"You. ..brainless creature. ..won't you have a second thought before trying out anything. ..? "

  Jayasimhan yelled at the dwarf who had returned with massive damage. ..His facial muscles twitched in rage. ...Hidumbha opted to stay silent as it would be inappropriate if he utter anything. ..

    Thondaka ' s heart began to flutter with fear. ..He didn't dare   tell him  the sad truth that he was  defeated too badly  ..He walked towards jayasimhan in trembling silence, thinking how he could tell him the news. ..

   " your highness. ....."

He didn't complete, jayasimhan gestured him to stay away. ...

" your words were  betraying. ...how did it happened. .?why you didn't cut down the trees to make a bridge to the fort. .?what happened to our archery machines. .?"

  Thondaka stood perplex at too many questions that shooted over him. ..

   " your majesty. .."

He started hesitatingly and narrated how they  had failed in their attempt. ..

   Jayasimhan 's eyes flashed in anger. ..

    " Hidumbha. ...I have lost my patience. ..are they making me a toy. .? Attack the front door. ..barge in. ...kill everyone. ...burn whatever you see. ...March now. ..."

  
    " On your order .... majesty. .."

Hidumbha rushed to instruct the soldiers ...

  Thondaka turned to leave. ..

" stop. ..I understand that  you are  not a warrior who's sure of his own feet. ..you are like a carrion -eating vulture. ..you're unaffected by the outcome of war. ..for you, victory or  loss in a war remained irrelevant..but, I wanted eagles who were aware of their ambition and strategy around me. ..don't come in front of me. ..just leave. .."

  "This always happens in high society. .."

Thondaka had nothing to say. ..He bowed respectfully and left ... ..perhaps,forever. .?

  
    At the next hour, Hidumbha was ready to march in with two hundred infantry ...the huge hills like elephants stood at the front  row to break the massive wooden  door. ..

   Jayasimhan over viewed the crew. ..

" your highness, don't worry. ..those beautifully carved doors would break into pieces at the very first hit of our elephants. .. we are waiting for your royal order. ..."

  Jayasimhan raised his head in pride. ..He knew well ... unlike  Thondaka, Hidumbha is a true warrior. ..He would bring the outcome what he had imagined. ..after all, he was one of his trustworthy commanders. ..
  

" now. ..return victorious. .."

   conch blew up as the proceedings were started traditionally. ..

The crew of two hundred infantry with  four mammoths , headed by Hidumbha moved towards the fort. ..

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      Suman was sitting in front of  The Linga. ..the universal symbol of Lord shiva. ..her eyes were closed like a seashell. ..her lips were trembling as though she experience a turmoil inside. ..she pressed her lips together, when a teardrop feared her to downpour. ..

  " suman. .."

She turned to the soft voice. ..an exquisite tune of her life. ..the melody she ever wanted to hear. ..
She whizzed off near him. ..

Shravan was in war attire, his entire shields were on. .. ..

  He was ready to duel with the enemy who's waiting for him at the door. ..

  Shravan bowed to Lord shiva ....He did pooja rituals. ..

He turned to suman with a radiant smile. ..

In spite of her best efforts, her eyes filled up. ..

" suman. ..."  Shravan's voice cracked. ..He couldn't manage him to see her tearing. ..

   He  cupped her face and caressed her cheeks. ..

" what's this. ..I have never felt like this. ..don't make me weak ....look at me. .."

  . ..she wiped her fast filling eyes. ..and smiled. ..

He made her to look into his eyes. ..it was a momentary incidence ... at the very next instant, she hugged him as though her breath depends on it. ..shravan, hugged her back ...He pressed his lips on her forehead intensely. ..

" suman. ..promise me that you will be waiting for me, no matter how  I return .."

Suman understood him. ..she stopped him by covering his mouth. ..

  " don't say anything. ...I will be waiting for you. ..and this is my promise. .."

  She  held his arms and tiptoed to reach him..she gently pecked him at his lips. ..it happened for  less than a second. ..shravan couldn't believe what had happened. ..He forgot the enemy who was drumming outside. . His hands slid through her waist and he pulled her close to him. ..His laughing eyes were teasing her. ..she blushed redder and buried her face into his chest. ..His hold, on her got tighter. ..His armoured attire made her to wince with pain as they were pressing hardly to each other . ..but, she didn't bather. ..the only thing she wanted badly was Shravan's embrace. ..

