Aradhya ||Indian historical fiction||

33| GREED ON ONE AND EMOTIONS ON ANOTHER

Vihaan staggered back. His head spun while blood trickled down the wounds on his face to his lips. Amar walked up to him with bloodied knuckles. The two had lost their swords hours ago and were left with no choice but to brawl with their fists. Amar clearly had the upper hand as he went on aiming at Vihaan's face and ribs. Vihaan, though he was a great warrior, an excellent fighter, let his emotions take over him in such a crucial moment and Amar knew exactly how to exploit his weakness. 

"And do you really think you saved Aradhya from me? Do you think you gave her a better life? Look what you have done. You have just broken her into a couple of thousand pieces." Amar aimed another hit at Vihaan but this time he caught his fist.

Vihaan had a sad yet fiery expression in his eyes. He punched Amar in the ribs, over and over until Amar ultimately fell back with a small trickle of blood flowing from his lips. 

"I broke her? If you think that then you know her no more than I do. I didn't break her. I am not that strong. Neither are you." Vihaan caught his breath before again aiming sharp punches at Amar who found it difficult to attack back. 

But one way or another, both were great fighters and yet both had weaknesses of their own. While Amar was weak because of the greed, Vihaan was just weak because he was letting Aradhya get back into his mind over and over and over again. 

Amar was growing tired. He was close to losing, he was indeed going to lose to Vihaan. But could he? After all those years of scheming and waiting, would he really accept loss? And as clear as the answer was...Amar waited for his most efficient attack to be ready.

.   .   .   .

Both Darsh and Abhik were now side by side rather than against each other. They fought off the Dharini soldiers while only incapacitating the Shiladhikan soldiers. Abhik was considerate towards his own army. If he went killing his own army then he would be charged with treason.

Darsh on the other hand, though sceptical about Abhik's plans went along with it. He did have a reasonable plan but how well would he be able to execute it, was the question. 

Abhik was hellbent on winning this battle...yes. But from fighting on which side? Now it was clear that it wasn't from the side of Shiladhika nor was it from the side of Dharini. It is and had always been from the side of Ashokdhar.

Darsh swung his sword like there was no tomorrow, with a mind destined to win and win only. Abhik pushed his sword forward stabbing a soldier in his gut and pushing him away freeing his sword which dripped with blood. The two-faced their backs against each other as a whole throng of Dharini soldiers gathered them. They were outnumbered. 

"What are we supposed to do now?" Darsh asked while Abhik just squared his shoulders. 

"We fight as many as we can. We win or we lose no in between." 

Both of them jumped at their foes, less experience but lesser was their fear. The two fought and fought. Their strength started getting weaker as more of the enemies closed in. They shouldn't lose. If they did their plans will be nothing but plans. Darsh had another wound on his cheekbone while Abhik bled from his above his collarbone. 

Half a dozen soldiers came in at once at the two. For the first time, they cowered. They found it intimidating. It was, more or less, an uneven match. Both of them closed their eyes at the sudden assault. They waited for the swords to slash their skins and in the end decapitate them. All they heard was a clink against the many other ones. 

Chavi stood guard to them. She pushed the men away and got into a routine of assaults she learned from her mother. She got on the ground and aimed at the men's legs. A few fell and some still stood. She rose and dodged an attack. She smiled at the man and pushed her dagger deep into his neck with her other hand. The sound of flesh being cut was almost sickening as Chavi grabbed a man by his shoulders and drove her sword into his heart.