Return of the Demon Lord Durbheeksh

by Utkarsh Srivastava

  The bandits increased their speed. The Suchimukh vyuha rushed towards the opponents.

  Seeing this, warrior who was leading those one lakh troops shoots two arrow towards the bandits. Those arrows stabs two bandits from the middle portion of Suchikmukh vyuha. As a result, the flow of vyuha breaks and many bandits fall over each other. Meghvarna was stunned seeing this.

  Jaivardhan smiled seeing this, 'What happened to you, leader of bandits? Are you surprised? He is one of the secret weapons of Vidarbh, my son 'Shrutayudh'. Now you will be busy fighting with me, and my son will kill all your troops.'

  Meghvarna was in great dilemma, he was unable to save his troops as Jaivardhan was not giving him time for that. Furious Meghvarna increased the speed of his arrows.

  An arrow of Meghvarna strikes the chariot's wheel of his opponent. Jaivardhan jumped from his chariot, as one wheel of his chariot was destroyed.

  King Jaivardhan was on the ground, he stood up from the ground and raised his bow and started his rain of arrows once again. Meghvarna was compelled to reply his attack, he again got engaged in fighting with Jaivardhan.

  The bandits were continuously falling, around one fifth of the army of bandits were either died or severely injured. Prince Shrutayudh (son of Jaivardhan) was continuously destroying the confidence level of bandits. Meghvarna was unable to think what to do.

  Suddenly, an arrow arrives with tremendous speed and destroy the bow of Prince Shrutyadh. That prince was disarmed and falls from his horse. He was completely astonished with this sudden attack.

  A masked man ascended on his horse arrives in the battlefield. He started throwing bunch of arrows towards the army of Vidarbh. The troops of Vidarbh started falling rapidly. Meghvarna and Jaivardhan were also astonished to see the skills of that warrior.

  Shrutayudh was on the ground, he was disarmed. That newly arrived masked man stepped towards Shrutayudh with a bow in his hand. That masked man used Paashastra and captured Shrutayudh.

  'Drop your weapons, King Jaivardhan. Otherwise, my next attack will kill you son.' That masked man warned King Jaivardhan.

  King Jaivardhan was in pain, he dropped his bow and ordered his troops, 'Soldiers, move back.'

  Thereafter, Jaivardhan rushed towards his son Shrutayudh. The troops of Vidarbh started moving back. That masked man shoots an arrow towards Jaivardhan, he falls on the ground.

  Meghvarna confronted King Jaivardhan, 'Get lost Jaivardhan, and don't you dare to harass any villager again. I am giving you a chance, save your son and go from here right now.'

  Jaivardhan was furious, but he can't do anything because of his son, 'Right now I am going, but I will return soon to destroy you all. You just wait, now the great Demon Lord will return to destroy you all.'

  That masked man shoots an arrow to free Shrutayudh.

  Meghvarna was quite astonished looking at him, 'Who's that person? And why he is helping us?'

  'Go from here right now.' That masked man also confronted Jaivardhan.

  Jaivardhan and his army leaves the battlefield.

  'It's a victoy.' Meghvarna raised his bow and announced.

  Thereafter, Meghvarna stepped towards that masked man who suddenly arrived for his help.

  'Thanks for the help. Please introduce yourself.' Meghvarna asked that person.

  'I was keeping my eyes on you since the beginning of this war. And I interfered when I felt that you need help.' Saying this, that masked man stepped down from his horse and uncovered his face.

  Meghvarna was stunned, 'Sarvdaman……'

  'Yes, I was here to help you, because I want to.' Sarvdaman revealed.

  Meghvarna was silent for a while. Thereafter, he stared at Sarvdaman, 'I thought that you are also like the other royal people. But I am glad to know that I was wrong. Would you like to join our gang?'

  Sarvdaman smiled, 'I wish I could, Meghvarna. But I have some duties towards my kingdom too, as I am the crown prince of Hastinapur.'

  'I understand, Sarvdaman. But you helped me in my difficult time, I want you to ask something from me.'

  Sarvdaman stepped forward, 'I need your lifetime friendship. Can I expect that?'

  Meghvarna stared at Sarvdaman, 'I'll be friend. And I promise to support you, but only when you will fight for Dharma. Because I cannot leave my Dharma at any cost.'

  'I'll be proud friend of you, Meghvarna.' Sarvdaman and Meghvarna joined hands.

  While on the other side, Digvijay and Chandraketu were still indulged in fight. Finally skills of Digvijay dominated over skills of Chandraketu.

  Chandraketu was disarmed, Digvijay tried to stab him with the spear. But Chandraketu made a fierce punch on that spear and breaks it into two parts. Digvijay was astonished to see the muscular strength of Chandraketu.

