#arjun subhadra

[ramayantika]

Braj ki Holi (Ch-4)

Masterlist /Ch-3/

"O rang barse bheege chunarvali rang barse"

I heard a sweet voice somewhere near me and soft fingers applying something powdery on my cheeks.

The same voice grew louder. I was half asleep but I could make out that the voice belonged to a girl. Bhumi wasn't that melodious so it could be either Radhika or Subhadra. But my eyes laden with sleep refused to open and see who was singing and the same melodious voice was simultaneously pushing me to drift into deep sleep again.

"Hori khele raghuveera avadh mein, hori khele raghuveera." I could sense a male voice that sounded a little similar to Ranvit.

SPLASH!

Whatever sleep that had made its home in my body had flown out, making my body wake up with a jerk.

Blinking the water droplets out of my eyes, I finally took a good look around me. Four people were standing in front of me with mischief written all over their faces. Ranvit was holding a water bucket, Bhumi had a packet of purple gulaal in her hand with Radhika standing right beside Bhumi, her fingertips coated with purple gulaal.

You can totally guess who the fourth person was.

No it wasn't Krishna. Dau stood a little far away from the trio with a cheeky smile and said, "Here in Vrindavan, nobody sleeps in on Holi and those who do we douse them in water. Aapki neend bhang karne kshama devi parantu reet ko kon taal sake?"

Bhumi snatched my bedsheet, saying, "Exactly! And you my dearest sister love Holi so much yet here you are sleeping. It's already 9am, Bhaishmi!"

I gasped. No way it could be 9am. I remember waking up at 7 in the morning for Holi ans waiting impatiently till 9 to go out and play this wonderful festival. Why was I in bed at this hour?

Krishna. I scanned the room to see my favourite curly haired boy, but much to my disappointment he wasn't there in the room. Perhaps, my eyes gave away that I was looking for him because Bhumi began teasing. "Looks like someone is searching for someone. I wonder who they might be."

Radhika's eyes gleamed and she too joined Bhumi. "Well well in that case, we need to call that someone to her quickly. Our sakhi must not wait too long, right?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I covered my face with the bedsheet that had pooled near my feet. "You all will never let me have a moment of peace. I am not searching for Krishna."

The room fell quiet and in ten seconds Radhika burst out laughing. "See."

Before I could come up with a suitable excuse to convince them that I was not thinking about him, I heard Arjun shouting downstairs with Subhadra running past our room only to stop for a second and say, "Everyone run, Kanha bhaiya is out to attack. Run."

Dau took a look outside the door and said, "Oh shit, Kanha is ready with his gulaal. Everyone run. He then turned towards me. " Well these people forgot to tell you. Kanha has decided to play Holi via hide and seek and believe me it is almost impossible to win from him in this game. So get out of bed fast and hide. He will be coming up soon."

Leaping out of the room, I grabbed Bhumi's hand and ran up to the terrace. I paid one fleeting glance at the courtyard below and saw Arjun being coloured by Krishna in pink gulaal with him announcing, "One down."

By this point, my reader, you must know that this boy must have looked up. He never missed a chance looking at me then and has never missed a chance to look at me even now.

"You are awake Bhaishmi finally. Happy Holi and good luck trying to escape me!"

Bhumi cursed and dragged me faster to the staircase.

I had noted where the others had run off to hide while running. Ranvit had hidden himself in Yashodhara kaki's room while I saw Dau running to the store room. Subhadra was hiding behind a pillar facing the balcony which gave her the advantage to check where Krishna was going. Radhika hid herself in one of the old abandoned rooms.

Up on the terrace lay a small room built to rest during winters. Nanda kaka had told us about that room which kept him warm during winters. Both kaka and kaki were out in the neighbourhood to play Holi so we were free to hide anywhere.

Bhumi opened the door and tiptoed inside while passing me a grin. "I am sure Krishna won't come here." Indeed that was a clever place to hide but I was sure that Krishna would totally guess to enter the room first and then roam around the terrace.

