章 24: Chapter 23

Third Person P.O.V

In Kailash, Goddess Parvati was sitting beside Mahadeva looking at the earth where Adharma is increasing day by day. "Mahadeva, Is there nothing we are going to do about the Adharma?" she asked her husband in her serene voice, she is getting restless seeing innocent people being slaughter and getting punishment for the crime they haven't done, nature being destroyed in the process which she created with her own hands. Shiva gave a soft smile to his other half "Parvati, when Adharma increase in the world, Narayana will take avatar to demolish this iniquity and establish virtue in the world" Mahadeva responded with a smile on his face. It is time for his Aradhy to take incarnation in the world and he will get the opportunity to see his leela again. Just then Narayana appeared in the Kailash, they greeted each other with a smile on their face.

"We were just talking about you, Brother" Adhi sakti said with a smile on her face, Narayana gave his sister a smile which he reserved only for her. "What is your purpose to come here, Narayana?" Mahadeva asked already knowing the answer but he asked it anyway. Narayana gave a soft chuckle and then moved his eyes downward towards the world, his expression changed into blank one as he saw people killing each other for power. "It is time for me to incarnate on earth" he responded Mahadeva question. Last time he took avatar of Rama to stop the Adharma in the world, now its time to incarnate again. "Finally, I have been waiting for you to go on earth and stop the destruction" Adhi sakti said, she saw the nature destruction, her nature which she created. Narayana gave a secretive smile to Mahadeva and turned his gaze at his sister "Parvati, do you want to come with me?" he asked.

Parvati looked confused for a second and stared at Narayana with furrowed eyebrow "Me, what will I do there?" she asked her brother, she knew Mahadeva and Narayana take incarnation from time to time but she never done that, she never went on earth by herself. Mahadeva smiled at his wife, she is nature herself, she can do anything and here she is asking the purpose for herself. "My sister, they are destroying a part of you, they are destroying the nature, it is time for you to stop them" Narayana said, Parvati stood up from her seat and looked at the earth with unknown emotion. "How will Mahadeva stay away from me for that long?" she asked, she has never left Shiva after she married him, there were some occasions when they were separated but for a life time, it is a very long journey. Mahadeva smiled at the innocent question of Parvati, he stood up from his seat and joined Parvati side. "I will come and join you both, how can I stay away from my Adhi sakti that long" Mahadeva responded in playful way making a smile comes on goddess face.

"But I am not like you two, if I see my nature being destroyed, women getting used, I will try to stop them right there, I can't wait for the right time" she said, she believe in instance response unlike Mahadeva and Narayana who wait for the right time to do right thing. "I have a solution for that, you distribute yourself in five parts, five elements before you take an Avatar so that you won't be able to use your divinity fully until you discover your lost fragment" Narayana suggested, she nodded her head in acknowledgement. It will be better for every one.

And Adhi sakti distributed her powers in five fraction, five elements - fire, water, air, earth and space. She put her piece in those elements and send them on earth before her birth so that after the birth she will find them again and gain her true form, until then she will just have powers of nature but she won't be nature in herself till she meet her other forms.

She found her fire in the form of Draupadi, her essence, now she has to find her other forms as well for her complete form, for her to accept her Adhi sakti self.

Prakriti P.O.V

I took Krishne to home, not in Indraprastha but her true home where the nature lives. When we reached, she looked around herself, her pain gone for the time being, this place calms even the heavy heart and right now Krishne heart is filled with pain and anger, she has to let go this negative emotions and moved forward.

