LOVE: To Infinity And Beyond

Sometimes 'Forgiving' Doesn't Work

"The Naagas! I still can't believe! When I saw the symbol in the vision I wasn't in the right mind to think of the implications of that. But this! I had thought that maybe the assassins were from Mesopotamia or Egypt, or maybe even probably from Tibet, of course from nowhere near Kailash, but I never thought they were from mainland Bharatvarsh! Wretched idiots!", Arjuna was still grumbling. The special bath was over and Krishnaa sat staring at Arjuna's majestic blue throat, in her fresh attire, both pieces of the garment in shades of white. Arjuna was already in fresh clothes, white in shade, and Krishnaa had decided to match shade with his clothes. "Would you really just keep staring at my throat all the time??" Arjuna finally snapped at a thoroughly absent-minded Krishnaa, who finally blinked, raised her eyebrows and returned to the reality. She sat up straight from her half-lying position. "I am going straight away and getting rid of the two Naaga ladies who are still leisuring in the guest quarters of this Indraprastha palace. How can you sit back peacefully after knowing this?! After knowing that two ladies whom you have respectfully given the status of your co-wives are probably the descendants of that Kafeer!" 

"Are you done ranting?", Krishnaa finally spoke calmly. "If yes, then listen patiently. If no, then also keep your mouth shut and listen to me calmly, and please, Neutrally." Arjuna sighed and closed his eyes, indicating that although a bit too difficult for him, he'd abide by his beloved instructions. "Well. So, I went to talk with Sakha yesternight and he advised me to wait for your return and act patiently, besides calmly following my heart. And, the last point is applicable for you as well. Look..", she approached him and raised his chin between her index finger and thumb. As soon as his eyes made contact with hers, a sense of calm washed through his whole system, but that was quickly replaced by a burning need. Before she could speak one more syllable, he pulled her to himself.  

After some time, Krishnaa pulled back and placed a soft and loving kiss on his glowing blue and cold throat. He chuckled lightly at the unexpected gesture. But he had some news to collect. "So, did you have the highly awaited conversation with Duryodhan? Was the coward able to gather some nerves to come and meet you?", Arjun asked curiously, with a hint of bitterness in his tone. Krishnaa frowned slightly. "He came the first night after your departure. And, in all honesty, he didn't act a bit like a coward. He straightforwardly asked for my forgiveness. Though, his expressions gave away the storm that was raging inside him, still he was honest with himself." Arjuna smiled. This magnificent lady in front of him has corrected someone as lost a case as Duryodhan, by forgiving him. "But.. You tell me something..", Krishnaa poked him lightly on his bare chest, "What's gone wrong with your vocabulary? I hadn't heard you use these words like..... 'damn', 'wretched idiots' etcetera recently.." She smirked, as he mirrored her expression. "Actually, I have suddenly remembered by true self all too  well...", he  explained with a widening grin; and the two laughed again.

"Hey! Put on the cravat!", Krishnaa half-yelled as Arjuna who skipped out of the chamber and immediately halted on his tracks hearing his beloved's voice. Krishnaa came out right after, and handing him the cravat, turned around to close the door. "Sorry dear. It's so new that I keep forgetting.", Arjuna apologized sheepishly while putting on the cravat. "You should remember it a bit more, my love. After all your throat is 'cold', right?", Krishnaa chastised him, as if he was even younger than Pragati and Veer. Arjuna chortled. "Whatever... Just tell me something. I am a bit confused actually. Are we supposed to meet Madhav alone first , or just exhibit my throat at once in the Raj Sabha in front of everyone?", Arjuna asked, seeming really confused. Krishnaa took a moment to stare blankly at his face and think over the matter before answering, "First option." Arjuna nodded and the two walked ahead. 

After a moment, his left arm automatically wrapped around her waist and drew her torso closer to his. Krishnaa giggled. She has missed this more than enough during these few long days. "You really missed this naughty and playful me a lot, didn't you?", Arjuna asked her simultaneously, as if reading her mind. She just nodded. "It sometimes does feel relaxing to be a little less haughty and authoritative and just let someone else have the upperhand.", she replied, still smiling. "I guess the same theory applies to me as well. And this also helps in maintaining the equilibrium between the two of us." Arjuna confessed. As they exited the corridor into the open sunlit path leading out of the Mahal, Krishnaa once patted on Arjuna's arm snaked around her waist, signaling him to release her. Arjuna shook his head in a stringent 'NO'. Krishnaa frowned at him. He whispered the reason to her, "I have stayed away from you more than I possibly could. But no more. Now, it's compensation period." Arjuna grinned, but Krishnaa could sense the hint of melancholy in it. She playfully asked, "So, how long is this 'compensation period' going to last?" Arjuna's bright hazels clouded a bit as he replied, "Let's begin with, well... How about 'Forever'?" The hint of playfulness returned to his tone, but Krishnaa could still catch the undercurrent of gravity in it. She trilled a dampened laughter. The beautiful sound of her laughter warmed up Arjuna's heart once again. He could differentiate each and every high note and low note in the magical symphony. 

