Feeling her completeness, Devi Manasa's eyes were filled with tears of happiness, and she jumped at Mata Parvati and hugged them tight.
They continued to cry on their shoulders and repeatedly thanked them for accepting her as their daughter.
"Thank you… Thank you, mother."
While her third eye was repaired/returned to her, it was in a budding form; it had yet to manifest, and thus, at the place where there should be a third eye, Devi Manasa had a mark, which looked like a sprout with a tiny extension.
"You don't have to thank me, Manasa; this eye was always yours to begin with, it's just now being given to you." Mata Parvati said while stroking Devi Manasa's back with a tender smile on their face.
After some time, Devi Manasa stopped crying and whispered to Mata Parvati in a weak, soft voice.
"Hmm... mother, can we stay like this for some time more…"
"Stay for as long as you want, dear, and you can call me Maa, you know… no need to sound so formal." Goddess Parvati replied with a maternal tone.
"Hmm ji(yes) maa..."
While in Mata Parvati's arms, Devi Manasa asked Goddess Parvati,
"Maa, can I ask you something?"
"Yes, ask away."
"Maa… that Rudra kid, why did you decide to take him as your son? Why did you let Aranyani give him that fruit? Can you tell me that?" She asked Goddess Parvati.
"Are you angry? Or unsatisfied? By any chance, Manasa?" Goddess Parvati asked her.
"No, I'm not. He actually helped me, even if indirectly. He did, nonetheless. So, no, I don't hate him." Replied Devi Manasa.
"Hmm… I could tell you, but it would spoil the surprise. You just have to know that in the same way, you and I remain apart for this much time. So, is it a time when you, I, and our family have a new member?" Goddess Parvati said with a loving gaze, while looking at a distance where Rudra was standing in shock, by being blinded for a moment due to the intense light.
"Is that so, but What Surprise..." Devi Manasa asked back.
"Well, wait for your eye to manifest, and you will know. For now, are you satisfied? Shall we go to your father now, where your other siblings and new brother are walking towards? We have to be there right… to welcome him in his new house. And I also have to prepare food for you all. We have to eat together as a family, right?" Goddess Parvati asked Devi Manasa.
Devi Manasa removed a hug and looked at the eyes of Goddess Parvati, which were amused and filled with love. And she asked them, with a craving tone,
"Hmm… I'm not, but I can be content with just hands holding for now. So, can we walk the rest of the way while holding hands?"
Goddess Parvati smiled and put her hand forward for Devi Manasa to hold.
Seeing their arm forward, Devi Manasa smiled and interlocked her hands with theirs.
It was as if a flower bloomed on her face, as a sweet joy filled her being.
Her eyes shone as if she had gotten the most desired gift they had asked for.
Goddess Parvati looked at their interlocked arms and, with a smile on their face, asked Devi Manasa,
"Shall we, my lady?"
Devi Manasa blushed and, with a timid nod, said,
"Yes, Maa."
And the walk of mother and daughter continues, with a happy and loving atmosphere. Goddess Parvati asked for her adventure stories, and Devi Manasa asked for their lives at Kailash.
Goddess Parvati mentioned how, in some of her adventures, there was the hand of Mahadev, how that sage she met was Mahadev themselves.
How the snake she played with and laughed with once was Vasuki, her uncle cum brother figure.
How she has also seen her help a mother whose son was bitten by a snake, and she saw her cry for both son and mother…
Goddess said to Devi Mansa, no matter if stories say she was quick to get angry or not, she loves the person she has become and will always love her.
.....
When Goddess Parvati and Devi Manasa were bonding,
At the same time, other siblings were bonding too.
Well, siblings and one goddess, Devi Aranyani, who didn't miss the chance to talk with Rudra, whenever a situation arises.
Rudra and Anvi (Ashok Sundary) are walking hand in hand, with interlocked arms.
And she asked Rudra,
"So, Rudra, tell me about yourself, what type of dream you had, and the life you lived."
