Janani - The Warrior Mother

Chapter 14

Gods, he missed her.

The years stretched before him like eternity.

If eternity could stretch that long.

He was all too used to having the company of his wives. The past year without either of them by his side felt suffocating, a hollow ache that seemed to grow every passing second. Countless battles and hardships put aside, Arjun simply loved the company of his family. 

Without them, he was nothing. Zilch.

Sometimes at night, if he stared at the sky long enough he could feel Subhadra's body beside his, carefree laughter spilling through her lips as she whispered secrets only they shared. The soft breeze that rustled through the leaves carried faint echoes of her voice, teasing him, reminding him of how alive he had felt in her presence. The musical sound that he had wanted to listen to endlessly for the rest of his life.

He could almost feel her hand reaching for his, her fingers tracing the destiny lines of his palm, the destiny they had promised to write together. 

And then there was nothing.

The silence followed him like a dark shadow.

Creeping up on him when he felt the lowest.

That was when he allowed himself to think of her. 

"Arjun?" she murmured, looking up at him with her wide coppery eyes, long eyelashes fanning across her cheeks, a faint pink tinge on them; one that he was proud of for putting there himself.

He hummed in response, adjusting his arms around her. He could feel the silken strands of her mahogany hair brushing his neck with each slight movement of her neck as she lay in his arms, the light of the evening casting a golden hue. He was leaning against the sturdy bedpost, her back resting against his chest in a way that he could feel every breath she took, trying to match her breaths with his. She had leisurely thrown her head back, her hair spilling over his shoulder as she leaned into him.

He inhaled her scent, the cinnamon and honeysuckle wrapping around him like a familiar embrace, and he had never felt more at home. It was in moments like this that he felt invincible, as though the gods themselves couldn't tear him away from her.

 "Who do you love more, me or my brother?"

Arjun chuckled softly, the sound rumbling in his chest. He tightened his arms around her just a little, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his. He glanced down at her, her coppery eyes gleaming with that mischievous spark, the smile on her lips making it impossible for him not to smile back. She waited patiently, her gaze steady, knowing full well that she had him cornered.

"Hmm," he mused, pretending to think it over, his hand tracing lazy circles on her arm. "That's a dangerous question, you know."

She laughed, the sound light and musical, filling the room with warmth. "Come on, you have to choose. Krishna or me?"

He let out a dramatic sigh, leaning down so his lips brushed the top of her head. "Well," he began, drawing out the word teasingly, "Madhav is a literal god, without him I would die..."

A small smile. "So....Krishna wins?"

Arjun grinned, his hand moving from her arm to gently tickle her side, earning a playful squirm from her. "I didn't say that, now did I?" he teased, his voice low and playful, his lips lingering near her ear as if he was about to tell her some big secret.

"Don't dodge the question, I want to know." she implored, blinking her eyes slowly.

"Madhav is my lifeline," he sighed, releasing a breath. "But can he be the formidable ravishing princess in my arms? Perhaps not."