An interlude to Sunset

The part where friends reunite - Arjun

This is a Mahabharata Fanfiction mostly based on facts we see in Star Mahabharat. The Mahabharat in its entirety holds a lot of facts and is a complicated and marvelous creation, but this is just a fanfiction. There are several facts which were not included/ not correct in Star Mahabharat but I am specifically basing my fanfiction on the serial with some changes. So, there will be several anomalies. This story is just meant as an entertainment and there is no intention to hurt anyone's feelings, religious or otherwise. I have just borrowed the characters to weave a partly fictional storyline.

As always it may take some time to come up with the next chapter due to health reasons and work pressure. Kindly bear with me as I really intend to take this story to a conclusion.

Thank you all for the kind comments and I will always welcome comments and suggestions. I treasure each comment and it makes me that much eager to write again. You all are truly great readers and encouragers.

Thank you and regards. Take care everyone.

A/N - This was supposed to be a filler chapter and it ended up being the longest one yet. Comments are most welcome. 

14. Arjun

"Help, Madhav...."

Arjun knew that the last attack had been especially brutal. He had almost lost himself in the frenzy but had calmed down at the last moment. It was only the thought of his friend that was now able to calm him down. He didn't know what that made him, but this world was not making much sense to him either.

He remembered getting injured while trying to shield Dushyala, but that was not what he needed to remember. He needed to remember what came before; before he had been flung in this dark and brutal world. The only time it had made some sense was when Madhav was with him. At that time Arjun was still very much in a daze. It was only after his Krishna had left and when the flute had stopped playing, that Arjun had finally woken up to a more twisted reality than he could have imagined even in his wildest dreams.

The world was the same that he had first witnessed with Madhav by his side. 

Only, where there had been utter carnage and mountains of dead bodies, Arjun now found himself on a pristine battlefield where the battle was yet to leave its stains. He didn't know which was worse, looking over at the mountains of dead bodies and the rivulets of blood or to see what the land looked like before, very much like an unarmed warrior just helplessly waiting to be torn apart by his enemies.

The attacks came as a surprise. Arjun had but a moment to realize that the world was now sentient. Even when the chariot had pulled up near him, he had just continued to stare in surprise. He had never expected any actual attack and when the first arrow had embedded in his arm, the pain had taken him unawares. 

He had retaliated almost as a reflex and had countered the next attack. He did not know how he came to regain his Gandiva, but he had found the feel of his beloved bow to be comforting. The Gandiva had twanged again and again and for the next few moments Arjun had lost himself in the fight. The daze was still present as it was only after a good while had passed that Arjun actually realized that he was fighting a battle very much in his mind or maybe in his dreams.

But it was actually a nightmare... The fog had lifted, and Arjun had found himself battling himself.

It was some weird sorcery, but the arrows which were piercing Arjun's skin and making him bleed were also being wielded by the Gandiva, held in the mighty arms of his doppelganger. His look alike was situated upon a white chariot being pulled by four white horses and the reins were in the hands of none other than Madhav! His Madhav!