Prakriti P.O.V
I finally reached Kamyaka Vana, moving towards our home, I was eager to meet Krishne very much, she is the most I missed but I missed my other family members as well but a little less then her. I was near the shelter when I saw Krishne sitting on the steps of our home, she looked sad as she zoned out in her thoughts, I slowly walked towards her without disturbing her, I stand beside her and put my hand on her shoulder, "Krishne" I said, she quickly get out of her state and turned her head towards me, her eyes widened, tears appeared in her eyes and she quickly latched herself to me hugging me tightly. "Vibha, you are here, you are finally here" she whispered, not believing her eyes. "Yes, it is me, Krishne, I am back" I murmured and broke the hug, wiping her tears. "I have missed you so much" she said, her voice heavy with emotions, my own eyes filled with tears as I stared at my fire. "I know, I could feel you from long way" I said and gave her a soft smile.
"Where is everyone?" I asked, I saw no one was in the home.
"Arya Yudhishtira went to meet Muni Brihadaswa and Arya Bheem went into the forest to get some woods, Arya Nakula and Sahadeva is near the river" she responding explaining everyone absence, I nodded my head and then we went inside our home, she helped me with some food and told me everything that happened in the past years. Brother Bheem meet Lord Hanuman and got his blessings besides Lord Hanuman will also help us in the war. Just then Brother Bheem entered in the home with woods on his broad shoulder, his eyes went towards me, he quickly put the bundles of woods down and came near me in quick stride, I stand up and moved towards him, touching his feet in respect, he pulled me in a gentle hug, "Finally your Tapasya is complete, we have been waiting for you and Arjuna for a while now" he said with an excited smile, I returned the smile back. "Arya will be back, I can feel it" I responded, his smile broaden more if it is possible. "Good, then we will get ready for Agyatvasa and after that Duryodhana's head would be in my fist" he said, while gritting his teeth in anger. To divert him from his anger, I changed the conversation. "Tell me full story, how did you meet Lord Hanuman" I asked, more interested in his story rather than hearing the name of that cheater and Adharmi Duryodhana.
A smile appeared on his lips and he gave a short laugh, his eyes twinkling in happiness. "It was really a story, I will describe it to you--" he said putting his hand around my shoulder and we both sit on the steps of our home, Krishne sitting few steps below ready to hear the story again.
"I was worshiping him for couple of years but nothing happened, he didn't visit me, I was getting impatient because of the anger inside me. One day, I went in the forest to get some flowers for my venerate. I saw an old monkey on my way, his back turned, his wrinkled head cradled in the crook of his brown arm and apparently fast asleep, the monkey was small creature himself but his tail was the longest, I never seen such long and finest tail in my life" he said getting into the story, a smile appeared on my face hearing his encounter with an old monkey.
I growled in annoyance at the monkey, I was angry before hand and the monkey laying in my path making me more angry, At my growl, the monkey lazily raised his head and looked towards me, his face was covered by fine wrinkles, he looked too old, he could have been a thousand years old, he was so worn and thin. I growled again, hoping to scare this creature so that he can get out of my way.
"Young man, why do you make so much noise? I was sleeping peacefully, dreaming fine dreams and you come blundering through the jungle blasting on your conch" he said in his frail voice, I thought he was just a monkey who couldn't speak but here he was, speaking. I was taken aback with his calm nature, "Young Kshatriya, for so you may well be, are you a stranger to these parts? I have never met another human being in this forest who makes such a noise. This is no battlefield, young man. Yes, you are surely a stranger here, that you disturb all the jungle-folk with your din" he spoke again in this rumbling way. His eyes shining with mirth, I stand there looking at his face speechless for a minute.
"And where are you going deep into the vana? Don't you know this is a dangerous place and the forest is quite impenetrable not far from here? Don't you know anything at all, young fellow?" he asked me, I was very angry with the way he was speaking to me, I wanted to beat someone at this point. I gave the loudest growl to scare him again but he just looked at me with a smile on his face. "Are you a monkey at all? Or a vana devata, who have assumed a monkey's form? Or are you a rakshasa? If it's a fight you want, show me what you really look like and let us begin!" I shouted, He started laughing "Rakshasa? Fight? You are certainly a peculiar young man. Can't you see, my fine prince, I am just a tired old monkey, too weak to even move from where I lie?" he said trying to control his laugh.
"Monkey, I am Bheem the Pandava. I am the son of Vayu and I am in a hurry. Let me pass" I said in superior voice, my fist was clenched in irritation. "Young never listen, do they? They must learn from their own foolishness" The old monkey mumbled in disapproval.
"I don't want your advice, monkey!" I snapped haughtily. "I want you out of my way, so I can go on."
"Truly, I am in your way, young Kshatriya. But I am so old I cannot move. Otherwise, would I dare lie in the way of Vayu's son? Why, I tremble even to hear that God's name. But I can't move. So just move my tail and be on your way, Bheem, if you are determined to go on" he said closing his eyes again. I scoffed and moved towards the tail, grabbing it in my hands, I tried to pushed it but it didn't move even an inch from its place. Beads of sweat started forming on my forehead, But I couldn't shift the tail by a hair's breadth.
"What is the matter, O Vayuputra, can't you move an old vanara's tail? Or are you making fun of me again?" he said calmly, I let go of my pride and anger and stand in front of him joining my hands together in respect, "Who are you, magnificent one?" I asked him, I was a fool who thought that he is just an old monkey. He opened his eyes and looked at me with his knowledgeable eyes. "Forgive me for being arrogant, Vanara. I take back everything I said to you. I beg you, tell me who you are" I asked again, he slowly stand in front of me and gave me a warm smile.
"But you know who I am, Bheem. You know my name."
