Durgamasura and the Avatars

XI- Karnya- Why didn't you tell us?

I lifted Aranya higher, but she was like a giant rag doll. She murmured, "Sundaes..." I took that as a good sign. "D'you know who she is?" I demanded. 

"Yes." said the man, "She is Saraswati." he finished. "Then shouldn't you be giving her respect or something. 'Cause you sages respect her?" I asked. 

"I have the utmost respect for her. But I am not sure that my healing will be enough to cure her." "Do whatever you have to! Try your best, but please cure her!" Isha pleaded. The man said, with a heavy voice, "She has gone through a terrible ordeal. It is a wonder that she is murmuring about sundaes right now." 

"Wait... so murmuring about sundaes, isn't a sign of dementia?" Nilan asked. "No, but they are quite delicious." "Passing on from sundaes, so you can cure her, at least for now?" I asked. "Yes, I can." "Then why aren't you doing it?!" I asked, because her temperature was rising. 

Her skin was pale and clammy. "Come on." the man said. Then he led us to a banyan tree. Hidden inside a hollow, was a simple earthen pot. The thing radiated power. I managed to get a peek, and saw that there was a gold liquid in it. 

It was like liquid sunshine. He poured it in Aranya's mouth and then, took some water from a flask, and poured some medicinal herbs in it. He poured that in her mouth too, and rested a hand on her head, as if checking her temperature. 

When he removed it, he looked troubled. "This girl has gone through too much. She already has prophetic powers-" "Wait WHAT!" I interrupted through his diagnosis. "You didn't know? Of course she has.... That's what saved her life last month."

"L-Last month? But she didn't say anything." I stammered. "She thought she was going mad. She was relieved when she found out all this.... was real.

"Okay, but will she wake up?" Nilan asked. "She's resilient. She'll live. I suggest you find a place where there is shade, and give her this when she wakes up." He handed me the a bottle of that gold liquid.

"I suggest you have it too." he said. I took a swig of it, and I felt like I had had a full lunch and a refreshing nap, and it was the start of holidays. "What is this?" I asked. 

The man (who I was sure was Veda Vyasa) smiled and said, "Soma. The drink of the gods. 

She'll wake up in 3 to 4 hours." he finished.

We dragged Aranya to a shady spot, and laid her to rest. We started gathering wood for a fire, and after three hours I heard someone say, "Ughhhh." 

I ran to the campsite, to find Aranya holding onto  a tree trunk for support, but well.

She raised an eyebrow at me, and said, " I didn't know we were camping."

I stared at her, my bottom lip trembling, and asked, "Why didn't you tell us?"