" Wait!!! "
Pandavas got stopped by a call from behind and turned to the source of voice only to find their cousin come enemy smirking at them. Ashwattama too confused on seeing a smile on his face...a real one...after a long.....
Walking towards yudhishthir he smiled wholeheartedly and stood infront of the elder one with a smirk.
That man who always fond of all his younger brothers too returned a smile of affection and suyodhan says, " So you were serious about stopping war?? "
Lines marred at the face of dharmaputr at the most unexpected question and all he could do was nodding. Cause what he said was the words from heart then....
Shining eyes at his reply suyodhan replies jovially, " Then be it.... Am ready for peace!!! "
His smirks got widened at the number of gasps around him. it's just a beginning only....there is a lot of surprise to all from him. He inwardly laughed and got already prepared for the havoc he himself gonna create.....
Ashwattama was about to ask something when a soldier interfered that small group and he bowed to all royalties. Turning to suyodhan he informed with respect,
" Mahamahim gangaputr Bheeshmacharya seeks your presence my lord!!! "
That was yet another blow to them... Last thing to happen... pandavas with bulged eyes looked each other....first suyodhan agreeing for peace and now pitamah calling him??
Vayuputr asked to ensure, " Are you sure?? Is pitamah asking him or jyest?? "
The soldier said with same respect, " Mahamahim asked king Dhritarashtra and queen Gandhari's son only prince!!! "
Duryodhan narrowed his eyes in doubt...why the grandsire commands his presence? Maybe to laugh at his face for sharing the joy of victory had by his favourite nephews on this eventful day.....let it be....let that crooked man happy for now....cause at the end those devputras might in pain which give pleasure to him for all the life.....
Passing his mother to guruputr he already walked away without saying anything to others. They all looked the man who walked away as if nothing happened after causing trouble to their well working thoughts......
Nakul said, " We should visit pitamah..."
Yudhishthir became thoughtful and nodded in agree by saying, " Let them have their talk and after we should....."
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Gangaputr's lips twitches on the footsteps that heard coming closer...he is coming. The one who considered as born evil to destroy the dynasty.... isn't it truth?? But is he all alone responsible....no...like mother said...he have a significant rule to rotten his character by ignoring him.....
His thoughts broke by the touch on his feets. He impassively gazed at suyodhan who seeking his blessing and for the first time he felt a pang on his chest. The kaurava's face were clouded in agony for his state ....no matter how much he disagree on his words, suyodhan always loved his family to the top except the case of pandavas.... because he never considered them as family......
Once again his thoughts got broken and this time by suyodhan's call, " pitamah...."
" Putr!!! "
Suyodhan arched his eyebrows at the unusual affectionate voice and looked the grand sire for finding the reason he summoned the least favourite grand nephew of him. Chuckling lightly at the doubt that marred on his face, gangapur decides to straight and normal with him....no point in being asking indirectly.... atleast this sensitive topic....
With hesitation bheeshma asks, " So what next?? "
Suyodhan wondered, " Huh?? "
Exhaling bheeshma asks, " What's your decision after knowing the secret that kept hid away from the reach of anyone's ear........"
It took some moments for suyodhan to digest the fact that he is not the only one who aware of this dirty secret of pandupatni....with a disgusted feel he gazed the man laid down on arrows. Isn't he ever ashamed to support that lady and her damn good for nothing sons....
Kurus always disgraced his mother who were pious and truthful in her devotion to all. And it's only cause of she give rise to this evil....then what about that lady who thrown her own firstborn to the waves of ganga....she hid it from her husband...and top of all she want is those devputr to rule the throne which rightfully belongs only to him...leave it all. How she could play that emotional drama infront of her own eldest..... she wanted to end of her own eldest son's life......
Bheeshma could read his thoughts and says, " I tried to keep him away from our family....not for pandavas....for him only...but..."
Duryodhan interferes in a low yet rude tone, " Stop with the lies... If you ever want his good whould have revealed the truth....
