INDEX
PART 1-PAGE 1
PART 2-PAGE 2
PART 3-PAGE 3
PART 4-PAGE 6
PART 5-PAGE 7
PART 6-PAGE 11
PART 7-PAGE 15
PART 8A-PAGE 19
PART 8B- PAGE 23
The young man emerged out of the river. One second water droplets were sliding down his bare torso, the other second the water droplets had vanished. The man sported long curly black hair and a mustache on his face. He was extremely thin, almost slithery but possessed powerful arms. His very presence could send a chill down the enemy's spine. His eyes were blazing with fire that could engulf the passerby. But his mind was extremely patient. He possessed the voice that could soothe anyone but at this moment he himself was highly perturbed.
He was known to his fellow beings as Iravan, the son of Nagkanya Uloopi. In the Naglok he was acclaimed as the finest of warriors. He had won numerous competitions and shown his prowess in numerous battles against the neighbouring countries. He had come to this land of five rivers to take part in a war, a war greater and fiercer than that ever had happened on the Earth. His mother had urged him not to come. "This is not your war.", she had said but he had not listened to her arguments. This war was going to be the highest platform to prove ones talent. It was a war worth fighting- it was a dharma yudh. Even if he died in this battlefield, he would have done something worthwhile in his life. But above all the reasons he had decided to come, his most prominent desire had been to meet his father, at last.
Iravan had grown up hearing the stories of his father- of his talent at archery, of his many great achievements, of the great land he had built named Indraprastha. His mothers- Uloopi and Chitrangada told him and his brother Babruvahana various tales about him, even the the balladeers used to sing of him. His father, the mighty warrior Arjuna , was famous across the continent."Would Arjuna even know him?" Iravan thought. Iravan did not expect Arjuna to recognize him. They had never met before. They had no correspondence with each other. Iravan did not know how he was supposed to introduce himself to his own father.
Iravan was approaching the Pandava camp. He saw a group of boys practicing sword fight in pairs. A man was overlooking their fight. He was extremely handsome and well built. Though his face was dark toned, he shone like the moon. His lotus shaped eyes shown with pride over the prowess of the young boys. One among the group of boys was fighting fiercely, yet with a deadly calm on his face. It took him another second to get his opponent rolling on the ground. The boy surely was very good at tactics because his opponent seemed bigger than him both by mass and age. The boy smiled at his opponent and gave him a hand to get up," Bhrata Srutasom, ab uth bhi jaiye. Iske bad zamin bhi phat jayega." Everyone started laughing. Srutasoma muttered something under his breath. Just then another man came out. He was a dark man, curly black hair running to his shoulder, very well built. "What is the commotion about?" The other man replied," Your dear Abhimanyu has defeated each and every brother of his in sword fight." The man with curly hair looked at his son proudly. The son bent to take his father's ashirvad. The father pulled his son into a tight hug and blessed him," Ajay raho." The other boys also took the ashirvad of the man. Iravan stood at his place, wishing that he was one of this group, especially the beloved son whose father seemed to be so proud of him.
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