Arjunsangini - An Ardi Novel

The Absent Member and the Concerned Soldier

Prishati didn't even wait for the first rays of the sun to hit the gurukul before wrapping a thick woollen cloth around to protect herself from the cold weather. Her steps were small but rushed, her hands bundled inside the cloth holding the Isha Vasya Upanishad. The bunch of pages had kept her up all night. A question had been nagging her that only Guruji could answer. Her hair, as usual, was braided and kept in a bun with rudraksha beads. Some of the strands had escaped, keen to enjoy the cold breeze. Prishati didn't give them attention as she was more interested in keeping herself warm. Her mind was occupied by her doubt. The Upanishad might be the smallest but with deeply hidden implications and double meanings, it was also one of the trickiest. Prishati was taken aback when she reached the quarters that belonged to the guru and his family. The teacher always kept his doors open showing that he was always ready to teach or to learn, but adversely today the doors to his hut were sealed shut. This was unlike Guruji, thought Prishati, he didn't even shut the doors at nightfall. She was in dilemma but she was no ordinary student, she sensed a presence behind her. In a swift motion, she turned back, her knife unsheathed but kept hidden if she had misunderstood the secrecy of the other's arrival. Her body stiffened as she realized it was none other than Devaj. She fell back two steps to maintain a safe distance for him. Not too close so that it was uncomfortable and not too far if she felt the need to attack. She hadn't sheathed her knife yet and she didn't intend to. 

"Devaj," Prishati said monotonously acknowledging him.

"He is gone," Devaj said looking at her ruefully.

"Figured that much out," Prishati said turning to leave.

"His whole family is," Devaj added. Prishati just nodded not sure of how to respond. Keen to rescue herself from this conversation she turned back and started taking hurrying steps.

"Wait!" Devaj called after her. Prishati didn't care to respond she just fastened her pace. She sensed him following her. Prishati read her surroundings. It was still pretty early and cold, she knew almost everyone would still be in their beds. She couldn't see a single student in her line of sight. Guruji's quarter was close to the forest for his meditation meaning it was farther from the student quarters. Her grip tightened around her knife but she wasn't sure she could get a  clean hit because of the thick woollen cloth wrapped around her. She wasn't very interested in discarding it, firstly because if her body temperature lowered her reflexes would become slow and secondly because she didn't want to aggravate him further. She felt him closing in on her and then she felt a grip around her left wrist still curtained under the cloth. What followed next was only witnessed by Lord Surya himself. In a matter of a second Prishati had twisted his arm forcing him down on his knees, placed herself behind him and kept her right foot on his back pushing him further towards the freezing ground and keeping the knife in her right hand close to his neck ready to attack if he attempted something foolish. Devaj was a brute but he wasn't an absolute fool he knew he would be seriously injured if he even moved an inch.

"I don't come near you not because I can't protect myself but because I prefer not to," Prishati uttered each word filled with the fire she was born with. Devaj was smart enough not to respond. 

"Next time I won't hesitate to strike that jugular vein of yours," Prishati said releasing him. The cloth tied around her had fallen to the ground and her hair had come undone just a remnant of a braid. She tossed the bundle of wool to him.

"You need it more. It was your dignity that was hurt not mine." Prishati said. Without waiting for a reply she turned away and left, her footsteps not impatient but paced. 

-:-

"What are you giving me?" Prishati prodded Parth who was enjoying the shade of the mango tree which protected him from the intense afternoon sunlight. He was lying down face up, his angavastram left to dry from a branch as Madhav had spilt water on it during lunch.