"Declaring the third Prince as the greatest archer of all time? Is that not a mockery to all others practitioners of this art?"
"Child! You dare challenge a Prince of Hastinapur?"
"Is the Prince so privileged that he can not be bothered to respond to a challenge issued to his own self?"
"Child! You do not have the status required for a battle to be fought between you and the Prince!"
"Then give me some moments if not a full battle!"
Debates were heard as the Prince Duryodhan declared this newcomer as the King of Ang in order to give him a status required for a fight between the newcomer and the third Prince.
And that was how utter and total chaos descended in the ceremony for the formal introduction of the Princes of Hastinapur.
(One that was only spurred on when Queen Kunti fainted.)
But Arjun heard neither the chaos nor the madness of the crowd. His ears kept ringing of clanking of metals, metals of swords yet to be drawn.
His nose filled with the blood of those yet to be born and those who were already born.
His heart was banging against his chest so loud he was shocked he could even hear the ringing in his ears. Mahabharat was to begin.
It's major players all in one spot. The ones whose rights were violated the sons of Pandu. The sons of Gods themselves, the Pandavs
(What a fancy name for children forced to fill shoes too big to be filed by them and later adults made to bear responsibility of what could never had been anything else. Alas, not even Gods can change what is to happen. How could they?)
The evil incarnate, the selfish Kauravs the ones who were lead by Duryodhan the evilest of them all.
(What other title would time bestow on children who were never made to understand what they wanted was not a blessing but a curse made of the sweetest poison. A child who only wanted the affections of his father not the envy his father displayed as he looked upon those who were supposed to be his cousins. After all was that child not doing exactly what they were told to? Was it really a violation if it was all you have been taught to do? Is it the wrong choice when you didn't even know that you had a choice at all?)
Pitamaah Bheeshm, who didn't choose the correct side even when he could have.
(But did he really have a choice? Having choices and the right to choose is rarely ever the same. Was he not just someone made to bear the fualts and circumstances that were so beyond his hands that he could only watch as all he cared all he loved was burning up in flames. Made to bear the blessing of a mother that turned into a curse. For who else would history ask other than the ones who could never answer?)
Guru Dron the one who forfiet his most beloved student blinded by his loyalty to an already drowning ship's captain. The one who taught all right but never learnt it himself.
(But is it really something he could do about? Did he not teach both set of brothers? Was he not just hurt by his friend? Was he not just trying to care for his students? Was it even his choice when his friend the one he was bound to follow had taken a choice that was not even a choice?)
The the King and Queen, Dritrashtra and Gandhari. The ones who were so lost in love for their own children that they did not see the pain other children were going through. One who got it all only to loose it all and one who cursed a whole dynasty, cursed a God.
( Were they really to be blamed for being so close to the fire when all they were trying to do was to douse it? Living in the shadow of his own brother was he really to be blamed if he began to feel he had no identity other that? The weight of a crown made not of gold and silver but of broken relationships, stolen rights, oaths taken, blood and tears. The burden of a family that was broken too much time be fixed. Was it really their fault?)
And Queen Kunti, the first wife of King Pandu. The blood mother of the first three Pandu Putra and the one who was made into a mother for the youngest two. The one who couldn't stop the death of her own eldest son. The one who watched him be killed by her own sons. Never stopping them shedding tears all along.
Here they were all gathered the ones from whom history would question after all didn't history always question those who could never answer?
The pseudo battle fought between his.............brother (did he even deserve? Given who would drive the end blow in his own brothers heart?) was not something Arjun recalled. Why recall it anyway when the last battle to be fought between them was ingrained into him. So he did not remember.
Or what happened after.
He remembered being in his chambers quietly when something a ringing sound registered in his ears.
Someone was shouting no....they were screaming, Arjun wish he knew who was whosoever was as they sounded as if they were in need of a hug.
Then, his own open mouth registrated as Arjun realized it was him himself who was screaming.
He had not noticed.
He screamed and lashed but shed not a tear, who would he even cry too? Heavens? Which God would answer his prayer when the only one who would even listen to them was not in heaven.
He could remember all that would happen was happening and would happen. Yet, he could never do anything sometimes he wondered what atrocity had he committed to be cursed so. But then, was his very existence not a curse? He could only wait and watch.
He for the first time in his eternal life missed his childhood. It was so easy then Krishn's easy embrace and his own optimistism towards everything and everyone.
He fell onto his sheets hoping for this one reprieve. Just this one. And lo behold his wish was granted not in the way he had hoped though.
Thus, he fell asleep as Arjun and dreamed as Phalgun.
~~before the formation of earth, the first beings in this universe, the Celestials ~~
"Who are you?"
That was all that was ringing in Phalgun's ears. His eyes were closed and his frail young nine year old self was leaning against the door of his chambers.
Listening to the noise on the other side of the door, Phalgun decided that he did not want to face concerned servants no matter how much they were worried.
Swiftly and discreetly he made his way towards the window and carefully climbed down with the assistance of the pipe like structures that adorned the outer walls of his mansion.
