Anya's ancient antics: a mahabharat tale

chapter 32

The sun was shining brightly as Subhadra, along with her dasis and Anya, made their way to the Somnath temple. The soft tinkling of temple bells echoed in the background as devotees came to pay their respects to Lord Shiva. It was tradition for the bride to seek blessings from the deity before her marriage, and today was Subhadra’s turn.

Anya had tagged along, not out of enthusiasm for the ceremony, but because she was restless and suffocating in her room. Between the talks of her engagement with Nakul and her confusing feelings towards Duryodhan, she needed a distraction. She wandered aimlessly around the temple grounds, her mind still reeling from the whirlwind of events.

She had taken refuge under the shade of a tree, munching on sweets absentmindedly while she waited for Subhadra to finish her prayers. Her thoughts were far away as she watched the birds flutter by, her lips moving in a silent monologue.

*“I’m still processing my engagement, and now Subhadra is marrying too. Ugh, everyone’s getting married! Meanwhile, I’m over here, eating sweets and getting fat. Well, maybe Nakul likes fat girls,”* she thought, stuffing another sweet into her mouth.

Soon, Subhadra approached her, her prayer completed. She looked serene, her face glowing with the grace of the divine blessings. Anya, on the other hand, couldn’t resist the urge to break the tranquility with one of her over-the-top remarks.

"Well, well, look at you, Subhadra! All blessed and glowing with divine energy while I'm over here glowing with... sugar and calories," she said dramatically, gesturing to the half-eaten sweets in her hand. "What’s the secret to looking so radiant? Is it the marriage glow ?"

Subhadra giggled softly, shaking her head at Anya's antics. "You’re impossible, Anya."

As they both headed towards the chariot, chatting away, a sudden commotion interrupted them. Out of nowhere, another chariot came speeding toward the temple gates, dust flying in all directions. The horses neighed loudly as the chariot came to a stop right in front of them. Anya, squinting through the dust cloud, waved her hands in front of her face.

“What in Lord Shiva’s name is happening?!” she exclaimed, trying to clear her vision. “Are they filming a dramatic scene here? What’s with all the dust—am I in some sort of epic tale now?”

Before she could fully comprehend what was going on, a tall, dark-skinned, and undeniably handsome Brahmin stepped down from the chariot. His posture was regal, his features sharp, and his presence overwhelming. The moment Subhadra saw him, her eyes widened. Without a word, she mouthed a quick "sorry" to Anya, and before she knew it, the Brahmin had grabbed Subhadra’s hand and whisked her into the chariot.

Anya’s jaw dropped. “Wait… WHAT?!” she shouted, her hands frozen mid-air. “Did Subhadra just... elope? With a Brahmin? Right in front of me?!”

The chariot sped off, and all that was left behind was a cloud of dust. Anya stood there, coughing and blinking as the dust settled on her face and hair. She wiped her eyes and muttered to herself, “Wow, great. Just great. One minute, I’m standing here, minding my own business, and the next minute, I’m witnessing a real-life kidnapping—I mean, elopement!”

She turned in disbelief, watching the chariot disappear into the distance. “I should’ve known! It’s Arjun, isn’t it?! How did it just *slip* from my mind that Subhadra and Arjun were going to run away? And here I was, making jokes about it like a clueless fool!”

She stomped her foot in mock frustration. “How could I forget?! Subhadra, you sneaky little—” She paused mid-sentence, her voice turning dramatic. “Wow, just look at me, left behind like the forgotten side character. First, she prays to Lord Shiva, and now she’s gone! Off to be the runaway bride, leaving me with nothing but dust in my mouth. Literal dust, I tell you.”

Anya sighed, hands on her hips as she surveyed the temple grounds, which were now suspiciously quiet. “Couldn’t even give me a heads-up. ‘Oh Anya, by the way, I’m going to elope today. Don’t wait up!’ Nope, not a word.” She dramatically shook her head. "And I thought we were friends!"

As the dust settled from the chariot's sudden departure, Anya stood there, blinking in disbelief. She wiped the dust from her eyes, trying to process what had just happened.

“Well, that was quick!” Anya muttered to herself, hands on her hips. “One minute she’s taking blessings, the next she’s off on a romantic chariot ride. And here I am, munching sweets like a clueless extra in my own drama.” She tossed a sweet in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “Should’ve known! Eloping is the new trend, huh?”

The servants and soldiers were still standing around, utterly stunned by the spectacle. Anya glanced at them, then waved her hand dramatically in the air, pointing in the direction of the dust trail. "Uh, hello? Are we just going to stand here and admire the dust or... chase them?" she called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Come on, people! Let’s at least make it look like we tried to stop them. Maybe we’ll get a reward—like a ‘most confused bystander’ trophy.”

As the soldiers finally sprang into action, running after the chariot, Anya sighed, shaking her head. “Good luck catching them, though. I bet by the time you reach them, they'll be halfway through their honeymoon.”

Turning to one of the dasis, Anya shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know why I’m surprised. The moment I saw that tall, handsome Brahmin, I should’ve known he wasn’t here for temple blessings. Nope, he came for Subhadra’s heart, and apparently her entire self.”

She started to walk towards the palace, mumbling to herself, "And here I thought today was going to be boring... but no, we had front-row seats to a live elopement! What’s next? A dramatic return with a baby in hand? Just imagine the chaos!"

As she passed by a group of stunned soldiers, she patted one on the back and said, “Don’t worry, at least you didn’t have to run after the flying couple. That’s a cardio session I’m glad I missed.”

Hey guys don't forget to vote and comment 💜😊