Mahagatha

A Storm's Coming

An official, decked in black with a sword hung by his waist, stood in the golden court of Hastinapur.

All the ministers stood in impatient silence, the Princes in dreadful anticipation.

(Arjun's hands clenched into fists.)

The official took a scroll handed to him upon a silver platter handed by another servant.

Opening the scroll, taking a deep breath, the official began.

"By the order of the King the selection of the Crown Prince hereby begins."

Loud authoritative words, sounding like the knocking of future on the doors of the present.

All while the present was on fire.

"In the Time span of a week, His Majesty will announce his decision."

The smoke burning your life, the flames burning what you thought was the truth.

"May Lady Lakshmi bless both the Princes."

The truth that never was anything but a façade.

Since childhood in many ways was a façade, from the world from yourself.

But every façade breaks, like every mask.

The Court of Hastinapur was no exception to this.

The rolling of dice, the sharpening of swords, and narrowing of eyes.

In just a moment all the masks had been broken, all the facades shattered.

With that the official stood down from the elevated stair he stood on.

Conspiratorial glances were directed towards the two candidates.

The two main candidates themselves were like a sky before the storm.

How calm the sky was, contrast to how wild the winds were.

The sky reflected in the dark deep eyes of the eldest Panduputra Yudhishthir, the stormy winds dancing in the grey eyes of eldest Kaurav, Duryodhan.

In the heated moment the disappearance of the Third Panduputra had gone unnoticed by most.

(Except by dark eyes shimmering with concern and stormy eyes, the grey in them dancing with worry.)

Most of the other occupants of the room had begun to clear out as the court session had ended leaving the royal family the only ones standing in the glimmering, shinning court.

An awkward silence rang loud in the deathly silent court.

"Anuj Duryodhan, I wish you the best of luck. May the God's be by you, younger brother."

Draped in silver and the finest of jewels, the eldest Panduputra smiled at his brother.

Duryodhan let out a deep sigh.

Nodding at his elder brother competitor, he turned around and left his own dark robes sweeping behind him.

His younger brother following him at his heels.