~~~~~Back In The Present~~~~~~
Arjun was panicking.........wait no scratch that he was having a panic attack.
'Wow! Cool.' Would you look at that, having a panic attack in an Era where no one was even aware of their existence. Cool......will there ever be something he won't suck at? Oh! No need to answer that question it is rhetoric. And well Arjun's always been a self aware person.
Thus, he came to the conclusion that he pathetically atrociously sucked at any and everything in the whole insipid universe. Oh! Heavens above, when would he stop this? Can he not, for once in his immortal life not mess something up? Were Gods not supposed to be infallible? But no he had to be the exception to that rule as well.
Before Arjun could continue the mess that were his thoughts a sweet melody invaded and broke (thank God, literally) his chain of thoughts.
"Parth..........love." came Krishn's voice as mesmerizing as ever.
And that was when Arjun knew he had lost the plot or marbles whatever suits your fancy but well given the rules of grammar.......no wait he's going off track......wait when was he on track....as tracks had not been invented yet....No stop!
Right something was wrong, no surprise there when was anything ever right in his life, since Krishn would never address him as such. Nope, and he absolutely did not want to be addressed as such. Nope!
Krishn sighed a sigh of relief or exhaustion he himself could not distinguish. Millennium had passed yet his Parth remained the same. It was exhilarating as mush as it was exhausting. These circumstances were not the ones he had expected their reunion to be under. But well.........it is all fine. Or at least that was what he tried to delude himself with.
"Might I?" came Krishn's melodious voice, oh in the name of all that is sweet why did the man had to be so ...........Krishnish. No fair.
Wait he asked something. Upon drawing the conclusion that his (Ha! If only) Madhav awaited a response Arjun nodded his head without even knowing what Krishn was asking for. It is his Madhav after all.
Seeing that he had attained his Parth's permission. Krishn slowly, as to not frighten the already panicked teen, took his Parth's face within his one hand and started running soothing circles on his Parth's back with the free one.
All while whispering sweet reassurances in his Parth's ears. It wasn't anything new actually even before they had become Gods (especially before that) his Parth's feeling sometimes caused his Parth to go well ............you get the memo.
Anyways he has more important stuff to be worried about than be lost in his ponderings of the past long done and dusted.
With that he refocused his attention on the sole worthy being in existence. Fortune seems to favor him as his labor yielded results. He watched with unabashed joy as the archer's breath gained some stability not the wreck they were before. But his stability of mind was still under question.
"Madhav....?" Though the words were intended as a statement it had a questioning edge to it.
"Hmmm. Yes, Parth it is me." Came the reply. Voice steady as ever as if they were teens again. Thinking of plans far beyond them. As if they had the whole world within their grasp. Not the time for it! Arjun reminded himself. Not that there was ever any time for it.
"What are you doing here?" subtle as ever Arjun, and with that level of annoyance in his voice Arjun would not blame Krishn is he secretly cursed him. Heavens, he was surprised they were still friends after all this time.
Way to go! To make the only person who found him tolerable and did not mind his silence hate him.
Wow! Arjun sassed himself. He'd never been the emotionally mature one that was Krishn's job. There was a reason Krishn had been his only friend his entire childhood.
And he'd been Krishn's. Krishn couldn't befriend anyone due to his status in the hierarchy and as for Arjun well......it wasn't about what Arjun wanted. Rather that the other children never wanted to befriend the weird eyed freak whose eyes constantly changed colors.
It wasn't his fault or choice anyway given that the powers of time naturally manifested in one's eye there was hardly anything Arjun could do about it. Back to the present ! Jeez, he sucked even at this.
Yet, it seemed he had regained his focus in time(wow! A nice pun) to hear Krishn's reply that he'd rather not have heard at all.
"Aww. No thank yous. Seriously Parth, after all I do for." Krishn said his lips held in a pout. And Arjun was most definitely not feeling weak in his knees. Nope!
"What have you done for me except making my life miserable." Arjum spoke, yet, a grin still made it's way to his face as his eyes crinkled ij withheld laughter. It would not do to laugh while he tried to admonish Krishn. His friend was spoiled as it was.
"Miserable, whatever sin have I committed, in my deep forever increasing affection for you? Won't you pardon me? My sweet, Parth?" Did he just......
..............Goodness, who do you pray to when you yourself are God. Arjun felt like a child again wishing he could throw tantrum and make Krishn stop with those absolutely sinful words. Alas........How he wished Krishn meant them the way Arjun wanted.
