Prakriti P.O.V
"I know you don't need anything but I visited you because I am pleased by your Tapasya, you deserve a boon from me" Mahadeva said with his dazzling smile, his serene smile which always stayed on his face. I shook my head to deny the boon, "I did the worship and got what I deserved, I don't want any boon, my Lord" I said bowing my head. He smiled softly at me.
"No, Devi, it is your right, ask any boon from me and it will be yours"
I sighed, I couldn't defy his decision again, so I accepted it.
"I want nothing right now but in the future, maybe I will need the boon" I said politely, he chuckled after hearing my response. His eyes shining with knowledge, it seems like he know something which I don't. He nodded his head "Whenever you will call me, I will appear in front of you" he promised me. A smile appeared on my face, I haven't seen the future yet but my heart is telling me that I will need Mahadeva's help in the future. "Now, I want to see my Parvati, will you allow me, nature?" he asked eagerly, I gave him a broad smile and nodded my head. I closed my eyes and let myself loose transforming in my true form, my Adhi Sakti form, Parvati to her Mahadeva.
I opened my eyes and looked at my Swamy, my eyes shining with adoration, I have missed him so much, he put his trident away and slowly walked towards me. He was standing in front me, he moved his hand forward and lay it on my cheek. I sighed and closed my eyes enjoying the touch. "I have missed you so much, Parvati" he said, I bend down to touch his feet but he stopped me and pulled me into hug. "Swamy, I was always there with you in your heart and you were always there with me in Arya" I responded to him smiling. He broke the hug and put of his arms on my shoulders "I am but not in my true form and you didn't even remember yourself" he said, I exhale a long breath "Swamy, It was important at that time" I replied.
He nodded his head and smiled at me "But I am always incomplete without you".
***
God Indra came slowly down the marble steps of his palace. His arms opened wide and his face wreathed in a smile, Indra came to greet his son. "Welcome!" cried the Lord of Devaloka. He embraced Arjuna in a fatherly hug. Here, Arjuna seemed every bit a Deva himself. Gandharvas and Apsaras had come with Indra and they went singing up the wide stairway into the palace. They were welcoming the Indradeva's son happily. A little dazed, Arjuna allowed Indra to lead him into the sabha of Amravati, the stunning Sudharma. Indra led him to the throne that is worshiped by Devas and rishis, the Lokapalas and all the immortal races. He sat on that huge throne, the leopards at his feet and called Arjuna to sit beside him. Arjuna took his place and sat beside his father.
A song took up in the Sudharma, now entirely festive and the apsaras of Devaloka, choros nympharum, shimmered in on feet light as wishes. Their dance was unutterably graceful, they would appear to be in more places than one or two at the same time. Though only ten apsaras came to dance for their king and his son, at the climactic sections of the performance it seemed they were a hundred. Arjuna sat hardly breathing, the scene in front of him was hard to describe as he watched the dance and enjoy the music. Those Apasaras were so beautiful but no one could match the beauty of Prakriti, not even this celestial maidens. He has his eyes only for his other half. Indradeva pointed out Menaka, who once enchanted Viswamitra to his son. He also described others apsara, they were Ghritachi, Rambha, Purvachitti, Swayamprabha, Urvashi, Mishrakesi, Dandagauri, Varunthini, Gopali, Sahajanya, Kumbhayoni and Madhuraswana. When Urvashi saw the kshatriya of the earth, her eyes never left him. She was enchanted by this human being.
The performance was over and the apsaras danced their way out of the sabha, the leader of the musicians, the tall one, came forward to acknowledge the applause of the Deva king.
"Arjuna, this is Chitrasena. I think you both shall be friends" Indra said with a hidden smile on his face. Arjuna rose and Chitrasena took his hand and then embraced him with a laugh, crying, "We shall!".
"Arjuna, I want you to learn music and dancing from Chitrasena. You will not find a better master anywhere. What do you say, Gandharva? Will you teach my son?" Indra asked to Chitrasena looking at him with raised eyebrows. "It will be an honor! I watched him while we sang. There is music in him, my Lord, he will make a fine pupil" he agreed quickly, he could see the potential in Indra's son. Arjuna wasn't just a warrior, he also have knowledge about art. Indra rose from his seat, Arjuna followed suit.
"We don't want you going hungry, after your long journey. Come".
***
"I want you to do one thing, Parvati" Mahadeva said, were were sitting in a garden created by me. My head was on my Swamy shoulder as we enjoyed the calmness and beauty of nature. I moved my head and looked at Mahadeva giving him a smile "You can ask me anything to do, Swamy" I responded, I believe in him more than anything in the creation. He put his hand on my cheek "From now on, don't look into the future" he spoke looking directly in my eyes, my eyebrow raised in confusion "Why Swamy, Is something wrong in me seeing the future?" I asked him, finally I have accepted myself as whole and all of a sudden, he is asking me this making me more confused.
He gave a short chuckle and shook his head "There is nothing wrong in this but you have Narayana with you, he will guide you himself in the path of Dharma" he stated, I slowly nodded my head accepting his words. But still there was a nagging feeling in my heart.
"There is something you are not telling me" I asked him skeptical. Suddenly smile was gone from his face, a blank expression took over, he looked at me. "Parvati, there will be circumstances in the future, if you see them beforehand, it will change the entire future of Aryavarta and things won't happen the way it was supposed to be and I want you to live your human life without the burden of future on your shoulders" he responded taking my hand in his. I sighed but agreed with him.
There is something about to happen in the future from which Mahadeva is saving me.
But what is it?
"Don't stress yourself too much, everything happens for a reason" he said when he looked at my face which has fallen after the conversation. "I believe you Swamy" I finally said giving him a small smile.
