The calm before the storm: The sanguine Krishna-Arjun journey

ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕦𝕖

The Lord of Creation, Vasudev Krishna, was known for getting excited over small things. Yet, his sense of control and the ability of rational thinking of still more well-known.

Then there came a day when he experienced a sort of excitement so intense, he did not known how to deal with it. Did mortals deal with it everyday? Or did this exceed what they felt, too?

He glanced around at Yudhishthir, Bheem, Nakul, Sahadev and Draupadi. There was an air of excitement about all of them. And why not? A very, very important part of their family was returning today from heaven.

Arjun had spent five years with his father in heaven, acquiring celestial weapons and fighting demon armies. Lord Indra was even said to have shared his throne with him.

They had climbed steep mountains so that they might receive Arjun when he descended, even Draupadi. Their present dwelling, surrounded by Mounts Mandara, Asta and Meru, was a beautiful bit of nature, but today, Krishna could not appreciate even nature's beauty.

He counted minutes. Nobody spoke much; possibly, they were doing the same. Every minute Krishna thought he would run out of patience if Parth delayed a moment longer.

A glorious chariot drawn by Indra's charioteer Matali reared up to them eventually, and Arjun stepped out, Gandiva in hand, curly hair windblown, and that dear, dear smile lighting up his face as he spotted the six of them.

As one, they all rushed to embrace him. Krishna beat them all of it and clasped his friend to his heart.

"Parth--Parth, you're back."

"Heaven is incomplete without you, Madhav," whispered Arjun.

"Don't go around saying such things, heaven would be insulted." Krishna grinned and took a step back to study Arjun's face with relish. "It is not heaven that is incomplete. It is us that is incomplete without each other."

The next moment, he had clasped Arjun to him again, and he would have alternated between looking at him and hugging him if the others not pushed him out of the way so they could hug him, too.

Arjun gave them a summary of his stay in heaven in a very excited few lines. He also told them how much he had missed them.

"I kept thinking of you all," he said. "You could not visit me, of course--but you could have, Madhav. I expected you to pay me at least a single visit--"

"If I went, I could not have returned anytime soon," said Krishna truthfully. "And I have a nine-year old nephew to bring up, you know."

"How is Abhimanyu?" asked Arjun eagerly. "And Subhadra?"

"Both glowing," said Krishna. "Abhi would come across as an innocent child like you, Parth, but I must warn you, he is truly my nephew from the inside."

"Poor Subhadra," said Arjun.

"What do you want to eat, Arjun?" Bheem asked. "I'll cook you exactly what you wish for."

Nakul nudged Arjun, who promptly named an item unprocurable in a mountainous forest. Bheem's face fell.

"Arjun," reprimanded Yudhishthir mildly.

"Sorry, Bhrata Bheem," said Arjun. "Two things I craved most in heaven were your bear hugs and your soups."

Bheem laughed and obliged by enveloping Arjun in a violent hug before lighting a fire to prepare one of his soups. The others settled down in a circle around the fire. Nakul and Sahadev chose either side of Arjun, while Draupadi sat opposite. Their eyes kept finding each other's as everyone talked in shouts.

Krishna decided against pushing one of the twins away, even if he wanted Arjun close by himself, so he could keep hugging him.

Six years of exile were left, as was the thirteenth year in incognito, but that day, no one would think this was a family in crisis. The excitement did not let up in its intensity till late into the night as they ate, talked and laughed.

When everybody had retired to sleep, however, Arjun curled up in Krishna's arms, and hidden by the dark from the gazes of his brothers and wife, his resistance gave way to tears.

"What on earth is wrong with you?" asked Krishna, who had not expected this.

"Heaven was horrible." Arjun's voice caught in his throat. "I missed you all the time, I missed you so much, Madhav. I don't know how I lived five years without you. And--and there was no way to return."

Krishna kissed his forehead and tousled his curly hair like people did with kids, since presently his friend was behaving exactly like one.

"You will keep visiting us for the remaining exile, won't you, since I will be on the earth itself?"

"Of course. I will visit all the time."

Arjun clung on to him and kept saying, "I missed you. I missed you. I missed you."

"Yes, but I am here now, Parth..."

"Did you not miss me at all?" Arjun demanded finally.

"You already know I prefer to see five years as a rounding error in the eternity we have."

"Are you sure we have an--eternity together?"

"Parth," said Krishna tenderly. "Do you think I would allow otherwise?"

The next seven years, it was evident, would take an eternity to pass.