Mahabharat: Shiva's Last Variable

(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

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Within the divine radiance of Surya Loka, the flow of time felt far gentler than in the mortal realm.

The sounds of war could not reach those celestial halls.

No cries of wounded soldiers echoed there.

No scent of blood lingered upon the breeze.

Yet despite the peace that surrounded the realm, one chamber had become unusually quiet over the past hundred days.

It was the private chamber of Goddess Yami.

The celestial mirror continued floating before her, faithfully reflecting the events unfolding upon the distant plains of Malikavana.

Its surface shimmered softly.

Within it...

Devaratha’s unconscious body remained buried deep beneath the earth while his mind wandered helplessly inside Pushpasura’s illusion.

Yami stood before the mirror without moving.

Her hands were gently clasped together.

Her golden eyes had remained fixed upon the same image for what felt like an eternity.

She had watched every sunrise.

Every battle. Every wound. Every defeat.

She had witnessed Devaratha endure pain that no ordinary mortal should have survived.

She had seen him smile before his soldiers even when his own body trembled from exhaustion.

She had watched him protect thousands while receiving nothing in return except more suffering.

And now...

For the first time since the war had begun...

She could do absolutely nothing.

That helplessness hurt far more than she wished to admit.

A soft sigh escaped her lips.

"...Please..."

she whispered so quietly that even the celestial breeze almost carried the words away.

"...come back."

She wasn’t asking for victory.

Nor glory. Nor even revenge.

She simply wanted him to open his eyes again.

At that very moment...

The doors to her chamber opened quietly.

Two graceful figures entered without making the slightest sound.

One was draped in robes as dark and gentle as twilight itself.

"...."

"...."

The other wore garments woven from the pale colours of dawn.

Goddess Chaya.

Goddess Sandhya.

The two consorts of Surya Deva exchanged a brief glance before turning their attention towards the young goddess standing before the celestial mirror.

For several moments...

Neither of them spoke.

Instead...

They simply observed.

Every day for nearly three months, they had watched their daughter come here.

Every morning before the sun’s journey began.

Every evening after it ended.

Sometimes she remained here for hours without speaking.

Sometimes she quietly smiled whenever Devaratha overcame another impossible challenge.

Sometimes... Like today...

She simply stood in silence, unable to hide the worry in her eyes.

Seeing it once was understandable.

Seeing it every day...

That slowly became painful for them as well.

Sandhya quietly approached first.

Without saying a word, she gently rested her hand upon Yami’s shoulder.

The young goddess flinched slightly before turning around.

"...Mother."

Her voice was soft.

Sandhya smiled warmly.

"You haven’t rested again."

Yami lowered her eyes.

"I..."

She attempted to deny it.

The words refused to come.

Chaya stepped forward, her expression carrying the same quiet affection.

"My child..."

she said gently,

"we’ve been watching you. You come here every single day. You leave only after the battle ends."

"And even then... You spend the entire night thinking about him."

Yami’s cheeks immediately turned slightly pink.

"I wasn’t..."

She stopped midway.

Even she couldn’t finish that sentence honestly.

Because it wasn’t true.

Chaya smiled knowingly.

"You needn’t hide it from us."

"We are your mothers."

"There are some things a mother notices long before her child speaks of them."

Yami looked away in embarrassment.

The faint crimson upon her cheeks became a deeper shade.

Sandhya chuckled softly.

-Chuckle!

"It is rather amusing."

Yami blinked.

"...Amusing?"

Sandhya nodded.

"You have always been the brightest smile in this palace."

"The one who filled every corridor with laughter."

"You could make even your brother Yama forget his endless seriousness for a while."

She gently brushed a few strands of hair away from Yami’s face.

"But lately... Your smiles have become rare."

"Instead..."

"You spend your days worrying about one stubborn king fighting in Bhuloka."

Yami’s blush deepened.

"...."

She lowered her head completely.

Neither Chaya nor Sandhya teased her further.

Instead...

Their expressions softened.

As mothers...

They understood exactly what this meant.

They also knew something else.

The man their daughter had quietly given her heart to...

Was no ordinary mortal.

He was the son of the Trimurti, raised beneath the blessings of Mahadeva, Narayana and Brahma.

A soul acknowledged by gods, sages and immortals alike.

If there were anyone worthy of standing beside their daughter...

It was certainly not an impossible choice.

That had never been their concern.

Their concern... Was Yami herself.

