An interlude to Sunset

The Part Where Things take a turn (For Better or Worse) - Krishna

"What are you thinking, Madhav?" Arjun asked after some time had been passed in silence. "Does this have anything to do with the perpetrator?"

"Maybe. What does this place remind you of, Parth?" Krishna ran an absent-minded hand over the edge of the rock he was sitting upon and dug his bare toes through the course sand.

"A rocky province. Dry. Very Dry. A kind of lifeless."

"And who does this place remind you of?"

Krishna could see and feel the cogs of Arjun's mind turning as he raced through the list of possible people. "Only one, Madhav." The look on Arjun's face was pure shock laced with disbelief. "B-but it cannot be! The arrow was meant for Dushyala! For the Kauravas."

Krishna nodded thoughtfully. "But all this cannot be a coincidence. And there are other things too...." He trailed off, the thoughts flickering through his mind at lightening speeds.

There was a stillness in the atmosphere and barely a leaf moved. The waves were lazily surfing the shores, leaving behind huge expanses of wet sand. But despite there being such a huge waterbody, there was no trace of saltiness in the air. As time passed, things were rapidly changing in Arjun's mindscape. The change was seamless yet startling at once.

"It comes as a surprise even to me," Krishna muttered under his breath, inviting Arjun's questioning look yet again.

But his thoughts took a sudden turn as Arjun's Gandhiva made its appearance next to its wielder, almost out of thin air. Krishna reflexively looked around and true to his thoughts, caught the first glance of the chariots. There were four chariots now and they were leisurely but steadily making their way towards where Krishna and his Parth stood.

"How do you do that?" Krishna asked Arjun, nodding towards the Gandhiva.

"Do what?"

"How does the Gandhiva appear? Do you summon it?"

Arjun shook his head. "No. Not really. The first time... The first time I was so involved in being surprised at the happenings that I took the appearance of the Gandhiva as a lifeline. It had come so that I may be able to defend myself. I-I don't know, Madhav. But I had always found the Gandhiva just before the start of any battle. I never thought too deeply into it."

With a jerk of his head Krishna held out his hand for the Gandhiva and Arjun handed it over at once.

The bow felt the same as it always did; enormously powerful and with an intense burst of pure white energy which travelled his way through Krishna's arm, before seamlessly mingling with the Lord's own energy.

"It is the Gandhiva," Krishna murmured, returning the bow to Arjun. He spent a moment or so in silence before asking, "Parth, if I ask you not to defend yourself when the attacks come, would you do that?"

Arjun looked slightly taken aback but it was only for a moment or so. His face cleared itself of doubts almost instantaneously and he smiled. "Of course, Madhav. I have already placed myself under your command. Whatever you ask me to do, I would comply with. Without question."

Krishna was the Lord of whole existence and even beyond, but at that moment he found himself as affected as any ordinary human soul. The sheer extent of Parth's devotion, submission and friendship had him blinking back tears.

"I... Would you accept my thanks?" He asked, if only to take his mind off the intensity of the emotions coursing through him.

"Of course not!" Arjun's retort came immediately and his friend sounded fairly insulted. "What is wrong with you, Madhav? Why thank me when you are doing all this to save my life?"