Bharata

Once, very long ago, there lived a King. He ruled over a large chunk of land far from the ocean. He was known as a good king. He was a happy man, but yearned for a wife.

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One day, as he walked through his palace’s gardens, as he often did, he spotted a beautiful woman fetching water from a well at the edge of the gardens. As she turned to leave, the King called out “Wait!”

Startled, the woman turned around and was immediately shocked to see the King approaching her.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Be my wife and live with me in my castle”, the King pleaded.

“My King, I cannot! I must fetch this water and bring it back to my family in the kingdom. And then I must do it tomorrow, and the day after that.”

“Alright, then let me join you, for today at least”, and with that the King followed the woman, named Anokhi, to her home.

He joined her for the trip the next day as well. And the day after that, and the day after that, and the following day too…

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Eventually, the two had a child together. A little boy, named Bharata. The King wished for Anokhi and Bharata to join him in his palace, but Anokhi did not want Bharata to be brought up in the castle.

So, the King gave Anokhi a ring from his pinky finger and told her to return to the palace with Bharata upon his 18th birthday.

As Bharata grew up, he became a fine young man. He was gentle, thoughtful, strong, and intelligent. Anokhi knew he would be a great King one day.

One day, as Bharata and Anokhi were walking along the stream near their house, a large dog ran into Anokhi. The King’s ring flew off her finger and landed in the stream, where the current carried it away.

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Anokhi ran along the stream trying to chase after the ring, but saw its last glimmer, and gave up hope.

M Soon after, Bharata turned 18 and Anokhi joined him to return to the palace. Upon entering the court she excitedly exclaimed “Hello my love! It is so good to see you again. I have missed you these last 18 years. And I have brought your son, Bharata.”

The King turned towards her with a look of confusion on his face. “Who are you?”

Anokhi was confused. She reminded him of their time together and tried to explain that Bharata was the King’s son. But the King had completely forgotten Anokhi and their son. The King told Anokhi, “Alright, can you prove to me that we were once together? Maybe you can show me something of mine?”

But of course, the only thing Anokhi had once had, the King’s ring, was gone. Disappointed and confused, Anokhi and Bharata went home.

That night, the King and his entire court were enjoying a fancy feast to celebrate the expansion of the Kingdom.

The main dish was fish, a delicacy for a kingdom so far from the sea. As the King cut into his dinner, his knife was caught on something metal.

Pulling the fish’s mouth aside, the King discovered his ring!

The same ring he had given Anokhi.

Suddenly, memories came flooding back. The King felt a deep shame and ordered his men to find Anokhi and Bharata immediately.

Once Anokhi and Bharata were back at the palace, the King pleaded for them to live out their days in the palace. Still upset with how the King had made a mockery of her in front of his entire court, Anokhi refused to come live in the palace, but she agreed to let Bharata go and fulfill his birth rite as the future king.

Over the next few years, Bharata learned how to become a King. he trained in fighting, learned from the best thinkers in the land, and increased his military knowledge. As the King got older, he passed on the Kingdom to Bharata. King Bharata went on to become the greatest King the kingdom had ever seen, surpassing even his own father.

He was very kind to all his subjects, listened carefully to his court, and united neighboring kingdoms as he ruled over all the land. He was respected by all and was known as the most powerful ruler around.

His subjects named the kingdom after him once he passed the kingdom onto his own child, now and forever calling the land, Bharata.

Thank you for a great semester!