A Heart of Gold

Chapter 12: Farewell, Sweet Home

Ta~da!!! Guess who is back?!?!?

No, you are not dreaming!! I really am back!! You thought I'd abandoned it, right?
I didn't, my exams are still not over. I think I might have exam-sickness now or something.

Anyway, here goes the chapter. Enjoy!!

Radheya found Vrishali seated on the porch of her house, glaring at nothing in particular. He trotted upto her and settled by her side, coughing lightly to make his presence known. Vrishali kept staring ahead, not acknowledging him. Radheya sighed.

"Vrishali - " he began, but she lifted her hand, interrupting him.

"No." She said bluntly, "I refuse to listen to anything else you have to say."

"Vrishali, please - "

"No."

Radheya sighed and then finally said, "Why will you not even listen to me?"

"Because you will inevitably talk nonsense?"

"I really, really want to go."

"Where will you go exactly?"

Radheya bit his lip, contemplating all the ways this could go wrong. Finally, he ventured, "I'm not sure yet, but I'll go."

Vrishali turned to him, her eyes bottomless pits of cold fury. "So... you are telling me that you, a twelve year old, are going to desert your parents, who've just lost their child and are grieving, to go to a place you know nothing about, to learn a craft that no one wants you to, and you are asking me to be your accomplice in this one. Did I miss something?"

Radheya turned away, ashamed that he hadn't thought of his parents. Vrishali twisted the knife further, "And why do you want to do this? Because you wish to be a fighter. Then you'll go and die in some foolish battle for some foolish reason that only the Kshatriyas will know. Even if your side wins, people will praise the King, the General and the Ministers. And your parents will sob over your dead body and their fate that left them deprived of a support in the twilight of their life. And if you ever marry, you'll just foredoom your wife to a life as a widow. Not to mention that - "

Unable to hear her stinging words any further Radheya got up and rushed away, guilt burning its way up his gut.

'How selfish I was being! In my quest for self-discovery, I forgot about the most important people in my life! Oh mother! Forgive me,' he thought.

Tears welled in his eyes. He stumbled into their barn and curled up in a corner, rocking himself on his heels. Their only horse, an old, brown stallion that went by the name Sarayu let out a quiet whinny and sensing Radheya's distress, lightly nudged his shoulder with his huge, wet nose.

Vrishali strolled in after him, took in the scene, and rolled her eyes. Not sounding the least apologetic, she bit out through clenched teeth, "Sorry."

Radheya rubbed his hand over his face and mumbled, "No, you're right. I was being selfish and foolish."

He hoped Vrishali would protest against such a declaration, but she remained silent and Radheya shrank further, curling upon himself.

They sat quietly for some time, not knowing what they were waiting for, until Vrishali finally caved, and jerking a distraught Radheya by his shoulders, spoke demandingly, "Do you truly want to learn this... this... thing?" She jabbed her finger in the air to emphasize her point.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

Vrishali tugged her hair, frustrated. Radheya stared at her in bafflement, "What's wrong with you?"