Shatru Sesham: Sequel of Baahubali ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"You are mad!" These words simultaneously came out of Narasimha's friends' mouths at the same time.

"I don't think whenever I see anybody in danger or trouble. My rational brain just stops thinking. It's as though a voice within me constantly keeps telling me to rush headlong to their help. I don't know why......But I just cannot help it...", explained a highly conflicted Narasimha.

"Okay....so this voice tells you to steal from your own preceptor as well?" Dilipa shaking his head at his friend's thoughtlessness. "Have you thought for yourself? It is afternoon now. It will be evening in a few hours, and night a few hours later. We are in the middle of a No-Man's land. Our food and water resources will not last beyond the next meal. We don't have a roof over us for nightfall. We exactly don't know where we are headed except for that magical thing which shows three different things to three different people. All three of us may never reach the Buddhist Monastery trudging the way we are. After reaching there, we may never find what we are looking for. And after this entire escapade, you may be sure we will not be allowed to set foot in the Ashram. Gopal stole a container of milk and Upadhyay Sukruthi hit the roof top. Now you seem to have stolen an occult and magical heirloom of some sort. You think he will let this go?"

"Dilipa, I think you are being too harsh and pessimistic", Bhavani intervening between the two friends. "Narasimha didn't do anything on purpose."

"Try to be realistic, Bhavani. Goodness isn't everything. What does it matter whether he did it on purpose or not? God help us from such friends!"

"Don't say such words, Dilipa. I will die before I let harm befall my friends", Narasimha said.

Dilipa instantly softened down his stance, "It's okay. Don't talk about dying. I bless you to live a hundred years with this Kshatrani."

Bhavani punched Dilipa's abdomen. He howled in pain, "Ouch! People don't kill friends Kshatrani."

Narasimha and Dilipa hugged and reconciled with each other. All the arguments and issues between them were forgotten. Bhavani stood beside them, tears of happiness in her eyes. As both of them looked towards her, she asked, "Can I join you two?"

Narasimha and Dilipa extended their hands from either side to take Bhavani in their group of threesome.

Just then, they espied a merchant caravan. Narasimha's face brightened up, "If we run fast, we will catch up with that caravan. They are headed the same direction we are. We can tag along with them for some while. We will have company. They might even lend us a few horses, amenities and a place to stay for the night if we pay them."

Narasimha looked towards the faces of his friends to gauge whether they were in favor of this proposition, "Shall we race? Let's see who reaches there first!"

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Bhavani replied as all three friends began chasing the caravan shouting, "Caravan....Ahoy! Ahoy! We need help."

The leader of the merchant caravan saw the three children running towards the caravan. He held his hand to temporarily stop the caravan, "Wait! We will resume after five minutes. Maybe those youngsters need our help!"
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Narasimha explained to the leader of the caravan their predicament of being stranded here without resources. He scrupulously left out mentioning any details about the Brown Chest he was carrying or the magical map. He concocted a plausible story explaining their presence here, "We were part of a big group headed to the Buddhist Monastery of Ashkora. We got separated from the rest. Please help us so that we can rejoin our group."