Shatru Sesham: Sequel of Baahubali ✔️

Chapter Forty-Two

Everyone had finished cheering for their successful heroes who had returned victorious. For a few more months, they could afford to breathe easy and take life in a languid and placid manner. They knew that they were preparing for war and reconquest. This preparation had been in the wings for thirteen long years. But it was yet due to take its flight. Nobody had an idea when the plans would actually materialize into action.

Mrithyunjay searched for Aparaajitha's face amidst this vast sea of faces. She was the driving force behind his every action, thought and word. Everything he did or omitted to do was due to her influence on him. He had last seen her three months ago. Every time he set out, he knew that there was a possibility that he might never return and their present journey into uncharted waters could be their last. The perils of the adventure were very real and tangible. But every time, he had returned victorious only for her. She was the soul and driving force behind his success.

Every time he set out on this mission, he beheld an admixture of anxiety, fear, terror, insecurity, loss and hope in her expressions. It was the same kind of look when he saw her for the first time in the forest of Kardalivan, a look of being hunted, of darkness and emptiness closing in upon her and sucking her into its vacuum. He had perceived both her strength and vulnerability at the same time. That was the moment when he took upon himself the onus of being her protector for life, of shielding her from every bad thing in life, protecting that smile on her face and happiness in her heart.

There she was lurking in background far away from the rest! There was something about her that distinguished her from her mundane external surroundings; that exotic and royal look that shone even in the midst of so much simplicity. It was as though an unimaginable thirst had been instantly quenched. He could discover her even in a crowd of thousands.

But her face wasn't radiant or happy as he had expected it to be. It wore a tired, weary and frustrated look as though she had been fighting a losing battle that was consuming her from within. At the first opportunity, he would seek her out and find what was eating her from within. His eyes softly shone with contentment and satisfaction. As though realizing his own temerity, he lowered his upraised eyes as quickly in humility. It was not his to look at her like that.
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At the communal lunch,
Aparaajitha and her friends had been given the charge of serving everyone the sumptuous and luxurious repast; a meal fit for the kings but served to one and all without distinction. There were very few occasions when the entire community at Malava islands celebrated together. And this was one of those occasions.

Malli was in one of her mischievous moods. She seemed determined to annoy her friend, Aparaajitha for some strange reason. While serving a helping of the lentils along with Aparaajitha, she mooned looking at Mrithyunjay from afar, "Oh....how handsome he looks! My hero......My Mrithyunjay! Look at those muscles!"

Aparaajitha started daggers at Malli. Every time, she remarked 'my hero' or 'my Mrithyunjay' she instinctively flinched as though she couldn't tolerate anybody else using the possessive pronoun in conjunction with Mrithyunjay. But Malli did not seem unduly bothered by her friend's obvious vexation. At last, Malli dropped serving the lentils, "You take care of this, Appu. I am going...."

As an extremely shocked Aparajitha looked on, Malli excitedly ran towards him holding a container full of laddoos, a sweet delicacy of which Mrithyunjay was unduly fond of. She offered him, "Shall I serve one....or two?" As Malli fawned and flirted with him, Aparaajitha threw a blazing look in their direction that would have scorched both of them to cinders if only looks could burn. Mrithyunjay hesitated between taking or not taking the sweet delicacy that was being offered. Malli drew him closer by the sleeve and whispered in his ear, "I know she is watching....But she made these laddoos for you. She will never let on how much she cares for you."

His lips widened with a bright toothy smile that touched his ears, "I will have three in that case, Malli!" Malli smiled surreptitiously as she was about to serve him the laddoos. That was the last straw. Aparaajitha dropped whatever she had been serving and rushed towards both of them, steam literally escaping from both of her ears. She did not care now what anybody would think. If anybody had complete rights over Mrithyunjay, it was just her and her alone.

Unmindful of her, both of them seemed to be making up some small conversation and chit-chatting. Mrithyunjay was complimenting Malli, "The color of this dress looks very pretty on you." He was about to keep a piece of the laddoo into his mouth when Aparaajitha stretched her hand to rudely knock it off from his hands, "No....that batch of laddoos didn't turn out well. I made them. So I know best? These ones in my hand are yummy...Come have them!"

Malli simply gasped at her friend's audacity. Annapoorna smiled slyly looking at both of them from afar. Like everyone at Malava had guessed by now, she knew Aparaajitha regarded Mrithyunjay as though she had some sort of sole monopoly over him. It had been the same ever since the day he had jumped into the whirlpool of Shoonya behind her and saved her. Aparaajitha would brook no seconds in between her and him. Everyone had started expecting that one day, these two would marry each other.

It had been Annapoorna's fond dream since many years that one day Mrithyunjay was going to ask for her daughter's hand in marriage to him and she would joyfully bestow it on him. Even if she had searched the whole wide world, she wouldn't be able to find a better life partner for her daughter than Mrithyunjay. She, more than anyone else knew of what importance loyalty, faith and love like his meant to any girl. She wanted her daughter to experience all that bliss that had never been hers in her married life.

Mrithyunjay had finished eating by now and rose up to wash his hands. Aparaajitha followed behind him to help him with it. As she held the jug of water for him to wash his hands, he looked up to her and asked, "How are you Princess?" Aparaajitha looked a bit disconcerted, "Call me Appu or Aparaajitha. The word 'princess' sounds so hollow and distant! I am no longer your princess. We are all equal here."

Mrithyunjay firmly but sternly retorted, "You will always be our princess and I your humble servant." Aparaajitha was left speechless. She ought to have been happy to have so much loyalty on her side. But she would rather she had something else apart from loyalty and faith too. She seethed with impatience at his extreme and fierce loyalty which made it impossible for him to regard her in any other light. As she returned brooding, Annapoorna consoled, "You know how he is. He will do anything for you. I will talk that stupid notion out of his head one of these days."
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At Mahishmati,
"Our forces have been driven back by the King of Gandhar, Maharaj", conveyed the messenger.

"But how?" Subahu asked.

"The king of Gandhar and five of the surrounding kingdoms have formed a confederation wherein if one of their kingdoms is attacked, the rest would also come to the rescue of the attacked kingdom. We were heavily outnumbered."

The messenger seemed scared out of his wits. He was very reluctant to bring this bad news to his sovereign. But it was part of his duty. He couldn't escape doing what was assigned to him.

After a long pause, Subahu said, "I see!"

The messenger was about to excuse himself and slink away from that place when Subahu rose up from his throne and ordered, "Take away this harbinger of bad tidings and hang him to death!"

As the soldiers were dragging him away, the man argued, "But Maharaj......what is my fault in all this? I was just doing my duty...."

"Correction.....torture him to death!" Subahu thundered. "There is no place for losers on the face of earth. It would have been easy and painless for you. But you argued. You opposed my authority....and this is the price. Nobody questions me in my kingdom. Idhe naa maata.....na maate sashanam!" (This is my word....my word is law)
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