents are! If they found out, they'd disown me!"
Dhatri's eyes were brimming with tears, but her voice was still calm as she spoke. Placing her chin on the crown of Kunti's head, she confessed, "I know what your parents are like and you're right, they would disown you if they found out."
Kunti leaned back and looked at Dhatri incredulously. "But I would never abandon you," she continued. "I will help you through this, no matter what."
Before Dhatri finished her sentence, Kunti was leaping towards her, hugging her tightly. Dhatri hugged her back fiercely and, as she did, she was already coming up with a plan.
****
"Okay, so let's go over the plan again," Kunti said.
Dhatri nodded, reading over their plan to make sure she had every detail embedded in her memory.
"My great aunt had an internship available for two high school graduates. I volunteered us both to work for her over the summer and into the fall semester," Dhatri started. She looked up at her pacing friend who motioned for her to continue. "The work experience will more than make up for starting a semester late and she told us that it will open up many connections and career opportunities for us in the future."
Kunti nodded, thinking. Any holes in their plan, and her parents could find out; her life would be ruined. "Are you sure your grandmother is okay with us staying with her until I have the baby?" she worried. "I don't want to be a burden. I feel so terrible already."
Dhatri stood up and walked over to her friend. "You know how much my family loves you! My grandmother always says you're welcome any time and she's happy to help."
Kunti smiled. "What would I do without you?"
Author's Notes
In the book Karna: The Unsung Hero of the Mahabharata by Umesh Kotru and Shutosh Zutshi I was really interested in the friendship between Kunti and Dhatri. They shared everything and it was such a strong and caring relationship that I wanted to explore it in a more modern setting. This story is fairly similar to the original, except in the original, Kunti tells her father that she is to live in isolation and fast in order to become successful. It is a way to distance herself so that no one finds out about the pregnancy. In my story, I decided that she would go stay with Dhatri's grandmother and come up with an excuse for her extended absence that would equate to success in more modern times.
I really enjoyed your story. I could really feel the bond between the two and you can tell that they care deeply for each other. I liked how you made this into a modern story. It is one that I could really see happening so its nice to be able to read these epics in a more relatable way. I enjoyed it and I think you did a really good job.
ReplyDeleteI liked this interpretation of the story of Kunti the modern perspective was a nice touch. I liked how you had Dhatri be a support for her and how he came up with the idea that he and Kunti could go and spend time with his great aunt while Kunti was still pregnant. The support of Dhatri’s family was a welcome sight to see.
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