There once was a teenager named Kunti. She had a spotless
reputation and was set up for success. The world was her oyster! She had
endless opportunities in front of her, and more resources than she could ask
for. She worked hard in school, played sports, and had great friends and
family. That’s why she couldn’t even bear the thought of what had happened to
her. She kept imaging the look on her parents’ faces when she told them she was
pregnant.
She couldn’t go through with it. Honestly, it wouldn’t be
fair to her or the child. What did she know about being a mother? Would she
resent the baby for changing the whole course of her life? She knew there were
families out there who were so desperate for children, and she knew that she
was in no way equipped to be a mom. Kunti was a small thin girl, and could hide
the pregnancy fairly well at first with baggy sweaters and oversized t-shirts. However,
as her belly grew, so did her worries. She knew she had to find the right
family for her baby and fast.
One of her good friends, Jane, worked as a receptionist at
the local fertility clinic. One evening Jane and Kunti passed a beautiful, yet
disheartened couple at the movie theater. Jane greeted the couple, and they did
their best to smile back at her. Jane turned to Kunti and said, “Sometimes the
work at my office is the most rewarding work in the world. And other times,
well… things just don’t work out.” Kunti realized the couple must have come in
for treatment at the clinic, but were still unable to have a child. A light
bulb went off in Kunti’s head. Kunti replied, “Uhhh…. I forgot I have to go
home for something… bye!!” and ran out of the theater.
Kunti followed the couple at a safe distance. They walked
all the way to their cozy home. It wasn’t much, but it was well taken care of.
It wasn’t big, but Kunti could tell it was full of love. Kunti peaked in the
window, and saw the wife sobbing in her husband’s arms. Kunti knew these people
would be amazing parents to her son.
Towards the end of her pregnancy, Kunti couldn’t hide her
belly any longer. She forged a letter from the “Society of Science-Minded Women”
which said she’d been accepted to a three-month long conference in Washington,
DC. Her parents gave her enough money for the trip, and Kunti set up camp at a
small motel about an hour away. Finally the day came, and Kunti gave birth to
her beautiful son, and named him Karna.
Kunti cleaned up the baby, and wrapped him in sheets from
the hotel. She rushed to the beautiful couple’s home. She laid Karna on their
doorstep, rang their doorbell, and hid. The couple came out, confused, but
overjoyed. They knew this child was to be theirs.
Author's Note;
This is a story that has been told in many different ways and in many different cultures. When I first read this story, I was reminded of Moses being laid in the river by his mother. Various circumstances can lead a woman or a couple to adoption, and many happy families are created because of adoption. In this story, Jane takes the place of the river. She is the one who leads Karna to the family that is destined to raise him. The beautiful couple is obviously a representation of Radha and Adhiratha. I added more details about concealing the pregnancy that were left out in my reading. I left out exactly how Kunti became pregnant, because I wanted the story to focus more on Kunti and Karna.
Boon of Indra to Kunti,
Date unknown, Author: Ramnadayandatta Shastri Pandey, Source: Wikimedia
Bibliography:
"Kunti and Her Son" by Donald A. Mackenzie, from Indian Myth and Legend (1913). Web Source: here
Nicole!
ReplyDeleteI loved the way that you told the story of Kunti and Karna because it touched on a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I like how you framed the story to talk about a teenage girl who know she wasn't equip to take care of a baby and so she wanted to give the baby to a good family. I think that added the special twist to the story at the end.
I really enjoyed reading your story and thought you did a great job of telling it. It also reminded me of the story of Moses being laid in the river. This is a topic I haven't really thought about but I totally agree with you. There are circumstances that lead women to give up there child for adoption and I think that it is definitely a great option even if it can be hard at times. Some families are destined to raise children through adoption especially if they are unable to bear children.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting spin on the story of Kunti and Karna. I like how you gave the story a modern spin to it. The character background of Kunti was well developed. I like how Kunti became a teenager who had made a mistake but had found a way to take care of the baby. The scene of the baby being dropped off and then picked up by the family was also well done.
ReplyDelete