The Tales of Arjun and Panchali

Part VI : ~Final Adieu~

Previously:

Panchali's POV : Suddenly, the tires of the chariot started moving and in the blink of an eye, everything in front of me disappeared. "PARTTTHHHHHHH", I yelled with my hands reaching out in front of me to catch the lone peacock feather swaying in the air.

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Arjun's POV :

At first, I was bewildered about what had just unfolded before me. Can I call it a dream, a vision, a prophecy, perhaps? Never mind about assigning it a name, it caused me to palpitate. Beads of sweat were rolling down my forehead and before my hand reached to wipe them off, Panchali's nimble fingers were at work. With the hem of her saree, she was patting away the sweat. I turned around in my bed to look at her. She looked pale as if coming out of some sort of a reverie. She laughed silently with closed eyes and nodded her head slightly. "It's Govind's Leela, Arjun", she said, matter-of-factly. "Your bewildered expressions are a dead give away that you too must have had a dream or a vision orchestrated by our very own Govind. The peacock feather and the illumined aura were mere hints of a divine advice. What a fool I am who couldn't recognize that but it was all so vivid," she said while resting her head on my chest. After her little narration, I understood that we had the same vision and the two peacock feathers were proof that it actually happened though just in our heads. "You know, Panchali, I was having these thoughts of staying here with you forever or if not that then taking you along wherever I went. It could've been quite a hardship for you to stay in a forest but I assumed that being with each other would make it worth all the hardships," I said while caressing her velvety cheek and then finally leaning in to place a quick kiss on it because I couldn't resist the urge. She looked up at me through her long, curled eyelashes and smiled. She let out a sigh which I could feel on my chest as her hot breath came in touch with my skin. "I was thinking of the same, my love. I wanted to escape this all. Being with you gives me peace like no other and I could trade the responsibility of being "Aryavarth's Samragyni" with being only your wife in a millisecond. How lovely would those days be? Living in the mountains with you in a cottage like this with no daasis prowling around us. Oh, the simple pleasures of being a simple woman! And to come to think of it, is it even too much of an ask?" she said which sent daggers straight into my heart. Both of us just yearned to be each other's completely. Only imagining a life like that with her gave me a transcendental joy, for it to only transform into pain. It was impossible to lead such a life. I opened my mouth to say something but she raised her hand to stop me. "Don't you think I already know that what I just said is an impossibility? I am aware of the responsibilities I shoulder, not just as the queen of Indraprasth but as a wife. I admire all of my husbands; I have grown to love them even, simply because what other choice did I have? Choosing to be with you came at the cost of loving them all otherwise it would be a sin for me. You were afraid to commit the sin of marrying before your elder brothers and I'm afraid of committing the sin of not loving all of you equally for my heart longs for you, Dhananjay," she said while getting up from the bed and sitting with her back facing at me. Another round of tears escaped both of our eyes. I stood up and went around to sit on my knees in front of her. I took her beautiful hands into mine and kissed them gently. Wiping her eyes, I kept my head on her lap and started speaking "I know it isn't enough to express the infinite love I feel for you because ultimately you are the one who is leading this life. What a fool I was to think that staying in a forest would give you hardships! Even the luxury of being a Queen cannot surpass the suffering we have entrusted on you. I am to be blamed for all of it and my going away from you was perhaps God's plan to minimize your struggles. I am aware of how difficult it is to conceal one's emotions because I have been doing it for so many years now. Even when I am with you I long for you. I have this constant innate fear of letting you go onto the next one but then this is the life I chose for myself and I try to live it with dignity and respect. I had realised long ago that if I reciprocate the way you do both of us wouldn't be able to fulfil our duties in the way they are supposed to be done. Madhav's message was an awakening for us and we need to walk in the direction he has shown us." Panchali cupped my face in her hands and kissed the tears flowing like a river now, from my eyes. While nodding her head in affirmation, she went on to kiss my forehead and then started caressing my curls affectionately. "While on this twelve-year long journey, there is so much that you are going to learn and conquer. I understand why I need to build patience but I cannot decipher what Govind meant about "perseverance to fight for justice. With all of you by my side, why would I ever need to fight?" Panchali said while dismissing the thought. "Govind always leaves us in puzzles. Let's forget about that part for the time being and let's focus on how I am going to transform myself into a woman of substance. What do I even possess that could inspire and empower the generations to come?", she questioned. "You are Draupadi, Panchali, Yagyaseni!," I retorted with a smirk. "Oh, Arjun! See, that's where the problem lies, no? I am well known because of the virtue of my father, because of the virtue of my husbands! And at the cost of sounding vain, also because of my beauty! But I know I am much more than all of these things! Innumerable times I wonder about the purpose of my life yet I never find the answer," She said in frustration. I sighed. "My beloved wife, are you forgetting how singlehandedly you are managing the finances and treasures of our kingdom? In such a short span of time, you have gained the expertise in the matter and sometimes, I am the one who is learning from you! You are on the path of becoming, one of its kind, ARTHASHASTRA VISHARADH. You are so well versed in the matters of economics, diplomacy, trade and politics. You are not just the queen by virtue of having Jyesth Bhrata Yudhistir as your husband but because you truly have a keen interest in running a kingdom and that's precisely one of the many qualities which sets you apart! I know that you are a woman, well ahead of her times. I remember all our meaningful conversations about handling the finances of our kingdom. You speak about it so passionately. There are so many cases where you have imparted accurate justice especially in the matters concerning to women. I have witnessed the fire in your eyes whenever a woman is being wronged. You are our Goddess Lakshmi for when you entered our lives, they were filled with prosperity and while punishing the wrong-doers in the sabha, you transform into Goddess Kaali. In due course of time, we all will also witness the mother in you. I am so proud of the fact that I have the pleasure of having you as my wife. Identify your multifaceted personality, Panchali," I said while I feeling immense pride for my beautiful wife.