I heard Subhadra's shriek and realised that she had been caught and felt Bhumi tug my wrist. "Come on, you don't want to be caught so early. Stay here, he won't come inside."

I locked the door from inside and parted the curtains from the windows and found Radhika running on the terrace. For a moment, my heart thudded, thinking that Krishna was coming up but seeing Radhika slow down, I felt relieved that he wasn't coming anywhere near us.

Radhika went to the far end of the terrace and stood there quietly with an alert look. I looked at Bhumi and stepped out of the room earning a warning from her. "Behen, you step out of this room, he will catch you soon. Stay inside."

"Meri pyari behena, if you think Krishna won't check this room first then you are seriously underestimating him."

"Then what to do?"

A plan formed inside my head but I wasn't sure if that would work successfully. "So I am going to lock you from outside and Krishna might not just step in because nobody hiding in the room would be able to lock themselves from outside. You can now sit praying that he doesn't use more of his clever brain."

Bhumi squealed and kept her arm around my shoulder. "I see you are getting cleverer. What's the secret?"

"Roz din mein 4 badam."

I locked the door from outside and stood behind the door of the terrace. Radhika saw me and made a sign asking me if Krishna was near or not. I walked outside a little and peered from the holes. He had caught Arjun, Subhadra and Ranvit who were all standing on the courtyard, their faces coloured in shades of blue, pink and purple.

I quickly ran back to the terrace and walked near Radhika. "Look, he has caught Arjun, Subhadra and Ranvit and I have a feeling that he will come to the terrace now because he gas already found three people near the rooms." Dau was probably in the store room that was in the ground floor situated right beside the entrance of the house.

Radhika thought for a while and said, "You do a thing. Stay here with Bhumi and let me go down. If it's safe I will call you." She paused and added, "To be honest, this feels as if we are playing chorr police plus hide and seek plus holi."

A crash sounded near the stairs and both of us ran helter skelter. I could see Bhumi watching something on her phone while occasionally looking outside the window for Krishna. Radhika and I had run off to hide behind a large storage drum.

I heard Radhika exclaim, "No, not Dau here. Everyone is here only and it won't take less than ten seconds for Krishna to catch us all." She turned towards me and said, "I will go and tell Dau to go somewhere. You stay here. I don't want Krishna to catch you right now." She winked and dashed near the staircase.

I closed my eyes and wiped the beads of sweat that had gathered on my forehead. My ponytail was coming loose and began to stick to my neck, hence I tied it into a bun. A soft gust of wind blew by my face which made me sigh. The environment went still for a moment after which I heard a door open loudly.

Bhumi ran out of the room with Krishna who dumped a whole packet of purple gulaal on her. My sister laughed and took some of the gulaal from him and applied a tilak on his forehead and said, "Chalo koyi na. Happy Holi!"

I placed my palm over my mouth to prevent any sound escaping from me. Within a count of ten he even managed to find Radhika and Dau which meant that I was the last catch for him.

I am someone who takes stress during exams and here I was low key panicking over the prospect of being caught by Krishna.

Now that wouldn't be a bad thing, my readers, would it?

I made a dash near the small room and hid behind the wall and saw Dau, Radhika and Bhumi leave the terrace. As expected, Krishna had come near the storage drum. He thought that I would be there but his face fell when he found out no one was standing behind it. Soon, he turned out and I walked near the front of the door. The back window of the room let me see Krishna's position.

Krishna was about to walk to the front and I had mere seconds to cross the house and run down the stairs. I counted till three and ran near the terrace staircase when my wrist felt a firm yet gentle grip.

Shit!

"I was thinking that you would be the first one I would catch but you have surprised me yet again, Bhaishmi," Krishna's honeyed voice rang in my ears as he walked two steps towards me. I did not dare to turn around because his hand around my wrist was making me think very wrong things combined with my Bollywood heroine fantasy of being coloured head to toe in colours on Holi.

