Vrishaketu clutched tightly at his mother's hand as they made their way back to Hastinapur. He used to love going to Hastinapur. It was his second home, after all. As it was, the memories of the Palace had already be tarnished by the absence of his father, brothers, cousins and Kuru uncles. But because of those Pandavas, because of Rajkumar Arjun... he could not even enjoy seeing his kakis and grandparents in peace.

Not even in the archery arena or even in his safe haven in the forest could he be free of Prince Arjun.

He somehow had to get over his fear.

His mother had told him that it was alright to fear, but she didn't understand. He couldn't keep fearing anyone, least of of all Prince Arjun. It was an insult. To his father, to his brothers, to himself.

Maa had also told him to try to give Prince Arjun a chance. To hear him out once. But that was not easy. Not when he felt his father's absence every day and he knew Prince Arjun was responsible for that. Not when he felt his brothers' absence everyday and knew that the Pandavas were personally responsible for all but one of them.

But he had decided to try and be less explosive. It was not dignified. 

This time they arrived in Hastinapur the way they usually did, that is, with lot less fanfare, thank the Gods for that. 

"Come lets go see Pitamaha and Pitamahi." He said, dragging his mother towards their chambers.

"I'll join you in a while my dear, let me just go meet Bhanumati once, then I'm coming."

He pouted at her, trying to keep hold of her but she laughingly batted him off.

As he walked through the corridors, he couldn't help but occasionally peek around corners first, before actually making a turn just in case any stray Pandavas were about.

Just as he thought he had made it to his grandparents' chambers without issue, he saw the person he least wanted to see. Rajkumar Arjun.

He stifled a groan. And then he did a double take. Because if he was not hallucinating... then it seemed that Prince Arjun had just... stepped out from his grandparents' chambers.

What.

What was that man doing in his grandparents' chambers?!

Did he have no shame? He dared to go in front of his grandparents after having taken the light of their life from them?

Vrishaketu felt rage bubble up in him as he stomped towards his grandparents' chambers.

Rajkumar Arjun's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he saw him.

"Oh, Vrishaketu!" He greeted, giving a small smile. "I didn't know you were coming today."

"I don't want to talk to you." He snapped angrily. "I don't like to talk to people who don't know how to leave old grieving parents in peace."

The smile slipped off the man's face. "But I was just--"

But Vrishaketu had already stepped into the chambers and slammed the door behind him.

"Dear lord, what--" Pitamahi Radha exclaimed turning around to face the door.

"Oh! Vrishaketu!" Both the old people hurried to him and Vrishaketu clutched them to him in an embrace. Now that he was mostly grown up at seventeen, they felt so fragile in his arms.

Pitamahi pulled back to cup his face and then peppered kisses all over him. At any other time he might have (fake)protested, but he felt too upset right now to pretend to hold himself above any kind of affection.

Then he was dragged to the sofa and squished between the two of them as Pitamaha requested a servant to bring some refreshments.

Vrishaketu allowed himself a moment to bask in his grandparents' love and affection before he sat up straight and cut off the questions Pitamahi was asking him.

"What was Rajkumar Arjun doing here?"

"Oh, did you catch him on his way out?" Pitamaha asked.

Vrishaketu stared at him in disbelief. 

"Yes, I caught him 'on his way out'. How can you be so casual about this?! What was he doing here? How dare he come here? Why would you let him in anyway?"

"Well, he is a Prince--"

"Oh screw that! Why was he here? He wasn't pestering you two right? Because he has been pestering me. But if he disturbs you, its really too much!"

"Calm down, sweetheart." Pitamahi said. "It's alright."

"No, it's not, it's not alright! How dare he show his face to you after he killed your son--"

"He was here to apologise."

Vrishaketu blinked. Then he scoffed.

"Ah yes, apologise. He didn't mean it. He didn't mean to kill my father. Or my brothers. It was all a sad accident, was it? Was it?"

"No." Pitamahi said patiently. "He did mean to kill them. It was a war. But he regrets it."

"How can you be so calm!" Vrishaketu exploded, his decision to not be explosive going up in flames the moment in set foot in Hastinapur.

"Your father killed one of Prince Bheem's sons as well. And aided in killing one of Prince Arjun's sons. But that was not morally wrong of him because it was war. Similarly, it was not morally wrong for Prince Arjun or any of the Pandavas to kill your father or your brothers because it was war."

Vrishaketu stared, speechless.

