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aru-loves-krishnaxarjuna · 1 month

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Everything felt unreal. The day Arjuna woke up this morning and his brothers received an invitation from Hastinapura, everything seemed to be going as it should.

Unfortunately, he was wrong. Arjuna is not Sahadev who can feel ominous feelings and is an expert in astrology. He was just a good archer and loved by his small family, which was enough for Arjuna.

His ears rang and his brain froze for a moment when he heard his cousin's evil plans for their wife, Draupadi. The woman Arjuna loved so much, her being his second love.

The time seemed very long for Duryodhan who was waiting for Dushasan to bring Panchali to the courtroom.

So time also felt much longer for Arjuna, who was silent without doing anything except for sitting between his brothers.

He didn't believe that one day, Gandhar Raj Shakuni's cunningness would plunge them into disaster.

"I'm bored of waiting. So I'll play with my slaves first! Only after dasi Draupadi comes, we can do anything else!" said Duryodhan proudly, as if he was not talking about his cousins' wife, and was not in a place where his extended family gathered.

"What game do you think is suitable for them, Mitra Karna?" Duryodhan patted Karna's shoulder, asking for his opinion.

"It's not for me to decide, Mitra. But according to the rules, you can do whatever you want with them."

On the one hand, Karna felt a little sorry for the Pandavas. However, a space in his heart felt relieved knowing that the people who had insulted him felt helpless because of his caste.

(Note: at least this is from Karna's point of view. In the 2013 starplus series, Bheem insults his birth. But that's because Karna is friends with Duryodhan and hostile to Arjun. Bheem is a person who is full of love for his colleagues and family, and perhaps a little blinded by that love. Here explaining why he retaliated against Dushasana so harshly Nakul and Sahdev probably harbored hatred for Karna for the same reason.

And Arjun, oh he's just a sweet guy. His rivalry with Karna does not blind him. He's not obsessed with outperforming anyone and just tries his best)

"You are truly humble, Mitra. I am happy to have a friend like you." he said sincerely. "So, how about playing with your arch enemy, my slave, Arjuna!"

Bheem, who since childhood had protective feelings towards his brothers was ignited, glared at Duryodhan, cursing the name in his heart.

Arjuna himself was shocked at first, but he was clearly not afraid. In fact, he thought that if he could turn things around now, or at least divert the attention of these evil people from his four brothers and Draupadi, Arjuna should be able to survive as long as possible.

"Come forward! Come forward into the middle of the court, Arjuna!"

Duryodhan shouted, arrogant. The sharpest thorn that had always kept him away from the throne of Hastinapur was now in his control.

He laughed heartily. Very happy with the current situation.

Even though Arjuna received shakes from his two younger siblings, Bhrata Bheem's grip on his arm, and Jyesth's worried look, that didn't stop the Gandivdhari from standing in Hastinapur's courtroom.

Even without the crown, his body language conveyed a clear level of majesty. That determined look was also not supposed to come from a slave, so Duryodhan was determined to crush him to pieces. Duryodhan's biggest obstacle and Yudhishthir's biggest supporter in all his success, must be destroyed as soon as possible.

Whether it was prepared or not, Duryodhan now held a bow and aimed it at Arjuna.

"I heard you are the greatest archer, after my Mitra Karna, of course." he said mockingly. "So I hope you teach me some tricks, Arjuna."

"Why? Can't your oh-so loyal Mitra teach you?" Arjuna sassed.

The eldest son of Dhritarashtra, enraged and embarrassed, drew his bow and took aim, targeting Arjuna's feet. With a small move, Arjuna dodged.

Duryodhan shouted in embarrassment. "If you dare dodge my arrows again, I will shoot at your four brothers!"

Arjuna's eyes widened. No, he can't! As long as he is still breathing, no one can harm his brothers!

A few seconds later, another arrow from Duryodhan, came and peirced his left leg. But Arjun was not afraid. He didn't scream in pain either. His eyes remained full of determination and courage, like a true warrior. Someone who truly deserves the title of one of the best warriors of the Kuru Dynasty, Savyasachi, the Gudhakesha who conquered sleep.

The Kauravas began to laugh with joy, waiting until their cousin was overcome by pain.

