The Kuru War: A Mahabharata Fiction

11| Two Decades Later

Mount Kailash, 498 BCE

The winds howled as they passed through the snow-covered forest in the mountains. The trees and shrubs shivered by the gust's pressure and rained snow that remained collected on the leaves. It was finally the end of winter, and a shortlived spring was at hand.

A man stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the valley underneath. His long untied hair fluttered uncontrollably along with his white robes as he stared at the giant lake below him.

"You are still here, Bhishma?"

Another man, in similar white robes, appeared from a cave behind the first. This man was much older, holding a small cauldron in one hand and a trident in the other. He walked to edge as well, but not interested in the valley below; instead, he looked at the man who stood there staring at it.

"I told you to leave. Are you so confident in yourself now that you disobey your Gurudev's commands?" the older man spoke in a slightly enraged tone.

"Bhagavan Parashurama, how dare I defy your commands. But how must I go back to a life I swore away. Even if my father forgives me and the city accepts me, I can never look past those mistakes myself." said Bhishma.

He turned to look at Parashurama's eyes that were fixed at him. There was frustration in his expression. Bhishma didn't intend to disobey his mentor, so he took a knee and bowed his head down. There was a long pause, Bhishma hoped that Parashurama would not lose his temper. He almost felt regret for staying back when he was told to leave.

"Bhishma, you are a changed man now. I remember, twenty years ago, when I saw you for the first time. A husk of a prince at best, defeated and damned. But today, I am proud to say that you are my disciple. The best I ever had, you have redeemed yourself. All that is needed is for you to forgive yourself."

Parashurama grabbed Bhishma by his shoulders and raised him back to his feet. Bhishma saw a slight smile on his mentor's face as he did so. He couldn't remember the last time that he had seen Parashurama smile.

Bhishma had been under Parashurama's wing for over two decades now. Training, meditating and traveling the world. Their last stop was the peak of Kailash, end of a lifelong journey for Parashurama. But before the two could scale the tall mountain, Parasurama had a vision that led him to command Bhishma away.

"Your kind words fall upon my heart like pleasant rain. But how must I leave when we are so close to the end of our journey? And what of the evil that you spoke of, Gurudev? I want to help you fight the forces of Narak-Lok when the time comes. I want to be there for you like you were for me."

Parashuram turned to the valley in front of them. A beautiful landscape revealed itself as the clouds at their feet scattered. Bhishma wondered if it was Parashuram's gaze that dispersed the clouds all of a sudden.

"It is flattering to have a disciple as devoted as you, Bhishma. But you must trust me for now. When the time comes for us to fight the battles of god, we will need a lot more than just the two of us to win."

Bhishma, against all desire, knew that he had to follow orders. There was no way he could resist his Gurudev's commands any longer.

"I apologize, Gurudev. I will leave for Hastinapur at once. It was my incredible fortune to have found you all those years ago, and I sincerely hope to see you again."

Bhishma bent forward with his palms pressed together against his chest. Parashurama gently touched his head and walked back into the cave. Bhishma stood at his spot until the sound of his Gurudev's footsteps faded.