Love Across Time : Mahabharat

Fifty Seven : Unyielding Fury

-𝓦𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓗𝓸𝓹𝓮-

The midday sun beat down on Arjun's bare back as he sat in deep meditation. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, but his eyes remained closed, focused on a point within. A flicker of movement caught his periphery vision. He cracked open one eye to see a white dove perched on his outstretched arm. Its red beak held a rolled-up parchment tied with a silken thread. A knot of unease tightened in his stomach. Messages rarely reached him in this remote forest, chosen for its solitude during this time.

Hesitantly, he broke the seal and unfurled the delicate parchment. The familiar, elegant script of Vidura swam before his eyes. Arjun's breath hitched as he devoured the words. His brothers were in Varnavrat, a supposedly secure lakeside palace. But instead of safety, Duryodhana planned a heinous act, a fire to consume them all. A cold fury coursed through Arjun. How dare Duryodhana continue his treachery even during their exile! This wasn't a mere prank, it was a desperate attempt to eliminate the Pandavas permanently.

The parchment fluttered in his trembling hand. Vidura had provided a detailed plan. An escape route, a secret passage known only to a few loyal men. Arjun knew what he had to do. His exile could wait, his brothers' lives could not.

With a silent apology to the forest that had provided him solace, Arjun broke his meditation. He rose, his muscles crackling with suppressed power. He quickly packed his few belongings, a pang of loneliness twisting in his gut. He yearned for the warmth of his brothers' company, for the mischievous twinkle in Aanya's eyes.

The thought of Aanya brought a fresh wave of pain. With a determined stride, Arjun vanished into the dense foliage, following the path etched in Vidura's words. He was on a mission, to save his brothers, to thwart Duryodhana's evil ploy, and perhaps, in some distant future, to see Aanya's smile light up his world once more.

The night cloaked Varnavrat in an inky darkness, broken only by the flickering glow of moonlight inside the supposedly secure palace. Arjun, guided by Vidura's detailed map, ghosted through the shadows, avoiding guards and weaving a silent path towards the hidden passage. Reaching the designated spot, he pressed a loose brick, activating a mechanism. A groaning section of the wall swung open, revealing a narrow, dank tunnel. He squeezed through, the stale air thick with the scent of damp earth.

After what felt like an eternity, the tunnel opened into a small, dusty chamber. In the dim light, he saw a familiar figure hunched over a wooden table, maps and scrolls scattered around him.

"Jyestha!" Arjun whispered, relief flooding him.

His elder brother looked up, his face etched with worry. Relief mirrored Arjun's own as he recognized the flicker of life returning to Yudhishthira's eyes.

"Arjun! Thank the heavens you received the message," Yudhishthira exclaimed, rushing forward for a tight embrace.

Quickly, they filled each other in on the details, Arjun's intel from Vidura, and Yudhishthira's own confirmation of the impending attack. He revealed how Vidura had secretly warned him days ago, allowing them some time to prepare.

"We cannot directly confront Duryodhana," Yudhishthira stated, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hands. "Hastinapur is a powder keg, and any spark could ignite a war we may not be ready for."

Arjun's jaw clenched. He understood the logic, but the injustice of it burned. To live like hunted animals, their very existence a secret, was a bitter pill to swallow.

Seeing the turmoil in his brother's eyes, Yudhishthira placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will survive this, Arjun. We have faced worse."

A plan began to take shape. They decided to orchestrate a convincing escape, leaving behind evidence to suggest their demise in the fire. This would buy them time, time to regroup, gain allies, and return stronger. It was a desperate gamble, but it was their only hope.