Bhishma exclaimed angrily. "Duryodhan! Arjuna is your brother too!"

"No, grandfather! Yudhishthir himself bet your beloved grandson in a dice game. You saw it yourself, right?!"

Favorite grandson. It's a secret yet that's not a secret. Bhishma the Great should have no favorites. But no one could blame him for falling in love with the strength of character, purity and skill that the third Pandava displayed from childhood. The same applies to Dronacharya and Kripa, who are seen to love Arjuna more than their own children.

Another arrow was shot at Arjuna's feet by another Kaurava. There were six arrows in total, but it still wasn't enough to dim the light in Phalgun's hawk-like eyes.

In a distant battlefield, Dwarakadish Vasudev Krishna felt his leg hurt. Actually, not only his legs, more precisely his whole body felt pain. It was like his daily food, especially if there was bloodshed around him.

Returning to Hastinapur, another arrow was lodged in Arjuna's body. The two arrows shot in his stomach by Anga Raj made him take a step back.

Krishna also felt pain in his stomach, but he ignored it again. He decided to finish the war as soon as possible.

Arjuna's vision blurred as the pain started to overwhelm him. His heart pounded and the heat began to become excruciating, clouding all his senses. He faintly heard the laughter of Duryodhan's brothers encouraging his friend, Anga Raj Karna to shoot another arrow. A few ordinary arrows obviously wouldn't have any significant effect on the greatest warrior of Aryavart like Arjuna. However, it would be different if the arrows were coated with poisons.

The roars of his brothers could also be heard faintly as Arjuna fell to the side. He saw someone approaching quickly, then stabbed his thigh with a knife. Arjun bit his lip, still refusing to scream in pain.

Bheem, who had lost his temper, decided to stand up as soon as he saw Duryodhan stabbing his beloved anuj. But Duryodhan shouted, stopping Bheem's resistance immediately. "I will kill him right now if you step from your place!"

It didn't seem to be nonsense, seeing how Duryodhan pointed the knife at Arjun's neck. In his heart, Bheem cursed. If he had a fair chance, he would kill all one hundred Kauravas.

"Maharaj Dhritarashtra, will you allow the murder of your nephew to happen in front of you!?" Dronacharya shouts. Dhananjaya will not fall just because of a few arrows. There must be something behind it, even though he has no proof. Now, the only one who can surpass Duryodhan in power is Dhritarashtra alone.

Before the King of Hastinapur could respond properly, Ashwatthama shouted. "Arjuna is my friend's slave now father, you can't defend him just because you love him more than me!"

"There's no need to be sad, my friend Ashwatthama." Duryodhan smiled mockingly at Arjun. He then threw his knife at Dursaha and gave orders. "Cut off both of the archer's thumbs, my anuj!"

"What I asked from Ekalavya and what I promised Arjuna has nothing to do with this!" Drona growled loudly.

"And I don't believe it, Acharya! I always felt you were biased towards Arjuna!"

"I wasn't!"

Drona dared to swear that even if he did place special importance of Arjuna in his heart, he would always be fair to his students. It was not his fault that he was fascinated by the talent and tenacity that Dhananjaya showed during his education. Great talent should not be wasted. It is the responsibility of an educator to provide education according to a student's capacity and efforts. He trains diligently, staying awake when everyone else is sleeping, pushing his limits from time to time, but remaining polite and humble. Arjuna's name Kurunandan is clearly not without any areason.

As for Ekalavya, Drona never accepted him as a student from the start. He was the son of a tribal leader in Magadha who was an enemy of Hastinapur. Drona, who was already bound to train the Kuru princes, could not possibly train his students' potential enemies in the future. That's unethical. Plus Ekalavya peeks into secret learning by spying or in another word, stalking. And asking for gurudakshina from Ekalavya is also a natural thing, for him.

"Then let it be! Your words will not change my decision today!" Duryodhan replied.

Mahamantri Vidur watched in horror as Dursaha laughed and without regret, did as his brother ordered. Vidur didn't realize when his tears fell. When he delivered the invitation to today's dice game to Indraprastha, Vidur was already suspicious. But he failed to convince Dharmaraj to just reject it. Now, one of his nephews may die in this supposedly hallowed courtroom. "Maharaj... Bhratashree... If you ever think of me as a little brother, please... please stop your son..." Vidur begged, clasping his hands together.

