Mahabharat: Shiva's Last Variable

(A/N):

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

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Patal Lok...

Meanwhile, deep within the darker regions of the realm,

Kandarpaasura was no longer sitting in meditation.

His decision had been made, and he had already begun preparing for the journey to Surya Lok.

Behind him stood the army he had gathered during his long years of penance.

They were not ordinary soldiers.

Their bodies had been shaped from clay and infused with Kandarpaasura’s power, giving them the appearance of living warriors.

They could move, fight and obey his commands, but there was one thing that made them different from ordinary beings.

As long as Kandarpaasura remained alive, they would continue to rise again no matter how many times their bodies were destroyed.

For him, they were an army that did not fear death because their lives were tied directly to his own.

Kandarpaasura moved at the head of the enormous force as they travelled through the realm, his mind already focused on Surya Lok and the woman he intended to make his wife.

Then one of his soldiers suddenly dragged several Gandharvas before him.

The Gandharvas had been caught while travelling through the region and were now standing nervously before Kandarpaasura.

He looked at them.

"You."

The Gandharvas exchanged frightened glances.

"Tell me what is happening across the realms."

One of them swallowed nervously.

"We... we have heard that preparations are taking place in Surya Lok."

Kandarpaasura narrowed his eyes.

"For what?"

"A Swayamvara."

Kandarpaasura’s expression changed.

"For whom?"

The Gandharva hesitated before answering.

"For Goddess Yami, the daughter of Surya Dev."

For several seconds, Kandarpaasura simply stared at him.

Then his eyes widened.

"The Swayamvara is actually happening?"

The Gandharva nodded quickly.

"It is supposed to take place in three days."

A slow smile spread across Kandarpaasura’s face.

The information was almost too convenient.

He had been preparing to force his way into Surya Lok and demand Yami’s hand, fully expecting resistance from Surya Dev and the divine forces protecting the realm.

But now there was another possibility.

A Swayamvara.

He wouldn’t have to storm the realm.

He wouldn’t have to spill blood.

He could simply enter as one of the participants and win her hand before everyone present.

Kandarpaasura let out a low chuckle.

"Perhaps the gods themselves have decided to make things easier for me."

The Gandharvas remained silent.

Kandarpaasura looked toward his army.

"Prepare yourselves. We are changing our destination."

One of his commanders bowed.

"Where are we going?"

"Surya Lok."

The command immediately spread through the army.

Kandarpaasura’s smile grew wider as he imagined what awaited him.

If the Swayamvara was truly being held, then there was no reason for him to force his way inside. He would simply participate, demonstrate his strength and claim Yami’s hand.

He was confident because, in his mind, there was hardly anyone alive who could challenge him anymore.

His penance had transformed his strength.

The boons he had received had placed him far beyond ordinary warriors, kings and even many divine beings.

Only the Trimurtis themselves remained outside the reach of his confidence.

But even they were bound by the condition of the boon granted to him by Shukracharya.

As long as Kandarpaasura did not kill anyone protected by their direct intervention, they would not interfere in his affairs.

That thought made his smile return.

"I don’t need to fight the gods," he murmured.

"I only need to win a Swayamvara."

He looked toward the distant heavens.

"Once Yami chooses me, I will have entered the Surya lineage without having to shed a single drop of blood."

The Gandharvas exchanged uneasy looks.

Kandarpaasura, however, was already imagining his victory.

He had no idea that another man had received the same invitation.

And unlike Kandarpaasura, that man was not travelling toward Surya Lok with an army behind him.

He was simply preparing to attend a Swayamvara because a divine family had invited him.

The paths of the two men were slowly moving toward the same destination.

And neither of them yet knew what would happen when they finally stood in the same hall.

Kandarpaasura looked at the two Gandharvas for another few moments before finally waving his hand.

"Leave."

The two Gandharvas didn’t need to be told twice.

They bowed hurriedly and turned away, practically stumbling over one another as they hurried out of the camp.

They had no intention of remaining anywhere near Kandarpaasura longer than necessary.

The moment they were far enough away from the army, they picked up their pace, both of them knowing that the information they had just learned could not be kept to themselves.

They needed to warn the gods.

More importantly, Lord Indra needed to know.

Kandarpaasura was heading toward Surya Lok with an army, and although he had not declared war yet, the Gandharvas understood enough about his reputation to know that his intentions could hardly be considered harmless.

If the gods were informed before he reached Surya Lok, perhaps they could prepare themselves.

What neither Gandharva noticed was that they were not the only ones watching the Rakshasa’s army.

High above them, hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, two figures had been observing everything that had happened.

One was sitting comfortably on a cloud with his veena resting against his shoulder, his expression unusually serious.

It was Maharishi Narada.

Beside him sat the young woman who had recently become his daughter.