  Thereafter, Chandraketu attacked on Digvijay's hand. The shield falls from Digvijay's hand. Chandraketu steps back and came nearer to a huge rock. Digvijay was stunned to see his muscular strength, Chandraketu lifted up that huge rock and thrown it towards Digvijay.

  Digvijay jumped and succeeded to save himself. He stood up from the ground, then only, a soldier arrived and informed him, 'Prince Digvijay, your father has lost the battle on the other side of the battlefield. He has strictly ordered you to leave the battlefield.'

  Digvijay stood up from the ground and stared at Chandraketu, 'Uncover your face, I want to see your face. Introduce yourself, I want to know. Who are you?'

  'I can't do this, but don't worry, I will fulfill your wish before you die. Right now, you go from here. Perhaps, we'll meet soon.' Chandraketu replied.

  Digvijay was compelled to move back, as he had to follow the command of his father.

  'Hope to see you soon.' Digvijay stared at Chandraketu and turned back to leave the battlefield.

  The battle was over. Army of Vidarbh was defeated at both the war zone. The villagers were safe now, but it was difficult to say, until when they will remain safe.

  Jaivardhan and his sons Digvijay and Shrutayudh returned back to their palace. They reached in the court and started discussing about the bandits and the Gandharvas.

  'What do you say, Digvijay? What should we do now?' Jaivardhan asked his elder son.

  'Sorry to say, my lord. But I think they are very trained and skilled warriors, especially three of them because of whom our army was defeated. The Swastika vyuha, never ever heard about this vyuha. And the muscular strength of the leader of Gandharvas was also astonishing. I am very sure that they are not just normal bandits and Gandharvas. Their speed, accuracy and skills were much better than our troops. It seems that all these ten thousand warriors are especially trained.'

  Jaivardhan was in doubt, 'Yes, I agree with you. We were having two secret weapons, i.e. both of you. You both were getting trained since years secretly, no one was knowing about you. But they were having back up plans too. We prepared to fight the bandits, but we were completely unaware of the Gandharvas. It seems that there is a traitor among us, who is giving our secret information to them. Digvijay, now it's your duty to find that traitor.'

  'Sure, my lord.' Digvijay agreed.

  Jaivardhan stepped down and came nearer to his both son, 'Now the time has come, we need him. So it's the right time to call him.'

  'About whom you are talking, father?' Shrutayudh was astonished.

  'That one warrior, who knows to destroys all the vyuhas ever created in the whole Aaryavart. He is the great warrior with divine power of five elements. No warrior in this whole Aaryavart or I must say in this world is capable enough to defeat him. He is 'Demon Lord Durbheeksh', no we need his help. You both go in two different directions and find out the secret of those bandits and Gandharvas. I am going to meet the Demon Lord Durbheeksh.' Jaivardhan ordered his sons.

  Digvijay and Shrutayudh left for their destination. Jaivardhan also proceeded towards Patallok.

  Who is the traitor?

  While on the other side, Meghvarna and Chandraketu were celebrating their victory in the cave with the oth
er bandits. They all were drunk and dancing like a wild tiger.

  A bandit arrived and informed Meghvarna, 'My lord, your mentor has called both of you as soon as possible.'

  'Are you serious? I mean we have just won a war, many of us are tired and Gurudev is calling both of us right now?' Meghvarna was surprised.

  'Yes, it is strict order of Gurudev.' That bandit repeated.

  'Ok you go, we'll reach there soon.' Chandraketu replied. He also signaled other bandits to move out.

  After the informer and other bandits left, Meghvarna throws the glass of wine on the floor angrily.

  Chandraketu was astonished seeing this, 'What happened, Meghvarna? Why you are behaving like this?'

  Meghvarna came nearer to Chandraketu, 'I am just fed up of this person. He always irritates me. I don't know why he always disturbs me at the moment when I want to enjoy?'

  'How can you say like this, Meghvarna? He is our mentor, he has trained us. Just because of him, you are one of the greatest archer of this Aaryavart. You should respect him.' Chandraketu tried to convince him.

  Meghvarna was annoyed listening this, 'What did you just say? Just because of him. You mean that I don't have any capability of my own? Is that what you want to say?'

  'I didn't mean that, but he is our mentor, and you should respect him.' Chandraketu replied.

  'Mentor, since ten years he is torturing me on the name of training. I am just waiting for the day, when I'll be capable enough to defeat him.' There were flames in the eyes of Meghvarna.

  'I don't know what you want from him. But right now we should go and meet him.' Chandraketu suggested.

  Meghvarna sat on a rock, he didn't reply.

  'Don't act like a stubborn kid, Meghvarna. He is our mentor. May be for you he is nothing, but for me, he is more than god.' Chandraketu said proudly.

  'Huh… God. What a joke? I am a born bandit, I don't believe in god. And if you believe in your so called God, it's my challenge that one day I will defeat your god, who is just an ordinary mentor, nothing else. Because for me, he is just a murderer.' Meghvarna was still furious.

