Chapter 85: When Thunder Meets Thunder

Chapter 85: When Thunder Meets Thunder

The silence in the Raj Sabha of Mahishmati was like a bowstring pulled too tight, waiting to snap. The air had grown heavy after Rudra's sharp words to Yudhishthir. None dared speak. Even the seasoned warriors and royal elders avoided looking directly at Rudra, who now sat back on his throne with a storm still raging behind his calm eyes.

Then, a soldier entered in a swift but respectful stride, bowed low, and announced with urgency, "Maharaj, Dwarika Naresh, Bhagwan Shri Krishna, has arrived at the outer gates."

A murmur ran through the hall. Rudra looked up with a subtle shift in his expression—a flicker of intrigue hidden beneath the calm. He nodded once. "Send him in. Let Mahishmati's court be blessed today."

Soon, footsteps echoed lightly through the golden-pillared court, and into the Sabha walked a man dressed in yellow silk, adorned with a simple peacock feather in his crown. His gait was relaxed, almost leisurely, and his smile as wide and warm as the rising sun.

"Aho! So this is what tension looks like when it's dressed in royal silk," Krishna joked lightly, glancing around. "Should I have brought my flute or a drum to lighten the mood?"

A few polite chuckles broke the silence. Even Rudra's lips curved, ever so slightly.

Krishna approached the throne and folded his hands with genuine warmth. "Rudra Bhaiya, Maharaj of Mahishmati, slayer of Narakasura, protector of Dharma—I bring greetings from Dwarika. And heartfelt congratulations."

Rudra stood and descended a step from his throne. The two embraced warmly, like long-lost brothers reunited. There was no formal exchange of power, just a silent acknowledgement of love and understanding.

"Kanha," Rudra said with softness rare for his public persona. "Your arrival always brings peace... or mischief. Sometimes both."

Krishna grinned. "I try to keep the balance, Bhaiya. Between mischief and miracles."

The bond between them was unmistakable. Rudra was the calm storm; Krishna, the smiling mystery. They were tied not by blood, but by something deeper—shared duty, past lives, and unspoken brotherhood.

Krishna turned toward the assembly and declared, "Before anything else, I must congratulate my Bhaiya for freeing the world from the tyranny of Narakasura."

The court clapped with measured reverence.

Then Krishna smirked. "And I must admit... I've had some adventures myself. Eloped with a princess, if you haven't heard. Rukmini. A tale of courage, music, and a chariot that outran a thousand soldiers."

Whispers and light laughter followed. Even Suresh Pratap cracked a smile.

Krishna stepped closer to Rudra again and said more quietly, "But Bhaiya, amidst your glories, do not forget the words of Maharishi Durvasa. He watches from afar, but his sight sees within."

Rudra's expression darkened, but not with anger. His gaze turned inward.

---

[Flashback Begins]

After the Kalapradarshan, Rudra had left the battlefield of illusion with a storm still brewing inside him. His Bhairav form had vanished, but his heart was heavy. The vision of Vayu Dev lying crushed, almost breathless, haunted his thoughts.

"I lost control," he had muttered. "Vayu may be proud and blind in ego, but... had Brahma Dev not stopped me... what would I have become? A force of Dharma or its destroyer?"

As he journeyed back to Mahishmati, Rudra chose to walk for a while, letting the earth beneath his feet and the sky above his head calm his inner fire. That's when he passed a village nestled along the banks of a quiet river. There, something unusual caught his eye.

Villagers had gathered outside a modest hut, offering food, water, fruits, and even rare medicinal herbs with intense reverence. Their eyes were alert, their movements cautious, as if serving a being whose wrath could shatter mountains.

And then Rudra saw him.

A sage, seated in meditation on a bed of kusa grass, his aura flaring like a fiery halo. His skin glowed pale gold, his beard long, white, and wild, and his forehead bore three horizontal lines of sacred ash. Even in stillness, he radiated untamed divine power.

Maharishi Durvasa.

The very same who had once blessed Rudra as an infant, placing a hand on his chest and whispering something no one had heard. Rudra had never forgotten that intense gaze.

He approached quietly, bowed low, and said, "Maharishi, you honor this land."

Durvasa slowly opened his eyes. They were like ancient fire, burning but wise.

"So... the Divine-born has returned," Durvasa said. "Your aura screams with storm. You've grown, Rudra... taller, mightier... but still struggling with the some shadow within."

Rudra bowed deeper. "I failed to restrain myself Rishivar. Had Lord Brahma Dev not intervened, I would've ended Vayu Dev in a moment of wrath."

Durvasa chuckled softly, but his eyes didn't lose their intensity. "And yet you did not. That is why you are different. You carry the wrath of the Bhairav, but you also carry the stillness of a sage. You feel all emotions—but none bind you unless you allow them."

He rose slowly, the air around him pulsing with age-old divinity.

"Rudra," he said, voice firm and fatherly, "you are no ordinary king. You were born of power, but power that refuses to be ruled by impulse. You are a Trikaal Darshi like your father—seer of the three times. When one like you acts, the ripples stretch into future yugas. Your fury is not just your burden. It is the world's concern."

Durvasa placed a hand on Rudra's shoulder again, firmer this time.

"But do not fear it. Learn to govern it. You became Bhairav... yet even then, you chose who to hurt, and who to spare. Even in that form, Rudra remained. Do you understand how rare that is?"

Rudra looked into his eyes, humbled.

"I do, Maharishi."

"Good. Then listen well—do not let emotions make decisions in your name. This should be your dharma now."

A pause. Then Durvasa smirked and let out a short laugh.

"As for Vayu... the wind deserved that thumping. Insolent brat. Even the skies needed to remember there are still those on earth who can shake them."

Rudra smiled, but said nothing.

Durvasa's voice softened. "I told your parents once that you were born not for war, but for balance. Between destruction and creation. Between flame and water. Never forget that, Rudra."

[Flashback Ends]

---

Back in the Raj Sabha, Rudra blinked once and returned to the present.

Krishna was watching him carefully. "I reminded you because the storm inside you shakes more than the heavens. And sometimes, Bhaiya, your silence is louder than your roars."

Rudra let out a long breath. "I remember. Every word."

Krishna smiled. "Then the world is still safe."

The court remained silent, but the heaviness had lifted. The guests, especially Drupad, Duryodhan, and Yudhishthir, sensed that something greater than themselves had just taken place—a silent reckoning between two of Bharat's mightiest souls.

As the Sabha prepared for what would come next, Rudra glanced once at Krishna and said with genuine warmth, "You always arrive when I need you most, Kanha."

Krishna chuckled. "Or when you are about to forget who you truly are, Bhaiya."

They both smiled. But behind those smiles stood the weight of destiny, and decisions still to come.

I thank all my Readers for their Support and Best wishes and i feel like it's a destiny that you are so much connected to my story....

Thanks for all your continuous supports

May Shiva Keep you'll Healthy.

To be Continued...