LOVE: To Infinity And Beyond

The Brutal Truth

"Rise Devraaj.. there's no need for you to fall at my feet. You have brought me into my Karmabhoomi and now the divine drink of your abode has pointed out to me that the real intention of this birth in the mortal world still remains unfulfilled.. You haven't sinned.."

"Oh I have, O great Mahadev!! I have!", the Devraaj nearly cried out as a tear dropped from his eye, and a dam within him broke. 

As Arjun looked straight into his eyes, sensing that something was terribly wrong, the Devraaj, quite unable to 'describe' the brutal truth to him, resorted to showing him through the Deva telepathy. The vision which Arjun saw, nearly sucked all the living force from within him..

"Where are Mayashrainik, Druvani and their aides, Pitashree?!", screeched a furious Sati, her temper and patience both breaking all the known boundaries. Daksha looked on with a mildly startled expression for a few moments; he has never ever before heard his daughter speak to him in such an inappropriate way; before walking down from the raised throne-platform. "Weren't they the ones who had supported your decision of getting married to that uncouth barbarian??", Daksha replied, a tad of sarcasm in his cold but furious voice. "Father.", Sati halted to gulp down a large helping of air in order to calm down herself. "Firstly, not just them but almost the whole universe, except for a few senseless and spineless aides of yours, supported and rejoiced the marriage. Secondly, my husband is the God of Gods and NOT an 'uncouth barbarian', for your information. Thirdly, I am really so so ashamed to call you my father, that I am not going to call you that ever again. And, fourth and lastly... What conspiracy are you weaving against them?! Where are they??! Answer me!!", Sati ended in a shriek as her temper rose further. Daksha's face was a stone mask- cold and expressionless, and the flash of pure terror, crossing Sati's face every now and then, clearly expressed her inability to believe that this man is the doting father she has known since birth. Suddenly a loud thud jolted both of them out of their probable mental monologues, as the door to the Yajna hall burst open and an injured Mayashrainik, the righteous military general of Kankhal and a very faithful aide of Sati, ran into the hall, after thrashing away a few guards. "Princess.. Come out, quick!! Those assassins almost all over my small brigade and our aides. They say you are 'The Prey'..!!", he rushed through the words, as if apprehending that his end may take him down before he can even attempt to save the Princess. Sati's eyes widened in horror, but soon that look was replaced by that of pure, unbridled rage. She glowered at the wretched man whom she had called her father-- the most undeserving Father. "I didn't invite my daughter to her death. Why did she come?", Daksha  half-whispered, his stone mask slowly breaking down. "Oh great.. Such a great father, you are!", Sati retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Her furious glowered sweeped the faces of all the helpless people , including the Gods and the  great Lord Brahma nd Vishnu. Sati finally shot them a critical glare and then her eyes travelled to her  mother who had already started to weep, torn between her role as a protective mother and her duties as a righteous wife; and then dashed out of the hall. "Stop the Princess!", her mother's scream rang from inside the hall, followed by a slightly lower call, rather a loud sigh, of  "Sati..", most probably from Daksha who was possibly regretting the fact that he was about to lose his daughter yet again, courtesy to that barbarian. But atleast, he'll defeat him this one time!

As Sati dashed down the stairs to reach the lower platform in front of the palace , followed by Mayashrainik, she saw a war raging down there. There were atleast a score of hooded assassins, of course not from Sapt Sindhu. Sati jumped onto her waiting horse and raced to the battleground with a thunderous war-cry of "Har Har Mahadev!!"

As the battle raged on between the small guard force of about fifty under Sati and about twenty finely trained assassins, Sati could see her men dying out like garden flower under the desert sun. Suddenly, by the sudden blessing or curse of which God or Devil, she didn't know, she spotted a snake symbolled ankle-band in one or their feet. The man stopped after decapitating a soldier from Mayashrainik's brigade and turned towards Sati. His dark brown eyes were cold and expressionless- the symbol of a very well-trained, expert assassin. He was most probably the leader of the score. He gritted out through his teeth, "A woman! What does she have to do here?!", most probably to his aide, standing close to him. The other man turned towards Sati, and his eyes grazed over the bloodied sword in her hand, and then back to her eyes; probably trying hard to place the magnetic blue eyes and the bloodied sword in one square. The first man nodded at the latter, and immediately he charged at Sati.