"Can't you stay still-nihira?" Shouted Nakul, standing and eyeing Tushti applying some sort of ointment upon my right leg.
"It hurts like hell," I answered back.
"Who told you to sleep midway in the gurukul-such an idiot you are." Let out, Nakul.
"Stop taunting me, don't you feel sleepy all day after getting up so early-?"
"No, it's my habit and you should get this too." He replied.
I rumbled my eyes from Nakul, as Tushti applied the ointment upon my right foot, Nakul and Sehdev stood there glancing at me and nodding their heads in dismay.
"What-why you both are staring at me like that-" I doubted.
"What made Ashwattama carry you to the ashram Nihira." Yelled Sehdev, out of anger and his face changed as he bought the topic of Ashwattama.
"Ah-Duryodhan, asked him to. I decreased him but he won't listen to me, I had no option left."
"You could have called us instead." Let out, Nakul.
"How was I supposed to call you, when I was not even in the condition to get up?" I yelled at them, tushti looked at me with baffled eyes, Nakul and Sehdev stared at me wide-eyed, whereas I sat on the ground, with so much remorse and regrets encircling my heart, I felt weak as both of my dearest friends Nakul and Sehdev, felt disgruntled from me.
"Right-sorry, Nakul and Sehdev," I said slowly.
"It's not about apologising Nihira, it's about who helped you, they might create mayhem out of this. He's Duryodhan, you don't know him." Said Nakul coming a little closer to the ground, and sitting beside me he kept his hands upon his knees, looking at me with tenderness and love.
"Nakul, I now know. But trust me Duryodhan is not that bad, he's my friend." I said consoling him.
"A friend to all is a friend to none, Nihira. Remember it." Said Sehdev exiting the tent. I stood there motionless trying to apprehend what he just let out. Nakul lifted his shoulders, I was crammed with bummers as to why even Sehdev hurt-?
"He means to say is, Duryodhan is not worth the chance, he tried to poison Bhrata Bheem when we were back in Hastinapur." Said Nakul, in a low voice that made me look at him with awe and shock. Tushti gave attention to the conversation calmly, she looked sallow and her dark hair fell upon her face, covering her in between.
"What-but why-" I suspected.
"Because-forget it, you're still gonna favour him. Because he's nice to you." Said Nakul standing up from the ground and walking out of the tent.
He left me in stillness. The only friends I have in Gurukul were now ignoring me great going nihari, I thought to myself, when water commenced sealing my eyes and I looked away, unable to look at Tushti who just finished applying ointment upon my leg.
"Thank you tushti, it means a lot," I said, facing the mud wall of the room, her jingling anklets implied that she was standing, I scrolled my eyes to look at her, she stood in front of me with the bowl in her hand, trying to say something.
"Nakul and Sehdev are jealous of Duryodhan, aren't they-" she contested, in a low voice the hush made me feel fragile, I looked at her, but this time her eyes were something else to convey. Her eyes were distinct.
"What do you mean, why would they be jealous." I let out, all bewildered.
"Because they all are Kuru Princes, they are born in amenity and indulgence not like pandu putras, in some woods between the brushes." She said her orbs were thin and a faint smile coated her face.
"That's rubbish, tushti," I said yelling up at her, her faint smile started to wane when she shifted her lips slowly once again.
"Sometimes I feel you too are jealous of Devpriya because she's too born in amenity unlike you found on the river bank-" Before she could finish off I broke in.
"Enough now, tushti. Stop speaking rubbish. And go out." I exclaimed in utter astonishment and wonder. My eyes were broad and my heart swatted laboriously how on earth did she even know that it was found near the river Saraswati, who is she and why was she even here in the Gurukul-? Gurudev told us that she's one of the helpers here, but what is her actual identity-? I doubted myself getting up from the ground.
* * *
The next morning was marked by a series of punishments I had to face, because of my reckless nature. Gurudev precisely told me not to doze off between the classes, and I was given the deficit to prepare food for all the students there including Gurudev, the thought paralyzed my brain, and I thought I might pass out slicing this huge amount of vegetables for everyone.
I sat under the banyan tree trying to think of an excuse that would get me out of this trouble, I scoured for Nakul and Sehdev who had not been seen anywhere since our last conversation.
I sat crossed-legged in utter disarray and kept my palm under my chin peeking at the students doing their day-to-day stirs, I could see Ashwattama whetting his arrows sitting beside the fencing, he looked surreal when the dawning daylight fell upon him, his mani was glowing dazzlingly refracting its glares in the surroundings, his brown skin shined like gold. And his body was flawlessly shaped. He was tall, taller than any of the pupils there, I looked like a kid in front of him. And yet he was thriving taller every day.