All you concerned about was that lady's honor and those devputras....."
Bheeshma gulped in pain while suyodhan frustratingly paced around the arrow bed by saying, " I know it's you all with that trickster planned to let me know the truth...right?? "
Bheeshma shakes head in negative while the enraged son of gandhari continues, " For what?? I know that coward's plan...to drift me and mitr...and to make me insane....
But all his plan will be vain....i know how to handle everything.........."
Bheeshma looked the jyeshta kaurva who having ragged breaths in the emotional burst and how hurt is him. He have lost so much in this war....
" Putr!!! "
Suyodhan amused at the not so familiar affectionate call of mahamahim and looked the patriarch who so weakly says,
" Putr!! I don't know why the fate let you know the truth at this final stage and made me realise my mistakes this late.....
But putr!! All I know is how hurt you are and please!! Make decisions wisely....
The truth now you know is a double edged sword!! I have lived my whole life as a guard to the throne of Hastinapur.....
I want the right person to sit there!!! "
As if taunting suyodhan laughed and said, " Oh really?? I know who you mentioned as the right person....Son of Yama....
You still in this arrow bed only to see him getting crowned!! "
Shaking his head suyodhan helplessly wails, " Why Pitamah?? It's them who put you in this state...yet you want their victory...why you neglecting me? "
A tear rolled down from the gangeya's eyes and before he could make him understand the son of gandhari said in a rigid tone,
" Pitamah!! There is no victory for them anymore...now am least concerned about my feat...all I want is their failure.....failure of them without war....."
Ganga's son helplessly says, " Putr!! I ever wanted a befitting king for our kingdom no matter who it is....If the lord above us made you face the truth...then he want to move this saga to the path of truth...."
Suyodhan kept his hard face and wondered whether his words are truthful or not. Why so suddenly he being so nice to this evil...
Bheeshma have stated, " You got the chance to realise and i too got, but only when I were in this arrow bed...
There is nothing I can do to change the fate...but you can...so what's your decision?? Is there any war anymore??? "
Suyodhan nods in negative and says with a smirk, " The battle will continue....but not in kurukshetra!! "
Bheeshma sighs at the inner meaning and says, " Glad!! Atleast you decided to put a stop to this bloodshed!! "
There were no reply in return and moments went in silence. Bheeshma loudly commands, " summon pandavas here!!! "
Suyodhan confused...what else he can do at the unexpected turn of events happening...he literally stopped the war that killed all of his brothers. They all died for nothing..... should he change the decision and act like nothing knew about karna....
" You can't ignore the path of truth suyodhan!! ",
Voice of his Pitamah have put him in fright for nothing. He looked the man who have experienced and saw much in his life. He searched on his eyes for the answer of all his confusions and understanding it he got an nod in return. A small gesture that made him confident and go ahead with the newly written changes by him on the book of destiny.........
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Jyesta kaurva glanced his cousins whom with he started a war. A battle that happened in family and took many lives from their family....He were still uncertain in his decision. But he is duryodhan.... Dhritarashtraputr....will never back off from the word he given......
Pandavas too were in a confused state not knowing how to react with their cousin's decision. They can't yet say this war is in favor to them.....but how could they accept duryodhan's offer who always deceitful towards them.....
They all were infront of their pitamah who spent his entire life to serve the kurus...the one who acted as a slave to the throne...the one who in real had the authority to hold the reign of hastinapur....
Bheeshma glances his six grand nephews who left alive after the sixteen days of brutesome war. His heart pained to see the alone kaurva...who always had all his brothers behind him now left alone....the truth too made him the loneliest.....
Releasing a breath he calls, " Putro..."
Everyone's attention focused to the esteemed shishya of parashuram and he continued, " Since both Duryodhan and yudhishthir have decided for peace...i too suggest to you all to go ahead...
It's better late than never....we all have lost...rest of the life won't be easy. Yet atleast this decision will save us from much more loses ....."