She had been following him ever since they had left Vaikuntha,

And although she had initially enjoyed watching her father desperately trying to understand how he had somehow acquired a daughter,

She had quickly become accustomed to travelling alongside him.

There had been one small problem.

She still didn’t have a name.

Narada had finally decided that this could not continue.

After leaving Vaikuntha, he had looked at her thoughtfully for quite some time before finally giving her one.

He had named her Tarini.

A name he felt suited her, as she had somehow entered his life unexpectedly and already seemed determined to accompany him wherever he went.

Tarini leaned forward slightly, looking down through the gap in the clouds.

"So that is the one everyone is afraid of?"

Narada nodded slowly.

"Kandarpaasura."

She looked toward the enormous army following him.

"He is going to Surya Lok."

"Yes."

"And he intends to marry Goddess Yami?"

Narada sighed.

"That appears to be the plan."

Tarini tilted her head.

"But if there is already going to be a Swayamvara, why is that a problem?"

Narada gave her a sideways look.

"Because, my dear daughter, Kandarpaasura isn’t exactly the sort of person who attends a gathering and politely accepts defeat."

Tarini smiled hearing his explination.

"I see."

Narada’s fingers lightly moved across the strings of his veena without producing a sound.

He had been following the developments for some time, and now several pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place.

Yami’s Swayamvara.

Devara’s invitation.

The warning received in Surya Lok.

The darkness that Shani had seen.

And now Kandarpaasura moving toward the same destination.

Narada slowly rubbed his chin.

"This is becoming complicated."

Tarini looked at him.

"Father, when has your life ever been simple?"

Narada stared at her.

She smiled innocently.

For a moment, Narada said nothing.

Then he sighed.

"You have been my daughter for barely any time at all, and already you have learned to speak like everyone else."

Tarini laughed softly.

Narada looked back toward the distant army.

"We should follow them."

"To Surya Lok?"

"Yes."

He adjusted the veena against his shoulder.

"I have a feeling that the Swayamvara is going to become considerably more interesting than anyone currently expects."

Tarini stood up.

"Then we should hurry."

Narada nodded.

The two figures disappeared into the clouds, leaving the army of Kandarpaasura continuing toward Surya Lok below.

Neither father nor daughter knew exactly how the coming events would unfold.

But Narada had been around long enough to recognize when the threads of destiny were beginning to knot together.

And this time, there were far too many of them.

Indra Lok...

Meanwhile, in Indra Lok, Lord Indra had already summoned a grand assembly of the Devas after receiving Surya Dev’s message.

The warning had been clear enough to make even the usually confident gods take the situation seriously.

Surya Dev had informed them about the ominous signs surrounding Surya Lok, the approaching Swayamvara of Goddess Yami and the possibility that someone might attempt to attack the realm while the ceremony was taking place.

The great assembly hall was filled with Devas, celestial warriors and commanders who had gathered to hear Indra’s decision.

Indra stood before them with a serious expression.

"Surya Dev has asked us to remain prepared. The Swayamvara is only three days away, and according to the signs he has received, there is a possibility that someone may attempt to exploit the occasion."

The gods exchanged concerned glances.

Indra continued.

"We do not know who will come, nor do we know whether the threat will actually reveal itself during the ceremony. But we would be foolish to wait until an enemy reaches Surya Lok before preparing our defenses."

He turned toward the commanders of the celestial armies.

"Increase the security around the routes leading toward Surya Lok. Every entrance must be watched. Any unknown army approaching the realm is to be identified before it is allowed anywhere near the capital."

The commanders immediately bowed.

"Yes, Devaraja."

Indra then looked across the assembly.

"I want our forces prepared for immediate deployment. If Surya Lok sends word that an attack has begun, we move without hesitation."

One of the Devas raised a concern.

"What if the attacker is powerful enough to challenge the celestial army?"

Indra’s expression hardened.

"Then we do not underestimate them."

He paused before adding,

"And we certainly do not allow fear to make our decisions for us."

The assembly fell silent.

Indra knew that the warning could not be ignored. Surya Lok was not merely another celestial realm.

Surya Dev’s radiance affected countless worlds, and if something truly powerful managed to interfere with it, the consequences could spread far beyond Surya Lok itself.

"Keep the armies ready,"

Indra ordered.

"No one should panic, but everyone should be prepared."

The celestial commanders immediately began issuing instructions, and throughout Indra Lok, preparations quietly began.

Weapons were inspected.

Chariots were prepared.

Warriors were summoned from their posts.

The celestial forces were placed on standby.

Indra then looked toward the entrance of the assembly hall, his expression thoughtful.

"Whatever is coming, it will not find the Devas sleeping."

But somewhere beyond the boundaries of the celestial realms, an army made of clay was already moving toward Surya Lok.

And Kandarpaasura had no intention of arriving quietly.

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(Author note:)

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