"Where are we?" she asked, I gave her a soft smile and took her hand in mine pulling her towards a tree and sat under it. "This is nature, true nature" I responded looking around, this is my creation which I have made for the human well being. I put her hand in mine and looked at her, her tear stained face, her wounds, suddenly everything came crashing down and she pulled me into hug and started crying hysterically, I slowly caress her head, she had to let all of her emotions out before she move on in life. "Why me, where is my fault, why does it happened to me?" she asked sobbing, her voice was broken as she cried on my shoulder. I sighed, took a deep breath, I broke the hug and looked at her, wiping the tears away. I put my hand on her cheek "Krishne, it is not your fault, you haven't done anything wrong, it is their deeds, they are the one who has committed the sins, not you" I said gently, she hiccuped, tears making way from her eyes. "I am not pure anymore" she cried turning her head away, I looked at her in pain, feeling the emotions she is feeling right now. "Krishne, look at me" I said softly, she slowly turned her head towards me, "Tell me one thing?" I asked her, she waited for me to elaborate.

"If someone take a bath in the river and clean himself, does it make river stained" I asked her simple question, she stared at me, her crying subside for now. I moved my hand forward and touched her wound healing them. She is not impure, she can never be. "Think Krishne, if these people can do this to you, with queen then what will happen to the common women" I asked her, women are not safe in their Kingdom.

"I can't forget the humiliation, the pain" she said, I nodded my head "I know Krishne, but don't let the pain engulfed you whole, it will torture you for your whole life" I responded. She looked at me in confusion "Then what should I do?" she asked.

"Turn this pain into determination, fight for not yourself but for the whole women kind" I said, she started to relax a little, my words getting through her. "War is inevitable, but we have to fight this war to establish Dharma and help the mankind, not to take revenge" I stated, she wiped her tears and nodded her head. I gave her a small smile "Lets go to Indraprastha then" I said.

***

We arrived at Indraprastha, inside the Castle, Brother Krishna was there with Pandavas, everyone looked worried but when they saw us, their face relaxed a little. Elder brother face was tear stained as he was standing in front of fire. "I did biggest mistake by gambling Panchali, I have to repent to wash my sins" he said crying, Krishne has stoic expression on her face as she looked at her husband, "I forgive you, Arya" she said softly, Elder brother shook his head "But I can not forgive myself" he said turning his head towards Brother Bhima and gesturing him to burn his hands. I sighed and moved forward "Elder brother, you would gain nothing by burning your hands, if you want to focus your energy somewhere, focus it on getting justice" I said, he looked at me helplessly but stopped burning his hands.

"Prakrite is right, concentrate on how will you all going to get justice, if Duryodhana can do this to wife of Pandavas then what will he do to the normal women in his Kingdom" Brother Krishna said.

Just then a court messenger entered in the assembly hall, he bowed his head towards us and my eyes directly went towards Brother Krishna who was already looking at me. He gave a short nod to me. "The king asks you to return to Hastinapur. He says you must play one last game of dice." Messenger said bowing his head, everyone eyes widened at this. We turned our gaze to Elder brother who looked deep in thought. Finally he nodded his head "We will come" he said.

"What are you doing?" Brother Bhima cried at the decision of Elder Brother. I sighed, no one can run away from faith, Elder Brother looked at Brother Bhima "God has ordained the fate of every man; there is no escape from what he has written. Good fortune and evil are both beyond our control. We are helpless to resist destiny. We can only remain calm in the face of whatever happens to us. I must obey King Dhritarashtra; it is my dharma. He is my uncle and he gave us our freedom. I must go back" he said evenly and took a long breath. "If it is your decision, then you all should go" Brother Krishna agreed with Elder Brother.

Finally, we returned back to Hastinapur for one last game of dice. This time the dice has been laid out in different Sabha, I smirked at this, I destroyed the whole Sabha with my fire. Everyone were present there waiting for us, I don't know what is the purpose of us calling back here again, if they did something again in this Sabha, not only the whole Sabha will burn in my anger but the people available there as well.

