KRISHAVYAYAM

77. Glory And Gore

The hasps of the heavens hovered by the monsoon clouds gave way to the blinding lucency of the solar god. The nine points of the sacred pattern joined hands and spun mystically imprinted upon the blueth when Krishna's wife gazed back at them, a momentary equilibrium blanketing her.

"How is it possible?" Bellowed the tribe, stomping maliciously as the manacles fashioned of maya turned in. Kamalnayani sighed to herself, thanking the stars above and her own selves who had returned to their own abodes one by one. "It should have destroyed the ecosystem instead? Urgh, how many are they?!"

"Nine of them including my sister, fools." A sneer erupted from the partial murk before it completely absconded. The once forsaken daughter flaunted a curst gem in her hand, the other on her waist as she smugly winked at the bunch of silly jesters.

"Searching for this, Abhiras? Oh and, Krishu is the center of the circle symbolizing the lord's ways when it comes to rīta. Potency runs the universe, dividing itself into many many forms.

This unprecedented wisdom has been imparted to you for your enrapturing righteousness, learnt ones!"

Devilish cries answered the searing sarcasm, "Bind her this instant! Retrieve the Syamantaka dammit!"

"Okay well, grab this and off you go. I'll look after Krishu." Aishani tossed the Syamantaka and Drauni emerged from behind, roaring in rage as the gem was claimed by his free hand. The other swung a twin ax as he charged at his opponents with the troops of Ahichchhatra.

Ominous caws bit into the never existing placid aura of the riverside.

Kamalnayani gawked at her parents simultaneously, befuddled. Heated words were being passed on and lungs puffed in sheer frustration— aggrieved shouts exchanged and the difference in them was now vividly conspicuous to the scrutiny of the bygone daughter. Each of the seer couple were more headstrong than the other.

"You know this is wrong! You trapped her!"

"You speak as if you even bothered telling me she was going to kill herself the last time we had this conversation. Way to go, father!"

"That does not matter now! Look at your students now trying to harm her and our grandchild—"

"—I did not know of their nefarious objectives. Quit blaming me!"

"Oh no, not again," She murmured under her breath, aghast at the development. Durvasa's reputation wasn't so good when it came to his temper (so much so that people had no deference for him almost, but terror. Were they to be blamed?) and so wasn't Kandali's when it came to her tenacity. The idea of intervening in between didn't seem too good and she couldn't berate any of them either, given that neither appeared at fault.

A slowly creeping backache roused her out of her trance, exacerbated each moment as the breathing grew shallow and labored. As white as a sheet at the dawning realization, Kamalnayani looked down to find her lower cloth drenched in mucus tinged with blood.

"Don't worry. Mokshapuri isn't too far." Her sister assured, planting a quick peck on her cheeks flushed in humiliation and a distant neigh echoed her advice.

"No, Aishu, I- I shall have to stop them." Kamalnayani held the former's hands with her own feeble ones, immiserated. Fear was an emotion she did not appreciate at the time. Her parents may end up thrashing a couple things or more. She will have to cower behind a curtain.

Surely, it all had to come crashing down like always. But, was there even a better alternative to that which had transpired a century ago?

What were they doing? Why? Do they not comprehend her stand? Why don't they try to even understand each other? Was there nothing apart from her between them? What was the way out of this impasse? Could she do anything? What was happening—