This episode of Mahabharata begins with Bhishma finally emerging from his self imposed isolation - to head straight to the Ganga river and start performing last rites for the Pandavas. But Ganga, his mother, stops him to inform him that the Pandavas still live - and she directs him to Vidhur to find out more. A furious Bhishma seems ready to start busting heads upon being informed of the Wax House conspiracy, but Vidhur convinces him to stay silent for now.
Meanwhile the Pandavas and Kunti debate what to do next, after having escaped the wax house. Kunti seems all too willing to pull a Screw This, I'm Outta Here and live happily in the forest with her sons forever - just as she had done before with Pandu and Madri. But Yudhistir says that they cannot completely abandon Hastinapur like that. Bhim seems all too willing to attack the Kauravas, but Yudhistir reminds them that they may have to fight their beloved elders too. So, for now, they must wander in the forest until a solution to the problem presents itself. After walking some more to get out of Hastinapur’s territorial boundaries, they all camp for the night. Bhim stays awake to watch over them.
But danger lurks close by. A rakshasa (demon) is hungry for human flesh and blood and demands his sister to find him some. However, this demoness Hidimba doesn’t have the same craving for human flesh and blood. After her brother Hidimb mockingly suggests marrying her off to a human, he still forces her to find him some humans to kill and eat. Hidimba goes searching for human prey and finds the sleeping Pandavas. She then notices Bhim and falls in love at first sight. She transforms herself to a more traditionally feminine appearance and approaches Bhim. However, Hidimb has followed her and comments about the “fine meal” she found. Hidimba refuses and proclaims her love for Bhim. A furious Hidimb prepares to attack her when Bhim intervenes. The commotion wakes up everyone else too.
After a battle in which Hidimba protects Bhim from some of her brother’s more vicious attacks, Bhim kills Hidimb. He then agrees to marry Hidimba and father a child with her. His brothers joke that Bhim and Hidimba are a good match for each other.
Tropes found here are
- A Form You Are Comfortable With: To entice Bhim, Hidimba shrinks herself down to human size and magically changes her attire from a typical leopard skin tunic worn by demons to a more feminine sari.
- An Arm and a Leg: Bhim rips both of Hidimb’s arms off before killing him.
- Ghibli Hills / Nature Lover: Kunti seems happy and content in the forest and seems to prefer it to Hastinapur’s palace politics.
- I Am a Humanitarian: Hidimb is one. More importantly, his sister Hidimba isn’t one.
- Just Eat Gilligan: Bhishma and Bhim want to straight out take the fight to Shakuni and Duryodhan. Both are warned that doing so will have unanticipated political repercussions.
- Love at First Sight: Hidimba falls head over heels for Bhim the moment she lays eyes on him.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: Yudhistir is the only one who objects to Hidimba marrying Bhim, stating that a demoness cannot marry a warrior. Kunti overrules him though.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Kunti wants nothing more to do with Hastinapur and its politics, seeing as how that place has brought her no end of misery and her extended family aren’t glad to have her and her sons around.
- Token Heroic Orc: Hidimba.
