Those who attain immortality in the body never die until the end of time, they roam the earth after their family and friends have long left it. Those who attain immortality in people's hearts however, their stories are loved, cherished, read and stu...
Cling! Cling! The swords crashed against each other, Aranika & Lakshman both unwilling to lose. Sita cheered for her "That's my daughter! Aru, don't go easy on Lakshman and use your skills to your advantage" and Ram cheered for his lal, Lakhan "Lakshman! Remember what Guru Vashistha taught you and counter Aranika's attacks!". There had already been a match between Tesla & Lakshman in which Lakshman won and so in the next round it was Aranika who he was supposed to fight with. They both knew each other's weakness & strength very well from watching each other train so the fight would inevitably be long. "Give up Chacha!" Aranika taunted playfully as she aimed for his sword, intending to disarm him. Lakshman managed to not lose his sword however, and replied "Never!". They both were evenly matched and as such the fight was eventually declared a stalemate by Tesla.
Next it was Aranika & Tesla, Tesla drew his sword and threw an overhand cut, starting the fight. Aranika parried and slapped his sword aside. Tesla took it as a challenge, and dodged her attacks while countering them easily. Aranika noticed that Tesla favoured his left side more than his right. She used that to her advantage. Feigning a blow to his left, she changed mid way to right. Tesla blocked her attack too late, and his sword fell out of his hands as Aranika thrust her sword towards his, glad for the opening.
"The winner is Aranika!" announced Lakshman.
Thus the match came to an end.
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The sound of Aranika's payal was heard throughout the hallway as she walked towards her room. She won ! Lakshman and Tesla were both happy for her. "I wish I could also spend some time with Sita Bhabhi and Ram Bhaiya but as long as she's happy I'm happy too. Ram Bhaiya is busy nowadays with his duties as a king so I think only Sita Bhabhi will be free at the moment however" thought Lakshman, as he was returning to his room.
Aranika arrived in SiRa's Room, after having a bath, only to find no one there. "It's almost time for lunch, so Mata should be in the kitchen. I'll go look there",she thought. Walking down the hallways, all she could think about was how to thank Bhagvan for this opportunity. It had been a busy week in the palace so she had got only a few moments to talk with Maiya and Pa and Aranika didn't want to be a hindrance in their duties. So she simply made the most of the time she spent with them.
But this week, Aranika had the chance to spend time with her parents, without being bothersome. She entered the kitchen, only to be met with the smell of Khichdi, Malai Kofta, Halwa, Ladoos and other mouth-watering dishes. Aranika found Sita near the stove "Maiya ! I won the match, according to the rules I get to spend the most time with you & Pa !"
Sita laughed "Sure Aranika. If you like, I could teach you how to make your Chachis favourite dish. Mandavi loves the simple but tasty dal & Jeera Chawal. So, should we start cooking?" "Yes Maiya! I would love it, but Mata do we have the ingredients?", questioned Aranika. "Of course we do !" said Sita, a smile on her face at the idea of spending time with her daughter.
The mother-daughter duo got to work, Aranika washing the dal and Rice and soaking them in water while Sita guided her, "The dal has to be soaked for at least 20 minutes after washing it twice or thrice, and same with the rice. so while we wait, you can bring the turmeric, salt, ghee and other ingredients and I'll bring the cooking vessels and utensils"
The Kitchen, fairly quiet until now, became extremely noisy and loud as Aranika and Sita looked around the Kitchen. After a few minutes, Aranika cheerfully announced "Maiya! I got everything you asked for !" After finding all the materials required such as a cooking pot, cups, spoons etc, Sita checked the dal. They assumed that it was soaked for enough time and Sita added it into the cooking pot. Aranika sprinkled some turmeric and salt, poured in with water and let the dal boil. taking the ghee, she poured it in a different pot and waited for the ghee to melt. When the ghee melted, Aranika added the cumin seeds. "Wait a little while before adding in the bay leaves Aranika" said Sita.
After finishing making the dish, Aranika took a handful of the rice, "Mata, please taste it and tell me if it tastes good na" "But we are supposed to serve the dishes later Aranika, how can you expect me to eat it?" questioned Sita. How can Aranika explain that in Kaliyuga, some people only wanted to eat food that was first offered to Siyaram? How could she explain that devotees would wait in line at the temples for hours only for Siyaram's prasadam? "Mata, this is my first time making a dish with you, so I want you and Pa to taste it first. Mandavi Chachi or anybody else will not be offended if they were told that the food they're eating was first eaten by you and Pa, they would actually be glad because it means that you and Pa have eaten and are now satisfied. So please try it."
"Okay, fine. Ram and I will try it first since it's your wish!" saying so, Sita nodded. Aranika fed Janaki with her hands, feeling extremely joyful. "How is it?" she inquired. "It's very tasty and amazing, Aranika!" answered Sita, "The dal isn't too spicy or too bland and the chawal has its own unique flavour that tastes amazing when eaten with the dal". "It's only tasty because you helped me make it Maa!"
"Now come on, we have to serve everyone the food, it's already 3:45!" announced Sita. Walking towards the dining room, she, her chachis and Maiya served everyone the food.
"Raghav, try this and tell me and Aranika how it tastes, Aranika made it." asked Sita. "Okay priye, before eating however I've got to say, it smells mouth-watering." declaring this, Ram tasted the food. It tasted like Sumitra maa's cooking, flavourful but mild and extremely delicious. "The dal chawal is absolutely heavenly Aranika! You definitely have your mother and grandmother's talent for cooking and warfare. I mean, when we visited Mithila, your grandmother, Maa Sunaina made the most delicious dishes known to man, and you already know how amazing Koushalya maa, Kaikeyi maa & Sumitra maa's cooking is!" exclaimed Ram.
To Be Continued...
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Forgive me for any inaccuracies, I'm really a beginner. Aru_6002 sorry for making you wait Sakhi and hope my characterization was done right.
Explaination : The rules for the fight at the beginning are that Lakshman, Tesla & Aranika fight each other in a monthly competition (playfully not like enemies) for improving their skills. There are rounds, so like one round it Aranika vs Lakshman, next round Aranika vs Tesla and the winner's prize is extra time with SiRa.