"I-I... I can't Vidur. Legally, it is Duryodhan's right to do anything to his slaves. But don't worry, my son couldn't possibly kill Arjuna, right, Duryodhana?"

Dhritarashtra, always, and still is, looking for loopholes for every mistake his eldest son made.

"Of course pitashree. A great warrior like Arjuna wouldn't die from just a few wounds, right?" he said with a grin.

On the other hand, Krishna found it strange. This pain was not like usual, as if something had truly hurt his soul. In the distance, he saw his troops celebrating victory around their commander, Balaram Dau, while Krishna was still stationed in his chariot. He faintly heard Indradev's soft whisper.

"My lord..." the tone was filled with sadness. He rarely heard that from the King of the gods.

Krishna nodded slightly. He listened.

"My lord, you once said that my son would accompany you in upholding the dharma to this world."

Dwarakadish smiled faintly. Ah, so this is about his Parth? Devraj had became a father who was worried about the well-being of his mortal son. Not surprising because what they were talking about was Arjuna. Krishna and Indradev knew from the start that the lives of the Sons of Pandu would never be easy.

Indradev continued. "That soft-hearted child, who received a prophecy of success on the day of his birth, who you call your soulmate, has... has his role been completed today...?"

"What do you mean Indradev?" Krishna gasped. The pain he had been trying to ignore for a long time…now made sense. It really hurt his soul.

Devraj tried to keep his voice clear. "My son Arjuna is dying, my lord..."

At the same time, Krishna got a vague vision. He felt a prick in his thigh and a sting in his thumbs. After that, the killer of Kansa reflexively rubbed his right eye. Both his eyes hurt. He often avoided seeing the future or use his divinity so as not to interfere with the course of Niyati, so Krishna usually did not know the future in great detail. He was so sorry, he should have prevented this one incident.

"Parth..." he muttered worriedly.

In the courtroom, Arjuna tries his best not to lose consciousness. Now he heard the sound of Panchali crying and the touch of that soft lotus hand on his skin.

Draupadi, who had been forcibly dragged into court by Dusshasan, now ran to her husband. Arjuna's condition made her forget her own pain. "A-arya Arjuna, what is this..!?"

"S-sorry, Panchali..." Arjuna tried his best to speak, his throat hurt. He cried even though his eyes could no longer see. Only blood was flowing in hefty amounts from his eyes now. "Run.. Go as far as possible!" Arjuna almost gave up. He had failed.... Dronacharya's best disciple could not protect his wife today.

He couldn't hope for anyone's help now. Pitamah Bhishma, who was one of the few people who loved the Pandavas, couldn't do anything because he was bound by his oath. His teacher, Drona, would also be on his son Ashwatthama's side. Arjuna knows that his Gurudev really loves his only son, even though he loves Arjun no less. Unfortunately, people often think otherwise. Meanwhile, his uncle Dhritarashtra, whom Arjuna and his brothers respected, never treated them fairly. If anything, Maharani Gandhari was the person who did that.

At times like this, Arjuna could only think of one name. However, he felt it being very inappropriate. Even though he is aware that his relation with his Madhav is not limited by caste, Arjuna still felt he is unworthy. A slave is not fit to be friends with the descendants of the Great Yadava. Arjuna was very embarrassed. Madhav must be disappointed in him. Panchali is also his Sakhi, and Arjuna is so weak that he cannot protect her.

"Aryaputra Bheem, why are you not protecting your brother?!" Yajnaseni screamed. Bheem responded with a shake of his head and tears.

"Aryaputra Yudhishthir, why are you silent?!"

"Aryaputra Nakul, Aryaputra Sahadev, quickly heal your Bhrata Arjuna!"

Not getting the answer she wanted, the former Queen of Indraprastha looked elsewhere.

"Ganga Putra Bhishma. Your glory resounds throughout Aryavarta, will you remain silent looking at this adharma? You will be a silent witness to the torture of your grandson and daughter-in-law?!"

"Acharya Drona, son of Bharadwaaj, don't you call Aryaputra Arjuna your best student? Don't his actions so far make you swell with pride?"

