In the Wake of the War

Chapter-36

Vrishaketu had been having a bad feeling about the whole thing. Not for any particular reason, just..... he had been uncomfortable. But since his mother had assured him that everything would be fine, he had relented.

He had been pacing around restlessly in his grandparents' chambers for the past half an hour while his grandmother knitted something and his grandfather read a book, both of them used to his tendency to worry incessantly.

As it turned out however, terrifyingly his worry was not incessant this time because soldiers burst into the quarters without even knocking, which was practically unheard of.

"Your highness!" One of them panted. "The Queen of Anga has been abducted."

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"No." Arjun breathed, horrified. This could not have happened. It could not have happened.

Jyesht fell upon his throne with a thump.

"We requested her to do this puja for us. And now she has been abducted." Yudhishtir buried his face in his hands.

"We need to get her back, obviously." Sahadev said.

"Yes, obviously, but without causing a war!" Jyesht exclaimed. "We can't afford another war, even on a small scale."

'What will I tell Vrishaketu?' was the only thought in Arjun's mind.

"The sages said that Anushalva wanted Vasudev." Bhrata Bheem said and Arjun's head snapped up. 

"Should we request aid from him then?" Nakul asked.

"No!" Arjun exclaimed. "We cannot possibly involve Madhav in this."

"And why not?" Came a hard voice. 

Arjun whirled around to see that Vrishaketu had somehow noiselessly and without being declared, slunk into their private discussion chambers.

His arms were crossed across his chest, his eyes were red and his mouth was set in an angry line.

"Vrishaketu--"

"My mother was in that temple because you requested her to perform the puja for your Ashwamedha. How can you do anything but your best to attempt to get her back?!"

"We will do our best to get her back--" Jyesht began, but Arjun cut him off.

"We will not just do our best. We will get her back."

"And yet you refuse to ask your friend for help. Why?" 

Vrishaketu stepped much closer to Arjun and since the last growth spurt he'd had over the past few months had made him reach his father's height, Arjun had to look up just a little bit to meet his eyes. Arjun got the feeling that was what the boy had been aiming for anyway. Despite everything, he couldn't help but feel slightly amused at this action. Regardless, he held firm.

"We cannot involve Madhav in this." Arjun said, resolute. "We can hardly ask him to hand himself over on a platter--"

"We are not going to be requesting him to do any such thing!" Vrishaketu exclaimed. "That man basically won you the war. Are you saying he can't take on this King and rescue my mother?"

"I'm saying that there is no need to involve him."

"Wha-- how do you propose we get my mother out then, since we cannot wage a war?!" Vrishaketu asked, with a desperate edge to his voice, his hands suddenly shooting forwards to grab onto Arjun's shoulders.