It had been a month since Shon was adopted into the household of Radha and Adhirath.
Life was... well, simple.
And for a two-month-old with the soul of a 20-year-old medical student, it was also mildly humiliating.
Shon had adjusted to his new routine — mostly because he had no other choice. Gone were the days of late-night study marathons, self-discipline, and silent devotion to Mahadev. His current schedule?
Sleep. Drink milk. Sleep again. Poop. Get cleaned. Repeat.
A cycle so relentless and ridiculous that all he could do now was surrender to it with silent resignation. The worst part? The diapers — or the ancient cloth equivalent of it. Every time he relieved himself in one, he cringed inside. I fought for this? A second life… to poop in my pants?
But for all his internal suffering, life was good. Peaceful. And full of love.
---
Radha maa doted on him with the same tenderness she had once shown to Karna. Her hands were always gentle, her voice always warm. She was constantly busy — feeding him, changing his clothes, rocking him to sleep.
One day, while changing his outfit — one that had just suffered a mighty "accident" from Shon — she chuckled and looked at Karna, who was sitting nearby, watching with morbid curiosity.
"You were just like this when you were a baby," she said with a nostalgic smile. "Actually, worse. Much more naughty."
Karna's face flushed red. "I don't remember that!" he blurted, scrambling to his feet. "I'm going to play near the river!"
Radha laughed. "Okay, but take care of yourself and don't do anything risky!"
"Okay, Maa!" came Karna's voice — already halfway gone.
Whether he listened was an entirely different matter.
---
Karna had been glowing ever since Shon entered their lives. He loved having a younger brother. He'd sit beside Shon, talk to him, make weird faces, and even try to impress him by showing off his training moves.
But every time he did, Shon would give him a long, slow blink. A stare that screamed, Really? As if the baby was silently judging him — and to be honest, he kind of was.
This is the mighty Karna? The legendary warrior? Shon often thought. My idol… acting like a show-off kid in front of me? What am I even watching?
And yet, it made him feel something unexpected — home.
---
Meanwhile, Adhirath had gone to the royal palace to share his joy with Maharaj Dhritarashtra, the acting king of Hastinapur. The blind ruler, though often burdened with court politics and heavy silences, was genuinely pleased for his loyal charioteer.
"You've served my family with honor," he said. "Let your joy be ours too."
He raised Adhirath's salary by 10%.
Adhirath returned home glowing and decided to throw a small celebration for Shon's ek maas poornima — the one-month ceremony of life.
Neighbors were invited, sweets were prepared, and even little Karna bathed willingly for the occasion — a true miracle in Radha's eyes.
Among the guests was a cheerful, pretty girl with thick braids and bright eyes — Vrushali, Karna's childhood friend.
They were more than friends, though they didn't know what to call it yet. She teased him, fought with him, and always stood beside him — and Karna, for all his pride, could never hide the fact that he liked having her around.
---
Vrushali rushed to the cradle, clapping her hands in delight.
"Wow, Karna! He's so cute!" she squealed, pinching Shon's chubby cheeks.
Shon blinked. Hard.
Not this again.
"Abbababaa…" he grunted, protesting in his best baby dialect.
Karna puffed his chest. "Of course he is! After all, whose brother is he?" He gave a dramatic smirk.
Vrushali rolled her eyes. "Oh please."
Shon stared at Karna with the most unimpressed expression he could manage in his current state.
"Aabadaba," he muttered. (Seriously? This guy?)
Radha laughed from behind. "They're already like a little family."
And in a way — they were.
---
That night, after the guests left and the laughter faded, Radha sat beside the cradle, gently rocking Shon to sleep.
He was quiet, looking at her with soft eyes.
But behind those eyes, a storm waited. Shon hadn't forgotten. Not the river. Not his parents' screams. Not the blood on the shore.
There was nothing he could do now. He was just a baby in a new world.
But one day…
One day, he would remember everything.
For now, though, he was just Shon — the youngest son of a charioteer, brother to a boy named Karna.
And the story, as always, was only just beginning.
---