Anya's ancient antics: a mahabharat tale

chapter 29

Anya rubbed her eyes groggily, sitting up in her bed as sunlight streamed in. She glanced over at Subhadra, who was standing in the doorway with puffy, red eyes. They both blinked at each other in confusion, speaking at the same time.

"What happened to your eyes?" they asked in unison.

Subhadra sighed, wiping at her eyes. "Nothing... just some dust got into them," she mumbled sadly, clearly trying to hide her tears.

Anya, still half-asleep, stretched her arms and yawned, but when she heard Subhadra's excuse, she perked up. "Dust, huh?" she said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Must be some powerful dust. Looks like a whole sandstorm hit you!"

Subhadra gave a small, sad smile, but she was still too downcast to reply. She shifted her gaze back to Anya and asked, "What about you? You look like you wrestled with a pillow and lost."

Anya blinked, then dramatically touched her cheeks. "Oh, this?" She waved her hand as if it were no big deal. "I just... had an intense dream! Yes, a very intense dream! Full of... adventure!" She nodded to herself, trying to make it sound convincing. "You wouldn't believe it, Subhadra! I was battling a giant... uh... fox!"

Subhadra stared at her, confused. "A fox?"

"Yeah!" Anya huffed, puffing out her chest. "A huge, rude fox, stomping all around like it owned the place, making everyone mad, especially me! So naturally, I had to deal with it. But... turns out I'm allergic to foxes, which is why my eyes are like this."

Subhadra couldn't help but giggle at Anya's ridiculous explanation. "You're impossible, Anya."

"Well," Anya said with a shrug, "it's either laugh or cry, and I already did the crying part last night." She gave Subhadra a sideways glance and added more softly, "Looks like you did too."

Subhadra sighed again, her face falling. "I don't want to marry Duryodhan, Anya. I love Arjun... but Dau and everyone have already decided."

Anya frowned, sitting up straight. "Are you okay with this marriage?" she asked gently.

Subhadra shook her head. "I am not. I don't want to marry Prince Duryodhan."

Anya leaned in, her eyes glinting with determination. "Well, then we should plan something! We can't let this happen! You deserve to choose who you want to marry."

"Don't worry, Anya," Subhadra said, her voice calming. "Brother Krishna already has a plan. You don't have to worry about it; I trust him."

Anya nodded, her expression shifting from worry to mischief. "Alright, then! I will just watch the drama unfold. Honestly, after witnessing Dushala's marriage drama, I've lost interest in that kind of excitement. It was like a wild play where I was not even the star!"

Subhadra chuckled, but Anya's mind wandered back to her own complicated feelings about Duryodhan. *What a mess that turned into,* she thought. *One moment we were... well, something, and the next, he's acting like a complete rude fox.* She sighed, shaking her head. "But if this plan of Krishna's fails, you and I might have to throw some popcorn at the next royal wedding. Or, I can always dress up as a tree and block the entrance!"

"Anya, you and your wild ideas," Subhadra said, trying to suppress her laughter.

"Hey, sometimes you've got to be creative!" Anya declared, puffing her chest out again. "But for now, breakfast. A warrior needs her strength, especially if I'm going to be watching a royal disaster unfold!"

The two shared a small laugh, the weight of their worries easing just a bit as they prepared for the day ahead.

As the royal guests from Hastinapur arrived, Dwarka bustled with excitement. Anya stood fidgeting by Balaram's side, trying desperately to hide the puffiness in her eyes. She mumbled under her breath, "I'm not coming... Dau forced me out here, ugh."