When Vrishasena returned, Satyasena could tell by the look on his face that his brother's mind was in the midst of a terrible conflict. He gestured to Chitrasena and Satyasena to separate from the rest and follow him. Satyasena glanced at Chitrasena in worry before hurrying up after their eldest brother.
"Well?" Chitrasena prodded.
"It's taken care of. However, they have already sent out word."
"How do you know?"
"Because the arrangements in their cottage were for three men. I encountered two, but the third one was missing. I checked for footsteps in the surrounding area as well as the path down below." Vrishasena handed them a piece of cloth with remnants of pine cone seeds jutting out of it. The fibers sprung out from where the cloth was torn and jumbled up together in a mess. "Found this at the foothills, where the terrain begins to rise."
Chitrasena patted the dusty fabric, pulling at its ends. "It's certainly not ours. What are our options?"
"We must leave."
Satyasena was always a little unsettled when Vrishasena transformed into this dispassionate state of his. His eldest brother was naturally reserved and serious, but there were moments when he went beyond that and became this withdrawn and cold person who could kill with his stare.
"How much time do we have?"
"None at all. There is no way to know how far that spy went. I noticed them only a week ago. They never got close enough, so they might have their doubts, but we cannot risk it."
"Grandfather is not well. How will he travel? And Radha Ma suffers from tremendous soreness in her knees." Satyasena said. He could tell her pain had worsened over the past few days. He saw her flinch every time she had to walk the minutest distance. Of course, she hid it behind her usual chatter about old age, but Satyasena knew her too well to not notice.
"We can construct a palanquin for grandfather and her."
Chitrasena balled up the cloth in his fists and threw it away. "What do you know about the men who were spying on us? Anything that can help?"
"Their possessions reveal nothing. As for my duel with them, they were fairly good with the sword, but I couldn't identify their origins. One of them caught me from behind." Vrishasena explained and gestured to his calf, where the cloth was torn off. A few drops of blood gleamed maliciously against the saffron cloth.
"You are hurt! Let's get you some medicine!", Satyasena exclaimed, taking Vrishasena's hand to guide him to their hut.
"Don't be ridiculous," Vrishasena responded, escaping his grasp. "It's a minor scratch. Come now, we must speak to Mother regarding this."
Their mother sat stitching up one of her older sarees, humming to herself. Her eyes were fixated on the needle, and she closed her right one while putting the loose thread through the hole. Vrishaketu was fast asleep on her lap, and in the background, they could hear the laughter of Susharma and Prasena who were playing around the house. Evening was creeping up on them, and so when she noticed them come to her, she pushed aside the saree and gave them a warm smile. "I was wondering where the three of you disappeared."
Vrushali's eyes widened and she straightened up as Vrishasena began to explain what had happened. She dropped the needle into her small wooden box and closed the lid. Vrishketu fluttered his eyelashes and so she picked him up from her lap and placed him on the cot, covering his feet with a thick, woolen blanket.
"Mother?"
Vrushali placed a finger on her lips to silence Satyasena. They went outside the cottage, out on the lawn. Well, lawn was what they called it, but it was nothing more than a small piece of land surrounded by rickety branches that served as a fence.
She didn't say anything until her eldest was finished with his narration.
"We have to leave. Staying here would be a monumental risk." Vrishasena stressed. He took her hands in his own, squeezing them so that she would look at him.
"Where will we go?"
"Father had told us that if our hideout is exposed, we must make our way to the east."
"Yes." Chitrasena nodded. "The humid weather and dense forests make it the perfect hiding spot. No one will find us there. The population is scattered, and they do not know much about what happened in the Great War."
"But what about your grandparents?" She questioned, lowering her voice and checking to see that Radha Ma wasn't around. It was time for her prayers.
"We will take care of it all," Vrishasena said, without hesitation. "You don't have to worry."
"I wish your father was here."
"Don't we all?" Satyasena muttered under his breath. Chitrasena kicked him to his feet, warning him with his eyes. "Mother, you must remember Tanshul."
"The guardian of the Kilsa Tribe?"
"Right. He can help us with food and shelter, and their tribe resides deep within the forests, so we would be protected there."
"Alright, I'll inform your grandparents." Vrushali glanced at the room where she had left her infant and sighed. "I just wish this nightmare would end."
Satyasena was surprised by the nonchalance demonstrated by his grandparents. He had expected that they would be disturbed or frustrated, but there was none of that. Only a look of silent agreement. Grandfather left his cot to stare at the mountains, while Radha Ma rushed to the kitchen with their mother to make food for their impending journey. Satyasena accompanied Vrishasena and Banasena to get some wood.