Finally reaching the ground, Phalgun ran towads the further ends of the greenery that enclosed the mansion he inhabited.
So farther he ran that the view of the mansion disappeared, but worry of how to find his way back was the last thing on his mind. He knew these forests better than he knew his own self.
Upon finding himself in an isolated spot the young lord of Time gave up. Let himself fall on his knees and broke down in sobs.
For what he cried for no one could say, his lost childhood, his poor mother or the loss of his own innocence.
He cried for some time, then slowly his tears lessened and he gradually stopped wailing looking at the sky with a sense of melancholy.
"Do you need a listener? My tutor says people only cry when their own voice is incapable of being heard or is ignored."
A voice came about, filled with not sympathy nor pity but a curiosity and desire to make it better.
'Why was he crying was a very good question.', mused Phalgun as he quickly raised his head and wiped his tears to clearly look at his uninvited visitor.
A young boy of around eleven years of age adorned in garments befitting a royal stood leaning against a tree looking for the world as if a young master of a noble family had come out for a walk. "And maybe he was," Phalgun mused, "it's not like ordinary celestials could even hope to comprehend the thoughts of the Crown Prince."
Clearing his throats he voiced out his question, knowing it was unnecessary but not sure how else to start a conversation.
"No.....umm who are you?"
A smirk and a self assured voice gave the answer with eyes gleaming as if they had come across a puzzle.
"Madhav, your playmate, don't you recall?"
".............Good to see you again."
"Is that to the ground or me?"
".........."
"Come now, tell me why were you crying? You look like you need someone to vent too."
".....alright. But don't tell anyone. And how long have you been there?"
" To your first question who would even listen to me? I'm the only son of the King, sure but not from his favorite wife. As to the second one past fifteen minutes you need to be villigant."
Deciding to focus the on first statement's cheerful tone with which the Prince had delivered it, Phalgun to focus on the humor rather than the concern the first statement called for.
"Do you go around telling your family dynamics to total strangers?"
The smirk remained in place while the black lotus like eyes of the Prince shimmered with gratitude as he noticed that Phalgun did not ask any questions others usually did when coming to know of his family dynamics.
"If that total stranger needs a little push in telling me something that made him come to a wood all on his own to cry? Sure!"
The 'sure' was delivered with a very cheerful tone intended to be annoying.
'.......and it most certainly is.' Phalgun thought but his lips curved up in a small smile.
"Let's do this properly. Our first impressions were clearly not the best."
While, the Prince really wanted to ask if running away without even meeting one's eyes was an impression that Phalgun usually gave others he suppressed his curiosity.
(Though it was a near thing.)
"Meaning you won't run from me the moment you see me?"
".......no, I won't. ", Phalgun replied shocked that the Prince still remembered the instance tha was their first and before today their only meeting. If it could even be called thus.
Phalgun had been too anxious thus.........he ran.
'What! The embarrassment of running away was better than facing the awkwardness that would have been that 'playdate'!'
Phalgun defended himself from his own subconscious that berated him for doing that to to Prince.
"So tell me!"
While, Phalgun really wanted to laugh at the Prince's curiosity his gloomy mood returned with the remainder of what exactly had brought him here.
"..... what do you do when the one you love the most forgets you?"
The question was in a slow whisper as if any louder would destroy the steady hormonious atmosphere around the two children.
"Move on."
The answer was delivered in a cold and ruthless tone, betraying the nonchalant yet playful demeanor the Prince had adopted up until then.
But, Phalgun instead of being deterred or disappointed was filled with relief coming to the conclusion that the Prince was a practical individual and would not try to placate him with futile platitudes.
"Agreed, that's what I am doing."
"How so?"
The question was filled with wonder and awe while some guard in the Prince's expression went down.
"To move on you have to let them go. Loving is hard and you never stop loving but you can try to stop clinging to it. At times it's best to let them go."
"Who are you letting go off?"
Oops, now Madhav was sure his surprisingly interesting conversation partner would be mad and he had just thought of them being friends too. Heh, maybe someone like him was not meant to have friends.
Unlike to the Prince's expectations Phalgun neither got mad nor was hurt by the question. Instead he answered them taking them as the questions of childish curiosity as it was meant as rather than insensitive prodding that others took it as.
"My mother, she's the subordinate of your father. The Time Lady. She experienced trauma so great her mind shattered. She at times can recall everything crystal clear, yet at times can't even recall herself."
"I'm sorry."
The statement was filled with no pity no sympathy but understanding, and while Phalgun longed to learn what caused the Prince to gain such an understanding of such a sensitive matter he knew better than to question the rumors of how the Prince's very being came to be had not missed his ears.
And if his mother was a wound by a sword, then the Prince's tale was akin to leave a warrior stabbed a thousand times bleeding.
Thus, Phalgun replied, "It's alright. Sorry for my first impression. So do you want to be friends?"
And the beaming smile he got in response told him he had indeed taken the correct decision.