"Narayan.."
"Narayan.."
My senses appeared to swivel back and descend gradually, as I felt a warm palm tousling through my tresses.
Blood rushing through my veins, my arms and limbs felt alive after it was uncannily numb. They were moist and wet, even my scalp appeared cool as drops of a liquid trickled towards my forehead.
"Arjun?
Son?"
"Arjun?"
"Hmmm.."A deep voice began to haul me out of the condition I was in, sensing my fingers still wrapped around the Lingam in a protective manner.
"Son? Are you, alright?" Fingers wrapped around my shoulder, I felt those weren't ordinary ones.
Those were fingers of a warrior, calloused and marked, just like my father. Those touches, were like him, I couldn't mistake it.
"Hmm."Humming softly, I finally endeavored to open my lashes as the mellow sunlight greeted me, causing me to squint slightly.
I was slumbering here?
In this Shiv Temple?
"Arjun?"
I snapped my head at the final call, capturing the figure of the one who hauled me out of my senses.
The silvery diadem crowned over his white tresses enhanced his demeanor, the wrinkles on his aged face hollered of his maturity, the calm blue eyes sustaining the depth of oceans had an incredulous warmth in it.
An uncanny similarity with my father.
"Pitamah?"
Heat rushed to my cheeks in slight embarrassment, not possessing the slightest of the idea that he would be discovering me in such a state.
Not even a few hours you spent in the palace Arjun, and now you have elders worrying about you? His forehead scrunched in amusement, making me sit up instantly. I embarrassedly glanced at my clothes which were now damp, since my figure was latched upon the Shiv Lingam for probably the entire night.
"Why were you, sleeping here?"
His fingers went past my forehead as he removed a tuft of curls from my face, making my heart jolt down due to the warmth.
The warmth of my Pitashree I was yearning for, for days.
"Uh--umm, I apologize Pitamah. I didn't wish to bother you," Were the only words I could muster to speak that time politely and shake my head, smiling vaguely yet apologetically. Peering at him with lowered lashes,
I decipher his features softening further.
"I, I couldn't sleep--"
"So I-" I faltered for an excuse.
"I understand," He cut me off those words merely escaped his lips a whisper or rather a sigh, his white brows drooping slightly and suddenly, his face crumbling into gloom but he instantly recomposed,
"Don't worry son, you will be used to the palace life soon. I understand what you all may be going through right now." A sob appeared to bubble out of his throat but he gulped it down, slightly lost.
My heart dipped down, witnessing his condition, feeling more embarrassed of worrying him.
He was already distressed with everything, and above that maybe my brothers and Maata might have--Why Arjun?
Why do you always do this?
"I apologize Pitamah--"I was cut off with him tapping my arm gently and shook his head, his eyes suddenly hovering over my shoulders, probably resting on the slight silvery marks which my skin possessed and then at the idol of Lord Shiv, an unreadable glint appearing in those watery eyes.
A small smile articulated from his lips from amidst his thick beard, which made me observe him with amusement. "There is nothing to worry about, its alright."
His azure eyes flickered over to my face, making my lips shift above in a smile. His words were soft, like a soothing balm over to what we went through, and I couldn't help myself from smiling warmly at him, at the sense of closeness I felt like he provided for the moment.
"Come with me, Arjun." His tone wasn't commanding, but rather an urge.
Arjun? Di-Did he just call me that?
My lowered lashes flickered over to his figure for a short while, and then lowered as I smiled slowly, not trying to reveal the flutter of emotions I felt on being addressed so.In this huge palace filled with thousand different gazes for past a few prahars, Pitamah's comforting arms appeared to descend a sense of homeliness back to me.
To my astonishment, he dusted my clothes which wear smeared with dirt and wrapped a white cloth around my body since my own had turned damped.
I wasn't feeling embarrassed anymore, as I followed him wherever he was taking me to.
To be truthful, I felt quite better.
"I heard that you possess immense love for weapons, specially archery? Hmm?" His had an arm wrapped around my shoulder as we went passed through the palace corridors, he was leading me back to my chamber.
My ears instantly became alert at the name of my endeared form of weaponry.
"Yes!" my lips shifted into a curve in excitement as I glanced at him with awe,
"But how did you know?" I blinked back gazing down, and lowered my tone realizing that I had displayed an unreasonable exhilaration,
"I don't remember mentioning it to, to anyone here." Archery. God knows for how many days had I spent without shooting arrows from my bow, the wooden bow which Pitashree had lovingly carved for me. My fingers itched to feel the curve of it, hear the twang of the string, loop it around the end and stretch it back.
My heart began to yearn for it. Terribly.I had seen him, my Pitashree shoot arrows on those luscious fruits and get them from us since the time I had learnt to comprehend my surroundings.
Maata Kunti used to claim that I was more interested in that semi circular long and sleek weapon than anything else. A silent titter escaped his lips as he gave my back a small tap.
"Your Pita used to write to me. Telling about you'll, so I know almost all that you five love."
"He used to tell me your aim was so perfect and you had a fascination for catapults." He smiled to himself, while I gazed on at him with amusement.
For once a tiny bit of my heart felt like asking-Why didn't you come to meet us once? I would've, or could've bestowed my love upon you as much as I did to Pita.
"Hmm, since then I was given special preference to archery."
I confided, recalling how he taught me to hold the bow properly, standing behind me and asking me to hold its riser with one and the string with the other.
The perfect grip, the required pressure, the required pull I should provide to the string and how much taught it should be--An-and that feeling, that feeling of shooting the first arrow from my bow--I remember, remember everything he did. Everything.
"He ain't wrong. Your instincts claim so, so does your exceptional eyes." A sense of pride sounded in his tone all of a sudden, or maybe I was being insolent enough to feel so. Why would he be proud of someone he had met just a few moments ago?
"Never did I meet any eyes, any eyes like yours Arjuna. And being a warrior myself, I could rather confirm that those eyes are of--"
He halted midway when we heard a few footsteps arriving. I spun around, noticing two guards bowing in front of him.
"Apologize Gaangey, but Maharaaj Dhritarashtra wishes to meet you."