He struck at the trunk of the tree, using his rising irritation to make his blows harder. Banasena grimaced beside him, watching him carefully for a few seconds before getting on with the task. He took advantage of his brother's silence and battered the tree, moving his head to avoid the flying splinters.
"How could they find us," Satyasena yelled out, swinging the ax high in the air. "HERE!". A giant fissure erupted on the tree trunk, the branches shaking for a while. Satyasena bent a little, widening his hips and legs, to pull out the axe and strike again.
"We are in the middle of nowhere. And yet, we are still not safe. How long do we keep running? Forever?"
Vrishasena dropped his axe on the ground and put his hands on his waist. "We are not here to enjoy the scenery. We are here because there are people out there hunting for us. The situation isn't ideal, but what choice do we have?"
"I don't want to run. I want to fight."
"Who will you fight? And for how long?"
"As long as it takes." Satyasena slammed the ax again at the tree's trunk, creating a loud cracking noise. Vrishasena grabbed the axe from his hands and held it high against his chest. "Is being a little rational too difficult a task for you?"
"Brother-"
"Enough. Go back and help Chitrasena in designing the palanquin or Dvipata with the packing. You are of no use here."
"I am helping," Satyasena argued, stretching his arms to catch the axe from Vrishasena's hands. His brother moved the axe further away, causing Satyasena to stumble towards him.
"I asked you to cut down the tree. Not destroy it. Go."
"Fine," Sataysena huffed, and marched back to the hut. Anger seeped through him, mixed in with the blood that ran through his veins. It wasn't in him to live this way. Only bandits could live this way. And yet he and his family were no less criminal in the eyes of Bharatvarsh. By virtue of what happened on that fateful day, they were relegated to the lowest ranks of a citizen in any state– traitors. If he were to take a walk through the streets of Anga, he wouldn't be welcomed and garlanded as a prince. He would be hurled with abuses and spit on, as befits someone who chose safety over honour. There could never be a more pitiable existence than this.
It took them one and a half days to commence their journey down south towards the plains. They carried what they could; the rest they destroyed to avoid giving their enemies any clues about their whereabouts. The palanquin they had constructed was sturdy, and Chitrasena had designed it well to ensure that the hollow spaces in the wood allowed for even weight distribution. Vrishasena and Sushena carried the rows at the front, and Satyasena and Chitrasena supported them from the back. They decided to alternate every three hours to avoid putting too much pressure on either shoulder.
Just before leaving, he turned to look at their small, shoddy cottage and felt something similar to nostalgia within him. However the circumstances, it had been their home. They hadn't had the best of their time here, but still, it meant something to all of them.
"Maybe we can come back here again? To see what becomes of our palace,"
Chitrasena looked at him in surprise. "I thought you hated it here?"
Sayasena shrugged. "It wasn't all that bad."
"Well, nature takes whatever we build and swallows it whole. In a few years, you might not even recognise what becomes of this. It's human folly to think our artistry can beat that of the Gods."
"I suppose you are right," Satyasena mumbled, smiling lightly at their cottage. He felt both light in his head and heavy in his heart.
The descent was treacherous, to say the least. It didn't help that their footwear was worn out and provided less support on the slippery slopes. Snow had not fallen that week, but the ground was moist, and the winds were angry. They had to stop early that night to have food and rest.
"Eat," Chitrasena whispered to him, bringing him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the surrounding faces, solemn and serious, and wondered what they were thinking. He refused to believe he was the only one frustrated with their current lifestyle. No one was happy; he was sure. The only explanation he could come up with that explained their passivity was that they had resolved that this is how life would be now. There was no way out. It was painful and tiring, but they had no choice. His Father's actions had brought them to a stage from which there was no going back.
He had refused to believe it when he first heard it. It was impossible. Unimaginable. He remembered yelling at the messenger to not spread lies and distract them, especially when they were on the battlefield. Dust swirled in the air, settling on them as the war raged. Seated on his horse, he watched the foot soldiers engaged in vicious battle, striking their weapons at the enemy, who reciprocated with equal fervor. But the messenger stood taut, his eyes sympathetic but his demeanor fully serious.
Unnerved by the soldier's insistence, Satysasena yelled out to his brother over the mad cacophony. "Chitrasena! Have you heard?"
After releasing an arrow from his quiver that went straight in through the armor of the enemy soldier, Chitrasena rode over to him. Someone was shouting from behind, and the conch resounded in the air, sharper than his blade. Confusion gripped the land as soldiers on both sides hesitatingly began to lower their weapons, waiting in conspicuous anxiousness for those near them to do the same.
