LOVE: To Infinity And Beyond

Farewell (Temporary, Off Course..)

Krishnaa's P.O.V.:

The time for his departure is here. Again. Yet again. My only calming thought is, he will be back, to me, to our love. Actually, when is he ever OUT of our love to be BACK INTO it?

Explaining his farewell is probably the task most difficult for me. But, as usual, all , and literally ALL my best wishes, prayers and love is always with him. I just wish he comes back healthy and factually as much 'healthy' as he left as. I know that I may be sounding like a nagging child, but, really, who cares?!

I returned to my chamber after all the tearful ceremonials were over and quickly got rid of the heavy jewelleries . As I stared into my own eyes in the mirror, (since my favourite pair of hazels was currently absent) I began deliberating, rather arguing silently with myself. 

A part of me asserted that I really should have fetched some excuse to accompany my husband to the Heavens. Afterall, I am also the daughter of a Deva! But, alas! The other, more rational part countered that I really needed to be here, and of course... I know exactly why.. 

"Rani sa..", a daasi's polite call broke my trance and I shifted my gaze in the mirror to look at her bowed reflection. "The Yuvraaj of Hastinapur is at the gates of your Mahal and he requests to see you, besides apologizing to do so at this hour.." An involuntary and quite strong shock-wave ran down my spine, though, logically it shouldn't have. I should have known that he would want to meet me today itself and now only. Still, some memories and the reflexes related to those never tend to fade; the bitter ones usually topping the list. I nodded in reply and as she was about to retreat out of my chamber I asked, with my usual authoritative gravity clear in my voice, "Where are Malini and Nitambini?" "With the Rajkumaars and Rajkumaaris", she replied quickly, her voice almost trembling and I nodded serenely, in fact with a smile, which I am pretty sure her eyes didn't have enough courage to look up and notice. She hurried out, as if she was some poor lamb in a severely underfed lion's den. I couldn't suppress my reactionary giggle. Why on Earth did they find me so SCARY?! Arya would really love the concept..! I continued smiling for a little longer as I put on back my jewelleries, althroughout the span regretting taking them off at the first place. When I was finally certain that I was all-done I blinked at my own reflection in the mirror and quickly left the chamber, of course with four specially-trained and trusted royal guards trailing behind me. As I walked towards the entrance of the Mahal, I tried and successfully recounted the names of these guards. I knew them quite well and had even had rare conversations with them. 'Good men', I thought to myself and smiled. However, my light smile was very short-lived and altogether threatened to disappear as I finally spotted Duryodhan's semi-shadowy silhouette at the gates. "Call him in", I spoke softly, and one of the men went up to him and brought him to sit on the 'outsiders' seats' (as Nakul had jokingly named those while once teasing me regarding my co-wives in a failed attempt to uplift my mood) just a little inside the gates, on the side of the path, in front of the marble-based mirrory lotus pools. He sat there while I took the seat right opposite to him, on the other side of the path and the guards positioned and readied themselves , ready to lunge at any moment. Their tension had permeated into the other usual guards around and I could really sense or see some of them tense or tighten their hands around their weapons. Actually, they did have enough reason to be on high alert. Right now, we had no royal men in here with me, Malini, Nitambini and the four kids. Oh! Just thinking of it, I was already missing my Abhi! Whatever! Get to the task in hand, I ordered myself.

"So,", I begun, understanding well enough that he won't. "May I know, what brings you here ..?"

Duryodhan's P.O.V.:

"I am sorry", I blurted out the moment she finished her sentence. Then, I looked up. Like, really, LOOKED at her for the first time since I arrived here today evening. And, yet again, the aura of her beauty caught me off guard. For a moment I was so taken aback that it felt like I could topple over into the pool. HOW? That has always been the question topmost in my mind whenever I saw Arjun with his bow, or whenever I saw her-- this awe-inspiring and rather startling beauty sitting right in front of me. For a moment I tend to forget that I was truly very very very sorry, sorry to the extend of self-loathing, for whatever atrocities I had meted out to her. For a moment, a very  damned moment, I remembered how her warm and soft skin had felt against my palms or how her silken smooth mahogany hair, with these unusual golden-ish strands had felt within my grasp or how much more and HOW much better it really could've been, had she been.... OH! CUT IT OUT! Just cut it out! That Heaven's Heir boy was lucky enough to have the luxuries of rearing such heavenly fantasies and even fulfilling them, NOT YOU! But, well, I couldn't help letting her mesmerizing features lock my gaze for a lingering moment.. Her skin shone in the moonlight like perfectly polished bronze, and I registered its variation from how it looked like molten gold in the sunrays. Her perfectly proportionate face, with all it's beyond-just-perfect features, altogether stopped my inhaling-exhaling cycle. Right then I discovered the answer to the WHY, though the HOW was to remain a mystery forever. She attracted us all this too much, because she was the fire and we were the stupid moths. Her beauty was not like Subhadra's floral, soft-and-rosy beauty. Her beauty was outright, aggressive, authoritative, ruling and totally unusual. I could easily imagine the private manifestations of this aggressive beauty, and why Arjun couldn't really fall in love with his other wives. After all, what was ever 'usual' about this fiery lioness, Even her beauty was more like 'searing' than like 'cooling'.. But, I could easily understand, now, how their fire and ice blended together to produce the perfect symphony, and surprisingly enough I was certain that these roles of fire and ice were pretty much interchangeable. I wouldn't be surprised if I came to know that she always preferred giving him the upperhand. After all that's how love is supposed to work, role-reversals without regret. I guess, I do know the meaning of the last line first-hand. As soon as the thought of my only wife entered my system, her name chastised me just like it always did, and I altogether shut my eyes for a few moments. I could sense the four special guards tense and wrap their hands tighter around their swords. But, they won't need those tonight. Actually, never, as in-- against me. I finally opened my eyes and looked straight into her eyes, the new wave of serenity in my system boosting my honest and rather chaste courage. I didn't let her beautiful blue orbs distract me this time, as it was already plenty clear that their depths would forever remain invisible to me. 

"I truly am..", I finally muttered, my voice sounding rather clear, than I expected it to. Good.

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Dearest Readers,

Firstly, heartfelt love and gratitude for the 77K+ reads. Well, please please please do forgive me for once-in-a-week updates. I guess, that is the most I'll be able to manage ,as of now. The eleventh standard turns out to be rather much more dreadful than I had expected it to. Whatever, I decided to give a different POV and just happened to pick out Duryodhan just like that. Hope you like this... And, I miss all those long long comments and critical analyses. Do drop your valuable reviews and keep me going like always...

~With love, to infinity and beyond.

Bristi <3

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