This is a Mahabharata Fanfiction mostly based on facts we see in Star Mahabharat. The Mahabharat in its entirety holds a lot of facts and is a complicated and marvelous creation, but this is just a fanfiction. There are several facts which were not included/ not correct in Star Mahabharat but I am specifically basing my fanfiction on the serial with some changes. So there will be several anomalies. This story is just meant as an entertainment and there is no intention to hurt anyone's feelings, religious or otherwise. I have just borrowed the characters to weave a partly fictional storyline.
As always it may take some time to come up with the next chapter due to health reasons and work pressure. Kindly bear with me as I really intend to take this story to a conclusion.
Thank you all for the kind comments and I will always welcome comments and suggestions. I treasure each comment and it makes me that much eager to write again. You all are truly great readers and encouragers.
Thank you and regards. Take care everyone.
13. Krishna
"Can we go a little faster, Daruka? Can the steeds take it?"
Krishna had lost the count of the times he had used the words during the last prahar. And each time Daruka had replied with, "Of Course, My Lord," and he had further increased the speed of the chariot.
Krishna held his charioteer in great esteem and thought of him as a friend. Daruka had navigated his chariot through wars and long, perilous journeys and yet again, he was giving his all to make sure that the Dwarakadhish could reach his friend.
When the red flags of Hastinapur became visible, the day had already dawned and then some. Krishna realized that they had been travelling non-stop the entire night. He and his elder brother were not very far from Indraprasth when they had intercepted the messenger birds of Hastinapur. Mahamahim Bhisma had given the outlines of the situation at hand and requested for Krishna's presence; they had not lost any moment. Krishna had entreated his elder brother to go towards Indraprasth and Balaram had readily agreed, unable to deny his anuj almost anything. To be more honest, his brother was looking forward to spending a few days with their little sister, Subhadra, though both lamented the reason for the visit.
As Krishna often elucidated, Fate changes each moment, and every change gives rise to a new future. Arjun's life-threatening injury had come over them unexpectedly and had taken Krishna unawares. Even as he bid farewell to his brother and took the road leading to Hastinapur, Krishna had started reaching out to Parth subconsciously and what he had encountered was no less horrifying than his actual injury.
Between Arjun's physical wound and the mental distortion caused due to the wound, Krishna had found himself an archer, who was on the verge of giving up. Arjun's morphed psyche was potent enough to even affect Krishna's thoughts and influence his actions but he could quickly realize what was happening. The amount of suffering Arjun was being subjected to, was enough to drain the life of any ordinary human, but Arjun was far from ordinary. Not just from his divine birth, Arjun also had a treasure of absolute determination and there was not much that he was incapable of; be it gaining achievements or battling sufferings.
Had it not been instrumental for the establishment of righteousness, Krishna would have simply blinked away the thorns that littered Arjun's path and awarded him with the smoothest sea to sail. But when had smooth sailing ever made for exceptional sailors? And Arjun was indeed exceptional; his prowess as a warrior aside, his values and virtues further advocated his being a near perfect human soul. One who made mistakes, but never walked away from rectifying them. Arjun's virtues and his absolute faith in Krishna was what endeared him so enormously to the Lord. Though far from surprising, given their sojourns in previous births, Krishna had never thought that the friendship of a single mortal could ever mean so much to him.
While making their way to Indraprasth during the long hours of night, while Krishna fluctuated between uneasy sleep and wakefulness, Daruka had hesitantly asked, "My Lord, I have had the fortune and the misfortune of seeing some of the struggles you have faced. I have also been fortunate to meet several of your friends, who all hold great merit. I have seen Prince Arjun's prowess and the graciousness of his behavior. But, if you do not feel my question to be impertinent, what makes him your closest friend?"
Krishna had thought for a while; he had not felt Daruka's question to be impertinent. Daruka was one of those precious few who shared Krishna's confidences. Daruka knew first-hand the sheer might Krishna was capable of in a battle, a might which was impossible to be entirely human and yet Daruka never cowered before him.
The easy going and charming nature of the Dwarakadhish fooled many a person who took him lightly. Krishna trusted Daruka completely even though he had once been a close ally of his maternal uncle Kans. There are things Daruka knows of which only few others did. "Is there any specific reason for the question, Daruka?" Krishna had asked.
"Just my impudent curiosity, My Lord, and an inept way to maybe get to know a little more about the illusive Prince Arjun."
Krishna had laughed long and hard. "Illusive? And my dear Parth? I have never known a man who wears his heart on his sleeve any more obviously than Arjun."
Daruka had shook his head. "Not for us, My Lord. All know of his exploits, but few know the man."
