WEAPON OF GOD :: Mahabharat

CH.60. DISOBEDIENCE

"

Ho-how?" Evi's voice got caught in her throat, as her body signalled her systems failing from stress, both mental and physical.

She doubled down, making Ren hold her steady and lift her up, much to Hridasura's confusion.

"Who are you?" He asked, as Ren walked towards him and signalled him to follow. His body as frail as a corpse, half of it being machines put together, his hair strikingly blonde and his eyes as blue as the ocean, it made Hridasura uneasy. He had been already confused with Evi's built as a human woman, but the man that now stood in front of him, carrying his heavier than normal wife as if carrying a child, left him even more dumbstruck.

"Your wife's other half" Ren gave a goofy smile to Hridasura and leapt to the farthest place from the arena, as Arjun fought off the remaining soldiers that dared to charge at him.

"And who are YOU?" Hridasura asked Arjun, bewildered, as he couldn't understand why Ren was calling the person wrapped in a saree 'Arjun'.

"HRIDASURA ITS ME!" Arjun whined as he shot down the soldiers running towards him, unaware of his real identity. "Its a long story as to why I am in a feminine attire, but please, focus on making these soldiers return back to their places. They are just following orders, and I don't want to waste my time killing them off"

Hridasura's bewilderment soon subsided as the group, which now overpowered the measely soldiers and a heavily injured Jarasandh and other royals, cornered the survivors and locked them in place with Arjun's and Karna's spells.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Bheem asked, "where's Dusshala?"

The group looked around and found Sahadev tending to Dusshala's life threatening wounds, as Dussashan and the two demon children sat beside him, praying for its success.

"Where's Panchali?" Arjun asked, looking at Karna. "Is she back in Anga?"

"No, she came with me.... But.... I too don't see her" Karna replied, looking around for his wife.

"She didn't fall prey to the debris did she!?" Bheem exclaimed.

"No, no, we arrived after all that... Where-" Karna spotted something, Draupadi's jewelleries -- in the fire. "What the-"

He slowly approached the dimming torch, around which Draupadi's jewelleries lay sprawled, half burned and half ashes. "What- what happened here?"

"Angr-Angraj-" Dussashan didn't know where to start. Sahadev was concentrating on Dusshala, and he couldn't let the two demon children narrate all that happened before their eyes. "She.... She sacrificed herself.... For Hridasura"

Silence ensued, as the Kuru royals tried to comprehend Dussashan's words. Sahadev stiffened, trying to focus on healing Dusshala, but the eerie stillness was agonising.

"I don't understand" Arjun walked up to Dussashan and Karna, his hand clenching on the bow, "Panchali.... Is dead?"

Dussashan's breath hitched as Arjun's menacing aura became palpable to both. Karna was already bracing for an attack, as he knew how Arjun felt towards Draupadi.

And in an instant, the two archers were at each other's throat. Consequently, Arjun's attire had distracted Karna enough, that led him have the upper hand. But Arjun too, wasn't stable enough to fight like a kshatriya. He pounced at Karna, grabbing his neck, which was devoid of his Kavach.

" SHE WAS YOUR WIFE! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!" Arjun screamed, as his alta painted coarse hands choked Angraj.

"ARJUN!" Bheem and Yudhishthir dashed to him, as Duryodhan had already charged at the Archer for attacking his best friend.