Sojourn : mahabharata's era

By flowersxme

20.6K 1.4K 1K

Nihira, unexpectedly finds a mysterious box which teleports her into the era of mahabharata. Where is she sen... More

AUTHOR'S NOTE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1 : Royal Palace
CHAPTER 2 : The Balcony
CHAPTER 3 : The order
CHAPTER 4 : Ashwattama
CHAPTER 5 : Ashram
CHAPTER 6 : The Pandavas
CHAPTER 7 : Duryodhan
CHAPTER 8 : Arjun
CHAPTER 9 : Karna
CHAPTER 10 : The Lake
CHAPTER 11 : The Punishment
CHAPTER 12 : Helper
CHAPTER 13 : Enemies?
CHAPTER 14 : Rain
CHAPTER 15 : Tushti
CHAPTER 16 : Sunset
CHAPTER 17 : The Boy
CHAPTER 19 : the unexpected
CHAPTER 20 : The Letter
CHAPTER 21 : Mathura
CHAPTER 22 : Yamuna
CHAPTER 23 : Subhadra
CHAPTER 24 : Krishna
CHAPTER 25 : Dwarka
Chapter 26 : Lover
Chapter 27 : Morning
Chapter 28 : Farewell
CHAPTER 29 : HASTINAPUR
Chapter 30 : Kalapradarshan
Chapter 31 : Radhey
Chapter 32 : Assembly
Chapter 33 : Nakul

CHAPTER 18 : Rage

508 42 49
By flowersxme

Ekalavya's face, once adorned with a smile, quickly lost its radiance. A wave of terror washed over him, causing him to once again fall to his knees, this time in complete disbelief. The words he had just heard were unimaginable, causing his heart to beat uncontrollably.

The conversation between Duryodhan and Ashwattama came to a halt as they too heard gurudev's words. A chill ran down my spine upon hearing them. Devpriya's jaw dropped in shock, leaving her speechless. Ekalavya's entire being was shattered. He struggled to find the right words, opening and closing his mouth in disbelief, gasping for air.

"I knew it, you won't be able to fulfill it son. Forget it." Gurudev's words were filled with harshness as he abruptly turned and made his way out of the cave. However, Ekalavya's sudden return to his senses halted him in his tracks. I stood there, observing both of them with a sense of confusion, deeply disappointed by Gurudev's actions. In that moment, all the respect I had for him vanished. It seemed that he had asked for such a gurudakshina because he favored his students, particularly Ashwattama and Arjun. He couldn't bear to see anyone else excel besides them. How could he, when he considered himself  mahaguru Dronacharya son of great rishi bharadwaj.

I found it impossible to remain silent; I felt compelled to express my opinions. This was not the first instance where he had insulted or belittled a student. I had witnessed him treating Karna in the same manner, and although I attempted to defend him, my efforts were futile. However, this time, I was determined to prevent a recurrence of such injustice. Ekalavya is still just a child, with his entire life ahead of him. How could he possibly surrender a part of his body to someone he barely knows? Furthermore, how can anyone be so heartless as to demand a child to give up such a vital aspect of their existence?

"How could you Guru Drona—?" I said in furry and disgust. Ekalavya, seated below the guru, glanced towards me, accompanied by Ashwattama, Arjun, Duryodhan, and Devpriya. The gurudev's gaze shifted from Ekalavya to me, revealing a mix of anger and disappointment.

"How could you just simply ask a child to give away his thumb gurudev?" I let out aggressively.

"Nihira you're too young to tell me what to do and what not." Gurudev's words were spoken with severity. Ashwattama glanced at both of us at the same time. Duryodhan wore a proud expression on his face, as if he was standing by my side, while Arjun appeared to be taken aback.

"How low will you stoop to prove your perfection gurudev—?" I let out.

"Nihira—" a loud sound rang in my ear, as Ashwattama shouted from the place he stood, the cave was vacant letting his voice to echo.

"No, Ashwattama let me speak." I replied.

"Mind your tongue nihira." Ashwattama, now slightly more composed, spoke with a deep and weighty voice. Gurudev maintained a profound expression on his face as he silently observed me. I cast a fiery glance at him, disregarding his gaze, and proceeded with my speech.

"Gurudev, this isnt the first time you let someone go in pain, only to teach your students and that too the ones from Kuru kingdom." I said.

"Nihira—" Arjun let out, moving his head to stop me from speaking.

"You insulted Karna too." I continued.

Gurudev glanced up at me, his eyes brimming with fury and disillusionment. He was on the brink of unleashing his anger, gazing at me with an intense expression. If eyes possessed the power to act, his would have ended my life in that very moment. Meanwhile, Ashwattama was taken aback upon hearing Karna's name. His eyes widened in astonishment and disbelief. He cast a glance downwards, breathing heavily.

"Nihira, enough—" spoke Gurudev.

"I'm just speaking the fact gurudev, which might haunt you because it's the truth you've been hiding from." I said giving them a faded smile.

"Nihira, mind your words. It's enough now." Spoke Ashwattama very loudly.

"Ashwattama—" I As he approached, he positioned himself next to Duryodhan, who greeted me with a sinister grin. Gurudev's gaze shifted from me to Ashwattama, who quickly grew uneasy and apprehensive, although he swiftly concealed these emotions behind a stoic facade.

"Didn't you feel your father being partial towards Arjun—" Arjun listened to the conversation, perplexed, as he spoke, shaking him slightly. The anger on his face was now evident.

