The Daughter from a Wishing Tree - Part 1

 Hi there!!! Today's story is a very unknown one. It's about the daughter of Shiva and Parvati, AshokaSundari, and how she was born. Let's go!

Parvati, the wife of Rudra and the mother of Ganesha and Karthikeya, had started to feel lonely. She longed for someone that could keep her company since Shiva would be out meditating or Ganesha and Karthikeya would be out fighting a war ALL THE TIME. No one stayed with Parvati. All of her kin would be gone for weeks at a stretch.
One day, after another bout of loneliness, Parvati turned to Shiva, "O Lord, I am terribly bored. My heart aches for some company. Everyone is always out and no one is here to keep me company!!" Shiva replied, "Well, there is no one that COULD stay with you!! ll of us are caught up in our activities, that we can't spare any time to be home!!" Parvati nodded her head, then slowly thought, "Well, if not someONE, then maybe someTHING!" She stated to Shiva, "O Shankara, take me to the most beautiful garden in the three realms!! I will be sure to find a plant that can be with me."

Shiva gladly agreed and went with her to the celestial garden of Nandana at Amaravati, the capital of the Heavens. They both exclaimed at the wondrous flowers and mesmerising plants in awe. They had never seen anything like this before!! Other passers-by directed Shiva and Parvati around the premises.
There, Parvati saw many trees, TALL and short, FAT and THIN, LOOOOOOONNNGGGGG and TiNy! They all caught her eyes, but KalpaVriksha, or the Wishing Tree, was the one Parvati was most attracted too. She was enchanted by its looks and captivated by its fluttering, emerald-green leaves.
She immediately knew that the KalpaVriksha was the right one for her. BUT, she wanted more. The first thought that flew into her mind was, "I want a daughter!" She whispered her wish to the KalpaVriksha, and LO AND BEHOLD!!!!!! She found herself with a beautiful baby girl dozing in her hands. Parvati said, "AshokaSundari - a gorgeous damsel who destroys loneliness. AshokaSundari shall be your name, little one." Parvati took AshokaSundari back to Mount Kailash and raised with complete care and affection.
AshokaSundari grew to be a young woman who was devoted to her parents. Parvati loved her dearly and enjoyed her cheerful company.

When AshokaSundari cam of marriageable age, Parvati was of the opinion that only an earthly king that had the stature and build of Indra - the King of the Gods - would be AshokaSundari's groom. Many dought the hand of AshokaSundari, but Parvati thought it best that her daughter married Prince Nahusha of the ChandraVamsha or the Lunar Dynasty.

TO BE CONTINUED…