Aftermath: The outlasting Krishna-Arjun journey

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟠: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕪

Arjun's pov

He had felt this before. During his wedding with Subhadra. During Abhimanyu's birth. On the eve of Abhimanyu's death.

He had known, then, that the pain originated from Madhav. But he had never realized why. He had never considered that it stemmed from Madhav's knowledge of terrible fates.

All those times, however, the pain had been vague and fluid, ebbing and flowing.

But today. It was unbearable with its blazing clarity. He could almost reach out and touch its reason.

When Madhav had started to leave, Arjun's will anchoring him to consciousness faltered for a moment, and then he was suspended inside an incorporeal domain, Madhav's suffering merging with his own, the source of the suffering swirling through Madhav's mind and his own, and he could not distinguish anymore.

It was the memories. Madhav's memories.

***

"Few years later, a son of mine destined to change the history of our land will cross paths with you. Promise me you will always show him the right path."

"Can you not show your son the right path?"

"It will not be possible for someone domains away. He is to be, moreover, a strange blend of qualities that might sometimes make it difficult for him to walk the right path in spite of best intentions."

"Who is it, Lord Indra?"

"You will know when the time is right. I ask this of you only because much depends on it. Do you promise to be his guiding light?"

"All right. I promise."

***

"Need any help?"

"I am, er, Parth, son of Pritha."

"I am Madhav, Prince of Dwaraka."

"But this--this was like working magic."

"Start associating it with me a bit more, maybe. You might end up loving the word."

"He had just discovered the other half of his soul, as had I."

"You are going to be present, aren't you, Madhav?"

"Of course, Parth."

"Keep this to remind yourself I am always with you."

"What took you so long? You think to turn up after seven years?"

"We met after seven whole years, Madhav. Do you not want to spend a single night talking to me? Do you have to go somewhere grand straightaway?"

"I hope you know I will be content spending every day of my life simply talking to you, Parth."

"Seven years is a rounding error in eternity."

"You always say such grand things that I am never sure when you mean them literally or metaphorically."

"With you, always literally, Parth."

"You are brilliant, Madhav."

"Oh, I--I was just wondering--if I don't live up to the image you've built of me to your family?"

"It is because Arjun is so much more than a warrior. He is the kindest, gentlest soul to ever exist, compassionate and loyal to a fault perhaps, and I love him so much, no force on earth or otherwise would ever dare separate us."