|| ArjunaPriyā: Flames On The Waves || ✔️

|| Saptavimshati: Hopefulness ||

Indraprastha

"Krishnaa!" Pritha walked into her daughter-in-law's chamber, holding the veneration plate in her hands. "You are coming with me to the temple, right?"

"Yes, Mata!" Krishnaa rose from the couch and lifted her six-month old son into her arms. "I'm sorry for not coming before, Mata. Shrutasena woke up late and then I had to feed him."

"That's fine, Putri. Yudhishthira and Bhima left the palace in the morning to look after some issues in the city. The occasion would've felt incomplete if you too didn't come," Pritha uttered gently as both the ladies started walking to their destination.

"Of course, I won't let it be incomplete, Mata. Today is not just Phalguna's birthday but also the day that reminds us that there are only three more such birthdays before he returns to us. After that, we don't have to celebrate his birthdays without his presence," Krishnaa said, hope abundant in her voice, making the mother smile.

As they both reached the temple of Mahadeva, Krishnaa's handmaidens took over Shrutasena while she and the queen mother began the Puja of the Lord on the instructions of Rishi Dhaumya. Nakula, Sahadeva, and the other royal women soon joined the worship, along with all the children.

By the time the Puja was concluded, the twins of Madri brought the Brahmanas of the kingdom into the temple who were invited for the feast. The saints prayed for the welfare of Arjuna and offered their blessings to him before sitting down to have their meals. As it happens every year, Pritha herself served the food to each one of them, taking only little assistance, that too from Krishnaa alone.

After the Brahmana Bhojana was complete, the temple was gradually vacated except for Rishi Dhaumya, Pritha, Krishnaa and Nakula-Sahadeva. The young princes were playing just outside the temple, within the premises. The queen stepped into the place where her children were running around and throwing colors on each other. The entire city was colorful and vibrant, embracing and rejoicing the arrival of spring.

"Ma!" Sutasoma tugged at her arm, garnering her attention. "Why don't you all take part in Vasantotsava?"

Hearing their question, Nakula and Sahadeva walked out of the temple. Krishnaa bent on her knees and patted his golden-hued cheek that was now colored in red. "Putra, Vasanta signifies abundance and completeness. But for us, Vasanta has not come yet. We are waiting for our spring to come when we can invite this spring joyfully."

The children exchanged astonished glances but Nakula's words diverted their focus soon. "If you all are playing, it means that we also are playing. You are our children, aren't you?"

"Only you can say something like this, Nakula," Sahadeva teased his twin once the kids jumped back into their play. The elder twin mock-glared at him while Krishnaa chuckled.

Rising on her feet, she walked ahead, and watched the celebrations of spring that were in full swing. 'Arjuna, we are waiting for you as you are the one who can bring the spring back to our home. I'm hoping that you will come back into my life as the form of my spring.'

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Dakshina Bhumi

After visiting the shores of the Dakshina Samudra, and delivering the five Apsaras who were cursed to be crocodiles, Arjuna paid another visit to Manalura to meet Chitrangada and Babhruvahana. In that duration, he had missed his son terribly and he also understood that being a father was a transformation for a lifetime, and it would take extra efforts, more than what he had done before, to get to the same level of detachment he had once attained.

"Will you go to Indraprastha directly?" Chitrangada questioned him as she sat down beside him on the ground. Babhruvahana was crawling around them, playing with his wooden toys.

"I will visit Gokarna next. Through the western route, I'll return to the Uttara Bhumi. As I had already travelled through the eastern route while coming to the south, I'll have new places to visit in the western side. Anyway, I can't hurry towards Indraprastha now. There are another three years remaining for the exile period to be completed."

"I want you to reach home as soon as possible. As much as you search for happiness in any corner of the world, for inner peace and contentment in all the tirthas, you'll reach to the fruition of all your efforts there only."

"I agree, Chitra. My penance will reach its accomplishment only when I reach Indraprastha." He smiled fondly as he remembered his beloved family. "But that doesn't mean their bond is something that binds me. It's just that I feel incomplete without them. I'm not bound to them out of any material compulsion, but something that's very natural and very powerful. I don't even know what that is. With my mother, I understand, she had carried me in her womb for nine months. But I have an equally strong relationship with each of my brothers, and with Krishnaa as well."

"Bhagavan Shiva knows all, Partha. You had some responsibilities to fulfil and that's why he showed this path for you. But your journey will lead you back to your destination and that's inevitable." Chitrangada wiped her tear-filled eyes and leaned onto his shoulder.

Arjuna wrapped his one arm around her comfortingly. "Chitra, please take care of Babhruvahana. He may be the heir apparent of the Pandyas but he's also my child. A fragment of my life would always reside here in his form."

With those parting words and her silent acceptance to his request, Arjuna soon departed from the Pandya Kingdom after bidding an emotional farewell to Babhruvahana. Reaching the Gokarna Kshetra towards the west of Manalura, he visited the shrine of Shiva and prostrated himself before the Lord.

'Prabhu, years ago, when I had started my journey of life with Krishnaa, we had promised to share every pleasure and sorrow with each other. We haven't lost the resolution but we had to lose our direction. You had once led us to each other and united us against all odds. You have to do it once again, for only you can do it, Mahadeva. I hope that the time is not far when that line of separation between our experiences fades away.'

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Hello readers! How are you all?
I've seen a few new readers voting on the story so let me repeat:
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING ARJUNAPRIYAA! <3

This chapter is somewhat like a filler but I'll call it a connecting chapter as it has an important role to play in the overall structure of the story.

So there we go!
We've come to the end of the third part of Viraha as well! From the next chapter, we'll be starting the 4th and the last part of Viraha. Before we start that, I really want to know your reviews on the story, especially on the third part, and overall from Chapter 1 to Chapter 27. We've come a long way and the next part is very crucial to the story (I'll talk about it in a separate note). Hoping to hear from you, your comments, insights, expectations and suggestions!