The Different Mahabharata

The Sign

Yash pov

Seeing her churlish look on my arrival, made me remember what she had told me.

"All you will have to worry about my is my anger."

"I've come here to remind you about yourself, priye." I tell her, smiling softly.

***

Yash pov

"Oh, dear" I laugh.

"She prayed to you!" Dau says while breathing hard from laughing too much.

I purse my lips.

I can't take that feelings away, priye.
That will make you go away from me, and I don't think I can take that.
I'm not as strong as you.

"What happened Kanha, why did you become so serious?"

I shake my head.
"Nothing Dau, nothing."
***

Niyati pov

"Didi, didi, didi, didi," Subhadra comes, chanting.

"Oof oof, what happened Bhadre?"
I ask her, my hand on my hips.

"It's Holi!" she replies, excited.

"Holi?" I ask, confused.
What is Holi?

"Arre, you don't know what's Holi? Didi!" She looks disappointed.

"Is it a festival?"

"Yes! It's the festival of colours! The festival of love. The festival, where we play with colours." she exclaimed before sighing, "It's amazing."

I smile.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Well, as your brothers told me, you're very naughty," my eyes widened, "and, I want you to help me to put colours on Bhrata Krishna and Balram."

"And why would I do something like this?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows.

"Because you're trouble."

"Okay Bhadre, if all you're gonna do is tell me how I am a 'trouble', then I'd rather help your brothers instead of you." I grumbled.

"Arre, okay okay wait," she yelps, "you'll help me because you're good in warfare?"

I cackle.
"Bhadre this is a festival, not war."

"But for me, this is war. My brothers always trouble me, this time, I'll put colour on them first." she shakes her head suggestively, "and you know, no one can put colour on Bhrata Krishna, not even Balram Dau or Mata Devki."

Now this piqued my interest.

"What do you mean?"

"He always put colours on everyone, but doesn't let anyone do it on him. One of the reasons being that he's too fast for others to catch him."

I hummed.

"Now I gained your interest, didn't I didi?" she looks at me with intense eyes and a playful smile.

"What-"

"You like a good challenge, don't you? Now your challenge is Bhrata Krishna."

"Oh, oh yeah."

"Come one then, let's get ready to win, didi."

"Bhadre, when is Holi?" I asked her, walking away from my room.

"Well, didi, it starts from today, for us Dwarkavasis, it lasts for days. It's supposed to be actually only one day, but we play that day for weeks."
She explains, "But didi, festivals are universal, how come you do not know about this festival?"