Yet, Arjun was also aware (self aware remember) that Krishn absolutely did not intent for his words to sound as flirtatious and that Arjun had absolutely no chance to have his Madhav's heart. But, alas, that did not stop his stomach from doing those weird flip-flops it always did. Who knows maybe he could be a gymnast. Well, he should give it a try, once it became an actual progression, that is.
"Oh, really must I remind you that it is you who suggested I come down along with you?"
"Well, you've always liked traveling no, what better place than earth?"
" Not sure about earth. But I absolutely wouldn't mind traveling over your body."
"Oh, my sweet, you just need to say the words, I cam never deny you anything."
"Enough, Madhav, what's your purpose for being here?" questioned Arjun for he couldn't take another one of Krishn's flirtation without combustion. He was well aware of how crimson his own cheeks were.
" Why, my love, I believe the answer to your query is the only possible one. You. I am here for you. So tell me, my dear, whatever happened for you to be sent in such a state?"
"It is nothing of importance, Krishn. We shouldn't meet now. You are aware that godly powers should not be used as one pleases when in their mortal form, no?" Scolded Arjun, the usage of Krishn instead of Madhav showing that he would not be budged upon this.
With a sigh, this time, he was more than aware that it was one of frustration, Krishn bowed and held Arjun's hand as a knight held that of a princess. Giving it a light brush against his lips, Krishn tried to ingrain this feeling in his brain.
And with that, he disappeared and with him the mind place Krishn had created for the two of them did as well. And Arjun was sent into the grueling reality away from his safe haven.
Arjun awoke as if from the verge of a nightmare, his cheeks red. His heart hammered in his chest as he wondered what had spawned that reaction from his best friend. Krishn was flirtatious, yes, but seldom did he initiate physical kind that wasn't a brush of their shoulders or their hands seeking the others when in a moment of distress.
Yet, Arjun's traitorous heart couldn't help but hope for that to happen again. See, how pathetic he was. Krishn was his cousin sister's husband, his best friend. And here he was, hoping for a romance to occur between them.
Arjun had never been able to cease what he felt for Krishn. Millenniums had passed, yet here he was. Behaving like some love-sick teen. But wasn't that just what he was. He'd been in love with his Madhav before he even knew what love was. But enough of his love sick pondering, there were matters worth more importance than his pathetic thoughts.
Like Ekam bhrata. Meeting Krishn had lessened the panic, yet the anger and hurt were still there. Lingering behind. Quickly standing up on his feet Arjun reached for his rove that was neatly folded right next to his bed. After adorning the robe Arjun began to make his way to Pitamaah.
Which luckily for him did not take a lot of time. Given the fact that Pitamaah stood just outside his chambers pacing as he often did when worry about who knows what (well he, being the Lord of Time probably did, but who cares, well you do, then I don't) had him forgoing the strict royal strictures that demanded absolute control of one's thoughts and actions.
"Arjun!" came Pitamaah's worried call upon seeing his grandson standing when the last time he had glanced upon his form crumbling was still fresh in his mind. His sweet grandson lying ashen and still. Had he not possessed the self control and the self restraint he often administered on himself he would surely would've done something he would not regret,but the King would not like. But panicking wouldn't have helped his grandson's condition. Thus, he remained calm.
Arjun found himself engulfed by his Pitamaah. It was nice......it carried with it the feeling of safety and reassurence. Yet, as much as he wanted that now was not the time to bask in it.
"Pitamaah, Ekam...Eklavya.... What happened to him?" Arjun steeled himself for the response, aware of the answer. Yet he did what he always did. Hope, a treacherous thing it was. Yet, it was all he could do.
He had known of what would happen when he befriended Ekam Bhra...no he had lost the right to call him that. Eklavya befriending him had been a curse as well as a blessing. The tide of time was not to be stopped or altered all one could do was........hope.
"He is fine, alas his thumb.....well it is not. His father the Van Raj has decided that it would be favorable for him to return."
" Oh." Exclaimed Arjun, feeling numb. He felt like crying but what purpose did tears serve him. When, all was said and done he was the one at fault, he had known what was going to occur, yet, like every other time he had hoped. Yet, being unable to cry was not the same as unable to feel grief.
Pitamaah let his arms be a safe harbour for his grandson who neither cried nor wept, stood there motionless and still as if all of time was visible to him, and he was the one observing helpless and weak.