I looked at him dumbfounded as his appearance changed in front of me "Bheem, my brother, I am Hanuman" he said, with a cry, I hugged him and asked for his forgiveness again and again.
"That's how I met my brother Hanuman" he completed the story with a laugh, we had a smile on our face the whole time when we were listening to his adventure.
"Well, it was about me, tell me about you, what happened in all this time?" he asked interested, Krishne hummed as well "Yes Vibha, tell us about your Tapasya?" she said, I nodded my head but I saw Elder Brother walking towards us with a smile on his face and twins were behind him. I quickly stood up from my seat and touched his feet "May God bless you" he said, putting his hand on my head and giving me his blessings. Next, Twins touched my feet and I hugged them in response, they are like my children. "How are you, Nakula and Sahadeva?" I asked touching their head, they both gave me a smile "We are fine now, as you are back, now we have to wait for Brother Arjuna only" Sahadeva responded.
Suddenly a bright light appeared in the sky, ""Look! What is that?" Nakula said pointing towards the sky, we turned our gaze at the sky and instantly a vimana flashed down to the earth and landed not five hundred hands from us. I smiled looking at the magnificent ship. A door at its side slid open, a stairway made of mirrors slipped noiselessly to the ground and Arya Arjuna walked out from the ship, his gaze directly went towards us and he smiled ear to ear.
Nakula and Sahadeva quickly made their way towards him and latched in his arms, after that Arya come towards us and kneeled before Elder brother touching his feet in respect, Elder Brother pulled him up and took him in his arms, then Brother Bheem and twins joined him and they laughed in joy, tears in their eyes, Krishne cried beside me as she stared at Arya Arjuna in joy. I indicated Krishne to move forward, she nodded her head and walked towards Arya touching his feet, he pulled her in hug, she cried on his shoulder.
Everyone missed him so much.
Then his gaze met mine, he slowly started walking towards me, his hair was long and in a knot, he looked like a complete sage.
When he came near me, without any second wasted he embraced me in a hug. I just saw him yesterday but it seems like eternity. I put my head on his chest, hearing his steady heart beat which calmed my own, we didn't have to share any words or anything, we could understand each other by emotions only because we are connected by heart, he broke the hug and put his hand on my cheek, with his thumb wiping a tear which unknowingly fell from my eye. He gave me a soft smile and then hugged me again.
***
After having the dinner, we all sat in a circle outside of our home beside the lake, I sat beside Arya, his hand found me as he intertwined our fingers together beside him, this put a smile on my face. "Arjuna, tell us everything that happened to you since you left us in the Kamyaka vana" Elder Brother asked, everyone was eager to hear his story. Arya smiled remembering his time, He told us how he got the Paasupatastra from Mahadeva himself and other astras from Yama, Vayu, Kuber and Indra. He described Amravati and his experience in living in heaven, his master at music and dancing.
"You must show us what you have learned from him" Elder Brother asked in excitement. Arya nodded his head.
"And something happened in heaven with the apsara Urvashi" he said, my hand tightened around his, remembering the mere moment, he put his other hand on our hands and squeezed my hand in reassurance. "And what happened with the apsara Urvashi?" Krishne asked sharply, anger was evident on her face, sometime I forget she loved Arya as much as I do because he was the one who won her in Swayamvara. He blushed a little when everyone gaze was on him. "Not what you imagine" he responded in calm voice.
Then he recite the whole story to us which I have known before hand but I was listening attentively. "But she is a mother of the Kurus and I told her I had only a son's love for her" he said.
"That couldn't have pleased her" Brother Bheem murmured at last.
"She said many of our ancestors had been to Devaloka as a reward for their punya on earth and none of them had refused her" Arya still shuddered to think of that night. "But I couldn't see her as she wanted me to. I knelt at her feet and begged her to forgive me."
"She must have been angrier than ever!" Nakula commented with a laugh.
"She was," said Arjuna quietly. "She cursed me."
Everyone gasped when they hear the word curse from his mouth. "What was the curse?" Krishne whispered in shock, "That I will be an Eunuch for my entire life" he responded, he looked at me waiting for my reaction but I had a blank look on my face hiding everything in, he squeezed my hand again and I gave a squeeze back. Krishne sat there in shock for a while, others looked at Arya then at me, their eyes widened. "But, something happened that made the curse reduced to one year which will be useful in Agyatvasa" he elaborated, everyone sighed in relief hearing the other part of the story.
"What something happened?" Elder brother asked looking genuinely confused.
"Adi Sakti made an appearance in the heaven herself, she gave a curse to Apsara Urvashi that she will appear ugly until she find her inner beauty, realizing her mistake, Celestial maiden changed my curse" he said glancing at me. I lowered my head hiding my smile. Everyone looked shocked and stayed frozen in their place.
"You met both Mahadeva and Adi Sakti!" Brother Bheem shouted in surprised. Everyone chuckled at his response.
"Yeah, she came all of a sudden in the heaven, she was angry on the Apsara, I don't know why but she helped me" he said, confusion clearly showing on his face. "Maybe, she saw injustice happening to you" I said finally giving my views in the conversation. He slowly nodded his head, "Prakriti, tell us about your adventure now?" Elder brother asked, everyone eyes was on me now. I sighed and told them the whole story about my Tapasya.
"You met Mahadeva and he gave you a boon!" Nakula said astonished, I nodded my head. "What did you ask for?" they asked simultaneously.
"Did you ask for unlimited food?" Brother Bheem asked licking his lips, making all of us chuckled. "Brother Bheem, I should have asked this right" I said giving fake sigh, Brother Bheem looked at me narrowing his eyes, knowing that I am making fun of him in light manner.
"I saved the boon for later" I finally responded.
"Why, Prakriti?" Arya asked in questioned.
"Because I know something is coming".