Seeing her cheerful spirit replaced by constant anxiety pained them far more than they admitted aloud.

Sandhya gently lifted Yami’s chin.

"Listen to us."

"This war will not continue forever."

"One day it will end."

"And when that day comes..."

She exchanged a smile with Chaya.

"...your father and all of us shall formally invite King Devaratha to Surya Loka."

Yami’s eyes widened.

Chaya nodded in agreement.

"Not as a warrior. Not as a king."

"But as an honoured guest."

Sandhya’s smile became slightly playful.

"And perhaps... our daughter can finally speak to him without having to rely upon a celestial mirror."

For a moment...

Yami simply stared at both of them.

Then...

Her entire face turned bright crimson.

"M-Mother!"

She covered her face with both hands in complete embarrassment.

"What are you saying?"

Sandhya laughed softly.

"-Haha!!!"

"So you do wish to speak with him."

"I..."

Yami opened her mouth. Closed it again.

She had no answer.

Her silence itself became the answer.

Both goddesses smiled.

For the first time in many weeks...

They saw a little colour return to their daughter’s face.

Not born from worry.

But from bashful happiness.

It wasn’t much. Yet it was enough.

Just then...

Another pair of footsteps echoed outside the chamber.

Surya Deva entered first, his radiant presence naturally illuminating the room despite the fact that everything within Surya Loka already shone with divine light.

Beside him walked Yama, calm and dignified as always.

The two had come for exactly the same reason.

Concern.

"...."

"...."

Surya Deva had noticed his daughter’s changing behaviour long before anyone spoke of it.

As a father...

He recognised the quiet glances towards the celestial mirror.

The unnecessary questions regarding the war.

The anxious expressions hidden behind forced smiles.

He had understood.

He simply chose not to embarrass her by mentioning it.

Now, however...

He stopped upon seeing the scene before him.

Yami stood red-faced while Chaya and Sandhya wore unmistakably amused smiles.

The atmosphere felt far lighter than it had only moments earlier.

Surya Deva looked towards his wives with a questioning expression.

"What happened here?"

Sandhya answered with a perfectly innocent smile.

"We merely reminded our daughter that the war will eventually end."

"And that when it does..."

"We should properly welcome King Devaratha to Surya Loka."

Yami immediately lowered her head again, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.

"...."

Surya Deva looked at his daughter’s embarrassed expression.

Then at his smiling wives.

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

-Chuckle!

"So that is all."

He had expected something far worse.

Instead...

For the first time in many days...

His daughter actually looked less burdened.

The tightness that had remained upon her face for weeks had eased ever so slightly.

He released a slow breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding.

A father’s heart found unexpected relief in the smallest of victories.

Yama folded his arms as he observed his younger sister.

The stern Lord of Dharma rarely expressed his emotions openly.

Yet seeing Yami no longer staring silently at the battlefield, but instead hiding behind her own embarrassment, made even him relax.

A faint smile, almost impossible to notice, appeared upon his lips.

It was good. Very good.

For at least one brief evening...

The chamber that had been filled only with worry...

Had remembered what laughter sounded like once again.

A warm silence settled over Yami’s chamber.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Only moments ago, the room had been heavy with worry.

Now, thanks to Chaya and Sandhya’s gentle teasing, the atmosphere had begun to lighten ever so slightly.

Yami still stood with her face lowered, her cheeks glowing a deep crimson as she stubbornly avoided looking at anyone.

Unfortunately for her...

The situation was about to become much worse.

Surya Deva quietly observed the expressions on the faces of his wives before looking at his daughter.

He had ruled over Surya Loka for ages beyond counting.

He could read the hearts of those closest to him with remarkable ease.

The concern that had occupied his heart when he entered the chamber slowly melted away.

His daughter, who had worn nothing but worry for the past hundred days, had finally reacted like the cheerful young goddess he knew.

She was embarrassed.

And to a father...

That was infinitely preferable to seeing her silently suffering.

A warm smile appeared on Surya Deva’s face.

He slowly walked towards Yami before gently placing a hand upon her head.

"My dear daughter..."

Yami cautiously looked up.

"...Father?"

Surya Deva chuckled softly.

"I believe your mothers are absolutely correct."

Yami blinked.

"...About what?"

Sandhya immediately answered before Surya could.

"About inviting Devaratha to Surya Loka."

Yami’s eyes widened.

"Mother!"

Chaya covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Surya Deva nodded with complete seriousness, though amusement danced within his radiant eyes.

