An interlude to Sunset

The part about Memories and Friendship (Krishna)

The part about Memories and Friendship (Krishna)

It had been days and Krishna was finding it difficult to attune himself to the pain that Arjun was still suffering from. It was not just physical pain, which was substantial in its own right, but this pain surpassed the tangible. Krishna was aware that each waking and sleeping moment was dragging Arjun through those days he had spent locked up in his mind and each repetition brought on its own barbs.

"Parth?"

"Madhav?" Arjun had ensconced himself in one of the unused rooms of Hastinapur and looked up in some surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Krishna frowned in mock anger and crossed his arms across his chest. "Not happy to see me, Parth? Should I take my leave?"

Arjun continued to look confused. "Leave? Are you leaving, Madhav?" But then a look of understanding lit up his face. "But of course. You must be needed at Dwaraka. I cannot possibly have you stay here forever, though if I could, I would. I would at least beseech you to." He smiled, some mischief flickering in those upturned corners of his lips. "To stay back, that is," he added, hesitant and with the slightest bit of stutter.

"My dearest Parth." Krishna's head fell back and he laughed. "I never said that I wished to leave; I enquired whether you needed me to. You were looking much too lost in your mind, Sakha."

"My mind?" A twisted smile made Arjun's face appear the slightest bit crooked; an anomaly if there ever was one. "My mind has ceased its thoughts, Madhav. I am not finding myself capable of normal thoughts."

"Parth?" Krishna held onto Arjun's elbow and guided him over towards the open window. "Sit. And talk to me."

"What about?"

Anything. You have been hiding from me."

"Hiding?" Arjun's sculpted eyebrows rose. "From you? Is that even possible, Madhav?"

Krishna could make out the underlying unspoken emotions behind the words. "I know that the...inadvertent connection between our minds unsettles you." He breathed in. "There is little to be done there, Parth, but I will try to contain as much of it as possible."

"Contain?" Arjun absently repeated.

"I can try to ensure that only the bare minimum of my thoughts...."

"What are you saying? Madhav?" Arjun's eyes cleared and a look of dismay weaved through every iota of his face. "I was not talking about that connection, Madhav. That is a gift, and one, which I cannot help but treasure. I can never regret that. How can you even think that, Dwarakadhish?" Arjun sounded broken and Krishna lamented his momentary lapse in judgment.

He had certainly not intended to cause any further pain to his friend.

"Do you regret that, Madhav?" Arjun was asking. "You drew that inference with extraordinary alacrity. I have said before and I will say again; it cannot be easy to allow a mere mortal like me to have such unbridled access to your thoughts. You, who is the Sustainer of the Universe and beyond."

"Are you done?"

"What?"

Krishna's voice deepened and he allowed some anger to seep through, "Are you done with your overthinking, Rajkumar Arjun?" He repeated. "Or would you like to continue to spend a few more moments in purposeless lamentations?"

Arjun's head bowed and Krishna could see the archer's lips trembling.

"Parth." With a sigh, the Dark skinned Lord placed a hand on Arjun's head and dragged his fingers over the unruly curls. "Calm down, child." The whisper, filled with the Lord's strength and empathy, flew like music and the aura of the room immediately lightened.