I got up and tugged towards the open kitchen that was not so big, but there were enormous utensils used for making food for everyone, and I took the yield up a large bundle of leafy vegetables, to cut them. I could see Devpriya didi and Tushti walking along the soft grass beside the ashram, and then there was Arjun who was practising archery. And there was me, sitting hopelessly in the kitchen incapable of comprehending what should i do.
"What are you doing nihira." A voice broke into my thoughts from behind, as I swerved back, my heart skipped a beat, and a shudder went down my whole body. It was Ashwattama, he wrapped the sun shining from behind and as I was sitting, he looked like a tree. The glares of sunlight spread through his body, and he looked dark and callous.
"I'm just preparing food," I said in a hesitating voice.
"Preparing food-?" He said perplexed with a smile stretched upon his lips.
"Yes, why are you even smiling," I said glancing up at him, meanwhile, the voices from behind began to fade, it appeared like it was just me and Ashwattama in the whole cosmic world, he kept his Dhanush and arrows aside sitting down beside me, I glimpsed at him, and his brown eyes which skimmed down at the ground, he was not looking at me, and a reddish tint appeared upon his cheeks.
"Do you know how to cook food-?" He doubted, sitting with his one hand on the knees and his hair stirred up.
"Well no, your father just punished me for making lunch for the whole ashram and I don't even know how to light up this stove," I said plucking the leaves of some vegetable plant.
"Hmm, so let me help you." He said conveying up from the ground and walking towards the pantry, I looked at him trying to hide the hefty smile I had on my lips, as he was strolling I marvelled at him from behind, I could say I liked the way he walked, the way he spoke or even the way he drew breath. I sat there peeking at him like an absolute dupe that I was, no wonder he had captivated every cell of my body. In no time he returned with a big sac of rice and pulses.
He kept them aside and asked me to hand me some water, I pursued his instructions, admiring his every movement. I noticed his arms, robust and burly as he spewed an entire sac of rice into the boiling water. Meanwhile, I just stood there doing nothing, he dabbed away the sweat from his head, making me fragile for him once again. And unexpectedly he darted towards me, and I instantly came back to reality. I was staring at him like an idiot.
"What-?" He said while glancing at me.
"What-?" I questioned back filled with nervousness and chaos.
"Why are you looking at me like that-" he questioned. And I was all black, I forgot how to speak, and even my mind was empty.
"I'm not staring at you." I fibbed.
"Do I have horns upon my head?" He said in a teasing way, indicating towards his head. That made me laugh slightly, I looked down at the ground and I could feel my face turning red.
"No-oh, the water-ashwa!" I yelled as abruptly my gaze fell upon the boiling rice that was about to come out from the container, he immediately raised aloft the boiling container with his bare hands from the mud stove, and the boiling water fell upon his hand, he immediately kept the receptacle on the ground, I rushed towards him as his face turned pale and his hand looked rubicund. He jerked off his hand for an instant and mashed his lips hard for a moment.
He was in pain.
"oh-no ashwattama, I'm so sorry!" I said dabbing his large hand under my palms. He stayed calm, no expression of being hurt or in pain was shown on his face. He looked normal even though he was in pain. My eyes were obscured when water crammed my eyes I felt remorseful, I could not swallow the thought that I caused his pain.
"I'm so sorry ashwattama," I said tears falling from my eyes, as I dabbed his hand under mine. I breathed heavily, soaked in tears and apprehension. Whereas he looked relaxed, he tilted his head a little, keeping his other hand over mine. I felt warm.
"Nihira, trust me I'm fine," he said calmly.
"No, you're not! I caused you pain. I'm so sorry." I let out sobbing.
"why are you blaming yourself, it's not your fault. And it's nothing I'm not even hurt. Stop crying." he spoke very politely. His hands were warm and he looked at me with tenderness, my face was covered in tears, and the kajal I wore melted down and I forgot about anything except him. I could not see him hurt, not at all.
"Now you are not helping me anymore, get out of here and apply something upon it," I said shouting at him, as I walked towards the stove to lift the other vegetables that were being cooked. He grabbed my hand from behind and pulled me towards him, I suddenly bumped into him, and the butterflies exploded in my stomach, i could barely breathe, and he placed his hand on my head, calming me down.
"It's nothing nihira, stop worrying," he whispered. I placed my arms upon him, and tears impulsively strolled down my eyes, he hugged me very shyly, and I sobbed under his presence, under his arms I felt cosy a feeling of security engulfed me. I wanted to spend my life embracing him till eternity. I found solace in his arms, it seemed like the stars, the moon's cosmic world, and the galaxies were confined in his feet.
"I liked it when you called me Ashwa!" came over his voice.
Hello! I'm sorry for this late update, I've my exams going on, I hope you understand.
Please please guys do vote for the chapter, I'll post another chapter tomorrow if I get at least 40 likes. 😭😭😭 you guys don't even vote😭😭😭😭
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Q. What are your views on the thriving bond between ashwa and nihira-?😚