"My life… um Devi Asho… hiss," Rudra tried speaking but was interrupted in between,
"Cough… Cough" Devi Ashok Sundary gave a pinch on his shoulder, with a sharp glare, that also made him release a hiss…
Rudra cleared her throat and began again…
"Um… so, as I was saying, Devi Anvi,"
finally hearing what they wanted ti hear, Devi Ashok Sundary smiled cheerfully, and every person walking by side gave him full attention, some wanted to know their sibling, some their student and many reasons, but ultimately they wanted to know about Rudra himself,
"I live a pretty normal life, I was a student, with very good friends, a happy family and perfectly normal life maybe that was my problem. I was different."
"How do I begin? I didn't talk much. Sometimes, the usual jokes that would make everyone laugh wouldn't make me laugh naturally, so I would laugh along… That's why I started living in dreams, and by God's boon, my dreams were quite interesting. From there, I went to read stories and fiction. Wherever there was a story, I would go and stand beside to hear it."
"And about my dreams, well, I have many, too many. Well, I am a mortal with desires, right?" He smiled and looked at her,
"Well, the most cherished and desired dream I had was that I could hug Mahadev and Mata Parvati, and GOD you know, well, who won't if they grew up in the household that literally loved and depended on their grace."
His smile grew, and he said…
"And as you can see, I am walking with Gods themselves, and now I can't believe I am given the chance of being part of their family."
As he said this much, tears started to come out of his eyes silently, but he continued.
"Oh… sorry, I got carried away, and here's another point about me you could say. Hmm, I think that is enough, yes."
After Rudra stopped talking, Devi Ashok Sundari stopped, and with that, Rudra also stopped.
He looked startled and looked at her eyes…
She came forward and hugged him and said…
"There.... there… we are also happy you are our brother Rudra, and you are a good boy and will be a good brother too."
While they were hugging, Devi Aranyani came forward and joined in a hug, then came Devi Narmada, Devi Jyoti, and finally even Mata Ganga joined in on a hug.
Nearby Ganesha were looking with a kind brotherly smile, and Karthikeya wiped a soft tear that came out of their eye. And Rudra cried for a few minutes. Ganesha looked at Karthikeya and said,
"He is such an innocent and fine boy, right brother."
"Hmm… he is." Karthikeya gave a nod.
"Well, ladies, leave him be, let him breathe for a moment, would you?" Ganesha said to all.
Everyone gave Ganesha a quite glare but still reluctantly stopped the hug and moved back.
"So, are you alright, Rudra? If you need, we can give you another hug console, you know." Devi Aranyani said to Rudra.
"It's okay, I'm fine now, we can move on," Rudra replied.
Everyone gave a reluctant smile, with another glare at Ganesha, who gave a wry smile to them all and mouthed sorry…
And they continued moving forward, but this time there was another person, who had interlocked her arms with the right arm of Rudra, Devi Aranyani. And Devi Jyoti, Narmada, Goddess Ganga walked at his side.
Continue asking him about his daily life. Just behind two steps, walk Ganesha and Karthikeya. And behind them, Nandi ji walked as a silent guardian.
JUST then a blinding flash went by, it covered the whole Kailash in its glory, and blinded everyone, except Karthikeya, Devi Jyoti, Goddess Ganga, Devi Aranyani and Mahadev. (Other than Mata Parvati and Devi Manasa, too.)
[Karthikeya, Jyoti are not blinded because they were born of the same fire and light and are fire themselves, Devi Aranyani, because they are nature itself.]
Divines were blinded for just a moment and adjusted to light, and only Rudra was left with sudden blindness.
Rudra was shocked by the sudden light, and he stumbled forward, but he was helped by Devi Aranyani and Devi Anvi.
After a few more moments, the light went back all the way where it originated from, and with it, blindness.
Rudra was shocked, lost for words, and looked confusedly at Devi Anvi, but was shocked even more because she was crying, so he asked hurriedly,
"Wh… What happened, Devi Anvi? Why are you crying… what happened?"
"Nothing, Rudra, it's just our sister just got acknowledged, and we are finally a complete family." She said and hugged him again.
"Who?... What?" Rudra got more confused.
"Nothing, let's walk, we will meet with the other family and Father and Mother, too." Devi Anvi said and took hold of his arm again, and continued walking the remaining distance.
The rest of the walk was filled with even more joy and laughs as if a big burden was lifted from all of them.
....