"Maharaj Dhritarashtra, don't you love your brother, Maharaj Pandu? Why can't you love his sons!?"

Draupadi's cries of despair were only met with apologetic looks, shakes of the head, and tears, while the other party didn't bother to hide their triumphant laughter.

"My lord?" Now Daruka, the charioteer and friend, of Krishna asked. He heard Krishna murmuring his dear Parth's name worriedly. Plus, his master was now shedding tears.

In a low tone, Krishna answered. "Close your eyes Daruka. We will go to Hastinapur now" as he snapped his fingers and they dissappeared from there.

Draupadi gave up. She hugged her husband tightly while the hem of her sari was pulled by Dusshasan. At times like this, Draupadi only had one hope left. She whispered softly. "Govind.. your Sakhi and your Parth need you..."

As if casting a spell, Draupadi's wish came true. Krishna suddenly appeared, holding Draupadi's sari which Dusshasan was trying to pull off. He pulled the sari so hard that Dusshasan fell. Draupadi, who could not believe the miracle before her, fell at Krishna's feet. "You came, Govind!" the Agnisutaa was filled with tears. Krishna held Draupadi's shoulders to calm her down. "Calm down, Sakhi. I'm here for you and Parth."

The shock of Krishna's miraculous appearance had not yet subsided. Raj Maata Kunti and Subhadra, who heard Draupadi being dragged away by Dusshasan from the servants, also rushed into the courtroom. The two women were extremely horrified to see the terrifying scene in front of them. The Queen of Indraprastha, a pure and very beautiful woman, the daughter-in-law of the Kuru Dynasty who should have received a lot of love and honor, was now crying bitterly. Her clothes were dirty and her makeup was ruined. Plus, what stained the clothes was mostly someone's blood.

The son that Kunti and Pandu got after a year of hard meditation to please the King of the Gods, the prophecy of glory that was heard from the sky at the time of his birth, the son who made his family proud and loved them, now lay helpless, in a pool of his own blood.

Subhadra too, who saw her Jiji crying and her husband injured, as well as her brother who was suddenly in the palace, could only join in wailing.

"Bua, Subhadra, take Panchali away from Hastinapur. My charioteer Daruka is outside, I will protect you from here" Krishna's voice alerted them. The two women nodded, dragging Draupadi a little in the process. They knew it was better to listen and trust Krishna at this moment.

Dwarakadish now noticed the body lying, and the pool of blood around it. A memory in his past eternal life awakened. The image of a person in the past that overlaps with Arjuna's situation evoked those memories. He then mentioned a name, which had been extinct in these days and age.

"...Nara...?" Krishna called. And obviously he didn't get an answer.

While on a mission to defeat the demon Dambhodbhava with his thousand armors, Narayan had seen Nara's death many times. And in this life, the demon, who was reborn as a human, had a choice between becoming a good human or dying at Nara's hands again. That was how the task had to be done.

Krishna approached, slowly. The people in the room were still too shocked by his sudden appearance, so no one tried to stop him.

Palanhar's every step felt heavy. The fate he endured indeed made him feel so much pain and loss. But this one, this one person alone influenced him so badly. His best friend, his lover, his Parth, his Nara. With that step, he had a vision of what happened before.

The deceitful dice game.

Yudhistir's defeat.

Duryodhan's laugh and Shakuni's sly smile.

Torture on his Parth.

Insult of his Sakhi.

And now, it was his Arjuna, who was an inch away from dying.

Madhav sat down slowly and gently pulled his Parth in his arms, which resulted in his clothes being soaked in blood almost instantly. He then observed his Parth's face, which was stained with blood stains due to a diagonal cut in his left eye and a stab in his right eye. His dark skin was unable to hide his slenderness, blood and toxins that have spread throughout the body being visible.

Six arrows in the leg, three in the right shoulder, two in the left arm, two more in the stomach, and a stab wound in the right thigh. Madhav traced the wounds with his trembling fingers, his eyes burning with tears and his lips quivering slightly.

The part that made Krishna the most angry was Parth's two thumbs being cut off. Parth always worried and felt guilty about Ekalavya, even though it had nothing to do with him.

