It has been 71 years for the Great war Mahabharat. The kingdoms and the people have recovered from the losses.
Few dynasties still hold on to the grudge of losing, the small kingdoms that were defeated by Panadavas turned into raiders, the bigger ones consolidated what resources they had left and dreamt of a glorious victory.
The supposedly winning side had also lost many men and were affected significantly, but the continuous raids and attacks made their recovery slow and their proximity to Magadha made it even worse.
The kingdom of Indraprastha, once a barren land is now the centre of trade, debates, philosophy and for a long time, peace.
Carved by the mighty Pandavas, prospered the most under Parikshit, had everything you needed, but it was to receive what made it come to existence in the first place, Politics and War.
"Your second attack should not take more than 2 seconds, at worst, treat the sword as the extensions of your hands " said Devgupt
"It is just your age, grandpa. What kind of Prince will I be if I struck an old man?"
Swung his sword from above, I raised my shield to guard myself and then
"What!? This is cheating you used your leg to push me"
"Well, you don't expect your enemy to pat on your back before attacking, eh Aadivijay?"
"Whatever. But you cheated that's for sure."
"Be prepared for worst my Prince, and fight twice with the same enemy, once in your mind and then in the battlefield."
"My son will need a new teacher if this pace continues Devgupt, a fast learner and a steady tutor, I didn't think you two will get along so fast hah" said my father, the King, long, lean muscular, dusky appearance with big moustache and a soft tone of voice.
"Father!"
"There's my Maharathi! I suppose you are not skipping any of your classes, like before."
"I am keeping an eye on him father, if he tries again, maybe I will teach him more of hand-to-hand combat" said my idiot brother Rasika.
"And then maybe I will teach you What real hand-to-hand combat feels like Rasika. What do you say?" My eldest brother Mahit, who is the best and most revered Prince out of us three.
"Why do you always side with him? Let's teach our little brother more or do you want him to remain this lousy cry baby."
"Father!! See what Rasika is saying."
"Enough of you three. Let's get inside and eat a big elaborate feast and I had asked them to prepare Moonghalwa too. Let us attack that first. What do you guys say?"
"Sire, this was the 13th attack. Magadha is using raiders from the west and their small armies keep attacking after 30-35 days. We couldn't keep prisoners of war after the 5th attack itself, just because they surrender or ask for forgiveness you shouldn't let them in the gates."
"It has been 7 years since the first attack and most of their men started working at the Aravalli mountains, they have started to treat Indraprastha as their home now, but even then I keep them at the outskirts of our city. They have eaten with us, worked with us, swore an oath with us."
"It is good to expect righteousness from people but not when you're King and when even after 7 years our spies could not even find out the purpose of these suicide army missions. What we are keeping in this castle can change the world forever and..."
The warning bell started ringing.
"The sound is very loud... This is the Palace bell being rung. For the first time.. in Indraprastha's history. We are under attack and the enemy is inside the palace my King!"
For 10's of dynasties and as long as one can remember, no enemy could reach the palace gates.
The sudden breach and the overwhelming numbers, changed the whole atmosphere of the palace. The men trying to hold the gates, while a good number of enemies stab them, the royal women servants watching a bloodbath firsthand for the first time, screaming.
"Send all of my personal guards to evacuate the palace and--"
Swarms of men with brown robe with a dense dark aura, with only their eyes visible, barged in, broking windows and gates. A different, unique dagger in their hands.
"Their demeanor is completely different, their way of holding a dagger is also something I have never seen. Deva, retreat and find my children, you know it's time."
"No sire, I will stay with you."
"Are you insulting me Deva. You don't think I can handle 32 people?"
"No No!" with teary eyes Deva said "I don't feel right Mihir! I just don't"
"Heh, It has been decades since I last heard my name from you. Go, it is my order, my unhinged will, under Akhand pact, get my 3 children to safety and away from here."
Deva is running around the palace, avoiding any combat. A clear tense stretch of expressions, his expressive eyes now have no shame in showing fear or anxiety.
"Aadi! Mahit!! Rasik!!"
Fruits don't fall far from the tree. All three of them are on the gates, evacuating the populace Aadijay holding a baby,
Rasik on a pedestal shouting "Our soldiers and my Father are here, worry not! Just go this way!", directing them to the southern gates, Mahit searching every house for people.
"What are you doing here Deva? You should be with our father."
"I can't explain Rasik, leave all these", "Forget guarding me, get the people to safety, our Princes are doing your duty."
"At once sire."
"Mahit!", "You all will now follow me now."
"Are we going to join Baba, Deva?" "Finally a battle alongside father"
"Don't get excited Rasik." "Come this way."
"This is the way to the watch tower Kaka . What's happening?"
"Mind your head."
"You didn't answer my question"
"I wish we had the time to explain, teach, fight and then witness you all in your glory. I wish we had more time Mahit"
"Why are you talking like this. Where is father, Kaka?"
"What's happening Deva."
"Is everything alright, bhaiya ?"
A sudden gush of wind knocked the three Princes on the ground, suddenly the room went dark. A single radiant light source, Deva with his teary eyes, had a globe in his hand that looks cosmical with thousand stars engraved that looked like it had sucked all the brightness out of the room, threw the globe on the floor.
A burst that sent shockwave across the room, the room is filled with dust and white light.
"Find yourself, your purpose, your Chosen Destiny. Whatever happens here, don't mourn it, don't mourn our deaths but they are fickle in the grand schemes of play. The war has chosen its battlefield, its warriors." "Kalahpriy!! I am envoking my last wish, my earned boon. Guide them."
