The image of Bhishma, grand old patriarch of the Puru dynasty in the Mahabharata, is one of self-sacrifice, wisdom, and gravitas. But long before he became that majestic whitebearded patriarch, he was a robust young man, as virile and earthy as anyone else. And in that youth, he once came close to loving and being loved by a woman. Close enough to breaking his terrible vow of lifelong celibacy? Perhaps, perhaps not. This rarely-told tale narrates the story of young Bhishma and the princess Amba, the circumstances that led to their meeting and the brief intense time they spent together. That their love story had no happy ending is a foregone conclusion: it did not even come close to consummation. But that itself is the beauty of this tale of a bygone age and culture. A love story about two unfortunate people, beautiful and proud and god-like in their own way, and the romance that flowered briefly between them, never to be nurtured into its full flourish. Another precious trinket stolen from the pages of Ashok’s Mahabharata Series.