Part 1 in Devansh Series
The Mantri sisters have been thrown into a familiar yet unfamiliar world of devas, asuras, devansh, and age-old enmity. When faced with a choice, they have to follow into a mission to the lands of the enemy. Will they prove...
Music for the Chapter: Kyon by Papon and Sunidhi Chauhan from Barfi
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"How are you now?" I asked Adi, sitting next to her. Her arm and one leg were still in a cast. Four fractures and several bruises. Adi and I passed out once we were transported back. We crashed right before Gurukul. We had arrived just a few minutes later. If it had taken 3 minutes late, Guru Parshuram would have left for Patala. Hanuman found us and quickly called Guru Parshuram to return. He had just gone past the Gurukul's main gate. Listening to his call, he returned.
Adi was given a bit of somaras for the pain.
"I guess the somaras works quite well for pain. Almost tastes like brandy."
I chuckled as I remembered the time that we tasted Brandy. One of Adi's classmates had sneaked in Brandy to school from his father's stock. Of course, he was caught soon enough by the teachers and suspended for two weeks. Adi was in the commerce section. Harsh and I were in arts. It was such a scene in the school. Since he was Darshan's friend, nothing severe happened to him.
"You better not need to explain to Nana why you know how brandy tastes."
She laughed.
"I swear. The bhaang had caused enough drama."
I laughed too as I remembered the incident. It is funny now but wasn't back then.
"Harsh told me." I could only imagine what she was going through. Every year, on her birthday, Adi only wished to meet her maa. Now, she was so close to it but gave it up.
Nana had a ritual of setting a yagya for our birthdays. Adi, Harsh, and mine. Honestly, Harsh was halfway a part of our family. Nana and the Pandits were good with each other regardless of what Adi and my reputation with them was. So, we would sit at the temple for quite some time, sweating because of the heat. Then after it was finished, we would make our wish. Only Adi, Harsh and I were allowed to know what we wished for according to a rule that we made.
"I know I made the choice myself but I can't help but feel as if I abandoned her for the sake of this. I almost decided to stay back but then I thought of you, Harsh, Guru Vashista, and bhaiya. I still knew that regardless of what I choose, Guru Parshuram, Hanuman, Nana and Nani wouldn't hold resentment. Then I remembered the promise I made to you. Remember the day after your first outburst that Nana let me finally be with you again. You started crying with the thought that you'd never be able to stay with me again. I promised you that I will always be with you."
I hugged her softly.
"You have no idea what you really mean to me, Adi. I had survived 17 years without maa and baba but those few hours without you felt like ages. That fear when baba said he couldn't feel your aura was something I never want to feel again. I know what you left behind and how much it means to you but I promise you, I will find her for you."