Though other pandavas were inconvenienced with the sudden change...they couldn't deny the words of either their pitamah or jyest.... it's unpredictable how the rest of the Army's gonna take this decision....but for them their brother's wish is final......
Bheeshma says after a pause, " ichamrityu....a boon....but for me it was a real curse that bounded me to serve the same throne which caused all these destruction...."
Six of them together narrowed their eyes at the refer of the boon and something inside already gave them an intuition of where this conversation ahead.......
True to their thoughts glancing at the first ray of sun that pierced the darkness where they all were enslaved, bheeshma says, " This is the rise of a better future and am grateful for having this day in my life....."
Taking a better look at the all six princes he says, " May the New future built upon my salvation....This is the time...let me be the last one to lose the live in this kurukshetra!!! "
Everyone numbed in shock and only suyodhan managed to gasp out, " No! "
Others were conflicted between weather to accept the decision or reject...but isn't it cruel to reject and let him suffer in middle of this blood land....He deserves swarg and an end to this turmoil.......
Smiling at their state Gangaputr says,
" Putro....secure our kingdom and people's trust together....may you all live long with the prosperity and happiness for the rest of the time....
My blessings are always with you all!!!! "
Yudhishthir closes his eyes allowing the tears to roll down and gandivadhari falls in his knees. Other fours sobs in silence...they all loved and respected him. From childhood all of them lived under him and were proud on their mightiest unbeatable pitamah!!
They all knew already this war never buy good for anyone...yet at the face of this fate where they losing that secure arms forever is heartbreaking.... They all tightly closed eyes at the light flashes and the divine aura around the bheeshmacharya..... Those drops of agony fell freely from those renowned warriors......
Moments of silence brought the courage to open the eyes and meet with nothing but the lifeless body of gangapur. All six of them wails in union.... already expected such a day...but not like this...when they are at the point to put a stop to all those madness.......
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Suyodhan releases a breath and silently watches as yudhishthir performs the last rites of their pitamah.....the day began with the end of gangeya....not with the war. He looks around and met with many questioning gazes at the sudden change of decision.....
As he was about to head back to his tent a call from behind made him stop and look back to the elder pandava....
Walking towards him yudhishthir asks,
" Duryodhan!! Hope you are serious about this since our Pitamah chose this fate on the belief of this decision of ours......"
He could feel the eagerness on everyone's eyes and asks in a sly smile, " Are you sure of this?? To peace?? "
Yudhishthir didn't hesitated to answer, " Am always!!! "
Vrikodar interrupt the conversation, " What with this new ploy duryodhan? "
Ignoring him suyodhan says, " if you are fine with this peace at the end of the war...then why can't I?? Am sincere...
Haven't i lost much to fed up with the bloodshed?? "
His eyes shone at the small whispers and gasps. Indraputr asks suspiciously,
" So you fine with giving back our properties and right!! "
Suyodhan stares them silently enough to make them all more suspicious. With a smile he commands at his friend,
" Ashwa!!! Announce to the whole world about the end of kurukshetrayudh!!!
Let the whole world know suyodhan giving up his throne and wealth...."
Pandavas loudly gasps at the announcement and suyodhan says to them, " On my all dead brothers and son....am giving my word!!
Gandhariputr will be handing over the throne and wealth to jyest kauntey on the very next auspicious time...."
Ashwattama gasps in disbelief and suyodhan states yet again, " I meant the sovereignty of Hastinapur too..."
This time clearly everyone shocked to the hell. Suyodhan says calmly, " Let the whole world know of jyest kaunteya's coronation!! "
With that adoring a smirk suyodhan walks away by leaving behind the bunch of people who became numb to react for moments. Suyodhan agreeing for peace itself is hard thing to believe and giving them not only indraprast but hastinapur too is felt like a dream only.....
But still something inside them warns as the past they shared were capable enough to make this dream into a worst nightmare....sure there is something big behind his words. Or is he really having contriteness..........