"Indeed."

"Once this war concludes..."

"It would only be proper to extend an invitation."

"He has protected Dharma¹."

"He has fought with extraordinary courage."

"He has earned the respect of countless sages and devas."

He folded his hands behind his back.

"Such a warrior deserves to be welcomed as an honoured guest."

Yami listened quietly.

For a brief moment...

She thought her father truly meant nothing beyond that.

Then Surya Deva smiled just a little wider.

"And naturally..."

he continued,

"...our daughter should be the one to receive him."

Yami froze.

"I..."

"You have, after all,"

Surya continued in the same calm tone,

"been observing his battles more diligently than anyone else in Surya Loka."

"I imagine no one could introduce him to our palace better than you."

Her face immediately turned scarlet once again.

"Father!"

Surya Deva looked towards his wives.

"I see no flaws in this arrangement."

Sandhya nodded with exaggerated seriousness.

"None whatsoever."

Chaya joined in immediately.

"It is an excellent idea."

Yami looked from one face to another.

"You all planned this!"

The three of them exchanged innocent expressions.

"Planned what?"

Chaya asked with remarkable composure.

"We’re merely discussing proper hospitality."

Sandhya added with a smile,

"It would be terribly rude if our daughter ignored an honoured guest."

"I never said I would ignore him!"

The words escaped Yami before she realised what she had admitted.

Silence.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Every pair of eyes slowly turned towards her.

Yami’s own eyes widened.

She quickly covered her mouth.

"..."

Sandhya’s smile grew impossibly brighter.

"So..."

"You’ve already thought about meeting him."

"I... No!"

"I mean... I..."

The usually graceful goddess found herself completely unable to form a proper sentence.

Surya Deva laughed heartily.

The sound echoed warmly throughout the chamber.

It had been a long time since he had seen his daughter so flustered.

Just then...

A quiet cough echoed from behind them.

Everyone turned.

Yama had been standing silently with folded arms, watching the entire exchange unfold.

He had remained quiet for far longer than anyone expected.

Surya Deva looked towards his son.

"Yama."

"What do you think?"

Yama looked at his younger sister.

Then... Very slowly...

A faint smile appeared on the normally stoic Lord of Dharma.

"If Father is extending an invitation..."

he said calmly,

"...perhaps I should prepare a proper welcome as well."

Yami looked at him suspiciously.

"...Brother."

Yama nodded once.

"I should probably inspect him first."

Yami tilted her head.

"Inspect?"

"Naturally."

His expression remained perfectly serious.

"If someone intends to spend time around my little sister..."

"I should verify whether he is worthy."

Surya Deva raised an eyebrow.

"Only inspect?"

Yama pretended to think.

"Hmm..."

"Perhaps I should challenge him to a friendly spar first."

Sandhya laughed.

Chaya shook her head.

Yami stared at her brother in disbelief.

"A spar?"

Yama gave a solemn nod.

"Purely for evaluation."

"Nothing excessive."

"Just enough to determine whether he can withstand an elder brother’s concern."

Surya Deva couldn’t help laughing again.

"That sounds considerably less like an evaluation."

Yama remained completely composed.

"If he survives... I shall consider him satisfactory."

"Brother!"

Yami protested, her face glowing brighter than the evening sun.

"He has already been fighting for a hundred days!"

"Exactly."

Yama replied without missing a beat.

"So one more won’t make much difference."

The room erupted into gentle laughter.

Even Chaya had to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

Sandhya leaned lightly against one of the marble pillars, laughing far more openly than before.

Surya Deva simply watched his children with quiet contentment.

For over three months, this chamber had known only anxiety.

Today...

For the first time in what felt like an eternity...

His daughter’s laughter, even if it came mixed with embarrassment, had finally returned.

Yami looked around at her family.

Seeing the smiles on their faces...

Hearing their teasing...

She could only sigh in surrender.

"...You’re all impossible."

Yama allowed himself the smallest of chuckles.

"No."

He replied with complete sincerity.

"We’re family."

"And embarrassing one’s younger sister..."

He paused just long enough to see Yami instinctively brace herself.

"...is one of an elder brother’s oldest duties."

"Brother!"

The entire chamber filled with warm laughter, a welcome contrast to the worry that had overshadowed Surya Loka for the past hundred days.

Yet beneath the smiles, every member of the family silently shared the same hope.

That the man they had been talking about...

Would survive long enough for that invitation to one day become a reality.

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(Author note:)

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