AAKRAMANN

(Attack)

The scorching sun outlined the whole ground of Rakhtchaav. The two competing armies fiercely charged at each other as soon as  the shankh (conch) was blown. The whole place erupted into bellowing war cries  and within no time, the ground was laden with numerous injured bodies and gallons of blood.

The royal army of  Aaranya and its allied forces were equal in number to Shashi's allied forces yet by evening it seemed like if only half of Shashi's army ever existed.

Aryamann had decided to head his army on his own. Arnav and Shyam were properly prepared to face the war.

Arnav moved ahead fiercely, killing each and every enemy soldier, towards the elephant on which the coward Shashi had placed himself, not fighting man to man on the war ground.

Arnav looked towards his father who was busy in a sword fight with somebody. How his father was yet encouraging his army like a true leader! True that the real king is the person who leads people along towards prosperity.

His attention was diverted suddenly by the clanking sound as somebody's armour fell to the ground. That somebody had really long knee length hair, her skin shining under the sun in contrast to the muddy grounds. He was surprised to see a girl on the war ground, not because it is uncommon for women to participate in wars.

His sister, Anjali was a promising warrior and had participated in many wars and hunting parties with their father. After choosing Emperor Vikram of Raigad in her Swayamvar, she preferred to concentrate on her studies more than participating in wars as she demanded peace in life.

Unlike Shyam who despised Anjali's war skills, Arnav was proud that all the members of his family irrespective of gender were excellent in all fields, especially his beloved sister. It least bothered him that she was his step sibling.

Arnav kept on staring at the long haired girl, the efficiency with which she blew away the soldiers with one swing of her sword was highly remarkable.

He couldn't help but notice that how even in the most disheveled state one could be like during a war, she looked like an angel from heaven. She had large doe like eyes with the thickest line of eyelashes he had ever seen. Her lips looked dry and chapped as she kept biting them after aggressively screaming. The dust of the ground couldn't hide how rosiness of her cheeks.

He was utterly smitten by not only her beauty but also her valiance. Somebody worth his admiration.

She had many cut marks on her arms. This made him observe her technique even more closely. Although she was fighting very skill fully, he realised that she is an untrained soldier. She surely had no practice. He could make this out as the technique she was using was highly theoretical, not the way to go about in a war.

If she didn't change that technique now, she might get heavily injured and even lose her life. He didn't want to lose out on talking to someone he admired and so he decided to approach her and take her captive so that no one could attack her.

The girl's sword shined towards him, lavishly decorated with blood like if attracting him towards his death.

The girl stopped and dedicated a moment to gaze at the man walking towards her with all the awe she had. The way he pushed back a soldier to ground who tried to attack him  made her swoon. That face and body was worth a fight at least if not a war. It was the first time that she felt attraction towards a human and she knew it was fatal as soon as she noticed the emblem on his armour.

The fact that he was an enemy made her regain her fierceness and she attacked the man with all the force she had.

Arnav swiftly swung her pushing her down to the ground.
"Aah!" a small gasp escaped from her lips.

"With that technique, dear, you are not going to come out of this warfield alive." Arnav bent and smirked at the girl.

Taking the opportunity, the girl swiftly pushed her sword on his neck.

"One more move and you shall never be able to taunt me again."

He smirked at the confidence of the girl and kept staring at her. It seemed like if they both were sharing an eye lock but Arnav was quick enough to pin her hand behind her back. He felt that he had heard her voice previously, he was inquisitive to know about her.

"Who are you? "He whispered in her ear.

"Your enemy!" She gritted her teeth as she freed herself from his hold while he was lost in the silky touch of her hair.

She turned back and both stopped fighting as they heard a voice screaming.

"My goodness! This girl is going to be the death of us. You wretch! What a disgrace to my lineage! You...you want to show my kingdom as a coward, right? Which kingdom sends its  weakling women to war?" King Shashi screamed in horror as he descended from his elephant and walked towards the girl.

He pulled her away from Arnav who stood still, trying to decipher the situation.

Shashi came close to the girl and slapped her  cheeks making Arnav hiss.
A meek "Maharaj" escaped from the girl's mouth  making Arnav wonder how the tigress in form had changed into a meek kitten within a second?

This action of Shashi had enraged Arnav as he was enamoured by her cheeks.

With one stroke of his sword he wounded Shashi's arm and said, "How cowardly of you to show your so called war skills by raising your hand at this brave girl who respects you enough to fight for you!"

A fierce sword fight took over between Shashi and Arnav, our hero being on the winning side. Soon Arnav made Shashi's sword fall off.

"Once your pitiful self is destroyed, peace shall prevail in my father's mind. So your death is my current necessity." He raised his sword to kill Shashi for once and for all.

His word met with a clash against the girl's sword.

"You dare not lift your sword against my father till I'm alive."

Arnav was taken back as it struck him that the girl whom he felt deeply attracted towards, was addressing his arch rival as father. She was his father's enemy's daughter. She was his enemy.

"No, you imbecile wretch, it would be better I die than stay alive protected by you!"scowled Shashi while Arnav and Tarini fought with each other.

Tarinii felt as if thousands of swords peirced her heart. Her father doesn't want to live if she is the one who shall protect his life. Oh why?

"You know we both are just the same, ready to do anything for our family's lives and everything for our country. The only difference is that my father values my contribution while your father doesn't. Yet that isn't stopping you from protecting him. I admire you..." Arnav gazed at her.

"Less lips, more swords." exclaimed Tarini while continuing the fight.

Meanwhile, Aaryamann came with some soldiers and caught hold of Shashi and said "Well done, my son. Shashi, all your son in laws are dead and so shall be you in no time. And that ally of yours, Bhadraketu, fled away the war scene before even the junior most soldier of ours started attacking." Aryaman snickered.

By that time Arnav had caught hold of a distraught Tarinii who was crying seeing her father being killed.
"Leave me,  you scoundrel!" She cursed Arnav as he held her tightly and covered her eyes, throwing her sword away.

Arnav felt bad seeing her state but he didn't stop his father.

It would be better she has no father than a father like Shashi who doesn't value her.

"Leave her, Arnav." Aryamnan said once Shashi was beheaded. "Take her, soldiers and imprison her until we decide the treaty for Padmadurg" Aaryamann said in his deep voice, looking at how devastated Tarinii looked as she kneeled on the ground, staring at the horrendous situation in front of her.

It isn't easy to see the person whom you considered as your father dying in front of your eyes.