Aiden I-Only-Love-My-Camera Acharya - An Aru Shah Fanfiction

Pandava Adjacent

So.... don't kill me. *pauses while the whole population boos and throws tomatoes through the screen at me* I know I haven't updated.... but I've been busy! I'm going to middle school (yippee) and school's ending tomorrow! But that's no excuse. I'm super sorry. So I'll give you this! It's pretty long, and I think it's juicy. All characters belong to Roshani Chokshi! :D

Aru Shah and the Song of Death

351-354

Aru was staring at the portrait of Draupadi, the wife of all the Pandavas. Aiden realized it must have not been fun.

They were in Kamadeva's palace thingie, and they were about to present the bow and arrow of love to him. Boy, was Aiden nervous. He was going to get an arrow of love after all.

"So, you survived!" Kamadeva exclaimed, appearing in front of them.

He clapped, and Aru jerked her head away from Draupadi. "Oh excellent," he continued, "I love it when stories don't end in dismemberment!"

Mini was wide-eyed. "Me too?" she said tentatively.

Aiden's nerves overtook him. He shifted back and for, holding the box out.

Kamadeva reached for the box, the ice turning to vapour, and he caught the weapon. "Hello, old friends." Weird. "You did very well by defeating Surpanakha-"

"That's not her name," Mini interrupted softly.

"Pardon?"

Mini blushed, then Aru jumped in.

"She didn't like to be called Surpanakha. She preferred Meenakshi. Or Lady M."

"And this is the name you wish me to use?" Everyone nodded.

"Then I will."

"We'd also like to tell you her side of the story sometime," Aru pressed, and Aiden hoped she hadn't pushed things too far.

"When your not too busy," Mini interjected.

"All right then. So you shall."

Aiden heard a breath on the wind, like a sigh of relief.

"And as a reward for bringing back my bow and arrow, I also have a boon for each of you."

"For the daughter of the god of death." Kamadeva handed her a golden box. "I grant you a single minute of time, which can erase a full minute of words you didn't mean to say. Very handy for first-time crushes." Mini blushed hard, mumbling her thanks.

A slim red book was for Brynne. "For the daughter of the god of wind, I present you with my favourite recipe book! Soul food is delicious, of course, but heart-food?! Ah, It brings kindness for days."

Bee took it eagerly, grinning. "Yay! Cookbook!" Aiden had to smile.

"For the daughter of the god of thunder, I give you this-" Kamadeva handed Aru a silvery lipstick tube, and Aiden wondered what Aru would look like with divine lip gloss- "a celestial spotlight made of crushed stars and aged moonbeams. Use it when you feel like the world should see you in a different light."

Aru looked too happy as she took it.

Smolder power, thought Aiden. She gets it too, now.

And for you, Aiden Acharya, an enchanted arrow from my own collection, to do as you wish. But know that you cannot change someone's free will. And there is no magical cure for grief. All this arrow can do is open the pathway for love. It doesn't make someone smitten, and love doesn't necessarily have to be romantic. It simply makes them aware of love where they perhaps might not have been beforehand." Aiden smiled as he took it, putting it in his back pocket, to the horror of the girls.