"What is happening?" Sushena called to them. "Do we retreat?"
"Yes!" Chitrasena screamed back at him. "Ask your battalion to stop the fight and assemble in the cantonment."
"But what happened exactly? They are saying Father has gone to the enemy camp?."
"That's what the messenger said. The son of Prince Arjuna, the valiant Prince Abhimanyu of Dwarka, has been fatally injured in the chakryavyuh conspired by Guru Drona."
"But—but he is the enemy! And why has father gone there?"
"Enough, Sushena. No point in hypothesizing with only half the information. Let us head back. Where are the others?"
"Dvipata has taken Banasena and Susharma back. Prasena is with me, but I cannot locate elder brothers Vrishasena and Shatryunjaya."
"The two of them must be farther out. Take Prasena with you, and we'll meet you back at the camp."
Chaos spread around them like wildfire. Anxious generals from Anga and other kingdoms rushed to them for orders, but Chitrasena for once couldn't rack his brains to come up with anything that would help. Head back, he simply commanded men on both sides, and such was the gravity in his voice that many of the soldiers accepted his orders and began to retreat.
Vrishasena rode towards them in his silver chariot, his white horses slathered with blood and mud. He removed his helmet, and sweat gushed off, dripping down his forehead. "Is it true? What the messenger said?"
Chitrasena nodded at him. "Seems like it. It's too absurd to not be true." He informed him that their army was now gathering at the cantonment and that their brothers were safe. "Is Shatrunjaya with you?"
"No. He's in the medical camp."
"What? He is injured?."
"No. But his friend Mrikanda is. He was struck by a deadly spear." Vrishasena pointed to the right side of his neck, just under his jaw, and dropped his voice. "I don't think he will make it."
"Oh, dear God. That's terrible."
Vrishasena hit his hand hard on the chariot, his rings smashing the rail and chipping off the wood. "He was so brave to be out here. I saw the enemy hurl their spear at him, while he was engaged in repositioning his bow. I threw my blade, but........ it was too late."
"Don't beat yourself up. I am sure he will be alright. Our healers can do magic with their hands. Don't lose faith."
"The messenger said that Father went with the Pandavas. Is he still there?"
"Yes, I think so."
Vrishasena blinked. "Should we go there as well?"
"I-I don't know. We have been ordered to come back."
"Who sent the messenger?"
"Uncle Ashu."
"Very well, then. Let's go."
"No!" Sataysena shook his head, staring between his elder brothers. "Why are we going back? We should go and check on Father. He is in the enemy camp, for heaven's sake."
"The Pandavas have honor. They won't betray Father, especially when he has gone there only to help Prince Abhimanyu." Chitrasena argued.
"Honor? This is a war without honor and without righteousness." Vrishasena spit on the ground. "What happened to the Prince of Dwarka is completely unacceptable. And to think this is what was being concocted in Guru Drona's quarters late at night. The reason Father didn't come to have dinner with us."
Satyasena gulped. He couldn't bring himself to agree with Vrishasena, even though he knew him to be right.
"Come on.....let's go back. Uncle Ashu might give us some answers, and I must check on Mrikanda and Shatrunjaya." Vrishasena looked up at the sky, sending a prayer for the safety of the two boys. "Lord Shiva, give strength to Mrikanda and help him survive this terrible ordeal. And bless my brother too."
The Medical camp was much less crowded today than it usually was during the war. Vrishasena ran up to the Chief Healer, who stood with his assistants, discussing some matters.
"Learned Sage Anshumat, forgive my interruption, but I must inquire on the whereabouts of my brother and his friend Mrikanada. He had been struck in the neck by a spear......my brother must have brought him in an hour ago."
"Prince Vrishasena, it pains me to deliver this awful news." The healer sighed deeply. "We did all we could, but we couldn't save him.".
Chitrasena gasped aloud, covering his mouth with his palm and shaking his head. Vrishasena's features twisted in pain.
"I am terribly sorry, Prince. He is in the tent on your right. You may pay your respects to him." The sage patted Vrishasena on the shoulders before leaving with his attendees. Vrishasena stood frozen for a few minutes before Chitrasena elbowed him at his side and urged him to accompany them to the tent.
Shatrunjaya sat alone, near the cot. Mrikanda lay next to him, eyes closed in peace. Cotton bandages covered his neck where the spear had lacerated him. A container at the bottom housed the broken pieces of shrapnel that the healers had managed to extract from the wound. Satyasena hopped around the empty containers, each with a different herb ground into a paste. He bit his lips hard when he got a closer look at his younger brother.
