Week 13 Story: Arjun and Subha's Relaxing Evening

Arjun and Subha's Relaxing Evening

Abhimanyu fighting in the Chakravyuha. Source: Wikimedia.

It is a warm, summer evening. A couple can be seen sitting on a bench in their backyard, talking animatedly. The husband rubs the wife’s stomach, trying to feel their baby kick. 

“I can’t wait till he gets here,” says Arjun the husband. 

“I know, me neither. I just want to not look so big anymore,” says the wife, Subha. 

Arjun laughed at his wife’s whining. Ever since they found out she was pregnant, he felt much happier every day. He couldn’t wait until his son arrived in this world. They had already picked out a named. They were going to name him Abhimanyu. 

“Tell me a story, Arjun,” said Subha.

“About what,” asked Arjun.

“Anything. I’m just in the mood for a story or something. I want the baby to hear too,” said Subha.

“Hmm. What story should I tell her,” thought Arjun. He kept thinking and thinking until he finally settled on telling her about the Chakravyuha. 

“Subha, do you know what the Chakravyuha is,” asked Arjun. “No,” answered his wife. 

“Well, then prepare yourself for a little history lesson. When I was little, my dad would always tell me stories about wars and battles,” said Arjun. “I got to learn a lot of old-timey war strategies such as formations. One of my favorite formations he told me about was the Chakravyuha. It’s a multi-tiered defensive formation that looks like a blooming lotus if you look at it from above. The warriors would be places in positions where it would be tough to fight and tough to leave. It was used in the battle of Kurukshetra. That was a battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas from the Mahabharata. You know what’s a big coincidence?”

“What,” asked Subha.

“One of the great warriors who died in the Chakravyuha, his name was also Abhimanyu. He fought everyone in that Chakravyuha all by himself. He was courageous and literally fought till his death.”

“Oh, really?” questioned Subha.

“Yes,” exclaimed Arjun. “When our boy grows up, I’m going to tell him stories about this great warrior Abhimanyu and the war stories I know. I hope the stories will inspire him to be just as courageous as his namesake.”

Little did they know, their son was listening to everything they said from the womb. 

Bibliography:

Birth of Abhimanyu. Epified: Mahabharata.

Chakravyuha. Wikipedia.

Author's Note: I watched an Epified: Mahabharata video where more of Arjuna and Subhadra's relationship is shown. There's a part where she is pregnant and the narrator says that Arjuna used to tell Subhadra stories, and Abhimanyu would be listening from the womb. One of them included the strategy of the Chakravyuha. I thought to write a story about how I think an interaction between them would be like. I also had to look up some more on the Chakravyuha so I could actually describe it.