Sojourn : mahabharata's era

CHAPTER 19 : the unexpected

"Nihira he is my father. Regardless of whether he is right or wrong, I will obediently adhere to his instructions. Do you understand?" He spoke sternly.

"But what about the boy—" I questioned.

"Nihira, why do you have such a strong fixation on the boy? What if he had lost his entire hand in a war? What actions would you have taken? Would you have ventured to the battlefield to seek out the perpetrator? Or would you have continued to support him?" He exclaimed.

I expressed, with tears streaming down my face and my voice trembling, that there was no conflict the previous day. Instead, there was an unpleasant and conceited instructor who solely prioritized his reputation and ego. His sole desire was for his students to surpass all others. I gasped for breath as I confronted him, and he gazed back at me with his deep, disapproving brown eyes. Not once did he even blink, maintaining his unwavering stare.

"Devpriya didi once mentioned to me that Gurudev shows favoritism towards Bhrata Arjun, but I was the only one who couldn't see anything beyond you. He is biased towards arjun, Ashwattama," I uttered while tears streamed down my face.

"He may be biased, but he is still my father and your Guru, isn't he? So, what is your next move?" He asked, tilting his head slightly and looking at me.

Our gazes locked, and within his eyes, there was a hidden secret he couldn't reveal. I marveled at his ability to keep his emotions in check, never allowing them to interfere with his true self. Yet, beneath his composed exterior, I glimpsed his tender and courteous nature. The depth of his compassion and the immense love he held for everything and everyone touched me deeply. Once again, tears welled up in my eyes.

"What do you want me to do now?" I questioned. As I clasped my hands together, he wore a deep expression on his face. His intense gaze locked onto me, making it impossible to hold eye contact. It was as if his eyes had the power to dissolve me. My heart raced and my pulse quickened as I glanced downwards. In that moment, I questioned myself, wondering if I had made a mistake. However, deep down, I realized that my actions were justified, even though the person I opposed turned out to be completely wrong. .

"Apologises to my father."  As he advanced towards me, I instinctively moved back, feeling overwhelmed by his presence. I nearly lost my balance and stumbled onto the mattress when he firmly grasped my wrist, pulling me upright. With a strong grip on me, his touch and heavy breathing weighed heavily on me. I tried to suppress the shivers running down my spine, avoiding making eye contact with him by looking around nervously.

"I would not—" i said.  Abruptly, I turned my gaze towards him. He clenched his jaw firmly. Arching his eyebrows at me, a mischievous grin spread across his face. Perplexed by his expression, I maintained eye contact, shaking my head in disbelief.

"You are the first to disagree with me, do you know this priya nihira."  With his tongue flicking inside his mouth, he uttered, while crossing his arms and casting a menacing gaze at me, sending shivers down my spine.

"I am not apologizing to anyone when I'm not wrong, do you understand Ashwattama?" I shouted.

"Let us now observe the extent of your bravery in opposing my advice. However, in due course, you will be compelled to offer your apologies to him." He stated, fixing his gaze upon me.

"I'm not scared of you ashwattama."

I glanced at him, matching his energy, pretending to be as bold as he was. However, deep down, I knew I would go to any extent for him, willing to do anything in this world. If he had asked me to bring all the stars from the universe, I would have. If he had asked me to drink the water from the seven oceans, I would have. If he had asked me to collect raindrops, I would have. But this time, when he asked me to apologize for something I hadn't done wrong, I simply couldn't. My self-respect surpassed the boundaries of love.