It is never real until it materializes, she mused bitterly to herself.

Time had its own way of making its flow obvious. After all, it wasn't a matter subject to anyone's discretion to remain immune to its afflux.

No amount of anxiety could stem its course. No contemplations could blur its vision. No immunity could be resilient enough to resist the blows that its passage could inflict. Time and Destiny worked in absolute harmony of their symphonic association.

Time was the path, and Destiny was the conclusion that summed up to magnify itself.

Is this a conclusion as well?,  Bhanumati wondered as she watched the warriors readying themselves to take leave of the palatial luxury they'd inhabited this long.

***

She stood impassive, her eyes betraying nothing as she stood facing the huge assembly of people that were to leave.

Two days!, someone whispered within.

They had finally crossed that dreaded interval. The eventuality that awaited them was no phantasm of a nightmare anymore, or the subject of a foreboding, or the prelude that awaited itself.

The sight of them leaving for the battle they awaited was too tangible for her to stay indifferent to.

Didn't she await the battle either?, she questioned herself.

The answer couldn't be anything other than the affirmative. Though of course, the manner of their anticipation differed vastly.

Those who were leaving harboured anything but fear, in their anticipation. For them it was a mesh of duty, anger, ambition, spite, and honour of cornucopian proportions.

'Fear not, my love.'- Duryodhan stood majestically in front of her, resplendent in his attire of a warrior.

Not being perturbed was one instinct that she had made herself immune to.

She looked at him standing erect, his pride being invested in the army of eleven Akshauhinis, that they had assembled to fight for their cause. Amongst them, she'd learnt, while stories of the efforts that went into assembling that army ran into their household, that the army of Shalya, the king of Madra, had been acquired by a convoluted mire of deceit and strategy.

The war had begun even before swords and shields had clanged in the battlefield.

She said nothing as she performed the ceremonial ritual to bid her husband adieu. None of those nightmares came to cloud her vision when he embraced her once again.

'I'll come back before you'll realise I'm away.'

He comforted her.

Had he realised how meagre that comfort was?

She couldn't allow any of her trepidations to cross the bridge that barred thought from translating itself into vocal expression as she saw her handsome son bow to touch her feet.

Lakshman proudly stood beside his father. This was supposed to be the proudest moment for the mother that she was. To send her boy to war, and that too a boy as capable as Lakshman, was what every Kshatriya woman would fain nurse as a dream to materialise.

And she was proud, but not without the fear that came as an attachment owing to the precursors that had resulted in this particular war.

And finally...

She watched them take leave of her, and those who stayed behind.

Wars were won by military prowess, that was what she had known for so long.

But would the result of this war depend solely on military mettle?

Especially when The Presever was on their side as physical and tangible as a charioteer helming a chariot.

The consequence awaited itself. 

***

Notes:

i. Glossary:

1. Shalya: Maternal Uncle to Nakul and Sahadev, the youngest of the Pandava brothers, the King of Madra, brother to Madri, who was mother to the twins, divinely sired by The Ashwini Twins (the doctors of the Gods). The deceit that has been mentioned to be a reason for the King to fight on the Kaurava side, happened when Duryodhan had intercepted the Shalya's army at Upavalya, and had cleverly lavished his hospitality on the King and his army, while the King happily assumed that the hospitality had been extended by Yudhishthir. Impressed, and not being able to recognise the cleverly masked strategy, Shalya happily concurred to fight on the Kaurava side, unbeknownst of the side he was extending his support to. It was only later that the deceit revealed itself. 

Reference source: Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari.

ii. Hideous Photoship Frivolity: Yours sincerely. Please find:

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AND/OR

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to throw all the brickbats.

ii. This is completely, entirely, absolutely, a work of fiction based on mythological references. All comments, criticism, suggestions, evaluations, shouts, hoots, bouquets, and brickbats, are welcome, with, WIDE OPEN ARMS, and:

CONFETTI, CUPCAKES, AND GLITTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AFTER ALL IT IS THE NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! HELL, IT HAS BEEN ONE LONG LONG, LONG YEAR!!!!!!! AND YET SO SHORT, LIKE, IT CAME AND WENT?? I'M BLABBERING ANYWAY!

So, finally, somehow, got my brain working, and scribbled this. And since this is the New Year, so, this is my humble, meagre gift to all you amazing people who've been tolerating me and my rants since August! Thank You so very much for being what you are! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!! May this New Year be replete with all the happiness, and peace you've wished for. May there be more new hopes to fuel life. May there be everything that makes life what it is!!!!! God bless!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <333333333333333333333333333333333333333

And of course, if you think that this tiny part was worth any proportion of your love, do consider us, to be worth that little star!!!!!!!!!!!! 

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!