Suddenly a scaring thought began haunting his mind, "And, just remember one thing. DO NOT EVEN TRY TO FLEE FROM ME EVER AGAIN. Never ever again And I mean that." The firmness in his voice further emboldened the statement. Krishnaa turned towards him and stared straight into his eyes. The depth and intensity of pain in his eyes scared the living daylights out of her. She couldn't even bear to imagine how much he had suffered. She felt as if someone was crushing her heart into pieces. Arjuna quickly held her perfectly beautiful face in his palms and looking hard into her moistening eyes said soothingly, "Don't. Don't feel guilty. You have done nothing to be sorry about. We both had made the same mistake - the mistake of trusting people. A mistake that we're not going to make ever again. And you know what this has taught me? This tragedy has pointed out to me exactly how much I love you." Krishnaa nodded, smiling; her dimples exhibiting themselves in all their glory. "You remember I told you that I love you to infinity and beyond, in the Hastinapur garden on that Diwali night? That must've sounded as if I was boasting or something. But the significance of that subconscious confession is now becoming increasingly clear. I really do." He concluded, before placing a gentle chaste kiss on her lips; absolutely oblivious of the guards who immediately moved their eyes away. Krishnaa smiled, "I know.. And, I do, too." 

A familiar triple-knock on the door informed Krishna that his best friend was here. He almost leapt off the couch he was patiently sitting and waiting on, and flung open the door. A hyper-excited Arjuna immediately threw his arms around his best friend. "Madhav!", he yelled in joy. Krishna laughed. "Come on, Paarth! Show me your beautiful throat!" Arjuna grunted in irritation and pulled back, while Krishnaa giggled from behind him. "A-L-R-I-G-H-T", Arjuna grumbled, as Krishnaa entered the chamber and closed the door behind her.

As soon as Arjuna removed the cravat, the blue glow radiating off his throat dazzled the famous Dazzler- Krishna. He continued gaping at the Neelkanth's radiant blue throat - the symbol of the ultimate divinity of the God of Gods. Slowly, the weight of this radiation dawned on him. His mission of this birth has been fulfilled. The rest are 'their collective motos'. The guilt of not being able to save Sati due to some promise of his, finally seemed to leave him after all these eons. He pulled his dear best friend to another tight hug. 

"I could tell from the look in his eyes that he had promised to never kill ever again. But, if he did go by that, and if he is really a Naaga, which I am more that just certain that he is, then there is no chance that whoever this Naaga is, he isn't here for any kind of vengeance related to that incident, or atleast related to Kafeer. And that is where the main confusion arises." Krishnaa stated her point, as Krishna inspected the tiny perfume bottle bringing it closer to his eyes. "That is right..", he murmured in affirmation. "Then there ought to be something that we are missing out, right?" Krishna nodded in reply to his Sakhi's question. 

Arjuna felt like he knew the answer to this question. Had it been before his visit to the Heavens, he would have called himself insane; but at the moment, he knew that he had to follow his instincts. His subconscious was more of an expert in detecting true evil that his wits. He concentrated further on that thought, and slowly the voices of the other two people near him began waning out. Instead, he remembered two significant facts. Uloopi is the sister of the Naaga king of that region, Rekha is the sister of the Naaga king Vasuki and his perfect memory couldn't recall this particular coiled snake symbol from anywhere in his life. That means....!!! 

"Got it!!", Arjuna exclaimed suddenly. Draupadi and Krishna immediately understood that he was zoned out throughout most of their discussion. However, that doesn't matter if he has got the main point of the whole mystery. "What?", Krishnaa asked.

"I think the Naagas are divided into two sects. One is ruled by the King who is Uloopi's elder brother. They mostly dominate the far south, in and around SangamTamil. The second sect was ruled by Vasuki and now.. only the Almighty knows by whom. The third sect is probably the one which the assassins belonged to. That's from where this man is from, as well." Arjuna concluded victoriously. Then both the Sakhas turned towards Krishnaa. She immediately understood the question in their eyes. She nodded and replied, "I know. Sometimes forgiving doesn't work. This time, we will fight and kill and defeat and destroy, and SAVE. No more mercy." And, they knew that the real discussion was just about to begin. Now, the war was just theirs.