  It was a moment they longed to be a circle. ..an infenity. ..an endless one. ..

   " iiikkkuuuummmmm. ....."

The two poor  souls parted  apart hurriedly,  as they heard a unusually lengthy iiiikkkkkkuuummm. ..

  " Papa. ..everything is ready. ..we're on move. .."

  Bhaanu who was embarrassed stated the message hesitatingly. ..

" yeah. ..I am coming. .."

Bhaanu nodded and left the place hastily. ..

   Shravan saw suman with a determined eyes. ..His laughing eyes were now on war mode. ..

    Suman unsheathed her dagger and pressed her thumb finger at it's  sharp edge. ....blood  started to trickle. ..she pressed the blood on his forehead. ..

    " vijayea bhava. ..."

She wished him. ..He nodded with smiling eyes. ..

" shravan. ..remember one thing. ....you can't go away from me. ..I am already yours ..I have scribbled my  royal insignia on you. .."

Suman stated in a warning tone. ..Shravan's eyes were laughing at her as she was mentioning   the peck as royal insignia. ..

  He bowed in front of her reverentially. ..

" on your order, your highness. ..this slave would be always at your service. ..."

He teased her  ...she hit him playfully. ..

  Sooner, they reached the courtyard where the soldiers were waiting. ..

   shravan touched guruji ' s feet ...

" the victory is on our side. ..vijayea bhava. .."

  He blessed him. ..shravan held Suman's hands and smiled. ..she  squeezed his palms... her eyes told him that she will be waiting for him. ..

He intertwined his fingers with hers for a second. ..the next moment, his  softer hands got stiffened, he stepped down and stood in front of the soldiers. ...Bhaanu joined him. ..

" get into a tight formation of six in a row. ..don't allow any intruders ...Hold them ...and devide into two section soon after I gesture. ..no enemy  should  backtrack alive. ..war is war. .."

   " we may be outnumbered comparatively. ..be swift as a wind; move quite as a forest ; conquer like a fire; be steady like a mountain. ..we'll be  victorious. ..hara hara mahadev. .."

   Shravan roared and the motivated soldiers repeated his cry. ..

      " hara hara mahadev. ..hara hara mahadev. ...hara hara mahadev. ...."

  They were battle -hardened men. They liked nothing more than a clear -headed and calm leader who knew exactly what he was doing. ..

They quickly got into the formation ordered by shravan and waited. ....

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  " now. .."

Hidumbha ordered the soldiers to drive the elephants to hit the massive wooden door. ..

   The  mammoths  hit the beautifully carved door heavily. ..the soldiers were waiting  behind them to rush inside once the door broke down. ....

    " hhuumpp. ...hhuumpp. ..."

For the third hit, the wooden door broke into pieces. .

But. ...wait....what's that. .?

 
  There was a second door immediately behind the wooden door which was made with iron, with sharp edged spikes. ..this was totally  an unexpected one. ..

  The elephants hit the iron spikes and injured. ..in pain, the mammoths gave out a blood -curdling trumpet, and everyone froze. ..the panicked animals charged at the  soldiers recklessly. ..no one dare to control them. . ..

The mammoths ,knocking  the soldiers down and started running through the crowd. ..Some panicked soldiers fell down and were trampled. ..the mammoths chased a few. ..they ran here and there, starting a stampede. ..

  Hidumbha failed in controlling the soldiers who were at the peakest point of panic attacks. ....

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   Hello friends, next chapter is here. ..have a happy read.  

    The war mode is on to the fullest..let's roar 'hara hara mahadev. ..'

   Let me know what do you think about this chapter. ..vote and comment as you know they are my batteries. ..silent readers... please take a note. ..

     And, yes. ..it's new year. ...let the past go off. ..we have the new chances in front of us. ..let's begin the day one with smile and positive attitude. ..

May this new year bring health and happiness to all of us. ..may thy god be with us in our every move. ..

A very happy new year to all. ...

Love,

Arulpirai. . .