Six months before
It was the time when Arjun and Subha were teleported to Dwarka by the Yaksha without their will.
When they teleported, they found themselves near the shore.
It looked like a port area.
There were lots of ships standing there.
Goods were being unloaded from some and loaded into others.
The place looked lively — everyone was busy with their work.
Arjun, realizing he was in a faraway land, became a little frustrated.
"Damn Yaksha…" he muttered.
"How are we supposed to reach the raj mahal vault now?
We are in a completely different territory."
He looked sad and angry at the same time.
"I had to reach there before the 10th year is completed…"
Subha, who was beside him, first absorbed the surroundings, then walked up to him and said,
"I think it's better this way."
Arjun blinked in confusion.
"We are in a different country right now,"
she continued,
"But the distance from here to the raj mahal vault won't be long by ship.
That place is also near the shore.
It would hardly take twenty days."
Arjun was astonished.
He thought, How come Subha knows everything?
He felt the same thing on the Yaksha mountain too.
He opened his mouth to ask something, but they were interrupted by a man.
The man looked like he was in his early 40s.
He wore a dhoti and kurta.
He greeted them with, "Namaste, I'm Som.
Both Arjun and Subha also greeted him and shared their name
"Are you here for competition?" the man asked.
Arjun did not paid attention to his question,
He was now considering what to do next.
He could either go to the raj mahal vault and spend almost one year waiting,
or he could participate in the competition and grow stronger.
He finally came to a conclusion.
The man repeated the question, and Subha also looked at Arjun,
waiting for his decision.
"I am here for the competition,"
Arjun said with a determined look.
A faint smile appeared on Subha's face — as if she also wanted to visit Dwarka.
The man's expression warmed.
"Come, I can show you the way toward the mainland," he said.
"But first, you need to chant a mantra for your allowance into the mainland."
This confused Arjun, but Subha looked calm.
They followed the man.
On the way, they saw many small warehouses with goods stored neatly on both sides of a wide path.
The path was made of terracotta and had a lined pattern running across it.
Each warehouse had a slanting wooden roof, while some appeared to be made entirely of clay or terracotta.
After walking straight for some time, a bridge appeared, and beside it stood a temple.
They were in front of a small but beautiful temple.
It had curved stone dome, intricately carved with patterns that had worn slightly with time and the wall had engraving of the Sudarshan chakra, lotus and shankha.
Som told them to go inside and chant the mantra written in the temple behind the statue.
They removed their slippers and entered.
Every step fascinated Arjun — the engraving here was unique, unlike anything he had ever seen.
Inside stood a statue of Lord Krishna — the first wielder of the Sudarshan Chakra and founder of Dwarka.
Behind the statue, there was a big carving of Sudarshan chakra.
There was a Sanskrit mantra engraved behind the statue.
They both recited it.
Nothing happened.
Only a faint flicker appeared, and Arjun's Sudarshan Chakra tattoo glowed golden for a few seconds.
They came out,
And Som asked in confusion,
"Have you come here before?"
Arjun shook his head.
"Then why didn't you receive the blessing?" the man asked.
Arjun too looked confused.
As they stood there, another traveller entered.
When he recited the mantra, his entire body glowed for a minute.
"That is what happens when you recite the mantra," the man explained.
Subha stepped in and said,
"I came here when I was a kid.
That's why I didn't get any reaction.
As for Arjun… he must have come here in childhood too.
He just doesn't remember it."
Arjun looked at her with confused eyes and whispered,
"I've never been here…"
Subha whispered back,
"I know. I think because you now own the Sudarshan Chakra, the mantra doesn't affect you anymore."
She added,
"Now that we're here, try to find details about its power or anything. We can probably learn something — the first wielder founded Dwarka after all."
Som said,
"Let's go. We shouldn't waste time."
The bridge looked ancient, which was just next to temple,
Appeared as if it had existed since the founding of Dwarka.
When they started walking, they noticed how violent the water was beneath them.
The bridge was wide — on one side people walked, and on the other side carts rumbled past with goods.
Arjun was initially confused about why there was another small island for ships and the entrance.
But when he saw the raging water under the bridge, he understood everything.
Boats couldn't reach mainland Dwarka directly because the waters were too rough.
So the small port island existed for transportation, and the bridge connected it to the main Dwarka island.
Arjun wondered, Can I survive if I fall into this water?
He answered himself with a firm no — the water was simply too dangerous.
A sudden question came to his mind, and he asked the old man,
"Why do we need this mantra before entering Dwarka?"
Som explained,
"If you enter without it, at first you'll just feel a heavy pressure.
It won't be enough to kill you.
But if you stay for a few hours, that pressure will become the full weight of Dwarka,
and that will instantly crush you."
Arjun, astonished, said,
"That's scary."
Som nodded,
"It's for the protection of our land, a safeguard put in place by Lord Krishna himself."
Nobody noticed it, but Arjun's forehead tattoo flickered again.
After walking for around ten minutes, they finally crossed the bridge.
They finally reached the mainland of Dwarka.Before them lay another stretch of warehouses and terracotta paths — almost like an extension of the port island, but larger and more organised.
Som said,
"You need to register yourself for the competition first,"
And he signaled them to step into a cart.
Arjun asked while getting inside, and Subha followed him,
"So early? When is the competition?"
"Six months later,"
Som replied.
The cart started moving.
Arjun was dumbfounded.
Subha quietly laughed.
He had assumed it would begin in one or two months…but the competition itself was still six months away.
Still, he had already made up his mind.
"If it's six months later, why register now?" Arjun asked.
Som replied,
"The earlier you register, the more advantage you get. More than five hundred participants are already here and registered."
Arjun was shocked to hear such a large number.
He remembered the Yaksha saying the competition was declining.
He laughed softly at his misunderstanding.
"The prize this year attracted a lot of people," Som added.
Arjun asked, "What is the prize?"
"A piece of the Sudarshan Chakra," Som replied.