"I knew you would come, Yudhishtira. After you left, Duryodhana said I had no right to give back what you had lost. He said it was like stealing from him. I told him I could not ask for what I had returned. He asked for one more game of dice. I thought it was only dharma." King Dhritarashtra said standing up from his throne, Elder Brother nodded his head and agreed. Duryodhana stood up as we make our way towards the middle of the Sabha and took our seat. "One game and our kingdoms at the stake. Mama Shakuni plays for me. He who loses goes into the forest with his brothers, for twelve years and the winner shall have his kingdom and everything in it. The losers must spend one more year in agyatavasa, in disguise. If any of the exiles is recognized during the thirteenth year, they must all spend another twelve years in the forest." Duryodhana said with a small smirk evident on his face, I clenched my fist in frustration, now they got this plan to save themselves for the coming fate. But you can not stop the inevitable, you can only delay it. I looked at Anga king who was also present in the Sabha, he lowered his head in shame as his gaze met mine.

At least he knows that he is wrong.

Game started again, first turn was Elder brother, he throw the dice and has a fair score but we knew that Mama Shakuni will beat this score and as expected Mama Shakuni got better score than Elder brother. Duryodhana jumped up in triumph and embraced his sleek uncle. "Won!" he cried happily looking at us with smug expression. "Now, this Pandavas will go to exile with their common wife and Prakriti" Duryodhana said looking at us. We weren't feeling anything, we knew it from the start that they have plotted against us.

Slowly we stood up from our seat, I looked at Duryodhana and gave him a small smile "Congratulations, you have delayed your fate by thirteen years" I said, he scowled at me but didn't respond to my comment. We went into our previous chamber and changed our clothes suitable for exile and went to took our leave from Mother. When she saw us, she began to sob, we hugged her simultaneously trying to less her pain. "Take care of each other" she said wiping her tears away, we nodded our head and one by one touched her feet taking her blessings for the future.

***

Third Person P.O.V

"And how did the Pandavas look when they left? Tell me everything, Vidura, each detail." King Dhritarashtra asked to his younger brother, he was afraid for his son's life after he heard what Yadava Princess did in his Sabha, this was the only way to save his children, to send Pandavas in the exile.

"Yudhishtira covered his face with a cloth, leaving only space for him to see ahead and he kept his eyes turned down to the earth." He paused while the king considered this. "Bhima went grimly and in silence, like a great lion. But he stared at his hands all the time and his eyes seemed to be on fire."

"And Arjuna?"

"Arjuna followed Bhima, his eyes also turned down. I saw he scattered the dust at his feet, kicking it repeatedly. Sahadeva went, his face darkened with ashes and his twin Nakula had smeared his whole body with dust and ashes."

"And Draupadi?"

"She had undone her hair, so it covered her face and her shoulders. She wore a single saree, her eyes matching the fire that is burning inside her heart"

"And Prakriti?" King Dhritarashtra asked, he knew if he didn't send the Yadava Princess in exile with Pandavas, she would find a way to destroy his family.

"She is only looking ahead, wherever she is walking, leaving her footprints of destroyed nature behind" Vidura responded.

"What does it mean, Vidura? Does it mean anything?"

Vidura laughed at his King, ""If Yudhishtira had raised his eyes to look at your city, his wrath would have made ashes of it. Bhima stared at his hands, because he will take revenge on your sons one day with those hands. Arjuna scattered the dust at his feet, as he will the Kauravas. Sahadeva blackened his face for shame and Nakula, who is the most handsome of the five," now Vidura laughed, "did not want the women of Hastinapur to be smitten by the sight of his bare body!"

"Why did Draupadi go with her hair undone?" breathed Dhritarashtra, fear taking him completely.

"She showed how the Kaurava widows will walk through the streets of Hastinapur, after the Pandavas kill their husbands and their sons: for what she suffered today in your sabha" Vidura tell the truth to his Elder Brother. "What is the meaning of Prakriti leaving like that?" he asked one last time, his heart beating faster. Vidura gave a harsh chuckle "She is telling us that once she will be done with us, there will be only destruction here and nothing else" he responded sighing, Hastinapur is doomed now, nobody can save them.

Only Destruction!