"Are you taking their side now?" He demanded, his eyes welling up with tears, much to his displeasure.

"You are not listening." Pitamaha plainly stated. "You think we do not grieve for our son and our grandsons everyday? Our life was empty, barren, before your father came and filled it with light and joy. Without him, it has become barren again. You think we don't rue the day your father became so heavily involved in this family? This family that has only brought destruction to all of Aryavarta!" Adhirat was heaving by now. Vrishaketu had never seen his grandfather like this. He now felt terribly ashamed of what he had implied, as Radha placed a hand on her husband's arm to calm him.

"I do wish we could just go around cursing people in rage and be done with it. That would make everything so much easier, wouldn't it?" Adhirat choked out and Vrishaketu was horrified to see him start to cry as well. He threw himself into his grandfather's arms.

"I'm sorry, Pitamaha. I'm so sorry. I should not have--" His voice hitched, "--I should never have uttered such a thing, I'm so sorry."

His grandfather clasped him back and his grandmother ran her fingers through his hair.

"It's alright." Radha said softly. "You're upset. We're all upset. But, maybe you should consider that those on the other side of the battlefield are human too? That they are upset too? They have also lost loved ones. And they can also feel regret for what they have done."

"But how can we just forget and forgive?!"

"You don't have forget anything and you don't have to forgive them for the pain they have caused you. But you can try to understand them, right? They are also people. They are also suffering. And I know you've never liked to see people suffer, my dear."

"Maa said something similar." Vrishaketu grumbled softly, burrowing further into his grandfather's chest.

He felt a wet chuckle reverberate from the old man's chest. 

"She was always the more sensible one among your parents."

After a pause Radha whispered softly. "Rajkumar Arjun really had come to apologise."

"And what did he say?"

"That while he knew that no apologies would suffice, he had to inform us that he truly regretted what happened and that had he known the... truth before the war, he would have never let this happen."

Vrishaketu pulled back and stared at his grandmother.

"That is a terrible apology."

"All apologies will seem terrible. There are no excuses. The most that they can do is show true regret."

He grasped the old woman's hands. "But true regret does not do anything."

"That is because there is nothing to be done. I hardly think that there can be any forgiveness in this case but we must accept their regret and allow it to calm our raging hearts or we will all fall into the cesspit of bitterness and anger and pain and resentment that were some of  the driving forces of this war."

"It's not so easy though." Vrishaketu protested.

"It's not." Adhirat agreed. "It's not easy at all. Nothing about any of this is easy. But we must persevere."

"But apologies like Rajkumar Arjun's, which are conditional on certain circumstances such as the discovery of Baba's true birth..... they mean much less than proper apologies that don't hinge on anything. And," Vrishaketu said, firing up again, "you cannot think to tell me that Rajkumar Arjun would have been regretful, if it hadn't turned out that he was related to Baba!"

"No." Radha agreed with a deep sigh. "But we cannot do anything about that."

"But whatever the circumstances, he is truly regretful. At least speak to him somewhat cordially if he approaches you again?" Adhirat requested.

Vrishaketu scoffed. "I am not going to waste time and energy speaking cordially to a man who only suddenly regrets killing his greatest enemy because it turns out they were secret, unknown brothers the whole time. Only blood matters to these people. And clearly, blood means nothing, as has been proven by our family."

"Won't it be a greater waste of energy if you shout, though?" Vrishaketu whipped around to see that his mother had slipped into the room unnoticed at some point.

She came forward to touch the feet of her mother and father in law and then squished herself into the sofa beside them.

She raised an eyebrow at Vrishaketu. "If you don't want to talk to him, then don't, but I think we have taught you to at least respond politely if elders talk to you."

He huffed angrily. "That's when the elders haven't killed your family."

"All I'm saying is, don't shout unnecessarily. Come now, lets talk about something else. For someone who claims to hate Rajkumar Arjun, you are spending entirely too much time thinking and talking about him."

"Like father, like son." Radha whispered under her breath, but Vrishaketu heard it and he wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not.

But really, his mother was right and Prince Arjun of all people didn't deserve so much of his attention.

So, they eventually changed topics to things that would distract them from their grief and which were far more pleasant than some stupid and awful Pandava Prince.

Tell me, do you think I remember how to write Vrishaketu lol? He's appearing after so long lmao. Is the ending of the chapter fine? I often keep feeling that the endings are abrupt.

Do you feel Vrishaketu and his emotions?

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