"How do I look Sakhi?"I asked.

"You look Goddess indeed. Since when did you start liking hibiscus?"
"Since I've stepped foot into this place," I replied.
"Rajkumari Dhaksha and Rajkumari Draupadi, you both have been summoned to the celestial meeting hall." a lady called us out.
"Yeah, let's go," she said.
Soon we settled down in the hall.

"O'my dears. I'm so happy to see you all in my city. To Welcome you all. The world's most beautiful dancer shall dance," Lord Indradeva said.
She walked out in the most feminine way ever. It'd be perfection at its best. She was gorgeous.
"Beauty doesn't matter. All that matters is a good heart and you do have one, my sister." I head Kanha
"I've started to miss you a lot, Bhaiya. Visit me soon."
"I'm always around you Dhaksha,"

She started dancing

"You're right, Govindha. You are everywhere. She has your peacock feathers, " I said
"Only my feathers are with her. But you have this Vasudeva Krishna's heart, my dear sister." I head him
"Safe in my hands." I smiled looking down.
"Dhaksha," Draupadi called me
I zoomed back.
"Look at that feathers. It reminds me of Govindh," she smiled.
"Radhe Radhe," I smiled.
That's when I started to notice her gaze. It was all at Arjuna. She didn't even move her eyes in any other direction. Arjuna did the same. They both kept holding strong eye contact.
"I'm not supposed to get jealous. I kept telling myself."

"She is the most beautiful dancing Nymphs ever. She is Urvashi," Lord Indradeva introduced.
"I have heard a lot about you, Pandu's son, Arjuna," she said.
"I'm glad, Devi," he smiled

:(

If he wanted to admire her or make her wife. That'd be normal in this Yug.
"Dhaksha, are you okay?"Draupadi asked me.
"I need some air. I'll be back." I walked out of the hall.

The tree that Indradev mentioned stood in the peak middle of Indradev's celestial gardens. It was said to have golden roots, silver midriff and pearl flowers.
I walked closer to the tree to take a look at it.  It was shimmering so brightly. Even the scent of the tree felt sacred.

"Touch and feel the tree, Devi." I heard a man's voice
I turned to see a man walking from a distance.

"Who are you?" I asked.
"This is Indralokha, the city of Devas, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Kinnaras and even Rakshasas. Which one do you think?" he smiled.
He was this tall, pale-skinned man with long hair.
"I'm a mere mortal. How will I know about that?" I asked. "But you certainly don't seem like a Rakshasas."
"What if I'm one?" he smiled.
Am I getting into trouble again with pretty evil beings?
"What?" I exclaimed.
"I was joking. My name is Shambu. I'm one of the Devas. How can they let a Rakshasas near this scared tree?" he chuckled.
"Which one are you? Are you one among the Adityas or Vasus?"
"I'm not among any of those," he replied.
"Then? Who are you?"
"I'm the source of happiness." he smiled.
"Shambu? Have I heard of this name before?"
"But, you don't seem happy, Devi. Why it is?" he asked.
"Why would you say that? I'm happy."
"Do you hear the music? The enchanting music of this land?" he asked me.
"I do hear it. It's mesmerising indeed."
"The Art of Music is the most beautiful art ever made in this universe. It's a universally spoken language. Do you know what else is?"
"The Art of Dance?" I asked him.
"You are right. Art of Dance can be an ultimate source of happiness," he replied. "Let me show you the true form of it; Balanced form." he moved his hands slowly with the rhythm of the music.
"What bad thing can happen if I dance in this Celestial garden?"
"Come on," he called out for me.
I walked closer to the tree.
"Even Urvashi's dance was not as mesmerising as his moves were."
"Move your hands slowly to the top of your head," he said.
I closed my eyes and moved my hands to the top of my head.
"Punarapi Jananam, Punarapi Maranam, Punarapi Jananam." he sang slowly while dancing.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked while dancing slowly.
"Being born again, dying again. And being born again. A man attains his Shirsti, the creation. And then he attains his Samhara, the destruction." his fingers moved slowly like air.
"The journey between this is just an illusion. It's a Maya. Only the beginning and end are the truth."
"Does that mean, a man's life is a lie? Is it a mere illusion?" I asked.
"The world even is a Maya, Dhaksha," he said.
"How did you know my name?" I asked.

"Close your eyes and dance with me, my Supriya." he smiled.

"Mahadeva?"
"We exist beyond the materiality of our bodies," he added.
"My whole body felt the vibrant of his dance. I was again lost in the divine entity of this place. I lost myself to the universe."
"To call something a dance. It should be moving, changing and flowing. There is nothing static or permanent about it. Just like there is nothing stagnant in the whole universe, including the universe itself." he held my hand and moved up and down slowly.
"Even you, my lord?" I asked him.
"Shiv-Sakthi is against nature or anything beyond that, my Gouri," he moved his legs.
"The art of Bharathanatiya, I was gifted with in Kali Yuga. It made sense now."
I moved my leg slowly like him and my hands simultaneously.

