Aru Shah Jokes and Short Stories

Voices In Her Head (Part 2)

Dedication:

To  @rai060906  for her beautiful work. Her writing style is phenomenal, and I hope I can write like her someday!

Aru's PoV

Aru Shah had been curled up on her bed for the past day. The voices whispering in her mind didn't go away. On the contrary, they became louder, and stronger. 

A gentle knock on her bedroom door made the voices shut up. 

"Aru?" Krithika Shah's soft voice came.

"Yeah, mom?" she replied, her voice cracking from disuse. 

"You have to come out, beta. They wouldn't have wanted you to be cooped up like this." 

The truth was, she couldn't bear to face her mother. The guilt that had been threatening to engulf her would crush her as soon as she saw her mother's face. She knew what her mom would be thinking: What if there had been a way to not kill the Sleeper? What if there was some Suyodhana left in him, the same man who had cradled Aru as a newborn?

And then there were the twins. It had broken her heart telling them what had happened, their faces still like a shard of glass stabbing her heart. 

She hugged her knees to her chest, when a different voice spoke. Hello, Arundhati. 

She froze. It didn't belong to Mini or Brynne, but it was of a woman with a slightly musical note to her tone. She had the same gentle, soothing tone that Mini had had. 

I can help you get your sisters and friends back. The voice said. As tempting as the offer was, the first thing she had learnt in Pandava training was: Don't trust strange, disembodied voices.

Before she could help herself, she asked the voice, Who are you? 

The voice didn't respond, but Mini said, Trust her, Aru.

"I can't. You don't exist, and the voice might be a trap." She told herself firmly.

Don't trust me, the voice said. Aru could almost hear the smirk. But I shall take you where you need to be.

"Wha-" She began, but the slanting, tall shadows of the objects of her room in the dying sunset began to edge toward her.

Instinctively, Vajra appeared in her hands as a lightning bolt.

A laugh of scorn sounded in her head. Your fork of lightning is nothing compared to the hands of Death, child. The voice said.

She let Vajra loose on the shadows, but they merely bent and regained their original shape of shadowy shackles.

Your weapon may dwarf in comparison to the powers of Death, but your wits do not....

A scream escaped her throat-but no sound came. It was as if her vocal cords refused to work.

She hated that feeling. One thing Aru prided herself on was her words. The silver tongued slippery tales and lies she had woven to get herself and her friends out of danger.

So when it felt like she couldn't speak, she felt powerless. Weak.

But the feeling lasted only for a moment. She found herself on her knees, and for a moment, she thought that she was still in her room, as, her surroundings were getting steadily dark, and the carpet on the floor was not worn.

But then she realized she wasn't in her room. Dragging her gaze up, she saw a woman. She looked young, but lines were etched across her face, with a sliver of silver among dark hair. She radiated a sense of beauty and joy that equalled to Urvashi.

Her dark brown skin seemed to shine, and she had almond shaped amber eyes, like a lion's. Draped on her were silks and jewels.

"Wh-who are you?" Aru managed to croak.

"I am Savitri. Welcome to the caverns of reincarnation, Arundhati."

Her brain seemed to be struggling to recover information on the myth of Savitri, so for a few moments, she looked blank.

Then, suddenly, she remembered. "Y-you managed to take Satyavan back from the dead, didn't you?"

Savitri nodded, looking suddenly morose.

"You were the voice in my head, weren't you?"

Savitri nodded again.

"What you said, about my wits, being equal to Death-"

"Oh, yes. I meant that. You see, Aru, you are going to get your friends back."

There were moments in Aru's life that seemed unbelievable, and... this moment took the cake.

"How?" She asked faintly, standing up.

Savitri did not directly answer her question, but said, "You are familiar with the story of how I managed to successfully trick Death into giving Satyvan back, aren't you?"

"Yes." Aru replied. "The story my mom told me is that you stalked the Dharma Raja until he asked you three wishes that he could grant, with the exception of getting your husband back."

Savitri seemed to dislike the word 'stalk', by the way her lip curled, so Aru amended, "You followed Death until he gave you three wishes to grant, except you couldn't ask for your husband."

Savitri nodded, yet again, so Aru continued, "You first asked for your father-in-law's sight back, and then you asked for your father-in-law's kingdom, which he had lost in a coup,  to be given back to him. Then you asked for loads of kids. When Death granted these three wishes, you told him about the oath you swore: That you wouldn't have kids with anyone except Satyavan. Death relented, and gave Satyavan back to you. In some other versions, Death asked you one question,  and you managed you work your three wishes into it."

Savitri absentmindedly brushed her fingers against the gold lace work of the sari she was wearing. She glanced up at Aru, and said, "After Satyavan and I died, many decades later, the Dharma Raja made us the guardians of the Pools. Well, the guardians of the East Gate, anyway. Wish and Time took care of the West Gate."

"So, Aru Shah, do you think you are ready to get your friends back- whatever it costs?"

Thoughts swirled inside her head, mainly: Will they want me to do this?

Savitri seemed to read her mind, and said quietly, "We cannot change our fate. Destiny says that your friends weren't meant to die now. Your father,  the Sleeper, wanted to end the tyranny of fate... And, since he was breaking one of the most ancient laws, let's just say, the people he killed didn't die normally. There was a sliver of their souls left for them to be resurrected."

Did she understand? Nope. Did she want her friends back? Yep. 

She stood up a bit straighter, and said, "What do I need to do?" 

Savitri tilted her head slightly, and her amber eyes flashed azure, as she opened her mouth wide, and recited a prophecy. 

Daughter of Indra, take heed,

Ahead of you lie paths that trap, not lead. 

Monsters and creatures of yore stain the road,

Their riddles you must answer correct -- if not, misfortune you shall bode.

Aru swallowed the lump forming in her throat, and stared determinedly into Savitri's now-normal eyes. 

"Good luck, Aru." she said quietly, as somewhere in the distance, doors clanged open, drowning out the sounds of snarling of creatures behind it. 

A/N: *ungodly sobbing* My brain refuses to create plotlines that actually make sense and use logic. WHY?! Since this chapter would have become very long with the other part of the story, I've split it into two. Part 3 will be coming up soon! 

On the very slim chance that you liked this chapter, please press Vote, and make my day!

Bye!