"You may well be correct, Daruka." Krishna sat back on the chariot seat and he had smiled. "It is not difficult to know Arjun; you need to observe instead of just looking. Arjun is the quintessential man, with all the qualities and shortcomings. But what separates and elevates him, is his earnestness to rectify his shortcomings and his willingness to recognize his limitations. That is a hard-earned quality, Daruka. And this endears him to me, and there is little I would not do for this Pandava. I have seen and felt his struggles Daruka, and I am afraid that he would be dragged through worse in the future. Despite the struggle he faces, his calmness of mind, his sense of justice and most importantly, his sensitivity towards others is no less than phenomenal. Valour and artistry in a single soul with compassion stirred in, is very uncommon, Daruka."
"As is heard everywhere, he is Nara and you, Lord, are Narayana."
Krishna had starred intently at Daruka. "Arjun is indeed Nara, my friend, but Narayana? Narayana resides in all and for that, all residing on this earth is Narayana. I am not special. I have had just the fortune of knowing and understanding my true inner self."
Daruka had again shaken his head and Krishna knew that there was no fooling his charioteer. But as was his predisposition, Daruka accepted what was offered. The journey through the dark forests had continued and Krishna had again surrendered himself to the gentle call of sleep, trusting his charioteer to keep him safe.
As the morning light illuminated the surroundings, Krishna could not help missing the surprising serenity of the night. Everything goes slower then and there always seems to be time to get things done. But the advent of the day, the sight of Surya Narayan spurs you on, urging you to discard languor and to get on with doing what needed to be done. As much as Krishna wished that he would not have to set sights on a fallen Arjun, he acknowledged that much efforts would be needed to revive his friend.
"We are here, My Lord." Daruka's voice penetrated Krishna's thoughts and he noted that Daruka had not stationed the chariot at the main entrance of the palace but had instead chosen one of the side entrances which was better guarded but much secluded.
"Thank you, my friend." After alighting from the chariot Krishna placed a hand on Daruka's shoulder in camaraderie. "You should rest now."
"I am quite alright, my Lord. I will just freshen up the horses so that they are ready if we need to travel again."
The entrance was secluded but not abandoned and soon Krishna caught sight of Mahamantri Vidur making his way towards them.
"Pranipat, Mahamatri." Krishna greeted and heard his address echoed by Daruka.
"Pranipat, Vasudev," Vidur greeted back. "My blessing, Daruka. You will find your regular chambers ready and your horses will be taken care of by the royal stables."
Daruka moved to protest but stopped; Krishna had imperceptibly shaken his head. "My gratitude, Mahamantri," was all Daruka replied, before making his way inside the palace.
Krishna was watching Vidur and was again fascinated by how extreme valour yet such calm wisdom can co-exist. Humans beings, in general, managed to distress him so often and yet they never cease to fascinate him. Especially when they came as someone like Vidur; one who has just met him will never know that the soft spoken, judicious and righteous man was a fearsome archer who,if needed, could destroy entire armies in a blink.
"Welcome to Hastinapur, Vasudev. Please do not mind that it is only me who stands to welcome you; I had a feeling that you would use this entrance"
Krishna smiled and folded his hands in supplication. "I am honored by your presence, Mahamantri and require no other. But do tell me, how is Parth doing?"
A dark cloud of emotions settled on the Mahamantri's face. "His condition seems to worsen by the prahar, Vasudev. Nakul and Sahadeva have been pouring all their formidable knowledge into their medicines and it is somehow keeping putra Arjun afloat; but only that much. He is showing no signs of improvement and..." Vidur paused and placed a hand on Krishna's shoulder, looking up at him. "He has been calling for you, Sri Krishna Vasudev. He is screaming your name in a way that it is bleeding the heart of the entire Hastinapur palace. Even the servants and the maids are unable to keep their tears in check, such is the agony that the Gandivdhari is suffering from."
Krishna's heart plummeted further; his Parth was suffering and yet again, he stood helpless. He cannot intervene in the workings of fate; at least not unless it was Arjun's very life at stake. But what of his friend's sanity?
"Pardon me, but I should go to him, Mahamantri. I will meet up with you later. Pranipat."
Without waiting for Vidur's leave, Krishna moved swiftly and made his way along the somewhat familiar passages towards Arjun's chamber. Fortunately, the only people he met on the way were the soldiers and the servants. He was in no mood to speak to any of the royal household members of the Kauravas, at least not before he had a chance to see Arjun and also speak to the other Pandavas.
Krishna remembered the last time he had visited Hastinapur with Arjun. It was not long after Parth's marriage to Draupadi. The palace was old and would often get muggy due to the heat. That day, Parth was in a peculiar mood of contemplation, and it had been impossible to make him sit in one place. It was only after they had managed to escape to the gardens, that he felt somewhat at ease and Parth settled down. They had spent the whole afternoon and the entire evening and night in the gardens in complete silence. Only ever so often Krishna had brought out his flute and played some melody or another and Parth had finally drifted off to sleep claiming right to Krishna's lap, as a pillow. Only the benevolent moon had been witness to the bond of tender and untainted friendship between a mortal and an immortal.
