𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐇Ā𝐕𝐀

CHAPTER 9

Bhishm as promised, had taken all the princes to Gajasahrya. But because all princes meant Kauravas too, Manvendra just avoided them. He had no will to even talk to any son of Gandhari.

Sitting beneath the shed of a tree, Manvendra was sitting cross legged, with his eyes closed, meditating to cultivate a sense of inner peace, which these days were being really tested by his Kaurav cousins.

"Meditating again, Taat ?" The voice of Arjun fell on his ears. Manvendra opened his eyes and looked at his younger cousin.

"What brings you here ?" Manvendra asked.

"Would you come and play catch with us ?" Arjun asked pointing at the Pandavas who had been playing along with Kauravas.

"I don't want to play with those cousins." Manvendra said.

"Stay in our team then, taat. If you come and play with us, it'll be fun." Arjun said.

Manvendra looked at the third son of Pandu and then at his Kaurav cousins. Not sure if he should play along or not.

"Please taat !" Arjun requested and a sigh left Manvendra's lips.

"You know, I can't say no to you." The Vidurputra said.

"And hence I adore you so much !" Arjun chuckled holding Manvendra's hands and taking with towards where other princes were.

"Finally he comes." Duryodhan said dramatically.

Manvendra just ignored him and went towards the Pandavas, standing beside Yuyutsu. The princes began playing catch with a wooden ball.

And as Arjun had said, having Manvendra was fun but only for his team. Because given the height of Raudra and Bheem, they were easily dominating the Kauravas.

And so the game went on and on until the ball accidentally fell down inside a well. The princes all went towards it, the wooden ball was floating over the water but it was too deep and they had nothing to retrieve it.

"Jyesht, how do we retrieve the ball ?" Nakul asked.

"Simple. Someone has to go down." Duryodhan said folding his hands.

"Are you in your right mind ? No one is going down there." Yudhishthir said.

"Then how will we retrieve it, O great brother, who is always in his right mind ?" Duryodhan asked with a hint of mockery.

"Exactly Jyesht. Allow me to throw this Duryodhan down the well, and when he gets the ball, I'll pull him up." Bheem said.

"You wouldn't dare." Duryodhan said narrowing his eyes.

"I, very much, would." Bheem said copying his expression.

"Or we can just get another ball to play with." Manvendra said logically.

Suddenly a laughing sound fell on their ears, everyone turned to see a sage coming towards them with few reeds in his hand.

"Shame on your Kshatriya prowess. Shame on your knowledge of weapons. You have been born in the Bharat lineage yet you cannot recover a ball. I shall retrieve for you." He said.

Everyone wondered who might this sage be who looks like a warrior ?

"Here are a handful of reeds that I
have invested with the mantra of my weapons. Look at their power, unmatched by that of anything else. I will pierce the ball with one of these reeds and that reed with another one and that one with another. With the chain of reeds, I will bring the ball up into my hands." He told.

And he did what he said, with the help of reeds he pulled up the wooden ball in an instant. The princes were wonder-struck, so much that all of them got on their knees.

"Brahmin-devta, we pay homage to you. We have never seen anyone that has the knowledge to do that. Who are you ?" Yudhishthir asked, being the eldest.

"Go to Bhishm and tell him of my appearance and qualities. He has great intelligence and will know what should be done." He said with a smile.

"As you wish." They all bowed and left.

They all rushed to their Pitamah, who was busy reading some scrolls, but seeing his grand-children in his doorstep, he kept the work aside.

"Come in." He said smilingly.

"Pitamah, we saw a warrior sage today." Manvendra said.

"A warrior sage ?" Bhishm asked.

"Yes Pitamah, you won't believe the feat he displayed to us." Arjun said going towards his grandfather.

"Really ?" Bhishm asked raising his brow in amusement as he made Arjun sit on his lap, "Tell me about him." He asked.

Hence Arjun told everything to Bhishm that transpired while they were playing and also about the sage who had come. On hearing this from him, Bhishm was quick to recognise who had come.

"Such skills can only be displayed with Parshuram-shishya Dron. Children, it seems that I have found the right perceptor for you." He said before heading out.

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A/N

Dronacharya in the house people 😎