Sojourn : mahabharata's era

CHAPTER 19 : the unexpected

Upon awakening, I was greeted by a throbbing headache and a disoriented mind. Slowly, I opened my eyes, only to find myself inside a tent, struggling to clear my blurred vision. Memories from the previous night flooded back to me - Ekalavya's sacrifice and Guru Drona's insatiable desire - all of which caused a sudden surge of pain in my brain. Trembling uncontrollably, I realized that I had never witnessed such a bizarre scene in my entire life.

My thoughts drifted back to the conversation I had with, Guru Drona. Suddenly, my attention was drawn to Devpriya didi, who entered the tent with a look of sheer terror on her face.

"How do you feel now?" She questioned sitting down on the mattress.

"Better—" I replied.

"Why were you so stubborn last night, Gurudev has been fuming since then." She said, giving me a glass of water. As i sat folding my legs togther for some warmth.

"It wasn't my mistake, he was so rigid and arrogant, atleast he should have thought about the little boy for once—" before I could speak, I heard footsteps approaching in the tent, and somehow i could tell it probably was ashwattama. My heart began to ponder and  i wished he was not ignoring me like last night.

It was him, he entered into the tent. He had an cold expression, as if he never knew me. I gasped on seeing him.

"Devpriya would you please—" he said signing her to leave us alone. I breathed heavily, for what he might say out. I felt weak and lacked energy. Devpriya nodded in agreement and exited the tent. He positioned himself in front of me, still holding onto that cold and arrogent expression. His eyes were scanning the room, unable to met mine. I waited for him to make an eye contact, something understanding that would sooth me but he suddenly threw the arrows of words at me.

"Nihira, yesterday was the first and last time you raised voice at my father." He said placing his arms on his waist aggressively.

"Ah—" i gasped for air, unable to comprehend, how randomly he began the conversation.

"I wouldn't stand for anyone doubting my father. But because it was you, I stopped. If it had been someone else in your position, they might not have made it through yesterday." He continued.

A sudden feeling of terror seized me, because I had only heard of this side me him, never in all these months I bad expected it to witness. I breathed heavily, with a pounding head.

"I just voiced my opinions, and your father had—" before i could compelete he began speaking harshly.

"Your opinions doesn't matter here." He spoke, shattering my heart into countless fragments. I looked at him with wide eyes, shocked and perplexed on how cold he could get. I had always seen his soft side, but the way he spoke suddenly out of nowhere made me question his politeness. I opened and closed my mouth trying not to say something very rude to him, i was totally taken aback by his words.

"What, why my opinions does not matter—?" i spoke.

"Because—"

"Because you are not supposed to speak something like that to anyone, you opining does not count anywhere." He replied.

"I expressed my true feelings, and you are nobody to tell how I should feel about this. You had the option to support me, yet you chose not to." I said  looking at him with shattered heart and soul.

"Nihira—now I'm a nobody to you." He expressed his anger and surprise through his wide eyes.

"Ah—y you were wrong yesterday, why didn't you saw your father being a heartless man all of a sudden—?" I spoke when my eyes began to fill with water.