An interlude to Sunset

The Part Where Old Secrets are Divulged - Krishna

Krishna looked out at the sprawling fields and further mountain ranges. "What about intent, Maharishi? Does the donor need to know the exact reason?"

"They do, Vasudev. Intent is the only thing which will matter."

Still facing away from the Maharishi, Krishna took a moment to simply breathe and let the panic subside. "Nothing is hidden from you, Maharishi. What would you have me do?"

There was no answer for a long while before the great sage replied, "Prince Arjun's life hangs in balance, Krishna. The arrow which has hit him was no ordinary weapon. It is not the Narayanastra nor the Brahmastra or any weapon of celestial origin. It is certainly less potent but it is infinitely more complicated to treat. And if the wound is not treated immediately, there is a chance that Prince Arjun may remain lost in his own mind. Only when his physical wounds heal, can his mind be mended."

"What exactly is this weapon, Maharishi?" Krishna kept a firm hold on the window shutters; the gentle breeze was again building into a gale.

Nature was synchronising its tunes with the powers of the Lord; it was building up a unique dance of its own. The sun was shinning brightly and yet the storm was ensuring the play of the leaves, a cacophony which rose from falling branches and the roar of the Ganga undulating through the air.

"It is a very nasty piece of sorcery, Vasudev. It has its roots in ancient dark craft and holds the enormous power of loss. The loss of a family, loss of a child; the undertones resonate of grief so powerful that it is enough to affect the indomitable will of Prince Arjun and it may have been enough to wipe away the existence of the Kauravas."

"Why only Arjun? If the weapon was supposed to act against all the Kauravas, through Dushyala, then why didn't it affect any of the other Pandavas?"

"Two reasons, Vasudev. Firstly, because it was not intended for the Pandavas. And secondly, it is not so easy to harm them. They are the boons of the gods. And Arjun's body absorbed the entirety of the malignity contained in the weapon. Though subconsciously, but he erected a shield which stopped the weapon from causing further damage."

"That is Parth for you; selfless to the core."

"The salve has to be applied by today, Vasudev. I do not want to delay it any further. The risks are too high."

Krishna nodded; though he had stabilised Arjun's mind to an extent, the ill effects of the weapon would keep coursing through his body unless the treatment is delivered. That a treatment had been found was no small blessing in itself. Making up his mind, Krishna turned away from the windows and faced the Maharishi.

"I will meet you back at Arjun's chambers. There is something I need to take care of. Just...Just," Krishna directed a look of significance at Maharishi Ved Vyas, "Wait for my return before administering the treatment to Arjun, please."

"Are you going to approach him, Vasudev?"

Krishna flicked a look at the ascetic sage and nodded, "I know that the time is not correct for such a disclosure, but nothing comes before Arjun's well being. I will do the best I can. Pranipat."

With the words, Krishna walked away from the attic room, striding with single-minded determination towards his next destination.

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Krishna made his way to the banks of River Ganga, his journey filled with stray worries and thoughts. The weather had worsened and despite Surya Dev doing his best to cut through the gloominess, he fell awfully short in comparison with Krishna's state of mind.