Panchali's POV :

I found myself standing in the same balcony of my grand chamber on the verge of dawn, staring straight into the horizon as if waiting for his arrival again, knowing well that he wasn't coming back for a long, long time now. However, this time, I wasn't melancholy as I was before. Interestingly, my entire being buzzed with a new found hope. After our big conversation about deciphering Madhav's message, we got dressed and decided to visit a temple nearby. We worshipped the deities and prayed to seek blessings and strength for the coming years of separation. On our way back to Indraprasth, Arjun presented me with new gold anklets which he insisted on tying on my feet himself! He earnestly hoped that the sound of the anklets will always remind me of him. I couldn't help myself but only laugh. How can you forget someone who has possessed every part of you? I didn't give him anything as a memory because I believed it would just bound him. Also, I don't think I'd be able to bear it if he didn't possess it even after returning back. I know it was an impossible expectation to have because life in the forest would give him no time to take care of his belongings. Yet he just took one of my rings and kept in his pouch which he had tied around his waist while leaving Indraprasth. No words could ever describe what I felt in that moment. He was bidding goodbye to everyone who were trying to convince him to stay. When he came to me, he just stared into my eyes, as if reliving the beautiful two days we had spent. I didn't shed a single tear. There was no way that I was going to weaken his spirit. He had given me the most wonderful memories to hold onto. What else could I even ask for? Our departure from the cottage was no different either, we just stood into each other's arms, peacefully, for what seemed like eons. When I saw tears trying to escape his eyes, I just nodded my head vigorously because this time, in front of everyone I couldn't wipe them off. Among everyone, stood Madhav and his wives too. For the entire time, Madhav refused to even spare a glance at me. Perhaps he felt guilty for separating two forlorn lovers.

"You are absolutely correct, Sakhi, I feel guilty for what life has chosen for you. But as they say, to achieve something of great importance, one must know how to sacrifice and let go. I assure you that your sufferings will not be in vain," Madhav's voice echoed. Happily, I turned around to find him, only to laugh atmy stupidity again. When will I ever get used to your Leelas, MADHAV! "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare!" I said while bowing down to his omnipresence. Yet again, I could see the sun rising in its full glory, illuminating the world. It was a reminder that life goes on. Taking my cue, I decided to get ready and dive into the responsibilities that lay ahead.

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A/N : Hello everybody! That was the end of "The Goodbye" series. I hope you liked it. Do comment, share and vote. Your feedback is very important to me. Also, the overall feedback is going to be the deciding factor about whether or not I should continue writing the story further. I am keen onto exploring more of Arjun and Panchali's life after he returns. Do let me know. Silent readers atleast hit the vote icon!