अर्जुनप्रिया - Arjuna's beloved.
They had dreamt of a life with each other, for each other, and in each other, but the said life made them face the reality that they had to stay apart from each other for twelve long years. Those young hearts who cou...
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The Khandava forest was intimidating. Arjuna knew that he wouldn't be able to hide himself from the inhabitants of the forest for long but all that he wanted to do before getting caught was to find where Sutasoma was. He took slow and calculated steps without making much sound until he heard some voices, prompting him to immediately approach the nearest bush and overhear the conversation.
"But why have we abducted the Prince of Indraprastha?" A voice was heard. "What would we do with him? Weren't we trying to frighten the subjects?"
"There was no profit in threatening the commoners. They trust the royal family to save them from every problem!"
"But we were calm all the while since they had established their kingdom years ago!" The first person expressed. "Why are we getting worked up all of a sudden? They aren't intruding or disturbing us in any way and we also have the protective layer of Devendra around the forest. We are safe!"
"Safe?" The second person laughed out loud. "You are delusional. The Senapati of Indraprastha has returned. He's the biggest threat that we have. We are alive due to Devendra's mercy but he is the son of Devendra himself. He is famed to be one of the most powerful warriors on the earth and our king says that he was prophesied to burn our forest. If we do not curb the courage of the royal family, they might end up curbing our existence itself. Prince Sutasoma is the son of Yuvaraja and Yuvarani of Indraprastha. This abduction of the prince is a warning to the royal family never to mess with the Nagas. I don't think they will dare to oppose Devendra for a mere child! Moreover, if we keep him with us, they can never burn down this forest!"
"But why is the child being punished for no reason? He's just a child! How will he live among Nagas, wild animals, Rakshasas and Pishachas here?"
"Someone has to pay the price and in this case, the child will pay the price! Don't worry about him so much! He won't even live for long. Even if the Nagas show mercy on him, the Rakshasas won't. But his family would not get to know about it. They would live in the illusion that he's alive and can never harm us! That's the only way we can ensure the safety of our lives!"
"But what if Arjuna comes to battle with us and Devendra sides with his son? That would mean we are bringing destruction upon ourselves!"
"Devendra is bound to help us as long as we are within the boundaries of this forest. We won't go outside and anyone can't come inside without our approval. There'll be no issue of battle!"
Arjuna stepped back from the bush. The Nagas had clearly forgotten that he could enter the forest without alerting them because he had the same energy in him which was protecting the forest. His aura would never feel unsafe to them until they actually spotted him with their eyes. But it was impossible to reach Sutasoma without coming into the sight of the different species living inside the Khandava. He could choose to fight with them but by the time he fought everyone and reached the child, the latter might not be safe.
The Nagas and the Rakshasas were planning to harm him, and the battle would trigger them to implement their plan quickly. There was only one way to keep Sutasoma unharmed and free him from the clutches of the abductors, and that's negotiation. Though it wouldn't give full guarantee about Sutasoma's safety, there were chances that they would tolerate this approach better than the call for battle.
He inhaled, gripping his bow tightly as his heart sank in hesitation and worry. He was struggling with a difficult puzzle that was tearing his conscience. If he did not act, Sutasoma was at risk and even if he did, Sutasoma would still be at risk. That's what the Nagas had intended to put the royal family through when they devised such a conspiracy. But he wouldn't let them win. He would do something or the other but their intentions would never be fulfilled.
Steeling himself for the conflict, he started walking deeper into the forest. He didn't pay heed to the animals, snakes and demons who noticed him. Unlike what he assumed, they did not get affected by his presence negatively or reacted aggressively. In fact, they seemed dazzled by his presence and stared at him in awe. Until he reached the mansion of the Naga King Takshaka in the middle of the forest, no one stopped him though he came across numerous Nagas and Rakshasas. They failed to recognize him as the Senapati of Indraprastha. If they did, their response would have been different. The Naga guards allowed him into the royal mansion without posing a single question about his identity and arranged his meeting with the king without wasting much time.
But the normalcy in the air faded away when Takshaka came into the picture. His eyes broadened in recognition, consternation and fright. His mouth hung open as Arjuna approached him. Arjuna was an image of Indra. None else in the forest could understand that he was not Indra himself but Arjuna, and Takshaka alone possessed the required knowledge to differentiate between Indra and Indra's son. That's why the other people let him in without any reluctance as they had mistaken him to be the King of the Devas who was their savior and friend of Takshaka.
"Namaste, NagaRaja!" Arjuna joined his palms formally. "I'm Partha Arjuna, the Commander-in-chief of Indraprastha. Your people had kidnapped our Prince Sutasoma and I request him to be released peacefully!"
"You are a warrior, Arjuna," Takshaka composed himself and made his tone confident. "Why don't you fight and rescue the prince? What's the meaning of asking him to be released?"
"You are talking as if you will fight me. You will make Devendra fight me. You'll use someone else's power to win the battle. Then what's the meaning of a fight to resolve this problem?"
"I can't afford to release Prince Sutasoma. He's our shield against Agni who has been waiting to consume our forest for years as you are destined to help Agni according to your birth prophecy. Unless we keep your prince here, we cannot save ourselves."
"If that's the case, if I'm the problem, then I'm willing to be imprisoned by you, NagaRaja Takshaka, only if you leave Sutasoma!" Arjuna stated.
"What if you go back on your word?"
"I promise you, NagaRaja, if I witness Sutasoma walking out of this forest safely, I will be your prisoner and I'll never try to escape on my own nor will I fight for my release."
"Alright, Arjuna, I'm keeping my trust on your word!" Takshaka turned to his guards. "Release Prince Sutasoma and send him out of the Khandava forest! Once Prince Arjuna is given the proof of Sutasoma's release, take his weapons away and lock him up in our prison!"
