An interlude to Sunset

The Part where the Archer despairs - Arjun

Disclaimer - This is a Mahabharata Fanfiction mostly based on facts we see in Star Mahabharat. Mahabharat holds a lot of facts and is a complicated and marvelous creation, But this is just a fanfiction. This story is just meant as an entertainment and there is no intention to hurt anyone's feelings, religious or otherwise. I have just borrowing the characters to weave a storyline. 

I am really very sorry for the delay. I will try to update more regularly but I suffered a set back with my health where I tore out the tendons of my knee but still need to attend work regularly. This left me with little to no energy for the story. Additionally I also got a new dog after having lost my best friend (my previous dog) of 13 years in July. This also takes a good chunk of my time :). 

Thank you all for the wishes and the comments. They encouraged me to take up the pen again for the story.  Thank you all. Now onto the story... Comments are always very appreciated and I would also appreciate any ideas. 

ARJUN

How much time had elapsed? Hours, days, months...

Arjun was in a limbo, his mind fluctuating between alertness and stupor. He was unable to consciously move his limbs though there were sporadic movements. He also felt the heat and presence of people around. At one time the presence was too much as if there was great crowding around him but now it was again tolerable.

The darkness was making him feel helpless but a constant touch of someone's hand on his forehead or holding his own was grounding him. It was giving him a perspective. In the turbulent waters of his unconsciousness, it was a tether he could hold onto. Arjun could also feel the heat and energy being transferred from the contact. The energy was enough to grant some form of warmth to his fast cooling inner core.

The energy was changing; at times it felt calm and comforting akin Pitamah's and then it switched to something intense yet gentle like Guru Drone's. But even their combined and immense strength could not get him to summon enough strength to wake up.

What had happened? The memories were slipping through the cracks. They had come to Hastinapur; much against the wishes of Panchali. They.... He had accompanied Jyestha Bhrata Yudhistira and Nakul. Bhrata Bheem and Sahadeva had stayed back at Indraprasth with Panchali and Subhadra.

Why had they come? Arjun was unable to remember now. He tried to lay some stress on his mind but there was a sudden blinding pain across his forehead and he blanked out yet again for some time.

Some more time seemed to have passed; now he was fairly certain that it was his eldest brother holding on to his hands. The warmth was different now; it did not have the agelessness of before but there was love enough to make up for it. Arjun was not getting the strength from before but now he could be sure that his Bhrata Yudhistira was alright. He remembered feeling Nakul's touch before and this meant that only he was the one affected... affected by whatever seemed to have happened.

But what had happened? Arjun tried to focus his thoughts again. There was a throbbing pain on the upper left side of his body, near to his heart. The area also felt hot, inflamed as if infected. Again Arjun thought, how long had it been? It takes good time for any wound to become so infected that the inflammation starts affecting the regular body functions.

Arjun knew he shouldn't, but he had some pride on his body's healing capabilities. He and his brothers all are born from divine grace and this had given them strengths a little different from normal human beings. It was an edge they held over others. Yudhishthira was not just a Dharma expert but he held enormous capacity of observation and the power to form conclusion almost instantaneously. This made him a great ruler and indispensable in battles.

Bheem's strength did not just lie in his arms but also in his mind and the strength of his will was exemplary. Nakul and Sahadeva were not just the best physicians in the world but Nakul's ability to reach the hearts of the creatures around him and Sahadeva's capacity to retain knowledge was a gift from the divine. Additionally there was also Sahadeva's ability to read the stars and his premonitions of the future. 

In the same manner, Arjun had been able to practice and acquire the ability to go without sleep for long periods of time and his wounds healed much faster. But then what happened in this instance? Why was his strength draining away so alarmingly? What had happened after their arrival at Hastinapur?

Dushyala... He had accompanied Dushyala! To the forest near the waterfall in one of the lesser known areas of Hastinapur. And then something had happened.. There had been an austere looking person yet there was something strange and very powerful about the aura about him. Arjun's protective instincts had kicked in. The man had ranted about a lot of thing, none of which the archer could recollect now and he was trying hard to. But Arjun could remember being afraid. But again he could not remember what exactly he was so afraid of.

Another involuntary movement of his hands and Arjun could hear the pained groan leaving his mouth. Immediately thereafter he felt the movement around him to intensify. Yudhistira's hold on his hand did not waver but again there was a warm touch now directly over what felt like the wound he had received. Had the stranger aimed and shot his arrow at Arjun? It must have been so.

The hand over his wound was now growing intolerably warmer. It was as if someone was trying to cauterize the wound with only the sheer strength of their aura. Arjun now consciously tried to move away from the pain but he was unable to move any part of his body. The pain was also increasing bit by bit and it was becoming excruciating. The heat and pain was now battling to outdo the other and Arjun for once wished to escape into the blissed opacity of unconsciousness. He could feel Nakul's energy behind the touch on his wound, he trusted his brother completely to know that there has to be a reason behind the agony being inflicted on him. But groan after groan and even some whimpers were pulled away from him even try as he may to suppress them; his body refused to do his bidding.

The pain stopped suddenly and then the blazing touch started moving all over his body.

 Arjun could feel the intense heat follow a straight line from the top of his head making way gradually towards his feet. Even the soles of his feet were not spared. The hot touch cradled them and Arjun could now feel another hand was slowly massaging his feet. 

The touch felt like his eldest brother's but touching his feet? Arjun would have moved away had he been able to but it was far from a probability now. The massage gave him something else to focus upon and little by little the pain started abating again. The echoes remained but Arjun could breathe again. The hand massaging his feet never stopped and this rhythmic gesture slowly lulled him to sleep; his last thought,

"I wish Madhav was here; he would know what to do."