Kingdom Divided
“One kingdom splits in two. One city rises from wilderness. One heart burns with envy that will consume them all.”
Story Summary
After Draupadi's marriage, the Pandavas return to Hastinapura as princes worthy of recognition. But the palace simmers with tension. Dhritarashtra, the blind king, torn between love for his son Duryodhana and duty to his brother Pandu's children, calls upon Bhishma and Vidura for counsel. They propose a solution both practical and heartbreaking: divide the kingdom. The Kauravas keep Hastinapura, the ancient capital. The Pandavas receive Khandava forest—a wilderness that must be tamed. Under Yudhishthira's leadership, the five brothers and Draupadi transform the wild land into Indraprastha, a city of unmatched beauty. But as Indraprastha flourishes, Duryodhana's jealousy festers. He watches their success, their prosperity, their growing power, and feels what should have been his slipping away. In the shadows of his envy, a seed of destruction is planted—one that will grow into a war that consumes everything.