It has been eleven years since she came to Hasthinapura, after her husband and her sister-wife willingly entered Vanavaas. In the Vanavaas she learnt about her husband's curse. While hunting in a forest (looking from a distance, Pandu saw a couple of deer in the process of coitus, and shot arrows at them. He later discovered that it was the sage Kindama and his wife who were making love in the form of deer. The dying sage placed a curse on Pandu, for not only had he killed them in the midst of lovemaking, but was not remorseful for his actions either. King Pandu argued with sage Kindama by misquoting sage Agastya's ruling on the right of Kshatriyas' to hunt. Sage Kindama then cursed Pandu that were he to approach his wives with the intent of making love, he would die.
He could not have children from his wives as he was supposed to treat them as relatives due to the curse by sage Kindama. A remorseful Pandu renounced the kingdom and went into exile with Kunti and Madri. He met some sages and asked them away for heaven and salvation. They said, without children, one can never aspire to heaven.
Pandu told her that he didn't want his impotency to be spread as rumours. He stated that by Niyoga he would gain sons through his wives and planned to adopt them as his own during the Vanavaas. He ashamedly told them that he wanted sons of his own but he would be killed if he touched them with the intention of making love. On hearing his anguish Kunti told him her story.
Sage Durvasa, who is known for irascible nature, was also known for granting boons to those who pleased him, particularly when he had been served well as an honoured guest. When Kunti was a young girl, Durvasa visited Kuntibhoja one day and sought his hospitality. The king entrusted the sage to his daughter's care and tasked Kunti with the responsibility of entertaining the sage and meeting all his needs during his stay. Kunti patiently put up with Durvasa's temper and his unreasonable requests (such as demanding food at odd hours of the night) and served the sage with great dedication. Eventually, the sage is gratified. Before departing, he rewarded Kunti by teaching her the Atharvaveda mantras, which enables a woman to invoke any god of her choice to beget children by them.
On hearing her story Pandu was elated. He then requested her to beget children from the Gods. Then Kunti used the boon granted to her by Sage Durvasa to bear three sons—Yudhishthira by Yama Dharmaraja - The God of Justice; Bhima by Vayu - The God of wind, and Arjuna by Indra - The King of Svarga (Heaven). She also invoked Ashwinis for Madri on her behest and Madri gave birth to twin sons, Nakula and Sahadeva.
All five children are beautiful and each of them are blessed by gods with unique abilities. Yudhisththira was born with knowledge of Vedas and Dharma. Bhima was so strong that on the day of his birth he broke a hill with bare fists. Arjuna has complete control over his senses and even as a child he showed the makings of a great warrior. Nakula and Sahadeva are gorgeous and both are knowledgeable.
However, on their tenth year of Vanvaas, Pandu forgot his curse and engaged in sexual intercourse with Madri despite her pleas. Due to this act, his curse was fulfilled and he died. Attributing her husband's death to herself and swept by remorse, Madri committed suicide after placing Nakula and Sahadeva in her care.
Now bearing the bodies of her husband and her sister, Kunti returned to Hasthinapura with five children. Pitamah Bheeshma was unconsolable on seeing the dead body of his nephew and for the first time she saw his breakdown. Gandhari embraced her kindly and requested her servants to prepare the funeral rights for Pandu and Madri.
"Ayushmaan Bhava..." Gandhari blessed them when they bowed at her feet to take her blessings. "Gods above have blessed this Kuru vansh with one hundred and five heirs. Prince Yudhisththira go with Pitamah Bheeshma and complete the funeral rites." Turning to Kunti she spoke. "We recently gained the services of Guru Drona who accepted to teach the children of Kuru vansh. Pitamah Bheeshma, Lord Vidur, Guru Kripa and myself wish all our children be taught under him. They might be cousins by blood but they will be Guru Bhratas. Will you consent to this Pritha?"
Before Kunti could speak there was a strangled scream from her third born son and he fell down to the ground unconscious. A few moments later a guard came bearing the news that Suyodhana fell down in the playground with epilepsy. Both mothers felt a chill pass through their heart at the news. Is someone targeting the Princes of Kurus?
Suyodhana woke up with a strangled scream looking into the worried eyes of Sushasana. Looking into the worried eyes of Sushasana... his brother who was so brutally killed by Bhima that even a rakshasa would repulsed. Both his hands uprooted, his chest torn apart and his blood drunk by that rakshasa. Blood that was used to wash the hair of Paanchali to fulfil her not tying her hair until they are not washed by Dushasana's blood. Sushasana, who died just a day before Karna was looking at him with worried eyes.
'Is this an illusion?' he thought frantically. 'Is this my version of hell?'
"Bhrata Suyodhana has risen from his sleep." Sushasana yelled. In a few moments his room was filled within a few moments. All his brothers looked at him in apprehension. He remembered each and everyone of their deaths at the hands of that monster he called his cousin. He remembered performing the funeral rites of Karna. He remembered his willingness to walk to his death tomorrow to die at Bheem's hands. Vasudev will not allow him to live. By any means necessary he will make sure Duryodhana will die tomorrow.
The faces of his dead brothers were almost too much for him before he realised that they were young. Too young and at the very most eight years of age. He then looked at his hands and saw he too was in the body of a child.
'Is this his punishment? Is he supposed to watch his brothers die one by one again? What the hell is happening?' he thought.
Unknown to him the third Pandava too woke up in a similar situation.
The anguish of his mother was the last thing he saw before he woke up in a child's body. Did she think he would die at the hands of that sycophantic iconoclast? That a Kshatriya like him will fall before the bootlicker who sold his dharma for gold and kingdom? Did someone lie to her about the outcome between clash between him and Angaraj?
Whatever it might be, he was ready to console his mother and show her that he was still alive and Dharma won that day. But the moment he got down from the chariot, he blacked out and woke up in his child's body.
Why this happened he has no idea. Maybe they killed that adharmi with adharma. Say what you want about Vasusena, he was an excellent warrior and pious man. Even with all the privileges his birth has granted him, he was barely able to kill that bull of a man. Maybe fate has given him a second chance to butcher the man without sullying his honour. Now he could be an even better warrior than before. Angaraj... no he is no longer the Angaraj, Vasusena would be sixteen years old now. He would join training with Pandavas and Kauravas under Guru Kripa and Guru Drona. He would be later trained by Guru Parashuram after deceiving the divine sage.
He smiled cruelly to himself. Maybe if he broke Vasusena's pride by being an unbeatable warrior during their training maybe he would never dare to challenge him. First time around, despite being seven years his junior, Arjuna was able to match him. But now with him having several years of experience under his belt... Vasusena would be nothing but a bug under his foot.