•|| Arjun ~ Rise To Power ||• (III)

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝟽

Outskirts of Paanchaal, Battle Camps

Arjun's POV

My lips pressed into a thin line as the strong whiff of a caustic smell hung up around as soon as I parted through the camp. 

It would be a lie if I claim that I did not feel my heart jolting hard; for the sight was something which would make anyone sent shudders down their spine. There was a thin film of sweat that began to gradually coat my palms as I briskly stepped in, my eyes raving around the chaos that unraveling, almost like a hysteria. The din appeared no less than a war to me, who knew that the aftermath of it could be like a war in itself?  

There was a piercing sense of apprehension that floated around; a searing feeling of angst that took over the seemingly peaceful environment a few prahars ago. 

A chaos.

Men running helter skelter, with stretchers laden with wounded—perhaps dead. 

My eyes were hungrily lurking around the sight, in the urge of finding some sort of comfort, some sort of appeasement amidst the weariness; atleast some sort of peace that would tranquilize my heart for a moment; just a moment would do. I did not realize that a knot formed on my throat, I did not feel the difference between a soldier on deathbed and a Prince; two men running hastily accidentally pushed me causing me to jerk a bit, their faces marred with acute worry as they entered the tent. 

The thudding of my heart could be heard till my ears amidst the chaos, as I bit onto my parched lips; subtly moving up towards the tent where he was being taken to without wasting any moment and parted the entrance. 

These were our.....our soldiers. 

Residents of Hastinapur.

A thick coating of sweat had already lined over me, as I treaded inside; a sight that no one ever desired to witness.

Men lay of both sides; groaning in agony and pain. Physicians rushing in and out, swiftly applying pastes around their pulsating wounds, a few of them even having their flesh bulging out heinously; a dry and empty feeling of repulsiveness churned in my stomach.

I was never used to in witnessing such a side of humanity in these many years of life.

Never.

I could see nothing but the lingering sense of agony and gloominess lurking around, thickening the air enough to choke upon. 

Is this....does that what a war brings to? 

At that moment, even Pitashree's words were appearing futile to me for a while; the horrendous sight that was unfurling wasn't enough to be soothed with words in my memory. I felt a strange stiffness, a strange sense of discomfort witnessing them writhing in pain and distress, my heart yearned to comfort them.

"Prince Arjun?" One of them hauled me out of my trance, bowed before me and politely asking me to empty the way. I swiftly nodded, siding onto a corner and allowing him to leave. 

A cold gulp of saliva washed down my throat as I began to engulf everything, walking up towards a middle aged individual who had just got his arm hung up around his neck with a white cloth; half sitting with closed eyes which suddenly perked open, "Pranaam Raajkumar Arjun!" He attempted to steady himself, "No...no please don't!" I instantly bent towards him with lips tugged up in a smile, gripping his shoulder lightly. 

"I feel myself fortunate..." He lowered his lashes, his lips parting to a grin as he glanced up at me, "I never imagined that I would be someday, fighting from the side of the great son of Indra."