COMFORT IN DREAMS

"Arjun, no matter what happens, I know you won't harm anyone. Trust your instincts and your strength. Everything will be alright," said the faceless figure in his dream. Her voice was soft yet powerful, cutting through the blinding sunlight that obscured her features. "Before you put your trust in others or expect them to trust you, learn to trust yourself first."

Though Arjun couldn't see her clearly, her words filled him with an odd sense of peace. A smile tugged at his lips as he woke, the remnants of the dream lingering in his mind like a distant memory he couldn't fully grasp.

Reality, however, was far less kind. Nothing seemed to be going as planned in Hastinapur. The Kauravas were openly hostile toward the Pandavas, their disdain evident in every glance, every word. Arjun and his brothers never understood why they were so despised. From their childhood, they had been taunted, mocked, and bullied relentlessly. As innocent boys, they hadn't even known the meaning of hate, but they had grown up surrounded by it, still unable to comprehend why they were hated so deeply.

Yudhishthir couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister was unfolding. He knew that Shakuni Mama was plotting against the sons of Pandu, but the details eluded him. There was a storm brewing within his heart, a sense of dread that clung to him like a shadow. His gut told him that whatever was happening would change the course of history, but uncertainty gnawed at him.

In an attempt to calm his mind, Yudhishthir decided to take a walk by the lake, hoping the peaceful surroundings might soothe his troubled thoughts. As he approached the water's edge, he noticed Arjun standing nearby, gazing into the lake's still surface.

Arjun's reflection stared back at him, but his expression was heavy with sadness, as if the weight of the world had settled on his shoulders. Yudhishthir paused for a moment, observing his younger brother, his own worries momentarily forgotten.

He could see that something was troubling Arjun as well, and in that quiet moment by the lake, the two brothers-each carrying their own burdens-stood silently, connected by the invisible threads of their shared fate.

Arjun was in distress, unable to get Subhadra out of his mind. Her presence lingered in his thoughts, consuming him with a feeling he couldn't quite name. It gnawed at him, growing stronger with every passing second since they had parted. It felt like sadness, but deeper-something unfamiliar, something he couldn't shake.

He had faced countless battles, but this was different. This was an internal struggle, one he didn't know how to fight. The more he tried to push the feeling away, the more it took root in his heart. What was it? Love? Longing? Confusion? Arjun couldn't tell.

All he knew was that the moment Subhadra left his sight, a void had formed inside him, and the ache of her absence was all he could feel.

Meanwhile, for Subhadra, there was no confusion. She was certain about her feelings for Arjun. From the moment he had left her, she had understood the true meaning of love—not in grand gestures, but in the quiet ache of his absence. She longed to be by his side, to comfort him, to give him strength in his moments of doubt.

Subhadra knew this wasn’t the right time to confess her heart, though. She trusted her brother Krishna, trusted that everything would unfold as it should. Yet, the sadness remained—not because of uncertainty, but because she wasn’t with Arjun to share his burdens, to face his struggles alongside him.

She had discovered that love wasn’t just about joy and passion. It was about wanting to bear someone’s pain, to be their strength when they felt weak. And though she was sure of her love, she knew that, for now, all she could do was wait—patiently, until the time was right.

This love story is not merely about Arjun and Subhadra being together. It's about their sacrifices, their losses for the sake of love, and the longing that fills their hearts. It’s a tale of their tears, their silent endurance of pain, and the way they communicate without words—speaking volumes through just a glance, their eyes carrying the weight of everything left unsaid.

Arjun smiled as he gazed into the water once more. In the gentle ripples, he saw Subhadra’s face, and an unknown comfort washed over him. Even though she wasn’t physically with him, her presence was always there, giving him strength, silently motivating him.

The reflection in the water smiled at him, and he smiled back, feeling her warmth in that moment. Without needing any words, he sat by the lake, his heart at peace, the stress lifting from his soul as he simply enjoyed the quiet serenity around him.

“We don’t need words to express ourselves, do we? Just your reflection is enough to make my heart race like this. I miss you, but I know you're always with me—in my dreams, pushing me forward, motivating me.”

He whispered to himself, as if speaking directly to her, his voice soft but filled with longing.

"I wish I could tell you, Subhadra, how much I miss you. The moment my eyes lost sight of you was the moment they began searching, aching for just one more glimpse. Every time I close my eyes, I hope to see you again, to feel your presence beside me. But when I open them and you’re not there, the emptiness is unbearable.

It’s as if my heart is torn, searching for something it can’t find, and the pain... it runs so deep that no words could ever explain it. Every beat of my heart feels heavier, like it’s longing for the part of me that left with you. And yet, even in this pain, I feel your strength, your presence, like you’re guiding me from afar. I just wish I could tell you all of this, that I could look into your eyes and let you know how much I need you."

"त्वं नयनं मम, त्वं हृदयं मम, संजीवनं त्वं मम जीवने।
विरहः खलु दुःसहः, यदा त्वं न समीपे, प्रिये सदा।"

Translation:
"You are my eyes, my heart, the breath of my life.
Separation is unbearable when you are not by my side, my beloved."

"Tvaṁ nayanaṁ mama, tvaṁ hṛdayaṁ mama, saṁjīvanaṁ tvaṁ mama jīvane।

So, how's the chapter? I know it's short, and I've been struggling with writer's block, which makes it hard to manage sometimes. But I hope you enjoyed today's chapter. I poured a lot of effort into it, especially into capturing how Arjun felt. To write it authentically, I had to imagine myself as Arjun, and I hope that effort comes through in the chapter. Don't be a quiet reader and do leave a vote❤️