"The light is collapsing inward, I can see Kaka vulnerable, crying and smiling all at the same time. It looks like the time has been slowed or I am imagining things, we are being sucked into the ground and all I can think of is, Nothing" Mahit is distressed, confused.
"No! Devaa!"
"Kaka, what are you doing to us. Where is father!?. I want to see father." Aadijay the youngest of them is sobbing, looking at Deva like he is some butcher and the sheep is asking for mercy, confused how a caring being who fed it daily, looked after its health, has now brought a blade. Like the banishment is a swing to behead.
The fiery globe appeared in a faraway forest, merging into the ground, on a mountain. A totally different weather, no sign of rain or cloud and no sight of ice mountains on all four sides but rocky mountains.
"Noo!!" screamed Mahit
"Whe.. Where are we?" asked Rasik
"Bhaiya, are you fine?" Aadijay to Mahit
"I am fine anuj."
Mahit stands up and looks around the peak, " We are very far from Indraprastha, the air is very moist for this early of a year."
"How far do you think? We have to get back to father."
"Deva will not send us anywhere near Indraprastha. It must be months or weeks of travel."
" The sun has almost set here, we are very East of Indraprastha. Deva! I will kill you for this,I will never Forgive you!"
Another sphere with glazing light appeared, it set the mud and dirt flying in the air, clearing the ground few inches deep.
"Ahh! Now I know how a Lioness must feel when they hunt, and they have encircled their prey and the gazelle is just one claw swipe away from them and they know it. Shhh!" a voice emerging out of the sphere.
"You know how many years I have waited, how many people I had to befriend, how many I had to kill, how many I had to convince.. to be here, facing you three and...."
Mahit jumped on the stranger with his sword.
A sharp, thunderous sound broke the silence of the forest, Mahit's sword was blocked.
"Tch Tch! Is that how you greet guest my Lord Prince? This is so unprincely. Don't you think"
Mahit jumped back with pure shock.
"I couldn't even see Mahit approaching the stranger and that guy blocked it" Aadijay was also stunned.
Mahit who was always praised for his skills and his movements was in disbelief. For the first time he felt his humanity, his fear, his vulnerabilities as a mortal. Without even a fight, just by the stranger's presence, his judgement and one blocking, his body was screaming for life. The stranger is emanating pure power, something so big he can't comprehend, not divine nor evil, just Power at its purest form. His body is refusing to move, to try again, his spirit though, it wants to fight, to atleast give his brothers a chance to fight, but the body and the mind know, this won't be a fight.
"Who are you, how do you know us? And how did you come here with the same thing that sent us here? Talk before I decide to slit your throat." said Rasik.
"O My Prince. Please calm down" an evil smile on his face "My name is Udaybhadra. You don't know me but I know all about you. This is thrilling, to talk to someone like you people. I could tell you any secret and it will still be kept secret. I can tell you anything and it will not change a single thing, Haha, but you know..."
Rasik charged at him.
"You siblings are very ill mannered. Don't you know you don't interrupt when someone is talking "
Rasik is moving very fast, a dagger in one hand and sword in the other.
Uday is blocking his swings and when Rasik switches to dagger he is dodging it with ease.
Its like thunderstorm originating from the continuous, continuous thunder penetrating through the chilling silence of the forest, the sparks thrown when Rasik strikes Uday's sword generates a flash. The continuous flash and sound could send any man running for life.
I can see Rasik's swings, but the speed at which he is changing his position continuously, sometimes down attacking at his legs, sometimes rushing behind him, then swinging the sword at his neck and dagger at his gut. I can now see more clear, his jumps, his swings. Even after seeing all this Aadijay jumps in.
Rasik is switching his position attacking and Aadijay is focused only on the legs.
The forest burning in the background, the ambers in the air, the fight looks like a desperate battle, for survival, for Aadijay and Mahit and a game for the stranger enemy.
Suddenly, big, loud sound with a big spark, Rasik's sword is broken in half, Rasik thrown away, barely standing taking deep shallow breathes, Aadijay hanging on to his sword thumping his chest.
"I wanted to kill your mother with my own hands. I had the privilege to kill your father though and now you three. I will make your deat.."
"I... Will... Bury... You alive " a new speed, a new force, Rasik is filled with rage. Mahit's eyes are widened his disbelief and shock is now filled with mourning.
"You are lying!!" Aadijay charged at Udaybhadra.
Uday blocks the swing of Aadijay with his fingers.
"Pathetic!" Kicks Aadijay in the guts and knees to his head, knocking him unconscious.
Uday suddenly holds Rasik by his hands and throws him towards the forest.
" I did all those things to get you alone, I had some doubts but I didn't think you three will be such an easy game. I thought you three or atleast two of you will be my hardest kill, my glorious prey. I am disappointed.
I guess a mere mortal, your father is my hardest kill, yet."
Enraged, filled with vengeance, eyes red Rasik screamed leaping towards Uday, the mud below his feet started pouring steam into the air, the push his legs made on the mud are solidified, for a moment the valiant forest fire, seems like followed Rasik, it looked like the fire came clutching in, the broken sword again met with a block but this time the whole of forest fire came charging against the enemy, pushed him far away.
Disbalanced Uday tried to stand up and then,
"I think that's enough." A soft voice, a sage,with his mellowing pat put his hands on Rasik.
"Rest my child. You have fought valiantly"
"Ah! You! You finally showed up." said Udaybhadra
"Yes, and I am taking them with me. Don't worry you will again meet them, for the last time."
As he finished, the mountain's peak and its edge crumbled. All the three Princes loosing conscious, were held in air on nothing along with the sage, the moon shining on them, the dust slowly engulfing Udaybhadra down is the last thing they see and a faint scream Rasik hears "Naar....".