I considered it a weird pact, but they are husband and wife, who am I to speak in between...
Panchali had said, that Arjun was forbidden to enter her room when she would be calling upon her flame, meditating.
When I asked her, she said, that she didn't want any person to break her concentration...
You might ask why I am telling you this?
It's because I saved my Devar Raja from going to live in the forests for twelve years..... And the stupid man, his integrity so true, says that he thought of doing it, so he is still guilty. He will go for four years instead of twelve years.
Flashback to today morning, when I was running around the palace with Madhu... Ever since she learnt walking a few months ago, it had been incredibly annoying to feed her.
" Arjun? Where are you going? Panchali is still busy with her meditation-"
"Nahi bhabhishree, I must break the rules today. Takshak naag has taken away the cows meant for our bhoomipoojan. I must go retrieve my bow. "
"And what's the rush? It's not as if you storming in will make it faster. Wait. " I said, running up the door to bang at it.
"Panchali! Give Arjun's bow! He needs to follow Takshak naag immediately! " I shouted.
If not me, then Arjun definitely was counting the moments down as we waited, his palms sweaty as his anxiousness took over.
Around the fiftieth second, she came out, he plucked the bow out of her hands, stormin g away.
" Kaka? " Madhu, asked, pointing a finger.
" Yes baby, kaka. Yudhishthir? Where's your papa. " I muttered, looking around while Panchali followed suit.
"Yudhishthir! " I called, the night making it hard for me to see anyways.
"Sagarika? Why are you shouting? "
"Takshak naag has taken away the cows that were coming from Hastinapur. Arjun has gone after him, but we still need to work fast, who knows, what else might attack us -"
If I had to guess, the sudden rumbling I heard was not from clouds.
"Cwoud! Rain! " Madhu shouted happily and I gave her a small smile, while my husband ran away, preparing the kingdom for war..
" What are we to do now? " I asked and Panchali sighed.
"We need a babysitter first. " She mumbled and I ran inside, hoping to see anyone, my trusted guard, anyone.
" Vallabh maharaj! " I exclaimed, watching as he made his way out of the kitchens to look at the damage.
"Please look after Madhu won't you, I'll be back. " I shouted, urging Madhu into his arms, as she smiled at him, her relentless tirade of Cloud and rain keeping her busy.
I ran back out, following Panchali.
When I did, I had hoped to go back to 2024.
Nothing frightened me more than whatever this thing was.
Seeing as it was surely over thirty feet tall.
" Well , shall we begin? " Panchali asked and I smiled.
I hadn't regained much of my memory, but I had regained enough to know how to control my flame. It was chaotic. I saw how hard I had to practice it.
" Ae bewakoof! Tujhe aur koi jagah nahi mili thi kya aane ko? Kya 30ft ka big foot hone mein mazza aata hai! "
( Oh you stupid man! Did you not find anywhere else to come and attack? Do you enjoy being a 30ft tall big foot! )
Panchali looked at me weirdly, while I sighed.
If Kaali would have been here, we'd have an extra set of helping hands.. But she'd gone back to the mayavan, to look after her son.
We approached him silently, from the back as Bheem and Yudhishthir fought the monster.
Bheem with all his courage had been relentlessly attacking him, but to no avail.
We slowly and silently began to blow a flame, at first,Panchali hit hers on the shiny mirrors of the palace, the ones meant to spread light around it. Even though Purochan was an idiot, his engineering was a masterpiece and Sahdev and I had chosen to inculcate that piece of engineering in our home.
The shine blinded the monster, as she aimed it in his eyes.
Me on the other hand, I was avoiding being crushed under the big feet of the stumbling monster, while trying to grow my flame.
If you've ever seen a Ravan effigy burn at the ramleela maidan, you'd understand my plan. But his stupid feet, not letting me stand still enough for a flame.
Which is when I heard whooshing and the sound of crackling reigns... Or ropes?