***
Full, joyful days, Arjuna spent in his father's house in Amravati; and it seemed to the Pandava that the days here were interminable. For, of course, one day and night in Indra's Devaloka are equal to a year on the earth below: the day being as long as a summer and the night as winter. Arjuna spent a lot of time with Chitrasena the gandharva, mortal man and immortal Elf became close friends. They roamed the lively streets of Amravati together. The gandharva showed the Pandava other parts of Devaloka also in his own sleek disk of the sky. Chitrasena also became Arjuna's guru. He taught the kshatriya to play on the delicate vina; he taught him singing and dancing. Arjuna learnt all these with talent that made even Indra marvel. The gandharvas are masters of music and they are masters of teaching music as well. And Chitrasena was among the finest musicians in Amravati.
There was a wide field at one end of Indra's palace and here the Deva gave Arjuna lessons at archery: the final touches to a profound education. Day by day, the God imparted the secrets of the devastras to his mortal son and he was delighted at how exceptional a pupil Kunti's prince was. Quite simply, he had never seen an archer like the Pandava.
One day, Indra called Arjuna and they walked together to the end of the interminable field. When they arrived under a tall white tree there, Indra stopped.
"I have given you all the astras I have. I have just one more weapon for you."
Pandu's son felt his skin tingled, he knew what was about to happen. "I want to give you my Vajra. Once, I sheared their wings from the mountains of the earth with it; with it, I send forth thunder and lightning into clouds and make the rain fall" Indra said, proud on his mortal son to be receiving the weapon. He knows his son is ready to handle Vajra. In his hands, he had a blinding ayudha, a thunderbolt of a thousand joints of adamant, pulsing and elemental. Arjuna knelt before his father.
Indra said in a voice that was the rumbling of the clouds of the pralaya, "Son of Kunti, receive my Vajra!". Bravely, Arjuna held out his hands, father placed the awesome weapon in his son's human palms. Then Indra spoke a mantra more ancient than the earth and the Vajra entered the kshatriya's body and his spirit. The thunderbolt of the Lord of Devaloka was Arjuna's: to use in the war he must fight against evil, in the world below, upon the crack of the ages.
***
"Have you thought about Agyatvas yet?" Mahadeva asked calmly as we strolled in the garden, green grass ticking my bare feet, it is letting me feel the nature. I shook my head, looking ahead, there is no place for us in this whole Aryavarta because everyone knows our family very well. "No, I haven't but is there even any place in Aryavarta for us to hide for one year!" I exclaimed, he started smiling turning his head towards me. "Parvati, in this large Aryavarta, there has to be one place for your family, you just have to think about it" he said with serenity.
"A place?" I murmured to myself thinking about the places I have known.
"Think Priye, think" he said with a small chuckle.
I have visited all the south part during our Yagya which include Lanka, Mahismati, Avanti Kingdom, Vidharba and some small villages in the south part, Nakula went to all of our relatives so going there is not an option. Sahadev went to the west side and nearly everyone from west side came to our Kingdom for Yagya. Arya and Brother Bhima went to handle Magadha, Then suddenly everything became clear as I went through each and everything in my head.
Prakrite, you are thinking right, that place will be safe for you and your family for Agyatvas.
Brother, I have missed you so much.
I could hear him chuckle, his voice flowing in my head.
I will visit you soon, my dear sister.
"Swamy, your presence made me blessed" I said with fondness, he smiled "Parvati, we are not different, we are the same being, Ardhanarishvara" his response made my heart filled with happiness and I put my head on his chest hugging him.
***
When Arjuna lived in Amravati, there was someone in that city smitten by the Pandava prince, since the moment she set eyes on him. She neither ate nor slept, or had a moment's peace for wanting him in her soft bed, her deep arms. Urvashi, the apsara, was stricken with love for the kshatriya from the earth. She told herself it was an absurd fascination. She had better beware: he was Indra's son; the Deva would be furious with her if she seduced the Pandava. Besides, Arjuna was already married to two women. He was a mortal and love between a mortal man and a nymph of Devaloka violated the dharma of heaven and earth. But Urvashi was helpless to resist the pang she felt and it was consuming her. She had to have him for at least a night: no matter if she never saw him again, no matter if he broke her heart. Nothing else counted any more; Warrior Arjuna haunted her every moment.
One day, when her yearning became intolerable and she thought of stealing into the Pandava's apartment that night, The Deva king had noticed how the apsara gazed at Arjuna. But he also knew how his son's heart only beat for one person and if Urvashi did something to Arjuna, Adhi Sakti herself will come here to raise hell on the heaven and he can't take the risk. He has to stop the Apsara for making any advances on Arjuna.
Some hours later, a burning moon rose into the night. Clad in a gown so sheer the curves of her body were quite plain by the bronze light, which fell on her like a lover, Urvashi made her way to Indra's palace. The pendant at her throat winked back sapphire, emerald and pearl at the moon. She wore wildflowers of Devaloka in her long hair and their scents were all of desire. Urvashi the apsara, one of the most beautiful women of all time, went forth to love. Urvashi pushed open the door and glided into Arjuna's bedroom. Moonlight flowed in through the lofty windows set along the far wall. Between her and the windows was the bed on which Arjuna lay, fast asleep.
For a long moment, Urvashi stood utterly still and all she heard was her own heart beating. She pulled the door shut behind her and went toward the sleeping Pandava. Arjuna slept with his lips parted, breathing evenly. Urvashi felt weak. She could not wait any more, but must touch him at once. She bent down and laid her tremulous hand on the skin of his chest; in a swoon, she stroked him with her fingertips.
"You are mine now" she whispered seductively.