|| ArjunaPriyā: Flames On The Waves || ✔️

|| Trayashiti: The Predicament ||

Krishna, Dhrishtadyumna and the four sons of Pandu who were concealing themselves at some distance away from the forest to keep an eye, were stunned when Sutasoma walked out of the entrance all alone. The Pandavas were dumbfounded to see that the boy was crying continuously as it wasn't in his nature. The abduction would have been traumatic but his cries were hinting that there was something that they didn't know. They all rushed towards him and Vrikodara picked him up by his arms, checking his body for wounds or scratches but he found none.

"Soma, are you frightened due to the Nagas or the Khandava?" He asked his son gently while rubbing his back.

"No!" Sutasoma sobbed. "Pita Arjuna! He didn't come with me! Why did they say they'll put him in prison?"

"Prison?" Yudhishthira exclaimed in astonishment. "I think that Arjuna exchanged himself with Sutasoma!"

"What?" Vrikodara uttered in disbelief. "That means he accepted defeat without even fighting! Why did he do that? Why did he stay there?"

"He accepted defeat and didn't fight back, and that's the reason Soma is safe and sound, Bhima!"

"But how will he return, Jyeshtha?" Vrikodara shut his eyes and sighed. "We can never win over the Deva army without Arjuna. Leave the Devas, can we counter the illusionary weaponry of the Nagas? If the person who is capable himself gives up, how will he free him from there, Jyeshtha?"

"You are forgetting someone who can defeat all the Devas alone, Bhrata Bhima," Sahadeva said, making all of them look up at him curiously. "Bhrata Krishna. He had already defeated Devendra once and Yamadeva once."

The Pandavas and Dhrishtadyumna turned to Krishna questioningly while the latter responded, "He had forbidden me from joining him in this expedition. If I come forward to help him, I don't know what he'll say. He said he wanted to rely on himself in this task and I don't want to cross his word unless he asks me to. But he can't communicate with me from Khandava either. Let me rethink it though. We cannot act in haste for his release as our action will result in a major battle and we need to be prepared in every aspect for that. Let's take Sutasoma back first. Panchali must be worried for him."

They nodded their heads at each other and walked back to the place at the riverbank where Krishnaa, Pritha and Sudarshanaa were waiting for them. Sutasoma had stopped crying from the time he heard the elders' conversation as if he had understood something. He looked serious but he wasn't expressing sorrow anymore. Krishnaa, as soon as she noticed them coming from afar, stood up at the speed of lightning and started running towards them, while Pritha and Sudarshanaa followed her, their faces lighting up with relief. Krishnaa reached Vrikodara and cupped the cheeks of Sutasoma who was in her husband's arms. She pressed a kiss onto her son's forehead as her cheeks streamed with happy tears. She embraced her child as Vrikodara bent down a little to allow her to do it.

After that Pritha too came forward and hugged her grandson. Meanwhile  Krishnaa's eyes began to search for the one person who was missing from the group, the person who had gone inside the Khandava forest to save Sutasoma. When she didn't find him and noticed the fallen faces of the men, she sensed that something had gone wrong.

"Where is Arjuna?" Pritha voiced out the question that was gnawing at Krishnaa's heart. "Is he coming?"

"Mata, Arjuna is still inside the Khandava forest, under the Nagas," Yudhishthira answered gloomily. "He chose to negotiate with them instead of fighting and saved Sutasoma but... It seems like he wanted to keep Soma safe which would have been hard if there was any sort of a battle and if there was a battle, he would have had to raise his weapons against his spiritual father. He decided to give up his freedom and his pride to avoid those mishaps. We do not know how to bring him back, Mata!"

"Why not?" Pritha turned to Krishna. "Won't you help your best friend, your brother-in-law, Krishna? Nothing is impossible for you. Arjuna doesn't deserve to stay in the Nagas' prison!"

"Pitrisvasa, Devendra considers me as his younger brother. I too require some preparation if I have to face him. Give me some time for that. I'm sure that Arjuna will return safely!" Krishna assured his aunt. as Pritha nodded reluctantly. "You all return to the palace. Bhrata Yudhishthira, Bhrata Vrikodara, Dhrishtadyumna and I will stay back. It doesn't seem like this area is secure for you. We'll return with Arjuna. Nakula and Sahadeva, it's not good to leave the palace unprotected for long. You both must leave!"

Pritha, Sudarshanaa, Nakula and Sahadeva prepared to leave along with Sutasoma but Krishnaa didn't say anything. When her sister-in-law tugged at her arm, she was jerked out of the numbness she had fallen into since she heard the news about Arjuna. and looked up at the Yuvarani of Panchala. She shook her head in denial and separated her arm from the grip of Sudarshanaa, breathing heavily.

"Bhratrijaya, take Sutasoma with you and go back to the palace along with Mata Pritha. I cannot come with you."

"It is not safe for you to be here!" Sudarshanaa frowned. "The night is fast approaching!"

"This place is better than Khandava Vana where Arjuna is. I'm not going to be alone either. He had said that he would come along with Soma but he didn't."

"Krishnaa, please listen to me. Bhrata Yudhishthira and Bhrata Bhimasena, your brother and Vaasudeva Krishna, will rescue Bhrata Arjuna. You should come back!"

"I'm helpless, Bhratrijaya. If I return to the palace with you, my life and my body would become separate!" She uttered, her voice breaking and her eyes spilling tears. Hearing her words, Vrikodara walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder as she hid her face in embrace.

"Bhagini," Vrikodara addressed Sudarshanaaa, his own voice shaking. "You all leave without any worry about her. Dhrishtadyumna is here. Panchali will be safe. We all will take care."

Sudarshanaa joined her palms in greeting and left the place along with Pritha, Nakula, Sahadeva and Sutasoma while Yudhishthira, Vrikodara, Krishna,  Dhrishtadyumna and Krishnaa were left on the stranded riverbank. Their eyes were glued in the direction of the Khandava forest as they hoped for some miracle that could save them from their predicament. Krishna and Yudhishthira began to discuss strategies to solve the problem while Vrikodara, Dhrishtadyumna and Krishnaa sat together, brooding over the situation. They all had one hope, a hope for a miracle to take place.