  'But even then you are getting training under him.'

  'That is only the secret I want to discover. On the death bed, my father ordered me to do so, to get trained by his murderer. It was the last wish of my father.'

  'You know very well, Meghvarna, that bandit was not your real father.'

  Meghvarna was annoyed listening this, 'So what he was not, he treated me as like his own child until he died.'

  Chandraketu came closer to Meghvarna, 'Try to understand, Meghvarna. What you all bandits did before, and what you all do now. Our mentor has given us a motive, to stand against unrighteous people, to fight against evil.'

  Meghvarna stood up from the rock and said, 'I am dying to know the secret of my father's death. Why he joined hands in front of his own murderer at death bed? I'll not forgive our mentor, until I get to know the truth. Also, the person who never told his name to us, never showed his face to us, why should we respect him? I am just waiting for the day, when I will be capable enough to defeat him.'

  'And that day I will show my face to you.' A voice came from back. A masked man enters in the cave.

  A muscular man was standing in front of them. His face was covered with black cloth.

  Chadraketu lied down on his knees to pay him respect. Meghvarna also joined his hands for formality. That masked man stepped towards Meghvarna.

  'You are here for a great cause, Meghvarna. So I am eagerly waiting for the day when you will defeat me.' The masked man stared at Meghvarna.

  While Meghvarna stared at his mentor, he ignored his words and sat on a rock.

  Chandraketu came near to his mentor, 'Forgive him, Gurudev. He will regret when he will realize his mistake.'

  'I am least bothered about it, Chandraketu. He will get to know the motive of his life very soon. And from that day he will follow my each and every command.'

  Meghvarna stared at his mentor and murmured in low voice, 'In your dreams.'

  That masked man turned towards Chandraketu, 'Ignore him, everything will be fine with time. You know very well the motive of your life, Chandraketu. He too will realize it soon.'

  'I am very well aware of the motive of my life. And that is to kill that wretch Demon Lord Durbheeksh.' There were flames in the eyes of Chandraketu.

  'Control your emotions, Chandraketu. You want to revenge him, but it's not only the matter of revenge. It's about the welfare of whole mankind. We want complete destruction of Demon Lord Durbheeksh.'

  There were flames of vengeance in the eyes of Chandraketu, 'How can I forget, Gurudev? That wretch Durbheeksh ruthlessly killed five thousands Gandharvas including my parents. How can I forget?'

  Listening this, Meghvarna stood up from the rock and came nearer to Chandraketu, 'Your revenge is my revenge, Chandraketu. I am also waiting for the day when I will face that wretch Demon Durbheeksh. And that is one of the reason why I am following you, Gurudev.' Meghvarna turned towards the masked man.

  'Till now you are not capable enough to face Durbheeksh. You have to work very hard for it.' The masked man replied.

  Megvarna stepped towards the masked man, 'You were the one who saved the remaining Gandharvas ten years before. It means you have defeated Durbheeksh once, then why you want us to fight with him?'

  That masked man stared at Meghvarna, 'Anger of a warrior could be his strength, but can be his weakness too. Ten years before, when Durbheeksh was ruthlessly killing Gandharvas, he was furious at extreme level. I still don't know the reason of that anger. But in that situation he forgot to keep eyes on all the four directions. I used Sammohini Astra to save the Gandharvas, and that also I used hiding behind a tree. Because at that time no warrior in this world could stand in front of furious Durbheeksh.'

  Meghvarna and Chandraketu were silent for a while. After few moments, Chandraketu asked his mentor, 'Even you failed to defeat Durbheeksh. Then how will we defeat him?'

  'You both will get your answers soon. Leave that, I came to know that you have met prince of Hastinapur.' The mentor asked his both disciple.

  'How do you know that?' Meghvarna was astonished.

  'That's none of your business, Meghvarna. The fact is that, we need his help in our mission. And for that any one of you have to marry Sarvdaman's sister 'Sunanda'.' The mentor said in commanding voice.

  Meghvarna was frustrated listening this, he turned back. While Chandraketu was still in confusion.

  Don't be so confused, Chandraketu. I am talking about your childhood friend 'Sunanda'.' That masked man pinched Chandraketu.

  'My childhood friend Sunanda? But she belongs to the community of Gandharvas. I was searching for her since years, how come she became sister of prince Sarvdaman?' Chandraketu was in doubt.

  'She was adopted by King Dushyant ten years ago. So now she is sister of Prince Sarvdaman.' The mentor explained.

  Chandraketu was silent for a while. After few moments he uttered, 'I was searching her since years, and now I got to know today that she is in Hastinapur.' Chandraketu sat on a rock.

  Meghvarna was staring at Chandraketu. While the masked man stared at both of them, 'My today's job is done. So now you both do it as you wish. You both are mature enough for this.'