Mending Broken Ties

The Tragic war

Arjun POV

I stood alone.

I pulled my shawl closer to me feeling cold despite the burning fire, we had just finished the last rites of many soldiers who fought bravely.  The last rites of family members, friends, even so-called enemies. But the pyre I stood before right now... the pyre of someone who I had considered my biggest rival throughout my whole life. My biggest enemy... yet the person who turned out to be... family...

I sighed as tears rolled down his face looking at the burning pyre of my elder brother, who I had disrespected, insulted and what not throughout his life and now... I had killed him.

*Flashback*

"He's your Jyesth Arjun!!" Mata's Kunti's words rang in my head over and over again as I stared at the fallen body of Angraj Karn.

Faded voices reached my ears, crying, everything seemed to blur together as I fell to my knees. It felt like I couldn't breathe anymore... like I was drowning.

'How? How could th-' I thought to myself tears flowing down my face.

"Arya!!" I heard Angrani Vrushali sob. My bhabhi... I haven't even formally met her yet I've given her nothing but pain. The pain of losing her children and now her husband.

"Bhaiya..." I heard Deva's voice his hands shaking my shoulders as he got down beside me.

"I-... I killed..." My words are incomprehensible as I hold sobs.

"Arjun!" Mata calls but I can't seem to face her... I can't... I look up to see Madhav a single tear rolling down his face. He had a blank expression on his face.

"Parth," He says softly but I just get up too overwhelmed to be able to think of anything logically.

*Flashback end*

"Arjun," I heard a voice behind me. I turned around to see jyesth standing there with a solemn expression on his face like everyone else after this war.

"Yes, Jyesth?"

"Everyone is waiting at camp... it's late Arjun you can't stand here all night." He said resting a hand on my shoulder.

"I know...I just-... his death hurt jyesth, how could I kill him?! It's piercing me from the inside..."

"I know, I know it's tough but everyone needs you there, we can't give up now Arjun... we need to move on," Jyesth said calmly as ever.

"How? After what I did how?! I-... I committed a huge sin Jyesth, I killed our elder brother!" I exclaim my frustration and anger getting the best of me.

"Anuj you didn't know... Mata should have told us, I would give anything to have him back! To be a proper family! But we don't have that option..."

"It's still a sin... insulting him! Disrespecting him for years! I ca-... I called him a Sut putra!" I said my voice shaky.

He immediately pulled me into a hug. "We all did Arjun... we all committed a sin, but we will try our best to repent it!" He said caressing my head slightly.

"How?" I ask still not really able to respond to much of his affection.

"I don't know, but there has to be a way... there always is." He said softly.

"I hope you're right..."

He smiles slightly and again rests his hand on my shoulder. "We should go now,"

I nod and he leads us back to the camp.

"Arya," I heard Panchali the minute we reached the camp.