Come on, what were you expecting me to be? Did I surprise you, reader?

Krishna turned me around and walked me near to the wall. "Well, I am not going to dump a whole packet of gulaal on you like I did to others and I will surely not wrestle with you like Dau, so if you don't mind…." He smiled and arched his perfect eyebrow up and said, "Do I get to colour you?"

God, I wanted to kiss him badly but it would be improper. I was anyway blushing when he asked me so I nodded my head and smiled. "Why on earth would I refuse a handsome guy asking to colour me on Holi?"

Krishna's lips curled up even more beautifully hearing my praise. I had noticed that he hadn't let go of my hand nor was I that keen to free my hand.

Krishna swiped some of the dry colour with his fingers and placed the gulaal over my free hand. "Which song would you sing right now on the spot?"

"You don't have red gulaal with you now but nevertheless it would be," I brushed a stray curl that perfectly lay just above his eyes and sang, "Dekhun dekhun tujhko main hoke nihaal chhu lo kora mora kaanch sa tan," I held his fingertips near my cheek while he slowly rubbed the colour off his fingers on me, "Nain bhar kya rahe nihaar."

He brushed his fingers on my left cheek and directed his glance to the gulaal packet over my hand. "Mohe rang do laal?"

Giggling, I said, "More like mohe rang do nila? But yes, I will definitely rang you nila. My hands were shaking as I dipped my fingers into the blue gulaal and my fingers welcomed the warm sensation of Krishna's cheeks and we both stared into each other's eyes.

Krishna boldly took another step towards me and despite my heart thudding in half anticipation and slight nervousness, I welcomed him in. He took some more of the blue colour and applied them to my forehead while his lips neared my ear causing my breath to hitch, "You didn't ask me which song I would sing for you right now?"

"Then sing for me now."

"Naino ki dhaank le jaa, naino ki naiya," His finger traced a curve near my eyes. "Patwaar tu hai meri tu hi khewaiyaa." He then swiped his thumb hesitantly just below my lips and I shivered slightly under the warm sun that had enveloped both of us.

"Jaana hai paar tere tu hu bhanwar hai," We sang together while applying the gulaal to each other, our eyes never letting the other go away as we completed the last line.

"Pahunchegi paar kaise nazuk si naiya…. "

And silence... Not a stifling one where you are left wondering what to do or what to speak. Just some peaceful silence which embraces you comfortably in its grasp where you need no words nor any actions, where eyes are enough to do all the talking. I lazily moved my fingers through his soft curls coating the hair strands in blue. The sun's glare over his head caused his hair to glaze and the blue colour did a fantastic job of making his hair look even more good.

He entwined his fingers with mine, but took not a step further towards me. He stayed right in the middle, neither too close nor too far. His nimble fingers did a quick work over my hair bun, letting it fall down to its length.

"You look even more ethereal in open hair, do you know?" I heard him say.

If there was anyone who looked ethereal to me, it was none other than Krishna. He appeared as if Gods themselves sculpted him as their finest creation.

"Krishna, you do know this right that you don't need to flatter me to impress me?"

Pushing some of my hair behind my ear, he said, "I would never use flattery to impress you. My flute would be enough for that but what I said right now is the truth. You will never see yourself the way I see you, but to me you looked ethereal right from the moment I saw you on the train. Your eyes were darting around here and there when you came and met us after Ranvit and Bhumi and I found it really adorable. Then you channeled your inner Madhubala out and trust me I was floored by you. Your effect on me was so strong that when I played the flute for you that night, I saw you in my thoughts looking all radiant and bright like a star on a clear night. Your gentleness, your cute shy smile and your thoughts make me seek you out everywhere. It's more than a tiny crush and admiration for you Bhaishmi, and all of this is true." The intensity that swirled in his eyes as he uttered these sentences made me forget about breathing.