I looked around to see Nakul atop his horse.
People tend to forget how fast he is on horses, so fast, that many who admire him have said, that Nakul could pass through pouring rain without getting wet on his horse, if he wants to move that fast.
I could hear the ropes being tied and made my flame larger and larger, making sure it wouldn't burn the ropes away.
Which was when I lost track of my surroundings,and suddenly felt a shadow overhead as I side stepped, avoiding the hand that was flapping at my back.
"No! Karali! You won't have this! Maharaj Mandik has said that I need to warn you. Don't try and follow him! They'll reach the weapon before you! " He shouted and while I was running around, I missed the second hand and was caught.
I could feel the heat emanating from the toxic pus in his hands, as he brought me to face him.
If I said he looked horrid, that would be an understatement.
He had four eyes, one pair above and one pair below. They were lined with what seemed like maggots, each eye as big as me.
His mouth was horrifying, with sharp canines sticking out as the same pus from his hand lined his lips.
His breath warm, toxic fumes exhaled at each breath.
My eyes were watery, when I felt Yudhishthir call onto me.
"Just because you've bound my arms, you feel I can't burn you down? " I gasped as he used his thumb to choke at me.
That would bruise.... No!
Closing my eyes, as he prepared to ingest me, I called upon my inner flame, the uncontained flame, the one which had no control, no pattern, no rhythym and no halt.
"You're weak -"
"Say that after you're lying in a pile of ashes. "
I felt myself close my eyes as I unleashed the flame, moving its way out of my heart as it burned all it touched.
The heat encapsulated me, but it felt more like a warm hug, a Sunday morning coffee, clear winter sky with the sun, it felt like home.
I heard a sizzle, a burn and then the dying voice of a dying monster.
"Sagarika! " I finally heard and turned around to see Yudhishthir rushing in.
"Are you alright? You're not hurt? What is that! " He exclamied, hands passing up and down me to assure himself.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry. " I whispered, joining our foreheads to ground myself, as he finally looked at me.
"Your eyes -"
"What happened, are they not brown anymore? " I asked and he shook his head.
"Well, what, are they then? "
" They're white, all fire.... We don't see any pupils or iris. " Bheem mumbled as he was tended to by Nakul and Sahdev.
" Well, it'll die down. " I said and he sighed, pulling me into a hug.
"Yudhishthir, I love you, but your brothers are feeling awkward. " I muttered into his chest as it moved with laughter.
With Jyeshth gone to his parents home, Radha ma calling him, we were the only ones here.
I heard a galloping of a horse as I looked up to see Arjun on his horse, a victorious smile adorning his face.
Blinking my eyes, I asked my husband silently if they were fine and looked around to see a very chatty Madhu.
"Maharani,please don't mind, but is there any way to shut her up... She speaks so much! I've run out of things to talk to her with. " He exclaimed and I laughed.
" You should just say yes and no, she doesn't truly know what she's talking about. " I said and he smiled , bowing as he made his way back.
"So, shall we? "
"Wait. I need to say something. " Arjun said and Panchali looked up at him from his side.
"Any action has three phases, thinking of it, believing it is right and doing it. I followed through one of them, three had Bhabhishree not stopped me. I thought about entering the room despite Panchali's warning of when she was in her meditation. As such, my punishment must also be one third of the original. I'll go to the forests for four years. " He announced and chaos broke out.
"There is no need for it Arya! There was an emergency, I would have forgiven you even if you'd barged in -"
"But I can't forget myself Panchali, the need to catch Rakshak blinded my senses and I was about to do the unthinkable. Hence I will follow through with my punishment. " He claimed.
"Well Parth, if that's what you've chosen, then do visit the Somnath temple near Dwarika. " Called a voce and we turned around to see Krishn on his chariot.
"Mamashee! " Madhu exclaimed, clapping her hands.
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I'm back everyone!
Tell me how it was.
Much love.
Radhekrishn ♥