The skies of Avanti weren't dark due to the night but due to the grimness of the events that took place today. A mistake had indeed happened when the army of Shri Ram Chandra was challenged.

The king of Avanti stood beside the crown-prince, his only surviving son. The rest all were slain in battlefield, the battle was lost and the pyres were burning. Their mothers and wives were sobbing as the fire engulfed their sons and husbands.

Tears were welling up in their eyes, some drops managed to escape and roll down their faces, as they cursed the fate under their breath.

Suddenly the sound of footsteps alerted them, they turned their heads to the side only to see Lakshman and Rameshwari along with their priests, walking up to them, clad in white garments.

Seeing them, their perpetrators, the ones who caused the destruction of their family like so, the crown-prince clenched his fists, filled with anger.

"Kis liye aaye ho !? Hasne !? Upahaas udaane !?" The crown-prince asked.

"Shradhanjali dene." Rameshwari said simply, causing the frown on the face of Yuvraj of Avanti to fall down.

"Hum Raghuvanshi hai Yuvraj. Shatru ka bhi Maan rakhte hai." Lakshman said as he and Rameshwari bowed in front of the funeral pyres, paying their respects to the dead warriors.

"Kintu..." The crown-prince got confused, "Kitnu, yeh sab toh aapke shatru the." He said.

"Manushya ke sabhi sambandh uske deh se jude hote hai. Deh ka agni mei samahit hona unn sambandho ka annt hota hai. Aatma ka kisi se rishta nahi hota." Rameshwari said, "Mrityu ke paschaat koi kisi ka shatru nahi hota, aisa mere Pitashree kehte hai." She gave a small smile to the crown-prince.

The crown-prince looked at her, his gaze fell on her eyes, he had laughed at her two colours irises, but during battle those same eyes scared him, red one looked like Vasava fire that ends the world. But now that same red eye looked like the fire that provides warmth. Whereas the brown one still showed the steadfastness like the earth.

"Aapki baate atyant prabhavshali hai." He said.

The Yuvraj of Avanti then gazed down at his feet, not finding any indiscretion in her heterochromic eyes, they only had compassion. The king of Avanti chuckled amidst his tears.

"Mujhe toh laga tha ki mere putra hai, toh mai vishwa par raj kar sakta hu. Kintu itne saare putra hone ke baad bhi mai parajit raha." The king of Avanti then looked at Rameshwari and said, "Kyuki mere paas tumhari jaisi putri na thi."

A sigh left the lips of Avanti-raj, as he cursed his fate for not blessing him with a daughter.

"Rajkumari, tumhara parakram aur bal anant hai. Tumhare shabd hridaye ko tript karte hai. Aaj ran-bhoomi mei tumhara shaurya dekh, maine apne netro se apne unn putro ko bhayebhit hote dekha hai jo apne nidarta hetu prasiddh the. Aisa lagta hai hum yoddha jin Yudh-kaushala ki puja karte hai, tum unn hi ka roop ho. Aisa lagta hai mere singhasan ke upar jo Akhand Maharani ki pratima hai woh tumhari hi murti hai." He said.

The king of Avanti smiled looking at her and then gazed up in the sky, as looking directly at heavens.

"Yadi tumhara agla janm hota hai, toh mai prathna karta hu Mahakaal se, samast devi-devtao se, iss prakriti se, ki tumhara janm Avanti mei ho." He said.

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A/N

Avantika Krishneshwari 🌝✨

And indeed there is a very thin line of difference between a warrior and a killer.... That line is of compassion ✨

Waise.... Mrunmaye nahi dikha bahut dino se 🌝🌝