"No—I'm telling you nihira, stop right here, or else—" he said burning.

"Oh great, now you're afraid of your father—Ashwattama." I said.

"Nihira, please stop speaking rubbish, he's our guru" Came over the voice of Devpriya didi.

"Nihira, this is the last time I'm telling you to shut up or else—"  Ashwattama expressed his anger and annoyance through his words. His eyes mirrored his intense anger and frustration, while his face radiated a fiery intensity.

"Now you're threatening me ashwa—" he arched my eyebrows in surprise as i spoke. He responded with a cold, piercing gaze. Ekalavya, seated on the ground, had a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he anticipated being taught by his beloved teacher. He had dedicated years to preparing himself for this momentous day, longing to become the greatest archer in Aryavarth. However, in a single moment, his dreams were mercilessly shattered by gurudev, leaving him broken into countless fragments.

It would be an insurmountable obstacle for him to wield a Dhanush if he were to relinquish his thumb, thereby hindering his ability to pursue his aspirations. I could not allow such a circumstance to unfold. Ekalavya's eyes welled up with tears as he teetered on the brink of crying. Gurudev, however, remained steadfast in upholding his reputation and pride. He viewed Ekalavya merely as a rival to his own students, someone who could potentially garner more respect than them. Yet, beyond this rivalry, Ekalavya was just a young boy with dreams and a lifetime ahead of him, capable of ascending to the throne of Magadh following in his father's footsteps.

"Gurudev, just think of his life once, he's still a boy. How could you—?" As a single tear escaped from my eyelids, I felt the presence of water welling up in my eyes. Swiftly, I hastily brushed it away.

"I'm not forcing ekalavya, it's up to him. If he wants to he will."  The disappointment in his voice was evident as he spoke slowly, clearly affected by my words and actions. His attention then turned to Ekalavya, who appeared lost in his own thoughts. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he seemed completely numb.

"Ekalavya—you don't want to do this right." I requested his assurance, fully believing that he would concur with me. He turned his attention towards me, offering a comforting smile that alleviated the sense of fear and despair.

"Nihira, you shouldn't have tried to save me. And you shouldn't have raised voice at Maha Guru Drona. It was very disrespectful." He replied.

I observed him with complete astonishment, tears streaming down my face. I was unable to restrain them, expressing my thoughts without shedding tears was beyond my control. tears are like the blood of soul, when soul bleeds you cry.

"Ekalavya, nobody's forcing y–you, you d–don't have to. I–I'm with you." I said wipping, as a sudden feeling of guilt enguled me.

"No, Nihira. I've always worshiped gurudev, and he has always given me, the knowledge the lessons, the confidence. And only for one time he asked me for something, how will i deny to my God." He said with a warm smile.

Gurudev's gaze bore into me, filled with utter disdain. His eyes seemed to mock me, as if they were conveying that I had lost everything. It felt as though his piercing gaze had shattered my heart into countless fragments, leaving me overwhelmed with guilt and remorse.

Ekalavya cast a quick glance at gurudev, and my heart started racing as he pulled out a sharp dagger from his attire. Goosebumps erupted all over my body, and tears streamed down my face. Desperately, I searched for any kind of response from the people surrounding us. I turned to Ashwattama, but he completely disregarded me, his breaths heavy and labored. My head throbbed, and my heart pounded relentlessly.

" No ekalavya, think once more. It's not more than your life. You just—" before i could speak, Ashwattama shouted from behind.

"Enough nihira—"

In a state of disarray and overwhelmed by tears, I spun around, attempting to speak but consumed by a deep sense of unease and fear. I pressed my lips tightly together, desperately seeking his attention, only to be disregarded. Abruptly, a voice resonated in my ears, causing me to shift my focus towards Duryodhan.

"Gurudev—" as he spoke, gurudev darted their eyes towards him, full of rage and he halted. Nodding his head in dismay.

"Duryodhan please speak up."

As i spoke, his gaze softened with sympathy while he cast me a despairing glance. As I pivoted, I witnessed Ekalavya forcefully crushing his thumb before Gurudev, resulting in a sudden burst of blood that sprayed everywhere. For a brief moment, I was rendered breathless, unable to comprehend the sight of blood cascading down and his thumb detaching from his body, landing on the ground. The boy quivered in agony, his eyes brimming with tears and his clothes saturated in blood.

I experienced a sudden blurring of my vision, and for a moment, I found it difficult to breathe. As I stumbled backwards, Ashwattama caught me in his arms. Before I could comprehend what was happening, I lost consciousness, enveloped in a void of darkness.

Hello cudies!! I was literally overwhelmed while writing about ekalavya, I really really felt bad for him, there aren't many stories about him, that's where I felt more  for him. Also, it's fiction yet we cannot just change the history, Ekalavya's sacrifice was a part of mahabharata and It was somthing as important as other events of the epic. Although we can always give it an another dimension, and that's why we call it fiction. So please don't cancel me for not saving ekalavya 😭✨️

I hope you liked the chapter, tell me about your opinions. I'd love to hear from yall.

Q. What do you think was Ashwattama right when he shouted at Nihira ??

Q. Do you think Nihira was right at voicing her opinions??

Also, we hit 7K + views on Sojourn.  Virtual Valentine's day hugs and pizza for each one of youu💌

Thank you so much for reading :)

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