"Shrutyanjay!" Vrishasena nudged their brother, who sat in a catatonic state, eyes unblinking. Chitrasena scooped in next to him. "Brother, talk to us, please."
"I can't believe he is gone." Shatrunjaya gasped, eyes heavy with tears. "I was here; he died.....right in front of me. I didn't know what to do......I suppose neither did the healers." He laughed, his voice hollow. "I think they knew he wouldn't survive. Maybe that's why they stopped trying and just stood there. Waiting."
Vrishasena crushed Shatrunjaya in a tight hug, as if by that simple gesture the innocence that Shatrunjaya had lost would return. He held on to Vrishasena's arm, bawling in pain and kicking at the floor in empty frustration.
"Shatrunjaya." Chitrasena whispered. He looked at Mrikanda, and couldn't fathom what that sweet boy had done to deserve this gruesome death.
"What do I do now?" Shrutyanjay looked at them helplessly. He opened his mouth to stretch the skin over his cheek and jaw and began to wipe the sweat and the blood one side at a time. "Tell me, Elder Brother, tell me. What do I do now?" He choked out, his voice raspy and shaking.
"You stay strong. You don't lose hope."
"I had held onto hope when I brought him here. I prayed to the Gods to have mercy." He coughed, holding his stomach while shaking his head. "I learned today that hope is nothing but the deceit of the heart. It cajoles you for a while, but you can't run from the truth."
Vrishasena bowed his head and closed his eyes, holding onto his younger brother. "I am so sorry, Shrutyunjaya."
They heard cries of pain coming from the nearby tent. From the opening, Satyasena could see three healers hunched together, grim as they discussed how to proceed.
Shrutyunjaya's red and swollen eyes found Vrishasena's. "What are you all doing here? Sunset is still hours away. Why are you all off the battlefield?"
Chitrasena rubbed Shatrunjaya's back, mulling over his words to avoid his younger brother any further pain. "Something happened today on the battlefield. The war has been suspended. Both sides have retreated."
Shrutyunjay cackled, his upper body swaying back and forth. "Is that so? I never knew that was a possibility. Why didn't it happen sooner?" He turned to the body of his dead friend and placed a hand on his arms. "Look, Mrikanda it stopped. You fool, you only had to survive a few hours and you would have lived!"
"Let's get him out of here," Vrishasena mumbled to Chitrasena, who nodded at him.
"Wait! Where... where is Father? I need him; where is he?"
"He is the reason for this armistice, Shrutyunjaya. He is in the Enemy camp as we speak."
"Enemy Camp? They have him hostage?"
"No. We don't have all the information, but he stopped the war to save Prince Abhimanyu. And he went there to escort the Prince to the healers."
"But what about.." Shrutyunjaya stared at them in shock and pointed to his friend. "What about Mrikanda? He should be here. Please,"
Chitrasena looked at Vrishasena for direction, completely lost. He had no clue what they were supposed to do. He did not have an explanation for what his Father was doing in the enemy camp when he should have been here with his sons.
"Take, him to our tents, Chitrasena. Please get some rest, Shrutyunjaya. Father will be back soon and I'll bring him to you."
Shrutyunjaya nodded and allowed Chitrasena to carry him outside. Vrishasena stared for a long time at Mrikanda before bringing up the sheet to cover his face. He closed his eyes and recited a silent prayer. When he was done he breathed hard, and sat down. Exhausted, confused; feeling abandoned and alone, he said in a low voice. "Satyasena, please head back and get some rest."
"What about you, Eldest brother?"
"I'll stay here a while. I'll send a message when Father returns."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Vrishasena responded. He dropped his helmet on the ground and covered his eyes with his fingers. Satyasena could actually feel the tension rising within his eldest brother. He knew what he was thinking. Their Father had deserted the Kingdom of Hastinapur. It was a folly that no Kshatriya would ever forgive or forget. Dishonor was now stamped on his Father's name. He had no place now in Bharatvarsh and neither did they.
"Go on Satyasena. I'll come."
Satyasena nodded, then ran off to catch up with Chitrasena. They weren't too far, because every few steps or so Shrutyunjaya would break down, yelling to the skies about what a fool Mrikanda was. Chitrasena simply kept his head bowed and dragged his younger brother forward. Satyasena turned up to the other side, holding Shrutyunjaya's arm over his shoulder, unable to look his younger brother in the eye. He sighed and decided to wait for word from his eldest brother.
Vrishasena turned out to be wrong. Their Father didn't turn up until late at night.
And when he finally did, the whole world witnessed the breakdown of a friendship they all believed would last several lifetimes.
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