“O Daruka, I shall not be able to cast my eyes, even for a single moment, on the earth bereft of Arjuna.”
krishna had the habit of sticking to his words. his promises. this was a rather simple one. he wouldn't, couldn't live a moment without arjun by his side on earth. he fulfilled his word.
he left before he'd have to witness time take away the only one that held his heart in their hands.
he couldn't bare the sight of arjun on earth either, each stumbling step of the other was a dagger straight into his own being— he could feel the desperation clinging and wearing out his parth, fighting to find his way out and towards krishna.
he couldn't interfere with it, he knew. but he could tweak with it. and so, he closed his eyes briefly, calling upon all the grief clinging onto arjun's body.
life felt bereft of meaning for arjun. the sun didn't shine as brightly anymore, flowers were dull and lacked their scent. the trees looked grey and his food felt ash— what little of it he could have anyway.
he had lost his powers. his ability to protect, preserve and save anyone from danger and harm. he felt hollow from within, his soul that madhav had taken with him to his abode.
that night he went to bed, his eyes restless and burning with lack of proper sleep. instead of his pricking bed and internal frustration, he could feel himself loosen up the moment his back touched the bed.
it was almost as if— as if he could feel his madhav's finger trail down his arms, working out the knots and the scratches that had bled. he fell asleep almost immediately, the familiar waft of parijat lulling him away from the world and it's troubles.
the way back to his other half would rather be a tough one, he had realised. but it wouldn't be the one to stop him either, he had vowed. and so then they set off towards the himalayas.
all arjun wished for was those strong, sturdy arms to engulf him again. for those twinkling eyes to grace his being and put his soul to rest.
when his end came near, arjun gladly crossed the bridge that had held him away from his beloved. he didn't feel any remorse— only his need to find krishna amplified.
“madhav?” arjun had called, desperate and searching. his feet led him to somewhere and nowhere— nothing could be seen, not a sign of life, flowers or peace.
the similar feeling of frustration knocked over him, where was he?
“krishna,” he called out, his voice cracking at the end. he just wanted to be reunited with his madhav, just for once.
and then, suddenly — a bright light flashed, blinded him with its radiance and he was knocked out.
“oh, priyatama.” krishna said, hands brushing away the curls that stuck to his arjuna's forehead.
“you're finally here,” he whispered as he felt the missing piece of his heart slot itself back together. the flowers bloomed, spread out their alluring scent. the trees buffed up with their leaves. everything slotted right back into its place — and krishna could finally breathe again.
the moment he let go of his hand connecting him to arjun's sleeping form, the call of his name reverberated, loud and clear. he looked down, startled, at arjun's still asleep body.
it caught him off-guard before he chuckled, eyes fond and loving as he shifted, placing his hands on arjun's feet and began massaging them, slowly. he did so until he fell asleep himself.
“madhav?” he was shook awake, wide, curious and doubtful eyes staring right back into his.
he blinked, still unaware whether it was a fragment of his imagination or his reality, away from the clutches of maya.
“parth,” he breathed, felt the burden come off his shoulders as his ears were blessed with the voice they craved to hear for so long.
and then, he was tackled right into the ground, his priyatama right ontop of him. arjun was rather angry it seemed, eyes glistening with unshed tears as he glared down at him and for once, krishna felt raw terror rush through him at the sight of his beloved's anger.
he certainly didn't want to be soaked in rain just so soon.
“you,” a finger jabbed right onto where his heart was, beating for arjuna.
“how dare you leave me alone?” another jab and ouch. that hurt.
what hurt more was the obvious pain in arjun's eyes, reflecting so clearly back onto his own. his arjun, perched ontop of his thighs, curls framing his face as angry hot tears ran down his face, eyes red rimmed. his lips had been bitten red, too.
it was clearer now, much up close and near at how hard had his parth taken the hit of his absence. he felt so much lighter, collarbones peaking out, eyes sunken in. his face had lost its boyish charm and replaced it with desperation and anxiety.
“you left me all alone madhav. how could you? how could you bare the thought of me living a moment without you?” arjun heaved between his own sobs, days of frustration and longing finally being poured out and onto it's rightful owner. the cause of it all.
“oh. priye,” krishna whispered, pouring all his love into those words as he reached up, abit hesitant, before placing his palms onto arjun's cheeks, thumbs catching the tear drops.
even his tear drops could be stored as diamonds, any other luxury that one could just wish to have.
his touch calmed arjun enough for the tears to stop flowing. then only had the painful clenching of his heart had finally dispersed, untangling it's vein as he saw light return into his beloved's eyes.
“sometimes,” he began, hands settling on arjun's waist as he pulled him closer, feeling the brush of those curls graze his face, delicate in their being. the sigh of relief that left arjun at the faint contact drawed all the tension out of krishna's shoulders too.
“sometimes,” he repeated, blinking away the daze of bliss that had surrounded them, “there are situations that lie out of my control. i do not wish to interfere with destiny and time itself unless it is necessary, parth.”
arjun nodded once, before leaning in closer, much closer than they had ever been previously. a shiver of anticipation went through him when arjun's breath hit him just for him to dip below and settle in his cavicle.
krishna's ears burned red at his fleeting imagination — feeling the brush of stubble against his torso as arjun snuggled in closer, dropping his weight fully onto krishna.
not that he ever complained. instead, he drew his hands around the other's waist, running a soothing hand upon his back as he pressed a kiss into those curly, brown locks.
“i hope i am forgiven then?” he asked, waiting with a bated breath and a fist full of curls in his hand, fingers automatically starting to work into the skin, massaging and drawing away years worth of fighting and pain.
“who said i was ever angry on you?” came back the muffled reply.
krishna simply held him even closer, vowing to never let go of his arjun ever again.
afterall, he was a man of his words.