"I know we have met only a few days ago but I can't help it. It saddens me that all of this will end when we leave for home but I want you to know that whatever moments we have shared together and the moments which we still have to make in the next twenty four hours before you leave for your city, it will always have a special place in my heart." He smiled and rubbed his forehead. "This might sound cheesy but I am still going to say it. You own a special place in my heart and if our circumstances would have been different, I would have asked you out to be my girlfriend."

That 'would have' shattered a small part of my heart. But as rightfully said by some people, life is about adding the little moments of joy and colour, I at least had the chance to be with him for these many hours.

My throat burned slightly making me realize that I was about to cry, I gulped back my tears and tried to smile.

"And I would have said yes to you."

"These two are still up there?" I heard Dau's voice near the staircase and both of us moved apart.

*****

Later in the day we all went out and celebrated Holi with the locals. All of us took various photos with Bhumi and Subhadra being our chief photographers. I had consumed a lot of sweets and snacks thanks to Yashodhara kaki.

And then in the evening we sang songs and danced with each other. Amidst all this Krishna and I pretended that our conversation from the morning did not at all happen. Only after dinner when kaki asked us to check all our belongings the realization hit even more deeper that I was about to say bye to Krishna forever. I wanted time to slow down just for the both of us or maybe some miraculous episode of destiny's game to cancel my train.

Alas, this happens only in movies, not in real life. With a heavy heart, I went up to the terrace to stare at the moon. Everyone else had gone off to sleep. I had my share of talking to Radhika and Subhadra and I was sure that I would miss their presence back home. Both of them dozed off midway while narrating some childhood memory which made me smile.

Surprise, surprise! Krishna was up on the terrace too, but this time with his flute. His back was against the parapet and he bent his neck slightly back to state at the moon, his arms propped on the parapet.

The peacock chain that dangled from his flute was shining under the moonlight. With the gentle night breeze that blew, the metallic peacock hit the flute, making Krishna shift his focus away from the sun and turning his glance towards me.

Without exchanging any word I walked and stood near him while he placed the flute below his beautiful lips which welcomed a small smile. I nodded and he closed his eyes. With a soft exhale, he started the first string of notes on his flute. His fingers deftly moved on the instrument producing an ocean of tunes that reflected both of our emotions for each other.

When he played his flute for the first time on the train, I was all awake and entranced until the very end, but tonight, my eyes began to droop. The moon too had begun to change her colour from golden white to red, her size decreasing with each passing time and with each song, Krishna's flute played.

I looked at the disappearing moon and by the time she had disappeared, my eyes closed on their own in bliss. I could still hear a faint melody, but could no longer keep myself awake to appreciate his music a bit more. Some time later, I felt a hand on my head, gently patting my hair and that's when I welcomed sleep in the arms of a very special boy.

"Koi kash dil pe zara hath rakh de, mere dil ke tukdon ko ik sath rakh de. Magar yeh hai khwabon khayalon ki baatein, kabhi toot kar cheez koi judi hai… Lagi aaj sawan ki phir voh jhadi hai."

*****

*drum roll* This fic is alive...

Also special mention to: @jessbeinme15 because she made me sit and write this after I read all of her tags ten times or maybe more than that

Well tbh I don't know if this chapter is good or not because I haven't written this long in all these months *glares at neet* so a little feedback would be appreciated

And what do we think about the main couple???

We still have two more parts though. Chapter 5 and the Epilouge because samridhi loves to put a clear end on things.

Yeah so that's it. Hope you have a good day

Taglist: @ma-douce-souffrance @itsfookingloosah @manwalaage @lil-stark @riiddhhiii @pokemon-master-elita @phoenix666stuff Tamatar deactivated?? :(

[stxrrynxghts]

Krishna: *elopes with Rukmini*

Subhadra: *elopes with Arjun*

Balarama: be a big brother, they said. It will be fun, they said.

