" No one is allowed....."
Non audacious words flown out, Queries exchanged through eyes. Fury glimmering eyes frightened the powerless guards who stopped the grandson of revered Bharadwaj. Mighty brahmin yodha gritted out his rage....
As if justifying their act those guards who guarded the current commander in chief's tent blurted out, " forgive us....it's an order from our majesty....."
Drauni's eyes shone in moonlight.... suppressing anger he heaves out breaths with clenched fist and jaw. He snarls in anger, " Hide like a coward......"
Gulping down the fear, those guards watched the beloved son of Bharadwajputr walking away. Shadow of his well built body moved along with him like a snake, his dusky skin glistened under moon rays. The sound of leaves crushed under his foot reached on their ears.........
His fisted palms sweats and he loosened it with a release of breath. Impassively gazed all around and unknowingly his feets carried him to the only kaurava left alive. Thought of his friend wiped the rising anger in his heart....sweats rolled down and felt his throat drying in anticipation. He ignored the feel of weakness by gulping down the lump of pain........
It's... it's like he walking over dead bodies...the wind filling his nostrils with rotten smell of flesh and blood. Wimbers of ladies dancing on his ear drums. His heart throbbed as he neared the royal shibir of elder kaurava who well known for his greed.....
It's been sixteen days....yes sixteen worst days to the entire aryavart. Damn sure...each moment of these sixteen days will take place in history. Last day he lost him.....father........
Rage which brimmed by the thought of his father's death went died when images of the current day flashed in his vision.........
He hardly controlled the urge to puke and shook away that image of second kaurava prince who became a bloodied meatball by the hands of glorious divine vayuputr.....such a monster. Ungrateful souls he ever had met, how even indraputr could let his father die like that.....father....he always favored that imbecile, at the end what he got in reply??
Knowing thoughts and anger ruling his sanity he took deep breaths, this maybe the reason why radheya locked himself away from all others. No one is in a right position after war had happened.....these murders and deaths are shaking their entire existence. Still how that idiot can stay calm in a tent after what happened today....that too when he were the prestigious commander of kauravasena........
******************
Darkness ruled all around and a silhouette sat on a normal wooden chair stirred a little. It's an wonder how that chair carrying such a gigantic form. His eyelids were heavy and with effort he opened it, he burps a little after feeling the cold touch of gold goblet still in his hold...... His peaky eyes searched everywhere for a little more of that drink which can make him forget everything....all pain...even himself.........
His slurry command came in annoyance, " Dushy...you idiot.... Where is my drink?? get it..."
His voice met with deep silence and vision got blurred by recalling the day....the same day which he want to forget forever. Ignoring the weight and dizziness on head he tries to get up and fell losing balance, two strong arms got hold of his well built body which caused him to stope from falling down.
King of uttarpanchal stutters like a feeble one, " Mitr Duryodhan........"
Falling back to the same wooden chair he states calmly, " Ashwa....He is no more......."
The Diya lit by Ashwattama whose heart right now filled with agony revealed the face of that royal friend of him........
Both stayed in silence..... Ashwattama comfounded not knowing how he gonna console this friend. He lost the constant companion of his life......lost all brothers, last day he too passed through the same state....lost his father who happens to be his mentor too. This bloody war took everything from them.......
Dritarashtraputr states, " I expected him........"
Irked with that statement kripinandan says, " Why mitr?? Am I not your friend??? Will only he can understand the rhythm of your mind and pain?? "
Duryodhan turns away his face from guruputr, he is not in a state for such useless talk.
Ashwattama says in a matter of fact tone, " He is responsible for what happened today....he was our commander.....
And now....now like a coward not showing his face to anyone....."
He screeched last words making Gandhaariputr call in audacious reminding voice, " Ashwa........"
That Brahmin sighs in defeat which made son of dritarashtra say hopefully, " Ashwa where is your confidence and trust on our valor?? If I lost today.... tomorrow they will lose...
Look....all will end tomorrow..... it's an word from mitr Karn. Either we win or lose...but sure we three can take a lot from those wretched souls.....
We will make them feel the same pain of lose we gone through........."
Releasing an exasperated sigh drauni says, " He is my mitr too and I have my entire trust on him.....but...but I don't trust that five cowards.....
You saw how they slayed mahamahim pitasree and bhurishravas....I want to rip their head by my own hands......"
After a pause he says, " This war will never give anything good for us..... it's better giving up. At least rest of the followers whould be saved ......
One another lose....I won't be able to bear that. Otherwise further actions of mine is unpredictable even for me......"
An enraged kuruvanshi stood up by kicking off the wooden chair and shouts direct at that Brahmin friend, " You want me to forget what happened today??
And what more.... survive as a loser and serve those killers of my brothers....."
Ashwattama shrieks in the same voice, " At least radheya will be saved......"
An highly enraged suyodhan kicks off the nearby wooden table which made his friend reconsider what he spoke.
Gandhaariputr declared in a stern voice, " Am not afraid of their valor and will never fail infront of them.....
Also mind that radheya is not like others.... it's not that easy for them to even duel with him...."
Releasing a breath, king of uttarpanchal says, " neither am afraid of those cowards nor am concerned with my future......
What I said was only for your betterment......"
" No one can change my stand...."
Hearing his friend scoffing in disgust an agitated drauni says, " Now all I can do is assure you my support...
For your victory am ready to die as well as kill anyone by any means....."
Understanding his friend's fury Ashwattama silently left. Duryodhan took breaths in a way to calm his anger caused by dear friend. With the intention of meeting his other friend who just hid from all these nonsense, he swiftly turns.......
But having darkness all around him his eyes narrowed.....where gone the diya lit by ashwa. Like a blind he staggers and amused as even those moon rays are vanished by putting him in entire dim nature. Fear grasped the heart of that well known mace fighter and thought of his father survived his entire life in this wild of darkness made him feel low of his life and of course his mother who embraced the same life with much braveness. He is such a insect infront of their courage and virtue......
That's when he noticed a little ray of light which made his heart dance in joy like a kid. Assuming it as door he headed towards it.....not aware of what awaits there for him.....
It's the light which will lead him to the path of truth. It's the source which gonna change his fate and destiny of entire aryavart....let him pass the door and experience the real face of truth...may he be the reason for an alternative future and mark an different epic............