An interlude to Sunset

The part of rejoice and reunions - Krishna

The part of rejoice and reunions - Krishna

Arjun's ascend into unconsciousness had brought along with it a lot of heartache, and yet, his travel back into the land of the living was anticlimactic. Krishna was the only one in the room when Arjun's eyes moved under his pupils, opened for a moment, and closed again.

And then he finally opened them, yet again, and looked around. The archer's body had become visibly gaunter in the last few days and tiredness still painted his face.

"K-Krishna?" Arjun crocked and the Dwarakadhish came over hurriedly.

"Back to the Prithvi Lok, Parth?" Krishna gently teased and ran a hand through his friend's curly locks.

"Yeah. I think so." Arjun looked around, blinking in some confusion. "Wasn't I dead?"

"Dead? Oh no, my dear Parth! You just needed to the brought back to this land; dragged back from there."

Arjun tried to sit up and Krishna dragged a hand around his friend's shoulders, supporting him. "Careful, Parth. Nakul and Sahadeva just left to have some food. They will be back soon."

"It's okay. They must be exhausted. You are exhausted." Arjun looked at Krishna, raised a hand to trace the lines running underneath his eyes, and smiled. "I still do not understand, Madhav. What did happen?"

Krishna looked towards the entrance of the room and found it blissfully empty, of people and energies. He took up his flute and placing it against his lips, conjured up the sweetest music. It held lyrics of healing, of courage, of friendship, of divinity. The lyrics spoke of the tale of Parth and his Madhav. Of the Nara and Narayan.

The music ran through Arjun's body and Krishna smiled as he could see the vibrations attuning themselves and Arjun steadying ever so little and even that was considerable.

"Your flute... the music. It was what drew me out of the haze; at the very beginning."

Krishna nodded and ended the tune; the vibrations stayed in the room, the waves and the vibrations perceivable to anyone with the slightest bit of perception.

"It was surreal. Everything. I still cannot believe that I have awakened in normality and that place... that nightmarish place is left behind. That it was all nothing but moments which my mind presumed to show me. Was it real, Madhav?"

"Or maybe just what your mind chose to show you, Parth? No not really. It was more and yet not. If we choose to see it as a dream, we may well choose to forget it."

Arjun thought for a minute and then shook his head.

"I cannot keep everything so compartmentalized, Madhav. I would prefer to have knowledge rather than ignorance."

"Even though that knowledge may only increase your unrest."

"Even then."

A fizzle of helplessness ran through Krishna and he saw its reflection in Arjun and how he stiffened. He reached out and touched Arjun's forehead.

"The mind is still encroaching?"

"When it is your mind, it is not an encroachment, Madhav. It is just this tiredness; it is all too encompassing."

Krishna picked up his flute and yet again blew into its hollow holes and the music of the gods filled the room. The tempo was gentle and mindful, and slowly yet steadily, it grew to distribute its aura all around. The dark-skinned lord could see Arjun's eyes struggling to keep themselves open and his eyelids meeting their partner every now and then.

"Why don't you sleep for some time, Parth?"

Arjun jerked and sat up on the bed, though he shook the tiniest bit and had to be supported by Krishna.