Dhi

Facing Losses and Flames

"Nakul, Sahadev... they...I served food," Kunti seemed to be at a loss for words. Tears streaked down her face.

Nakul and Sahadev rushed to the side of the Nishada family. They checked their pulse. Nakul shook his head in resignation. They couldn't be saved.

For Abhijishya, the next few minutes seemed like an eternity. If she had remembered what those seeds were, then these innocent lives could be spared. She sat down beside the young Nishada girl and held her hand tightly. All of them were convulsing, clawing at their own bodies, gasping for air. Choked strangled sounds escaped their throats as blook trickled down the chin. The Nishada girl who was barely older than her looked her in the eyes. The tiny red veins bulged around the iris making the eyes look more red than white.

'I am sorry I failed you,' Abhijishya wanted to say but only a sob escaped her throat. She didn't even know these people but watching them hang at the brink of death in so much pain was heart wrenching.

The choked noises reduced to a few faint whimpers. The scent of urine reached her nose. But Abhijishya held onto the Nishada girl's hand. The fight ran out of her body. Her convulsions stopped. Her chest rose and fell one last time and her eyes stared at Abhijishya unseeing.

With a trembling hand, she shut the eyes of the now dead girl. Nakul and Sahadev did the same for the others.

Everyone sent a prayer for the departed souls that they may be granted rest in heaven.

Abhijishya got up from the dead girl's side with shaky legs and stumbled towards the Pandavs. She leaned against a pillar and tried to calm her breathing. She hastily rubbed the tears away. She could cry later. Right now they needed to leave this place.

"We need to leave now, this mansion could be lit on fire any moment," Abhijishya said.

"What? Fire? I don't understand," Bheem was confused.

"Bhratashree, this mansion is made of lacquer. After we die because of having this poisonous food, the mansion would be set on fire to make our death's look like an accident. It is all a scheme for our demise," Arjun said angrily.

"But..."Bheem said.

"Not now Bhratashree, first we have to catch that Purochan and take him to Hastinapur," Arjun replied.

"Come on Mata. Let's go everyone," he urged.

They walked towards the main entrance.

"I never imagined Duryadhan would really try to kill us," Sahadev frowned.

"Did you forget that time when Duryadhan gave me poisonous kheer, Sahadev?!" growled Bheem.

"We were all children then. Children do things without thinking about consequences. But even now!" Sahadev huffed in anger.

"I'll crush that Duryadhan's skull with my bare hands. Allow us to go against him, Jyesth," Bheem said.

"Bhrata Bheem is right, Jyesth. If we don't take up arms against Bhrata Duryadhan even now, we will be called weak and cowardly," Nakul said through gritted teeth.

Meanwhile, Abhijishya was busy running numbers in her head. She was pretty sure she read that the Pandavs stayed in Varnavat for nearly a year. During that period Vidur would send a miner to dig a tunnel that would open near River Ganga. Then why was everything escalating in a duration of mere two days?! Earlier when Gopal came to visit her, he said he had set out to meet Draupadi. That would indicate Draupadi was already born. Was this because for her presence in Dvapar Yug? Then how were they going to escape now? She nearly knocked over Kunti who had abruptly stopped midstride.