Shatasringa

Arjun's POV

I felt his large warm palms scattering past my unruly curls as it rested on my shoulders. They felt very real, very close as I subtly smiled in bliss. I edged forward briskly, instantly wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my cheek close to his chest, breathing.

I felt life swiveling back to my senses, as I pressed my bosom closer to his.

"I see someone bestowing too much love on his father, that too all of a sudden," his familiar raspy voice mingled in my ears as I grinned from ear to ear. I didn't respond, just clung on to him so as to savor the unknown bliss I was experiencing. He laughed, now ruffling my curls even harder.

"Alright, now leave me. I need to go, son." He snaked his arm around my shoulders, but his words made me frown, "No no." I childishly responded, still grinning against his bosom, "Not yet."

Why will he leave?

Why so soon?

Can't he wait for some more? We have a lot of interesting tales to hear and narrate to him too.

How can he so casually claim to leave us? He was just being humorous, I know him very well.

If he leaves again, God forbid Jyesth won't touch his holy books. Bhrata Bheem wouldn't have his sweetmeats, and Nakul and Sahadev won't laugh and scramble about again. Isn't it?

"Oh Phalgun, but I need to go." His tone suddenly turn grim and low, but I chose to ignore it, "No no, not now."

"But Phalgun-"

"Not now Pitashree, wait for sometime more please." I caressed my cheek against his chest, giggling just as I loved the feeling of halting my father from leaving.

"No Phalgun, try to understand. I have.." His voice turned even softer, like a voice mingling with the atmosphere. I felt astonishingly cold, his warmth choosing to disappear. It made me concerned and disheartened, I wasn't used to this before. He never spoke to me with a grim voice like that, he never did.

Then why now? Is he upset with his Phalgun?

Am I not being a good Arjun to him?

If, if so then, then, from today onwards I will obey every single sentence, every single word, every single syllable of him. No more mischief, no more wandering away in the wilderness without informing him. No more troubling him and my mothers.

Alright, then he will stay back. Isn't it?

Isn't it?

"No, no!" I argued, gulping slightly as a diminutive fear descended upon me, as I held onto him a bit firmly, "No, wait Pitashree. Please?"

"Please, just a little bit more. I promise." I changed the tone of my voice diligently to notify him that how I would allow him to leave after a while, "Little bit more Pita. I promise I won't, I won't get engrossed in mischief anymore." My tone turned genuine, as I waited for father to acknowledge and accede to my request.

"But dear son, I need to leave. It's urgent."

Urgent? Why urgent?

"No, no please." I clung to him more, panting slightly. No he is not going to disappear. No, he ain't. I promise you father, I won't trouble anyone from now, I will obey every single word of you and Maata Maadri.

Promise.

"Phalgun, I need to leave my dear son." His voice now lacked the mellowness, it felt dry, hollow. Like those leaves of autumn which rustle under our feet in the ground. No closeness, no nearness in his voice anymore. It was distant, cold. Everything felt distant and cold.

"No, please." I kept on mumbling as I shut my eyes firmly, grabbing on to him with whatever might I had, but he appeared faint and hollow, as he kept on disappearing, mingling with the atmosphere.

"No please, little bit more."

"I promise! Just one moment more!"

"One moment!"

"Please.."

"Please.." My lips whispered the word, as faint as it can be, my dimly wet lashes refused to flutter them open. I realized that I was holding Nakul very close to my bosom, fearing that he would disappear too, my body leant against Bhrata Bheem who stuck his arm firmly around me.

There are no tears to shed anymore. I just couldn't, I just couldn't search for those saline waters in my lacrimal. They aren't cascading, they dried up.

Dried up, dried up.

Two days were enough for it. What to do? I never knew that even tears can dry up at one point of time. Yes, they do.

I wanted to sleep. But I discarded the thought as soon as I inculcated it, I didn't want him to disappear again like that. I gave a long blink to my lashes, gazing at the twins, one of them had cocooned himself around my bosom and the other had hid himself in Kunti Maa's lap, who in turn had hid her tear-dried face in Jyesth's shoulder. Jyesth sat still like an idol, his face not giving away the storm that was swiveling in his soul.

The jerk of the carriage on the pebbles occasionally was the only thing that could maneuver our bodies as it appeared too lifeless to move. I could smell scents of flowers and that of incense sticks from all around, once which provided solace to my heart was continuously reminding me of the harsh reality.

The reality, which my heart yearned terribly to snap away like a nightmare....

He just went for a while to stroll. Just for a while, he assured us. Maata Maadri too accompanied him, and promised to be back before noon.

They assured us they would be back before noon.

But, they didn't.

They didn't. 

They had assured...They had.

We were waiting, waiting with meals ready, impatiently. Food was cooling down due to the weather. We kept on peering at the door at intervals, Bhrata Bheem was rubbing his palms and clicking his tongue, Maa Kunti stood up, visited the door and came back with a shrug. It continued for a long time.

The door never appeared more intriguing to us before, the doorstep never bothered us that much before.

*****

A/N

Shocked? 🙂💔

Well, Bori doesn't confirm the actual day when Pandu and Madri left their mortal bodies. It mentions it was spring, so yeah. 

Signing off for today~

Kiritija Nushkie