Bodies littered the battlefield, mangled, bloody. Vultures circled high above, waiting for the Sun to set. And set it would. Perhaps for the last time.

Amongst it all were two chariots. Grunts echoed as a man did his best to push the wheel of his chariot out of where it had been swallowed by the earth. But no matter how hard he pushed, no matter how hard he pulled, the earth did not let go, the wheel did not get free and the chariot remained stationary.

On the other chariot Arjun stood, his Gandiva heavy in his hand.

"What are you waiting for Parth?" Madhav questioned him. "This is the moment. The is the greatest chance you will get to kill him. Do it."

"But Madhav," he protested, "He is weaponless. He is on the ground. What honourable warrior would attack his opponent in such a condition?"

"And did this warrior consider that honour when he was part of the joint attack on Abhimanyu?"

Anger bubbled in his mind at that memory but still his Gandiva remained lowered.

"I don't have to do the same wrong though, do I? I can wait till he is back on his chariot, with his bow in his hand. We can finish this properly."

"Parth!" Madhav stood up now. "If he gets the Vijaya back, the battle will not end. You will keep fighting each other, the Sun will set, but the battle will not end. The War will drag on. As long the Angaraj is alive, Duryodhan will not fall. The Kauravas will not lose. Every last remaining soldier will perish and yet you two will continue to fight. The War will never end."

"I have defeated him before!" Arjun exclaimed. "In the Virat war!"

"Never before has he fought you with his Vijaya, Parth. This is the most equal battle you've ever had. He no longer has his divine armour and just as you fight with your Gandiva, your celestial bow that you have earned by your merit, he fights with he Vijaya that he has earned by his merit. He certainly cannot defeat you, but Parth, as long as the Vijaya is in his hands, you cannot defeat him either."

Arjun swallowed hard. "It's not correct."

"The way your Pitamaha was killed was not correct. The way Abhimanyu was killed was not correct. The way your guru Drona was killed was not correct. But it all happened. This must happen as well. Do it now, Parth, when he is under the influence of the curse that he acquired from his Guru and has forgotten his knowledge of Divyastras in the moment of his life that he needs that knowledge the most."

"But that's even worse!"  Arjun exclaimed.

"It is." Madhav agreed. "But for the establishment of Dharma, it is necessary. For ending this war it is necessary. Enough destruction has been caused by this war. End this now, before a situation arrives where not a single survivor lives."

"Is winning by dishonour, a true victory at all?"

"No." Madhav said gently. "But it must be done. You will be doing the Angaraj a favour. Eight of his sons are dead. Another might die. Ninety-Nine Kauravas are dead. Only Duryodhan is left and he must die for our victory. What will the Angaraj have to live for? End this now, my friend."

Arjun's arms were steady as he finally raised his bow. He called upon the Anjalika Astra and it manifested in his hands. As he aimed it at his greatest enemy, his greatest rival, he got the feeling that something very wrong, something he would regret for the rest of his life was about to happen.

He tried to tell himself that it was simply the dishonour of the act that was affecting him so, but his intuition told him otherwise. But Madhav had told him to do this, so it must be right. It had to be.

Just as he released the arrow, the Angaraj turned to face him. His eyes tracked the trajectory of the arrow and instead of trying to move out of its way as he might have done, he stayed put in his place. Just before the arrow pierced his neck, he met Arjun's eyes and his lips spread in the strangest smile he had ever seen.

The sound of the terrible squelch as the arrow pierced the neck of the mighty warrior seemed amplified to Arjun's ears, even from such a distance. 

But then... then... the Angaraj ....didn't fall? 

Arjun stared, as instead, his lips spread into a terrible wide smile the likes of which Arjun had never expected to see even on his greatest opponents face, showing off all his teeth.

They were bloody.

"Look what you've done." The Angaraj, impossibly spoke in a hoarse, low voice, sending chills down Arjun's spine.

"Look what you've done, my dear. What will you do now? Now that the war is ending, what will you do? Will you be able to live with the guilt?"

His voice seemed to echo. Arjun felt fear at the back of his throat. When he looked towards Madhav... he was gone. He was alone on his chariot.

He looked up with a gasp. No.. no.. where was Madhav, where was--

Blood gurgled up the Angaraj's mouth, spilling over his lips, down his chin. The tears falling from his eyes were of blood. It was a gruesome sight, and it seemed that Arjun had nowhere to escape from it. He was frozen in spot, unable to move his limbs.

"What about Vrishaketu?" The Angaraj's lips did not move this time and yet Arjun heard his voice.

"What about Vrushali? Who's going to take care of them? Will you abandon them Arjun? Will you kill my last remaining son like you killed me? Like you killed three of my other sons?"

"No-no- I-I won't I-" Arjun found himself unable to form words as his heart raced in his chest. He felt the sweat tricking down his forehead, the shivers shaking his frame at the same time.

The Angaraj suddenly turned much younger, the few streaks of gray in his hair disappearing, the lines around his eyes smoothening, and then there was a teenager, the spitting image of his father.

Vrishaketu looked at him sadly, but his eyes burned. 

There was an arrow through his throat and his whole face was bloody, just like his father's had been, moments ago. Arjun felt bile rising his throat, he felt a clawing sensation all over his body, hot and cold all at once as if he was being burned and frozen at the same time.

"Will you kill me as well? Will you kill me like you like you killed my Pitashree? Like you killed your brother? Like you killed your nephews? Will you kill me as well, kakashree?"

"No, no--no I--"

"Will you kill me as well? Will you destroy me as well?  Will you kill me?"

Arjun clapped his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the noise, but to no avail.

"Will you kill me? Will you kill me? Will you--"

Arjun woke up with a gasp and vomited.