Krishna had never seen the youngest Kunti putra to be at ease in the palace of Hastinapur. For generations now, the palace of Hastinapur was being nourished by the tears of those who dwelt there and the repugnant aura had seeped into the very foundation of the structure. It had been years since there had been simple and pure joy in the kingdom and the palace had become a dark and gloomy place. No amount of sunlit or fresh air could remove that despondency. Krishna knew that the end was nowhere in sight. The place of Hastinapur would require and seek many more tears, before any seed of peace could take root here and many of those would belong to his friends; the land would have its due before peace prevailed. Krishna could feel tears stinging the back of his eyes at the thought.
Cradled in his contemplations, Krishna had reached Arjun's chambers and found Nakul and Sahadeva working on their medicine, their faces portraying equal amounts of determination and futility and they were taking turns to look out of the window. Gurudev Dronacharya was sitting next to Arjun, in middle of an energy transference. There were not many who could do it competently and without causing harm to themself or to the recipient. The transference could either cause a surcharge of energy or generate too little to serve.
Arjun... Krishna finally looked at his friend and though he knew all, it still caught him unawares. Parth looked nothing like his vibrant self and lying unconscious on the bed he could have been mistaken for a corpse. The wound on his chest was extremely inflamed. The wound was covering most of the exposed area of the chest and it looked like it was festering. What clothes remained on Arjun's body and the blankets, were intermittently speckled with blood splatters. Most of the windows were closed for reasons which Krishna could not fathom, and this had made the room more stifling. That, along with the smell of the medicines and the sight of his beloved friend lying supine, turned Krishna's stomach. Without sparing a greeting for anyone, he entered the chamber and directly made his way to the largest window, flinging it open. The cool breeze of the distant Ganga swamped in and Krishna drew in a deep breath.
It was this sound of opening the window that alerted the others to his presence and the very next moment Krishna felt two pair of hands on his feet. Nakul and Sahadeva had come over and prostrated themselves; Krishna wasted no time in pulling them back to their feet. The way they fell on Krishna and wrapped him in a tight embrace, was far removed from their normal behaviour.
Gone were the shy and laid back prince Sahadeva and the confident Prince Nakul and all that remained were two young men with too much on their shoulders and even more on their mind. Krishna wrapped his arms around them both, forming a cocoon, and the youngest Pandava princes broke down yet again. Krishna absorbed their grief as much as he could and transmitted what healing was possible. It was a fair few moments before the Princes calmed down.
Wiping away at the tears on his face, Nakul said, "We are ecstatic to see you, Vasudev. Forgive us for our lack of manners... for our..."
Krishna shook his head and made an annoyed sound. "Don't start. It is certainly not the occasion to employ formality and nor do you need to, just for my sake." After squeezing the twins' shoulders comfortingly, he moved towards the bed and greeted Guru Dronacharya. "Pranipat Guru Drone."
"Pranipat Vasudev." The Acharya nodded. He vacated his spot on Arjun's bed and indicated the same to Krishna. "Arjun needs you more," he said.
And finally, Krishna made his way to his friend, trying to bolster himself and to gather his courage. He opened the large window which was just above Arjun's bed and sat down next to him.
Krishna prided himself on staying aloof and maintaining a compassionate but detached overview of situations but it was only when he saw a water drop fall on Arjun's forehead and realized that it was his tears, that Krishna felt humbled. He had not achieved detachment to the extent he had believed, at least when it came to Parth.
Krishna ran a hand over Arjun's head, trying to tidy the disheveled curls of the Gudhakesha. His friend was burning up with fever. There was a faint sheen of sweat all over his body and his hair was matted and also soaked with sweat. As he ran his hands over Arjun's torso, Krishna found that Arjun's hands were extremely cold, not unlike a corpse's. "Are his feet the same way?" he asked Sahadeva who stood nearby.
"Yes Vasudev. The palm of his hands and the soles of his feet have turned unnaturally cold since around two prahar back," Nakul replied.
Krishna kept running his hands over Arjun's head and discretely wiped off the tears which had formed at the edge of Arjun's eyes, no doubt from the pain and suffering. And despite knowing all, he still asked,
"What happened, Nakul? Please tell me."
He desperately needed time to compose himself least he broke down much akin Madri's sons and that would not be beneficial to Parth in any manner.
Krishna forced himself to listen to every word as spoken by Nakul, from Arjun's injury to Dushyala's story to the medicines they have tried, to every single symptom Arjun had shown. When speaking of how Arjun's heart had given up, Nakul had to stop and gather himself. A few details were added by Guru Drone, including details of the expedition undertaken by Yudhistira, Bhim, Mahamahim and Angaraj.