[hum-suffer]

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. Red and gold and orange, he often said they looked more like sunset than fire that poets called them.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. They grew in Dwarka by bunches. Against the green and brown of trees, they looked like waterfalls of the furnace, he said.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. He had planted his first plant of palash in the palace of Dwarka, he had watered it everyday after his sword practice.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. He fought ferociously against his grandfather, Vasudev, when he wanted to tear down his palash tree for the renovation of the palace.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. He hid in the branches of his palash tree when he ran from his mother. He stepped on his uncle, Krishna, and reached those heights with loud laughs. He watched his mother run around the tree as he hid.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. He wrapped them in leaves and took them to his father every time he was allowed to visit him. Arjun wore them in his hair proudly, said the flowers matched his ascetic clothes.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. When he was married, everyone who had seen him grow threw palash flowers on his head. He laughed when his aunt Revati claimed she specially ordered the flowers from Vidharbh for him, he knew she could possibly do it just for the ostentatious idea.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. Uttara wore the same colour as them the next day of their marriage. His aunt Rukmini and Elder mother Draupadi teased him red for it.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers. His uncle Balram gave him a new bow for the upcoming war. It had palash flowers carved at all seven joints.

Abhimanyu loved palash flowers.

His pyre burnt the same colour as them.

[aru-loves-krishnaxarjuna]

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.

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...

Tagging @aiaioooo cuz apparently they made these two as bros and I made them as Lovers ♡. Credits to them for plotline AND because i somehow found their work on google but afterwards couldn't find it cuz it was an Indonesian story. If anyone could kindly send me the link of the story i will put it here.

Edit: i found the link!

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

IMQ Server Starbharat Samuhik Watch Party Memes #24

Credit to our stunning fellow server member @chahaa-piun-ja.

-Mod S

[blue-lotus333]

How I imagine Arjun’s wives to look like.

Draupadi, The Fiery Princess of Panchala.

Uloopi, Nagi of vehemence.

Chitrangada, Warrior princess of Manipur.

(+ muscles)

Subhadra, Goddess of holiness.

(More tanner skin, + wears pastel clothes)

[h0bg0blin-meat]

*Arjun flirting with Subhadra in Dwarka*

Arjun: I have a huge crush on you.

Arjun: Very big.

Subhadra: Awww-

Arjun: Like a dinosaur.

Subhadra:

Arjun: Rawr :3

[orgasming-caterpillar]

If in the modern world, Draupadi could only marry one Pandav, who would she marry?

Option one: Yudhisthir. No actual chemistry between them, he's just the eldest brother.

Option two: Bheem. Amazing chemistry. Take care of each other. Shared interests as both love to cook. Makes more sense than arjun as he's older and should get married first.

Option three: Arjun. Might be the most loved ship and good chemistry too but then there would be no place for Subhadra, who I'm planning to make Arjun's girlfriend in my au. Imo arjun is much more playful, teasing and overall more loving (I hope I'm wording this right) towards Subhadra.

[teaandsunlighttt]

Imagine a sitcom about Kanha, Balram, Subhadra and Arjun existing in the 21st century😭😭

[aurkitnarulaoge]

Babruvahan

***

Chapter 1

[The son who didn't relate]

Arjun (Arjuna) had entered Draupadi's Chambers when another Pandav [namely Yudhishthira] was with her in the room.

He knew he would be exiled as per their mutual agreement—that being: if any brother was with Draupadi spending time in privacy, another Pandav couldn't intrude them.

Arjun did so reluctantly as he had to fetch his bow from the chamber to help a brahmin.

Arjun was, therefore, exiled for 12 years.

He spent this time of exile in an adventurous manner; honing his skills, sharpening his senses— in general, getting stronger.

He also decided to establish political relations through marriage during this period of exile.

He first met the nag princess Ulupi (Uloopi), who became his first wife [idk the story, but Arjun was supposed to be celibate and Ulupi smitten by him somehow convinces him otherwise].

Then he arrives at Manipur and sees a lady that immediately smittens him.

Upon inquiry, he found out that it was Chitrangada (Chitrāngadā), the princess of Manipur herself.

