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

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘

Krishna's pov

Krishna was woken up with a inconsiderate push on his shoulder. No one but his elder brother would dare do that.

"Leave me alone, Dau," he groaned.

"It's me," said Arjun's voice. "I am surprised you even thought of sleeping the day my exile ended, when I rushed to Dwaraka that very day."

"This is one thing I did not miss in the thirteen years, Parth." 

Krishna yawned and stretched. Arjun looked exceedingly grim when he sat up.

"Weren't you the one who got off after dinner saying you were too sleepy?" asked Krishna.

Arjun smartly ignored the logic. "We decided on King Virata's daughter marrying Abhimanyu, back there in their kingdom. But Abhi is a child himself--and so is Uttara. How will I tell Abhi I have fixed his wedding before even getting to know him?"

"Why did you fix his wedding?" asked Krishna, astonished.

"There was no choice." Arjun sighed. "What's done is done, now. I would never risk hurting or offending King Virata after his favour. So the wedding must go ahead. Will it be right, though?"

"Marrying at seventeen is not anything unusual," said Krishna.

Then, more came to him. This wedding was important precisely why Arjun and Subhadra's had been. To carry forward the dynasty, to build a new world.

The horrible day drew very near.

Krishna had brought Abhimanyu up by hand in his father's absence, and he was as dear to him as any of his own sons. And Arjun? He had already lost his son's childhood. He was looking ahead into spending the rest of their lives making up for lost time.

Please, Krishna begged the part of his mind that gave him visions of the future. Please stop reminding me.

"I like the idea of this wedding, Parth," he said aloud. 

"How?" asked Arjun, subdued.

"If you are against it, what made you agree to it again?"

"King Virata offered Uttara's hand to me. We could not rebuff him, but--Uttara was my student, she is like my daughter."

"Would you look at that," drawled Krishna. "You get propositions from people your mother's stature, you get propositions from people your daughter's stature--is it your devastatingly handsome looks or your innocent charm? Is it your skill with the bow and arrow or your gift at music and dance?"

"Uttara didn't--" Arjun began, affronted.

"All right, all right," said Krishna hastily. "But Urvashi did. An Apsara, no less. You never told me the whole story, all those times we met. I have only heard rumours."

"You have not just heard rumours, you are the Lord of Creation, Madhav. Or are you saying you are not?" Arjun added snidely.

It seemed to Krishna his friend was perpetually set on making him admit he was not the Lord of Creation.

"Tell me the amusing story anyway," he said.

"It was not amusing, it was terrifying," said Arjun. "When she came into my room, I didn't have the faintest idea what she wanted. I welcomed her with respect, and she immediately proved there is no value for respectfulness in this world--"

"--in that world," corrected Krishna.

"Right," said Arjun, grinning. "She took my respect for concession and came on to me. What would you do if an Apsara comes on to you, Madhav?"