Krishna almost smiled on hearing this; Bhrata Bhim and Angaraj Karna at one place certainly could not mean anything good but it would be interesting, nevertheless.
The recount ended and there was unbroken silence in the room. Arjun was dragging in shallow breathes and coughing now and then. Each cough brought up some blood and bile and despite Nakul and Sahadeva trying to dissuade him, Krishna wiped away the same with his own angavastra. His bright yellow angavastra soon turned crimson and yet the blood kept coming.
"M-Madhav... M-Madhav..."
Parth had called out! Krishna hurriedly bent over his friend and placed a hand on his chest, carefully avoiding the wound. "What is it, Parth?" he asked softly. "What is it, mitra? I am here now... It is time to wake up, Gudhakesha. You have slept enough."
There was fleeting expression of something that lighted Arjun's face and Krishna hardly had time to register it, before it vanished. If asked to describe, he would say that it was akin a mix of relief and devastating sorrow. But Parth, for once, did not heed his words.
Krishna placed his hand back on Arjun's forehead and looked over at Guru Drone. "With your permission?" he asked.
"Of course, Vasudev." Guru Drone accepted readily.
Krishna focussed his considerable energy, his entire thoughts and his formidable aura and concentrated. He felt the heat on Arjun's forehead increasing and tried to modulate his energy so that it did not overwhelm his friend. But he probed. Channelling his energy, he navigated Arjun's severely depleted core and tried to find the source of Arjun's wound. He carefully avoided moving anywhere near his friend's mind or his thoughts and instead, concentrated on reaching his heart. The further he went, the harder it became. Arjun's parched body was trying to imbibe as much of Krishna's aura as possible, but something was stopping him from taking in as much as was needed. Krishna tried to push through the barrier in order to reach the internal wound but then, something went wrong .
Even as Krishna was jerked out of his meditative state by Arjun's scream, he saw Nakul and Sahadeva rushing in and gathering Parth in their arms. Arjun's body was jerking wildly, and drool mixed with blood ran down his chin and pooled on the bed. He kept screaming and groaning, and Krishna realized that he was screaming Krishna's name, "Madhav! Madhav!"
Even as the Lord looked on helplessly, Arjun kept suffering. Suffering from the unfamiliar effects of some unknown curse, his body screaming at him to give up but his sheer sense of determination not letting him. Parth kept calling out for his friend but try as hard as he may, Krishna was unable to breach Arjun's Psyche. He was certain that his attempt to simply burn through the curse had caused Parth's body to react as violently as it did. It took a long time before Arjun again laid recumbent and Krishna gently wiped his face with one of the wet clothes provided by Sahadeva.
Yet again, Krishna felt a hand holding on to his feet and as he looked down, he saw Nakul sitting on floor and the young Pandava had placed his head on Krishna's feet. The Dwarakadhish felt his heart squeeze painfully at the sight and he tried to get Nakul to stand but the Prince did not pay any heed to his words. Nakul's tears kept washing Krishna's feet even as he beseeched, "Please save my brother, Vasudev Krishna. Hey Dwarakadhish! He is your friend and he worships the ground you walk upon. There is little that you cannot do, Vasudev. Nothing is beyond you. Please... Please save my Bhrata Arjun, Bhrata Krishna. Please... Please I beseech you. He is your brother too."
Nakul's each word pieced Krishna like many edged arrows. He was not sure that his heart could take so much pain; he still held a mortal heart. For the first time Nakul had called him Bhrata and it was under such circumstances.
Krishna used considerable force and finally dragged Nakul from his feet and clasped him in an embrace. "What are you trying to do to me, Nakul? Are you trying to make me feel guilty? Then it is working, I must tell you. But you need not do this, you know that, don't you?" There was raw grief apparent in the Dark-skinned Lord's voice.
Nakul moved out of Krishna's embrace and folded his hands. "Forgive me, Vasudev. I know what Bhrata Arjun means to you. It was not my intention to hurt you further. Please forgive me."
One hand laid in comfort over Nakul's head and the other supporting Parth, Krishna knew that though he was all powerful, here he was still helpless. There was a critical and impossible choice to be made. For who he was, the entire world and universe was his responsibility, but could he let fate play out when Arjun lay suffering like this? What was his duty? What was his responsibility?
And oblivious to all this, Arjun kept dreaming. Of heartbreak, of loss, of war, of carnage and even as the Lord of the Universe lapsed in thought, Arjun's voice again echoed around the room,
"Help me, Madhav! Too dark here. Help Madhav... Help..."
And the Lord of the Universe finally made up his mind.