This is a Mahabharata fanfiction...
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In the realm of three interconnected kingdoms - Hastinapur, Gandhar, and Kuntiboj - a tale unfolds that weaves together the fates of diverse charac...
So this was supposed to be 2 chapters but i think most of you think story is too slow so i didn't want to disappoint you and you asked for coronation so i combined both the chapters.
I wanted to show the bonds between Aditya and everyone especially Aditya and pandu because in future like after kala pradarshan when he meets Pandavas — there comes a point where Aditya would blame himself that he could have stopped pandu from dying again in forest. (Because he can see future and still could not prevent his death and i believe one would only feel regret or blame themselves only when there's an emotional attachment to that someone right???)
Aditya's laughter echoed through the corridors as he ran away from Pandu, his Chote Pitashree. The chase had begun, and he was loving every moment of it. He rounded a corner with a burst of energy, his footsteps echoing against the marble floors. But as he did, he collided with someone about his own age. The impact was sudden, sending both boys crashing to the ground. The thud resonated through the corridor, and they both exclaimed, "Ahhhh!" as they rubbed their foreheads.
Aditya was the first to recover, quickly sitting up and examining the boy who sat across from him, also looking dazed. The boy was a stranger to him, and Aditya's usual playfulness turned to curiosity. He got back on his feet and asked with curiosity and a slight edge of suspicion, "Who are you?" The boy just stared back, his wide eyes blinking as if unsure of what to say.
Aditya, determined to get an answer, asked again, "What are you doing here?" The boy hesitated, his mouth opening and closing without uttering a word. He seemed nervous, his body language shifting as if he was ready to flee. Before he could respond, they both heard a voice calling out from the distance, "Aditya! Where are you?" It was Pandu, closing in on his nephew.
Aditya's attention shifted toward the voice, and when he turned back, the boy was gone. Vanished without a trace. Aditya stood there, his brow furrowing in confusion. How had the boy disappeared so quickly? He glanced down the corridor, then the other way, but there was no sign of him. His brief encounter had left him with more questions than answers, and a sense of annoyance crept in.
Meanwhile, from the other boy's perspective, he had been wandering the palace, exploring the vast corridors despite his mother and mamasheee's warnings to stay close. He was only three years old, and the grand hallways and intricate decorations captivated him. But his curiosity had led him to the wrong place at the wrong time, resulting in the collision with Aditya. As he sat on the ground, rubbing his forehead, he heard Aditya's question, "Who are you?" The boy felt a surge of anxiety. What was he supposed to say?
His mother had told him not to cause trouble. As he looked at Aditya, he recognized him as the unconscious boy he'd seen the day before. The boy knew he wasn't supposed to cause any trouble, but the second question, "What are you doing here?" made him even more nervous. Before he could answer, Pandu's voice echoed through the corridor, calling for Aditya. That was his cue to leave. He didn't want to be caught or face any scolding from his family, so he slipped away while Aditya was momentarily distracted, disappearing into the labyrinthine palace corridors.
