As the dark clouds loomed overhead, a steady pitter-patter of rain was pouring down, enveloping the surroundings in a gloomy mist.

The normally vibrant colours of nature were muted by the dull grey sky, as the rain relentlessly fell, soaking everything in its path.

Beside the sounds of howling winds and raindrops, arguments filled the atmosphere of Dronacharya's Ashram.

"I SHALL SMASH YOUR HEAD DURYODHAN !" Bheem said about lunge at the son of Dhritrashtra but Yudhishthir stopped him.

"What did I do ?" Duryodhan asked shamelessly.

"What did you do ? Really ? It was because of you Taat Manvendra got cursed ! You provoked him ! You challenged him !" Arjun exclaimed with tear-filled eyes.

"Enough !" Dronacharya intervened.

They all fell silent, for a moment the only sound that was heard was that of the heavy rainfall. It's seemed as if the sky itself was lamenting along with them.

"There is no use of fighting amongst yourselves now. Manvendra needs your help." Dronacharya said.

"Gurudev is right." Yuyutsu said.

The Kauravas scoffed while the Pandavas looked at the thatched hut, interiors of which illuminated by the some earthen lamps.

Inside the hut, Manvendra was lying on the grass mat, his breathing was heavy and his body temperature high because of fever, due to being drenched in rain or maybe due to the guilt for killing an innocent and getting cursed.

Kripi, the wife of Dronacharya, was putting the cool wet piece of cloth on his head, to lower the temperature which was too high even for a fever.

She looked at him sadly, one hand of his was over his chest, as the words of the curse ringed in his ears again and again.

"Guru-maa, will I become heartless now ?" Manvendra asked breaking the silence that pervaded.

"No. My Manvendra can never be heartless." Kripi said.

Manvendra looked at her with tear filled eyes, unsure at her words, uncertain at life.

"Are you sure ?" He asked.

"Ofcourse." She said.

Kripi stood up and went to the small stove and to check medicine that she had been boiling. Seeing it was ready, she served it in a small earthen glass and came towards Manvendra.

Helping him sit straight, she gave him the medicine.

"This hot medicine shall help cure your fever." She said.

Manvendra drank the hot medicine in one go, not caring that it gave burning sensations in his mouth.

"Go to sleep now. You will feel better by the morning." Kripi said pulling the cover over him.

She bid him good night and went outside, Manvendra closed his eyes, along with the echoes of rain. But the traumatized face of the woman, lamenting over her dead husband kept coming to him.

It was unbearable, he opened his eyes, breathing heavily.

Just then the Pandavas and Yuyutsu entered the hut, to meet him, their faces were tear-stained, but they had forced a smile on their faces.

Seeing them, Manvendra sat up as they came towards him and sat down.

"Raudra, can you believe the days of Gurukul are over ?" Yudhisthir asked, but the Vidurputra stayed silent.

"So many things we learned from Gurudev and so many moments we made. Isn't it Taat ?" Arjun said with a smile, looking at Manvendra, who just stared at him.

"Yes. Like the time when Dushashan overslept. And Ashwathama just poured cold water on him." Yuyutsu said.

This memory earned a chuckle from everyone but not from Manvendra, who looked back and forth between his cousins.

"I will miss the ashram days, but I can't wait to go back to Mata." Sehdev said.

"Me too ! I can't eat the laddoos Mata must've made for us." Nakul said.

"Remember how everytime we wanted extra Laddoos, we'd have to beg Mata ? But Taat Manvendra, just had to smile and Mata would give him all the laddoos !" Bheem said chuckling.

"Now that Taat Manvendra has grown into such a charming man, I am sure seeing his smile, Mata will give him our Laddoos as well !" Arjun said in jest.

The cousins laughed and looked at Manvendra who just stared at them, his face had a confused frown, his lips were slightly parted, few beads of sweat rolled down from his forehead.

"Manvendra, won't you say anything ?" Yudhisthir asked.

"I..." Manvendra breathed out as his expressions turned into that of a worry.

"Are you good, son ? What are you feeling ?" Yudhisthir asked.

"I feel nothing." Manvendra said.

All the while his cousins talked, Manvendra couldn't feel sad that Gurukul days were over, nor he could feel joyous that he'll soon return back to Hastinapur.

He only felt isolated and detached from his cousins around him. He couldn't relate to their emotions nor could he understand how they felt.

"I can't feel anything." Manvendra said.

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A/N

So before anyone comes and asks how he's alive if his heart died or if his heart dying doesn't mean he can't feel emotions because amygdala.....

Beta, iss kitaab ko metaphorically lo, scientifically, practically ya hypothetically nahi 🙂