Whisper Of The Hearts - Mahabharat Story

Chapter 16

Arjun looked at the setting moon, his determination wavering for a split moment. Was leaving his new home really the best option? He could not help such thoughts from creeping into his mind but he knew what he did was according to his dharm and nothing would ever cross his duty. Only if knowing dharm was enough to completely push the thoughts away, Arjun would be admiring the blue sky with hints of orange decorating it with stars and the almost invisible moon.

But he was not.

His mind was somewhere else. He saw the cattle moving away freely towards Indraprasth and wondered if he could be rid of his duties one day. If one day he could just come home to his wife and feel at peace, knowing that there was no need to be so alert all the time. His eyes watched the cattle and wondered if he could too move away somewhere. Somewhere safe and secluded, somewhere he could only ever find love.

I did save my kingdom but at what cost?

A part of him was growing angry on himself. How could he be so selfish? How could he think about his own happiness when there existed his wife, brothers and citizens before him? He was a warrior, he should have had a stronger mind than that one. He could not just step back from a challenge in life. He was Arjun — the son of Indra and the brave queen Kunti, there was no way he would question his dharm.

He finally sat on his horse as he made his way away from the jungle and towards Indraprasth. He saw the sun finally making itself visible, making the sky turn completely blue with white misty clouds hanging over it and somehow he found himself wanting the night to come back. Maybe it would return him the moment to choose a different path, a path which wouldn't let him leave his everything behind for five years but he shook those thoughts away and moved forward, still silently wishing that the sun vanishes — at least for that day.

Arjun's horse walked rather slowly through the forest, his heart and soul wanting to remain there and enjoy the serenity of nature till his last breath but he couldn't delay his return anymore. He whipped his horse, making it run exceedingly fast.

The wind was piercing through Arjun's skin. The sharp pangs of the wind felt like needles poking holes into through out his body, almost making it go numb. But it didn't take away his agility. Instead it just made him make the horse run faster. He enjoyed the feeling of the piercing wind and didn't want it to stop.

As the sun rose even brighter, Indraprasth — the home he was leaving behind — came into his view. A sigh escaped his lips as he finally slowed down his horse, his eyes savouring the sight of his home for one of the last times for the coming next years. As he went closer to the front gate of Indraprasth, he saw his wife and brothers standing there along with Kavya.

He couldn't quite understand why the future girl was standing with them. Didn't she hate him? Shouldn't she be enjoying with the thoughts of the annoying archer going away and putting an end to her misery of seeing her? He hadn't realised but his left eyebrow had raised up a bit, internally questioning her behaviour.

What a nutjob.

To add more to the suprise, she was the only one holding a proud look on her face. Everyone else had their faces dipped in misery and despondency and that made him irritated beyond imagination — not at his family but on himself. He couldn't stop cursing himself for making his family, his loved ones go through pain. But somehow Kavya's eyes brought some hint of relief in him. After all she was the only one who was proud of Arjun.

She was proud of him for sacrificing so much of his new life and choosing to adhere to his dharm when he could have easily let it go. And she made sure her eyes reflected her emotions. Arjun being the observant human he was couldn't miss the display of emotions in her eyes. And for the first time he felt understood. He felt the strange intimacy of being understood, almost making him smile to himself.