He went to Chitravahan (Chitravāhana) to ask for her hand in marriage.

There are two versions to Chitavahan's explanation:

Chitravahan agreed to their marriage but explained that she was his only daughter and a putrika— meaning that she was raised to handle the duties of a prince until her son would be adopted by Chitravahan and declared the heir to Manipur.

Chitravahan agreed to their marriage with a precondition stating that as per their family tradition, the son born to his daughter would live in his maternal home and later be declared the heir to Manipur.

This arrangement meant that despite marrying Chitrangada, Arjun's child and hence the child's mother would have to stay back in Manipur.

Arjun agreed and stayed in Manipur until his son named Babruvahan (Babruvāhana) was born.

Arjun continued his journey and married Subhadra (Subhadrā).

***

***

Chapter 11

[The one to defeat the undefeated]

Years later, all the Pandavs' sons were killed in the massacre of a war, except Babruvahan and that too because he hadn't participated in the war.

When Yudhishthir was finally the king of Kuru, he was unsettled and down because of the loss of many. [All of the landmass excluding a few participated in the war and only 11 warriors including the Pandavs survived.]

Krishna and Ved Vyas suggested to conduct and Ashwamedh yagna.

Yudhisthir appointed Arjun with the Ashwamedhi horse and reminded him to avoid a full-fledged war as long as possible.

After the Saindhava battle was stopped by Dushala (Dushālā), Arjun headed towards Manipur.

Babruvahan was elated to hear of his father's arrival and went forward to welcome him.

Arjun retorted him and said that he should fight him and not welcome him.

Ulupi, who was accompanying Arjun at the time, explained to the confused Babruvahan that the warrior in his father wanted to see his son's valour and that it would make him happy.

Babruvahan armoured up and got on his chariot without hesitation. He ordered his men to capture the Ashwamedhi horse and fought with Arjun.

Babruvahan was cutting down all of Arjun's arrows and shot his best arrows that wounded Arjun.

Seeing his son's excellent manoeuvre, he praised him and immediately killed Babruvahan's horses and crushed his chariot.

The wounded and angry Babruvahan shot extremely poison tipped arrows at Arjun that pierced through his armour.

Arjun fell to the ground defeated, and Babruvahan fell unconscious.

This was the first time Arjun was defeated by anyone [it was also the first time he died].

Chitrangada was aghast seeing her husband and son both unconscious and accused Ulupi since she was the one who encouraged the battle. She threatened to kill herself if she didn't bring Arjun back to life.

Babruvahan soon gained consciousness and was filled with guilt and sorrow of killing his own father. He declared he couldn't live with such a sin and pledged to fast till death.

Ulupi consoled Babruvahan, saying that Arjun was a great warrior and that not even Indra could defeat him. She said that she had a Sanjeevani gem that the Naags (Nāgas) used to resurrect their wounded warriors and handed it to Babruvahan, telling him to press it against his father's chest.

Arjun woke up rubbing his eyes as if he was woken from a deep sleep and wondered why everyone was gathered around him. Babruvahan asked Ulupi to narrate what had happened.

Arjun spent a few happy days in Manipur before leaving with the Ashwamedhi horse and inviting Chitrangada and Babruvahan to Hastinapur.

Arjun was only defeated twice in his life, and this was the first time.

***

For what reason did Babruvahan not participate? It is still a speculation, so I didn't mention much about it.

Also, I did say 'Manipur', but it isn't the present-day state of Manipur at all. In fact, Manipur or, as @theramblergal mentioned, Manalura is situated in the southern region.

This was requested by @betterloverthanrosee earlier after seeing a discussion with other desiblrians about the Babruvahan non-participation.

You can go ahead and add if I missed something or just reblog to spread the story of our Babruvahan idk lol.

[latent-thoughts]

Balram: You follow no rules. You're a loose cannon, Kanha.

Krishna: No, I'm not. I'm a cannon maybe, but not loose.😏

Arjun: I think he plays by his own rules.