"I've never danced like this before, my lord, " I couldn't stop moving my body.
"We are always dancing, my lady. Constantly dancing with our desires, our moha, our egos, our story of who we are, who you are," he replied.
"Never have I ever wondered to dance with you, Mahadeva," I replied.
"I'll always dance within you, my lady. The cosmic dance of Shiv-Shakthi has no pause. It flows till the so-called end. You'll soon understand that." the world around us stopped.

The moving leaves of the scared tree, the well-wishing birds, everything stopped.
"I'm already feeling things, Mahadeva. Every single thing takes a step closer to you, my lord." I bowed my head.
"There are still many things, Dhaksha." he kept moving his body slowly and steadily.
"Why would you stop dancing? Come, dance with me," he said.
"I don't want to stop dancing with you, my lord."
"Just as mine teaches about the dissolution of the universe. Aren't you supposed to nurture life," he asked me.
"Oh, my lord. Bless me." I fell on his feet.
He stood with his leg in the air and another on the ground. He stopped dancing.
"Raise, my Supriya." he smiled at me.
"I wanted to take form as Shambu to make you happy. This cosmic dance with you would have made everyone happy." he smiled.
"Thank you, my lord." I greeted.
He placed a hibiscus flower on my earlobes
"Mahadev-"
"I'll see you soon, Dhaksha." he vanished into the scared tree.

~~~~~~

I was explaining the whole thing about our dance and everything to them.
"Is that so?" Bheem exclaimed.
"That's called the cosmic dance of Shiv-Shakthi. It's the portrayal of cosmic balance, that teaches that the universe thrives on the interplay of opposing yet complementary forces." Yudhistran na said.
"They say that Shiv-Shakthi's cosmic rhythm gives out the energy for creation and destruction," Draupadi said.
"He was talking about that. About life and the Maya." I said.
"It was a good thing that we came here. Thanks to that Duruyan." Bheem na said.
"You are right, Bhaiya." Nakula chuckled.
"I saw it," Aarya walked inside the room.
"What?" Bheem na asked.
"I got the Dharshana of their cosmic dance, Bhaiya," Aarya replied.
"You did?" I asked.
"I was worried that you'd get lost and something might happen to you, so I followed you to the sacred tree. That's when I saw it," he replied.
"It was mesmerizing indeed. It passed on so much energy to the universe," he added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you think I should have taken incarnation and married Dhaksha?" Lord Shiva asked.
"No, Mahadev. She should marry Arjuna so that she'll be able to demolish the adharmis, "Lord Vishnu said.
"The universe did enjoy your cosmic dance, Shivasambhu," Lord Vishnu said.
"Gandivathari Arjuna got the Dharshana too," Lord Shiva.
"He's the blessed one," Vishnu replied.
"Mahadeva, should reveal the secret behind her birth to Dhaksha?"
"This is not the right time, Narayana!"

"Goodnight, Dhaksha," Lord Vishnu smiled seeing Dhaksha from Melokha.
"She is happy," Lord Shiva said.
"She is.."

We had a quality time in Indralokha. The more time I spent here, the more things I started to feel. Especially after the cosmic dance. But it started to get awkward between me and Arjuna. Urvashi kept visiting him and the time I spent with him was less. More like we didn't even talk anymore.

While Yudhistran got wisdom from Devas, Arjun got to know about more divine weapons, Bheem, Nakul and Sahadev practised hard to get more divine power and me and Druapdi learning more about the Art of dance and music time passed on fast.

"You've become well versed at playing the Veena, Sakhi," I said said.
"I learnt this is in Panchal," she replied.

All of a sudden, the well-wisher flew towards us and sat on my veena
"Cute little thing. What are you doing here?" I tried to touch it.
"Dhaksha, you are talking to a bird. Wait is the well-wisher bird from the Kalpavirksha?" she asked.
It flew away as we were talking.
"I'll be back, Sakhi." I ran behind it.
"Every time you say I'll be back something happens. Be careful please," she shouted.
I waved at her and started to run behind but it flew a bit faster and reached out of my sight.

"I thought it wanted me to follow."
"What brings you here, Dhaksha Devi?" I heard Indradeva.
"It's just the birds-"

"Do you know why the bird is called well-wisher? Because it makes your wish true."
"Our wish? Is that so?"
"Yes, my dear. Anyways,  I'm leaving. I have a lot of work to do." he walked away.
"But it didn't even ask for my wish."
That's when I finally spotted the bird and rushed to the direction.

It led me to the lake I saw from my room's window. It was full of swans. Pearls and Rathna's were scattered all around it. The lake was almost covered with lotuses and Sārasa birds.
"Why would you bring me here?" I looked around.

"That's when I noticed a person standing in the corner of the lake facing back.
I went closer to take a look at him

To be continued...

What will happen Arjuna and Dhaksha due to misunderstanding?

Do you the bird would fullfil Dhaksha's wish?

Who did Dhaksha saw?

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