𝕰𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊 | ✔

Chapter 9 : His Commencement.

Hastinapura :- 

The brilliant sun was about to rise, as the sky lightened into various colours of the prime seven, making preparations of their own to welcome the life source of the earth. Birds took their everyday flight to hunt for food and the flowers started to bloom as if welcoming the arrival of spring. A slight chilly atmosphere provided the last vestiges of coolness before the arrival of the radiant sun and the intense heat.

In the grandest room of the enormous palace, nimble fingers gently held the pearl encrusted gold anklet. Chocolate orbs watched it with bafflement everyday. A sigh escaped the attentive man's soft lips, as he turned the anklet on his hand again, wondering why he looked at it everyday. It wasn't the first time he was seeing an anklet.

Suddenly, the grand engraved doors of the room opened and entered the one person who could come and go from the room of His Royal Excellency, the Honorable Bhishma.

"Devavrata!" called a deep voice, wearing a cotton dhoti, the colours of white lotuses and a saffron coloured uttariya which covered his well-built torso. Adorned with regalia of Rudraksha and gold beads, the Raj Guru of Hastinapura, Kripa, was the only one who called him by his birth name - Devavrata.

The eldest son of Shantanu, swiftly turned around, hiding his hand behind him nonchalantly. His chocolate orbs shinning with exasperation, as he raised an eyebrow towards his best-friend/confidant.

"What happened Kripa?" asked Bhishma, regally arching one black eyebrow.

Kripa looked above towards the ceiling as if asking for patience from the Lord, before turning coffee eyes towards Bhishma, "What happened? Don't you remember? Today, your grand-nephews are returning after completing their studies."

"When have I forgotten anything Kripa?" replied Bhishma casually, "I am well aware that they are returning. On the other hand, you seemed to have forgotten about the only princess of the Kuru and your beloved nephew is also returning."

Kripa rolled his eyes, "Who will forget my beloved nephew? And yes, Princess Dushala is arriving as well."

Bhishma's lips quirked slightly under his trimmed mustache, "Ashwathama is such a well behaved and lovely child. Why do you speak like that of him?"

"Lovely child? " said Kripa, looking at Bhishma as if he had gone mad, "From which angle is he a lovely and well-behaved child, Devavrata? Just you wait, this time I won't let him steal my Kheer. He always does that! That mischievous brat! "

Bhishma let out an amused chuckle at the grumbles of his best-friend, while Kripa gave him the 'evil eyed' glared, "How would you understand? Your reputation and personality stops even your grandchildren from having fun with you. They love you so much that they worship the ground you walk on."

Bhishma simply shook his head as he corrected, "You mean Pandu's children." A soft uneasy look crossed his face, "I don't know where I went wrong with Dhritarashtra's children. They respect me, yes, but their behaviour with the Pandavas...I am worried about that."

Kripa placed a hand on the exposed shoulders of Bhishma with a reassuring look on his face, "Don't worry, Devavrata. Everything will sort itself out. It's merely Shakuni's influence towards the kids."

"Yes, I am aware," said Bhishma, meeting reassuring coffee eyes with worried chocolate, "But, sometimes I think I should do a bit more and try to influence them myself."

"You have done your best," Kripa reassured again, "I am sure they will be able to differentiate between the right and wrong."

"Hopefully," said Bhishma, his hand which held the anklet curling into a fist, "At the least, Ashwathama is good friends of both of the sets of cousin. That is what I have heard."