Subhadra: He thinks rules were made to be broken.

Balram: Those are all attributes of a loose cannon.🤷‍♂️

Krishna: No, I'm very precise in hitting my targets. Bheem is a loose cannon.

Bheem: *crashes through a door* Who called my name?

[stxrrynxghts]

[kanhapriya]

Last one I promise

[hum-suffer]

"You're my god." Said Kans, looking at the pregnant belly of his sister, looking at the future that was predicted to kill him. How bad must the child be, if it had the potential of killing him. A murderer. A god.

"You're my god." Whispered Vasudev as he kissed the forehead of an infant, who was covered in blood from his mother's womb still and yet smiled prettily at his father. He had saved him from rain and flood. A rescuer. A god.

"You're my god." Said Yashoda, cradling him in her arms, laughing and kissing his dusky cheeks. She held him close to her chest and somehow, she felt her heart align with every giggle he let out. An enchanter. A god.

"You're my god." Said Nand, as he ruffled his son's hair that curled in ringlets that shined even in darkness. Yashoda had told him of their son's miracles. Universe in his mouth. Somehow, beyond his love for her, Nand believed her. His played with his fingers. A hope. A god.

"You're my god." Said Radha, laughing as he bowed in front of her with flowers of different colours and scents. Tears dried whenever he appeared. She flourished with him, her becoming simply more. A flash of mischievous smiles, and she was his. A melody. A god.

"You're my god." Said Ugrasen. Bones and frail flesh scarring, hands shaking as he was held. Dusky and smooth skin contrasted every silver scar he had and blood returned to his fingers once more. He stained his grandson's yellow clothes with his blood. A healer. A god.

"You're my god." Smiled Rukmini, an open secret between the two of them, eyes shining with love that none could see but him. His hands held her feet and helped her up. He led her, homeward bound once more. Home wasn't a palace, home was at his side. A love. A god.

"You're my god." Said Sudama, tears glistening in his eyes as he gazed at the shredded skin of his friend's feet. Blood that rewrote everything that Sudama ever had been, blood that bled when words failed. A shelter. A god.

"You're my god." Said Arjun, meeting a cousin he never wished to part from, recently married and aching raw. Morals broken, vow forsaken. A hand held him up, a shoulder to lean on. A saviour. A god.

"You're my god." Said Yudhisthir as he knelt before a throne of his own, blood on his hands of those who lived before him. Blood stained hands washed the feet of the man who was the reason the throne was built. A kingmaker. A god.

"You're my god." Draupadi sobbed in his arms, bruises littering her face and arms, lip burst and forehead cut. At his feet, reverently cursing all and blessing him all the same. Lonely, inviting death with every word. A protector. A god.

"You're my god." Gandhari wailed, an accusation on her lips and tears coming to her throat. Blood dripped down her knuckles from where she had hit him fruitlessly. Her words, punctured and breaths shallow, all but dead. A killer. A god.

"You're my god." Balram tells him, calm and serene. So unlike everything they saw in their mortal lives. His clothes suffocate his skin almost beautifully and the sunset is something to watch. He's not watched the sunset since he was six, he thinks. He's not properly felt the sunset in this lifetime.

He smiles at his younger brother. The brother he was supposed to protect. The accusations still make ugly scars on his skin and Balram wants to accuse them all back for a moment. They never knew his god. None of them, except his Mata, knew his god. So serene, so calm, so wise, so innocent. His god is everything and anything and nothing at once.

They don't know what godhood is.

And as Balram leaves his body to return to his abode once more, he wishes they knew better. He wishes they didn't claim to know godhood or his god.

He waits to be reunited with his god and goddess again.

[demonkidpliz]

Sorry about the lazy title. Tumblr is obsessed with Abhimanyu and Uttara so naturally I had to write about them.

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

IMQ Server Starbharat Samuhik Watch Party Memes #11

Credit to the enchanting @chahaa-piun-ja.

-Mod S