"Ma-madhav? Is that y-you? Are you really... m-my M-madhav...?" With his senses dulled, Arjuna could somehow feel his Madhusudhan's presence clearly. He had fainted a while ago, for who knows how long. But he didn't understand how his best friend got here. Ah, since when did he become rational when it came to Krishna? This must be just one of his miracles. Even so, the happiness that bloomed in Arjun's heart was soon replaced with shame.

Arjuna felt Madhav's hug tighten. Mustering his remaining strength, Arjuna tried to bring his shaky, bloody hand upto Madhav's cheek, almost begging. "I.. have failed, Madhav... P-please Panchali.." He stammered. "Save.. your Sakhi.." At least if it wasn't for his sake, Madhav would help Panchali.

Krishna smiled bitterly. How could his Parth still think about other people when excruciating pain struck him and death might surround him any moment? Krishna caught Arjuna's trembling hand and placed it at his cheek, earning the sound of a small sigh of pleasure and relief.

Krishna smiled reassuringly even though Arjuna couldn't see it. His voice was filled with comfort. "Panchali is safe, Parth." Vishnu's incarnation could see the corners of Arjuna's mouth lifting ever so slightly.

"Now you-"

The sentence was cut off. Krishna's eyes widened as a loud cough accompanied by black blood came out of Arjuna's mouth. Krishna wiped the black blood. "Snake venom..." he muttered.

Arjuna's breathing slowly weakened. He felt his end near. He flashed a loving smile at his Madhav, even though he couldn't see him. "I...love you...Madhav..." His breathing stopped, his hand which was on Krishna's cheek drooped. Krishna carressed Arjun's cheek with his thumb. "Parth?" Krishna panicked, checked his pulse.

"Parth...?" he repeated.

A new realization sank into Krishna's brilliant mind. His heart seemed to be stuck, and he felt no desire to breathe. His lover... was dead. He is still alive while his Parth was dead.

Krishna began sobbing and lowered his head till his lips were only an inch apart from his dead lover's own. He had bend down so low and planted a chaste kiss on Arjuna's lips, not caring if anyone saw (no one did.) Krishna kept hugging his Parth's body after kissing, not wanting to let go, Arjuna's blood touching and immediately staining Krishna's markless body.

Cosmic explosions began to occur in a very far place, while the palace of Hastinapura began to shake. Earthquakes also occurred in many places, including Kailash and Vaikunta. Only one path is safe, namely the path used by Krishna's chariot to secure Pancali.

Mahadev and Adishakti woke up from their meditation. Sharing a soul bond, they understood Narayan's sadness and anger. At Vaikunth, Lakshmi shed tears. Just like Narayan, she also really loved Nara and considered him as her brother. Brahma and Saraswati also shared the same sorrow.

The earthquakes became more massive, causing buildings and their materials to start falling. Strong winds and storms also entered the room, blowing away cloths and small items. Lightning and suddenly dark skies, added to the chaos. Everyone was filled with fear.

The universe appears to begin its destruction, far before the promised time.

In the midst of the crisis, Mahadev's third eye appeared on the ceiling. Everyone, even the evil Duryodhan and his uncle Shakuni put their palms together, saluting the powerful presence.

"Narayan, please calm your anger..." Mahadev's soft voice echoed. "The destruction of the universe should not happen now."

"Should I?" Krishna whispered. He couldn't set his sight, even for a second, on the earth that had no existence of Arjuna. The whole of existence seemed meaningless to him. If all living beings, the universe, and himself are placed on one scale, then they are equal when Dhananjaya is weighed on the other side. Krishna does not want to remain in an existence where Arjuna does not exist.

"Your Nara will be fine." Arjuna's body then glowed brightly for a moment, and his condition returned to normal. The weapons, scars and bloodstains on the third Pandava's body disappeared. His thumbs had regenerated. It was as if time had been rewound before all the wounds had formed. "The destruction and vengeance you desire will happen soon, punishment will be meted out, and a new generation will be born."

"You always have had gentleness and forgiveness, Narayan. You are also the most compassionate. I have promised you, you will leave this world before your Arjuna."

Hugging Parth's unconscious body tightly in his arms again, Madhav smiled. His eyes brightened again, as if Mahadev was not discussing his death. "Thank you..." was all he could say to express the many feelings in his heart. His lover will not die before him...

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