Panchaali had never had an easy life, since the day she had been born from the holy yagn, all she has known is pain. Facing the constant abuse at the hands of her mother she feels shattered and broken, the darkness of agony that cloaks her is slowly...
Arjun's heart thudded as he watched her fall, he didn't think as he ran forward and jumped off the cliff too, his body was airborne within moments, his heart nearly stopped as he watched her head hit a rock before falling into the deep dark ocean.
He braced his body as he fell into the ocean with a loud splash, his heart hammering as he opened his eyes under the water, her long hair floated around her as she sunk into the deep waters, her face glistening.
He swarm down towards her, his hand wrapped around her wrist as he pulled her closer to his chest and swarm upward. He broke through the surface with a loud gasp as he breathed in the much needed oxygen. He swarm towards the shore.
Once on the shore, he laid her on the sand, "Panchaali! " He called out, his heart thudding in his chest as he patted her cheeks, "Panchaali!" He shook her body, still no response, terror wound around his heart as he picked her in his arms and moved towards the sounds that were coming from near by, it sounded like someone stayed there.
His heart was beating wildly in his chest, what if something... He couldn't even complete the thought, no, no, no, nothing will happen to her, she will be fine, she had to be fine, she had no choice. Dread pooled in his chest as terror filled his soul, he looked down at her, hope lightened his heart when he saw a tribe.
"Help! You need to help us! " He called out men came running towards them, "What happened son?" One of the older man asked, "My fiance! She fell from the cliff and she won't wake up. " He stated, he was immediately guided to a hut where an old man sat, Arjun laid her on the grass bed as the old ved (doctor) began to examine her.
His heart was hammering in his chest, worry building in his chest as tears poured down his cheeks as her memories began to swirl in his mind, he paced in the room as he wiped the tears, that poured down his cheeks.
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"Don't worry son she would be fine." The old man said as he looked at Arjun but the worry in him didn't lessen, his mind knew that she was out of danger but his heart was still not ready to believe, he continued to look at her, her face was calm but his mind was anything but. He wanted her to wake up, to see her beautiful eyes, his heart hammered in his chest as he looked at her. After what seemed like forever he looked at her, as he sat there staring at her, time seemed to have stopped moving as he looked at her, he wanted her to wake up, hours passed as he looked at her, just getting lost in her memorise as he looked at her, when will she wake up? Why wasn't she waking up? He paced the room as he looked at her, his eyes refusing to leave her, an unknown restlessness filled his soul as he mentally willed her to wake up.
"Son you are injured too, it must hurt, let me apply some medicine and rid you of the pain." The old ved said, Arjun's eyes fell on the open red angry wound that was bleeding, "You can surely heal my external wounds but this pain that I am going through, that can be eased only by one medicine and she for now is sleeping." He whispered, longing and worry ringing in his eyes as he looked at her. The old man sighed looking at the young prince, "Child come out, my wife will change her clothes, you too change your clothes and let me bandage your wounds." The man said making Arjun nod as he left the room.
Time passed as the sun set, she had not yet woken up, "Panchaali." He whispered her name like a prayer as he sat beside her bed side looking at her, "Son you should take some rest." The old man said as he looked at Arjun, who shook his head, there was no rest for him till she woke up, "At least eat or drink something. You have been sitting there for hours now." The old ved said worried for the health of the young man, "No baba, until she wakes up I don't want anything." He whispered as he caressed her head, "She is in no danger son, she is fine." The old man tried to explain, "My mind knows that baba, but my heart,my heart doesn't understand that,all I know is that she is unconscious." He whispered as his throat tightened, if someone had told him a week ago that he will be so madly in love with a woman, he would have laughed, but today look at him, he was utterly and completely in love, so much so losing her felt worse than death. What was this love? A week ago he had no idea but now look at him, he was a victim of its beautiful attack, probably the only war, the most important war of his life and he lost it against love, but his loss against love gave him greater pleasure, a twisted thing this love was, that he made the great warrior prince nothing more than its slave and he enjoyed every moment of it.
"Wake up princess." He whispered as he took her hand in his as he pressed his lips on the back of her hand, a tear traced down his cheek as he looked at her,willing her to wake up, what is wrong with her? Why won't she wake up? His heart thudded with agony every minute felt like a century as he looked at her, waiting for her to wake. The restlessness in his chest increasing with every moment, "Son you need to go and rest." The old man said as he entered the hut, "No baba, I won't be leaving her." He whispered.
"Son it is the custom of our village that after sunset, no woman meets any men except her husband." The old man said, "I am her fiance." Arjun stated. "But not her husband. So you need to sleep in the next hut. Don't worry if she wakes up, my wife or daughter will inform us. Please come son." He said respectfully, the poor old man was worried for the young man, they had reached here in the morning and now it was night, the young prince hadn't eaten or drunk anything, all he did was sat near the unconscious princess. He needed to rest.
Arjun's heart ceased to beat at the thought of leaving her, no, what if something happened? He knew he was being paranoid but he didn't care anymore, he had waited the entire day by her bedside, so when she wakes up she isn't afraid, what happens if she wakes up and he isn't there? First of all she had been thorough all that fight and that fall, she will be scared, he didn't for a moment wanted to leave her alone. He knew his body was being strained but he was a warrior he had been through worst of the situation, and his love won't let him look for his own comfort before her, after all that's what love is, thinking of the other before ourselves. His gaze looked at her as he made up his mind, he won't leave her, but this man had helped him a lot, how can he disrespect his customs? Arjun's hand wrapped around the dagger that was placed safely on his waistband, his fingers tightened on it's hilt as he pulled it out, he made a cut on his thumb, red warm blood bubbled up and he looked at her, she was his from the very first moment, now he was just completing a ritual. He dragged his bleeding thumb through her maang, his heart filled with joy as he cupped her cheek.
"There baba, now she's my wife." He said looking up at the old man, who laughed looking at him, "Love, my child makes you do all sorts of things. But what happens if she wakes up and doesn't like this?" The old man asked with a soft smile on his face, "She has been mine from the very moment I saw her baba, and she is well aware of this. I don't think this union would ever be a problem with my girl." He whispered as he ran his hand through her long curls, "May god always keep the two of you always happy and together. Now a days, seeing people marry for political reasons and other profits my old soul had always been in turmoil, but today seeing you marry her for love relieved my heart. May god always be with you children." He blessed with a huge smile as he left the hut leaving the newly weds alone. . .
