The river is cold. Bright. And alive. I feel the current beneath me, gentle yet insistent, rocking me as if trying to teach me balance before I even know how to walk.
Then I hear hurried footsteps. A trembling voice reaches me:
"My child… may fate protect you."
It is Kunti, my biological mother. Her hands shake as she places me in the water. I sense her heart beating frantically, full of love, fear, and sorrow.
"I cannot keep you… but I cannot curse you either," she whispers. "May your destiny be greater than mine."
Before I can sense more, she turns and disappears into the forest. I am left alone. A cold ache settles in my chest—a nameless fear, a confusion I cannot yet name.
Then, the river itself stirs. A presence flows through the waters, wrapping around me in warmth and gentle guidance.
"This child…" a voice, both powerful and compassionate, flows like the river itself.
Goddess Ganga appears, radiant and infinite, her eyes deep and filled with centuries of wisdom. I sense her pity, but also her recognition of my destiny.
"Child of destiny," Goddess Ganga whispers, "your life has begun in hardship, yet I see strength within you. I bestow you upon mastery of the waters. Your affinity will be second only to mine."
I feel her power flow through me, the Book of Water Affinity embedding itself in my soul. Each droplet of water becomes a teacher, every ripple a lesson in fluidity, control, and adaptation.
The river slows, guiding me to the bank. Waiting there are humble faces, yet full of warmth and care:
Adhiratha, the charioteer, strong and gentle, his eyes cautious but protective.Radha, his wife, radiant with maternal love, her hands trembling as she reaches for me.
"Take him," Goddess Ganga says, voice flowing like a stream. "Protect him. Love him as your own."
I feel the safety of their arms, yet the hum of divine energy within me reminds me: my life is no ordinary one. The Book of Water Affinity pulses softly, a constant promise of the power and destiny that awaits.
As night falls, I lie in the arms of my new parents, feeling awe, wonder, and a strange loneliness—the echo of a mother who left me behind, the presence of gods watching, and the stirrings of a life that will be tested in ways I cannot yet imagine.