Valli skeptically looked at the aged ascetic sitting over a rock in front of her. His divine aura, though concealed, seemed to flicker around him.

"Hume bhook lagi hai kanya. Bhojan ka prabandh karo." He said, his voice melodic yet tinged with an underlying eagerness.

Valli nodded and unpacked the basket of food that was given to her by her father. She mixed the honey with millet flour. This simple yet delectable blend formed a humble offering of nourishment, which he offered to him.

The disguised Kartikeya gratefully accepted the dish, his eyes sparkled with concealed joy, savoring each blessed bite. As the flavors of the honey and millet flour mingled on his tongue, he revelled in the exquisite taste, acknowledging Valli's culinary prowess with silent admiration.

At a distance from behind the tree, Ganesh and Srinav watched as he enjoyed the humble meal.

"Mujhe bhook lag rahi hai ab." Ganesh said.

"Mujhe bhi." Srinav said.

Both of them looked at each other and then gazed back at Kartikeya, who had finished the mix. And now he had become thirsty.

"Kya jal ka prabandh ho sakta hai ?" He asked.

"Ha. Yahi niche nadi ki ek dhara behti hai. Mai abhi aapke liye jal leke aati hu." Valli said.

She walked away and seeing her coming towards their location, the eyes of Ganesh and Srinav widened. In a flurry of movement, the brothers hurriedly and clumsily attempted to scale the tree.

Branches creaked and leaves rustled as they struggled to ascend. But they somehow managed to climb up, and clung themselves to strong branches.

In their haste, Ganesh's foot faltered, causing a branch to snap and tumble to the ground with a resounding thud. Startled, Valli turned back, her gaze darting over to source of the disruption.

But before her eyes could fall over them, Srinav deftly lowered another branch to conceal their presence, obscuring their forms behind the dense leaves attached to it.

"Kya huya kanya ?" Kartikeya asked, trying to cover for his brothers.

"K-Kuch nahi, Mahatma." Valli said and shrugged off her doubts. She continued her trek toward the stream.

Ganesh and Srinav heaved a sigh of relief as the latter let go of the branch.

"Waise Bhrata..." Ganesh breathed out, "Hum toh adrishya bhi ho sakte the."

Srinav stared at him for a moment. Awkward silence prevailed.

"Koi baat nahi." Ganesh said, "Yeh bhi accha sthaan hai." He said as he looked at the fruits.

Plucking one up, he rubbed it over his Angvastra and took a bite. A smile appeared on his face due to the fruit's sweetness. Srinav shook his head before he took plucked a nice juicy fruit and began savoring it.

Some time went by, Valli returned with a earthen pot in hand, which carried fresh water from the stream. She went towards her ascetic guest and offered him water.

"Yeh lijiye." She offered and poured water in his cupped palms. Kartikeya drank and quenched his thirst.

He then looked at her, raising his brow as a smile appeared on his face.

"Jal ki pyaas bujha sakti ho, toh kya mere hridaye ki pyaas ko bhi bujha sakti ho tum ?" He remarked.

At that Valli looked at him with perplexed expression. From top of the tree, Srinav gestured Ganesh to get ready for the next step of the plan. The latter quickly climbed down, and began waiting for the perfect opportunity that would come at any moment now.

"Yeh kya ho raha hai aaj !? Pehle woh shikari ab aap !? Mai aapse vivah nahi karungi ! Mai kisi se vivah nahi karungi !" Valli exclaimed.

She was about to storm out of there, but just as she took a few steps, she was startled by sound of a loud trumpet. Her eyes widened seeing a furious mad elephant in front of her. Little did she know that the prodigious creature in front of her was none other than Ganesh.

With each thunderous step, the elephant cast a looming shadow, his trunk curled gently as if to invoke both fear and curiosity. Valli's heart raced, her breath quickened, as she instinctively turned on her heels to flee from the majestic yet terrifying sight.

Frantically she dashed towards the old ascetic, who took her in the embrace of his mighty arms.

"Mahatma, meri raksha kare iss gaj se !" Valli pleaded.

"Pehle mera vivah prastav maan lo." He said, capitalising on the moment.

"Kaise baat kar rahe aap ! Woh Gaj hume kuchal dega ! Meri raksha kare !" Valli said.

"Mujhe 'Ha' kardo, mai abhi uss gaj ko bhaga dunga." He said with smile.

"Nahi !" Valli said. But then she was startled even more by the loud trumpet of the elephant.

"Dekho woh Gaj yahi aa raha hai. Jaldi ha kardo." He said.

"Ha mai karungi aapse vivah !" Valli said, in the heat of the moment.

The old ascetic looked at the wild elephant and titlted his head slightly, gesturing him to go now. Ganesh in the disguise of the elephant then went away as swiftly as he had come.

But still Valli remained frozen in the arms of the ascetic, now comprehending the weight of his words.

"Yeh kya anarth ho gaya mujhse ? Mere man aur hridaye mei toh keval Murugan hai. Mai unke alawa kisi aur ko apna swami nahi maan sakti." Saying this she looked up and got shocked.

Instead of the old Shaiv ascetic, she saw the six headed and twelve armed deity who was softly smiling at her. Her eyes got widened, seeing her beloved god Murugan in front of her with all his glory. She got awestruck seeing his radiant and divine form.

"S-Swami ?" Valli muttered, wonderstruck.

"Ha Valli. Yeh mai hi hu, tumhara Murugan. Woh shikari yuvak aur woh Shaiv Yogi bhi mai hi tha. Yeh sab maine tumse apna pranaye nivedan swikar karwane hetu karaya." Kartikeya said.

"Satya ?" Valli asked, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Kartikeya smiled as he wiped her tears away, and caressed her face "Ab tumne jo ha kardi hai, mai shigreh hi tumse vivah karne lautunga." He assured.

A wide smile appeared on the face of Valli. But their moment was short lived as she heard her name being called by someone. She turned around and saw her friend coming towards her.

"Valli, yeh kaun hai ?" Her friend asked.

Valli turned to look and saw Kartikeya had turned back into his hunter form.

"Yeh...." Valli got shy, as she gazed at him, who was also smiling at her. The amourous looks didn't go unnoticed by the friend of Valli.

"Yaha kya ho raha hai ?" She asked confused.

Kartikeya in the guise of the hunter step forward, "Mai Valli ka premi hu. Isse vivah bhi karunga. Aur yadi tumhe hum dono ke milan mei sahayata nahi ki, toh mai tumhare gaav ko ujaad dunga." He said.

Her friend looked nervously at him, "U-Uchit hai. M-Mai sahayata karungi." She said.

Ganesh and Srinav who observed everything, smiled in relief for Valli had finally agreed to marry Kartikeya, and hence were assured that now nothing could stop their union from taking place.

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A/N

Woo hoo ! 🥳

Btw, the hunter form of Kartikeya ji is called 'Veduvan Kolam/ Venduvan Kulam' and is worshipped at the Palaniappar temple at Belukurichi ✨

So now you know where Bollywood gets its inspiration of saving the lady in distress and she falling in love 🤣🤣