We had been searching the city as maids for quite a while now. Here and there, roaming around the temples and shrines.

I was getting annoyed by now. One stupid weapon and I couldn't find it....

My mumma always said that sometimes you keep an item for safe keeping with such care that you yourself forget where it is.

She didn't know how much her daughter would do with that fact, that too with something which governs the fate of the world.

"Karali, try and recall please. Where could you possibly have kept the weapon?" Mano asked and I sighed, trying not to grit my jaw, " I'm trying... But all i remember is crying extremely hard and it all goes to black, "

" Maybe it's because that part of your memory has been influenced? " Kali put in.

" But who'd do that? "

" Sulo. " Mano muttered under her breath.

" What? She can't, " I said, eyes flitting between the two of them as they looked at me with guilt.

" And you knew! " I said, voice rising.

" I didn't know what to say. Sulo trying to avoid this whole conversation made it hard —"

" Oh please. Keep that to yourself, if you know where the weapon is, tell me Or I'll call Sulo here to help me herself." I growled, watching as they sighed.

" We genuinely don't know. You were the one who hid it." Kali murmured.

" Sorry? " I heard them well enough. It's just incredibly betraying.

Arjun, who was walking ahead of us picked up in the tension and scaled back.

" What are we going for now? " He asked and I sighed handing Abhi over to him.

"Where are you going? " Mano asked as I walked past them over to the nearest hill.

"Well, if it's a part of my soul, surely I can seek it out. Can't I? " I answered offhand.

" But Karali, that would take too much energy— "

" Do you want me to find it or not? " I glared back at them.

" Please just be safe. " Mano whispered and for a moment I saw genuine concern in her eyes.

" I'll be fine. " I answered curtly as I stomped up the hill, sitting at it's top. I closed my eyes, seeking only myself.

With my eyes closed, I could hear the world around me, even what we miss amongst the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Soft gemtly sounds of ants climbing out of the anthill, the gentle thrush of the leaves in the tree, the soft sounds of the squirrels jumping around .

It was among this that I seeked out my soul. The sound of my being, a hum. A glorious, loud hum, like the brown noises I used for studying. It was loud, hammering , as if I left a part of my heart there.

I traced the sound, cold, warm. Moving closer and farther to it as each twitch of my being took me towards it, if a bit distracted. When suddenly, I could hear it , so loud that I felt I might tear my eardrums of how loud the sound is, even as we can't even hear it normally.

I followed the sound, swift and steady as it lead me to the last place I thought it could be.

There, amongst the thumping of my soul, I heard the beating of a heart, one that held my soul without fear.

^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•

It had been nearly three hours since Saag, Devi and Kali had left. We had been sitting for a while, waiting for an attack when I felt Yudhishthir stand up, his eyes tracking the world.

"Sagarika? " He called and I looked at him confused.

" Buddy, I know you love her, but she's not here. Remember? " I asked gently.

" No no. She's calling me. " He said, eyes roving the room for her.

" Bhratashree, bhabhishree isn't here. Are you sure you aren't hallucinating? " Bheem asked and Yudhishthir denied, looking around.

I was about to correct him when I heard an odd singing and my eyes searched for the source, before I heard Devi call for me.

" Come Ajatshatru, jump into the water here, it's so cool. We'll swim in the cold," I heard her voice call.

" Devi? " Then I shook my head. This is a trap. A siren.

Yudhishthir and I looked at each other before confirming the truth. This was definitely a trap..

" Guards! Cover your ears! " Yudhishthir roared as everyone tore pieces of their dhotis to stuff in their ears.

While it cut out a lot of the sounds, we could still see the influence it had already created as seven guards moved to jump into the water.

" No! " Bheem called, rushing to throw them back. Their eyes glassed over as they stepped closer to the water.

" Keep them away! One batallion, follow me! " Maharaj yelled as they followed him out of the palace gates, looking around for the sirens.

As I looked around, I saw Yudhishthir clutch his heart.

" Yudhishthir? You okay? " I asked and he nodded, he winced again, as if someone was burning itself through him.

" Come on, we need to —"

But before I could say anything, a huge rock of fire landed next to me.

" Cannons! They have cannons! " I yelled and the guards brought out our own as our archers readily rained fire arrows at them.

The fire rained down on us, even as Sudhuma, Vishwa, Sulo and Panchali  retaliate from the roof tops. They burned down the enemy cannons, but there were innumerable, how many could one destroy when there were hundreds.

I saw them join hands as they spread the heat, blazing heat, harsher than the loos we felt in the summer, but the heatwaves only managed to exhaust as many guards.

Some still were fighting, despite their marred faces and nearly burnt skins.

" We must be quick! They are growing in numbers! " Yudhishthir called as he threw spear upon spear towards the crowd, even as he clutched his heart with one hand.

I on the other hand was on cannon duty, I was supervising the launch of the cannons, watching as rows of them flew towards the enemies. Ironically, I couldn't see the two idiots in the whole crowd.

Which is when I saw an arrow coming straight for me and I wished I had gymnastics training.

^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•

"

It's with him! " I screamed, I snapped my eyes open.

" What? " I heard my sisters ask as they held on to my hand.

" Karali, be clear. With whom? " Kali asked.

" Yudhishthir! It's with Yudhishthir! " I shouted and their eyes grew cold.

" Karali. You do know that you've endangered him by doing that! " Mano shouted and I glared at her.

" I know that! I can save my husband and the world! No one can stop me from doing that! " I snapped, standing up as I sat upon the horse, racing back, leaving the others there.

I willed the horse faster, moving furiously towards the palace through the back gates that were visible to me, yet the entire place sounded silent, completely unmoving.

I walked in to see the remains of what might have been a fierce battle and looked around, no one in sight.

Asking a few attendants, I ran towards AJ's room when I saw him on the bed, an arrow through his heart as he lay, eyes closed. Yudhishthir, who stood by him snapped his eyes to me, they swam with guilt as they sought me out.

" Karali? Did you find the weapon? " Sudhuma asked, even as she lay a hand on my shoulder in reassurance.

" Yeah." I answered, my eyes unmoving from my best friend, my brother, my partner in crime, my biggest support as he lay there, like a baby in sleep.

"Where is it?" She whispered and I raised a shaky hand towards Yudhishthir.

" WhatWhat,  Karali it isn't his fault — "

" No, " I croaked out as I lifted my eyes shakily at him, walking up to him.

He raised his hand to cradle my face but I moved back.

Raising one shaky hand, I put my finger against his heart, digging it into his chest.

" The weapon. It's here. " I finished.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Okay... More plot twists coming... But I'm going to leave you all on a four day suspense... Or if I find time in between you'll finally know if AJ is alive....

😈

There is a very low chance of updates till the 8th .

Until then, much love

Radhekrishn ♥