There was a huge forest neighboring the kingdom of Prastha. Deep in the forest there stood a girl on the side of a river. Looking at her one can easily be swayed by her beauty. She was still in her teenage but she was counted as one of most beautiful princess on the mortal plane. She was standing on the bank of the river, eyes full of tears and staring at a basket carrying a newborn child.

"Forgive me my son, your mother is bound by her duties. I can not bring you to your home. I'm not scared of the taunting or the shaming or punishment or stigmas for being unmarried mother. I'm scared of what the Kashyapa Clan will do if they find it out. 

They'll kill every single person in the kingdom, destroy the whole foundation of the kingdom and even the king and queen, my parents who don't even know about it will not be spared in that bloodbath. I fear that even you, my son will be punished and thrown in that fire. The whole kingdom will be punished for my sin" said the girl while the tears were flowing continuously from her eyes.

She was hoping that one day her son will understand that why his mother had to discard him. She was hoping that by saying all this, one day his son will understood that she was bound by her duties when she left him in the river. She was hoping that he will understand that he was not the sin but she was the sinner.

After looking at the newborn in basket for a while she slowly and very carefully put the basket in the water and the water started carrying it away far from her. She stood there looking at her son who was getting away from her and to whom she was never going to see again. She thought many times to run and snatch back his son from the river who was taking him away but the duties she had for her kingdom are now the heavy chains not letting her move.

Next day the princess of Kingdom of Prastha returned from the forest and went in her courtyard where she stayed for few days without taking a single step outside. She was the only child of the king and the queen so they started worrying when they heard that she had closed herself in courtyard.

It was worrying for them but they felt it was also natural, afterall they had never told her about her engagement with the Kashyapa Clan crown prince since her childhood. It was just a month ago when they told her about it. And they remember the dark expression on her face when she heard it. But what could have they done? Tell her about that on the day of marriage? The day of marriage is slowly coming at the door and in next two or three months it will be the time. So they decided to tell her at that time.

When they were busy worrying about their daughter, suddenly a man came and said,

"Your Majesty, the messenger you had sent to the Kashyapa Clan is back and now asking permission for your audience."

"Send him in"

"Yes Your Majesty" said the man and left.

After a moment another man came in and immediately knelt on the floor and while keeping his head down said, "Your Majesty".

"So what they said about the marriage dates of Princess Pritha?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Forefather Devarat has said that the marriage will happen in next three months"

"Three months?" 

"Yes Your Majesty"

"...."

'Sigh' After a long silence a long sigh was heard. 

"What happened to the conquest the Crown Prince were leading?"

"Your Majesty, Crown Prince were still far away in the battlefield and hadn't returned till the day I left"

"Any news of him being injured or anything?"

"No, Your Majesty, there were no such news."

'Sigh.'

A sigh of relieve was heard, it was the Kashyapa Clan's Crown Prince first conquest, so the king was absolutely worried about his to-be son-in-law.

"You can go now."

...…

Far from the Kingdom of Prastha a slaughter was going on in a battlefield.