The night was at its final stage. Raghuveer was asleep. Pratiksha too was sleeping beside him. The moon was slowly disappearing. This was saying: Raghuveer, you took someone's life to save someone else. Why? Was that life worth nothing? What about his family?
Slowly, the sun began to rise — saying that morning had arrived. A new day, a new beginning.
The lion that Raghuveer had killed — its cubs came near it, crying loudly. They were licking the dead lion. They sat beside it, hoping it would wake up. But they didn't know it would never wake again. What about those little cubs? What would they do? Will they die of hunger? Is it good to take one life to save another?
The first rays of the sun fell on Raghuveer's face. Raghuveer opened his eyes. He stood up. Pratiksha was still asleep. Raghuveer looked at her, but said nothing. He went near the river and sprinkled water on his face. Raghuveer came back to the tree and picked up his sword, slinging it over his back. His eyes went to Pratiksha's wounded hand.
Pratiksha woke up.
"Is it morning?" she asked.
Raghuveer stood silently.
She looked at Raghuveer. He was ready to leave.
"Thank you for saving my life yesterday," she said.
Raghuveer said nothing and started walking ahead. Pratiksha watched him go. She quickly got up and came in front of him to stop him.
"Hey… hey… wait… where are you going?" Pratiksha asked.
Raghuveer said nothing. He tried to walk past her. But she stopped him again.
"I want to come with you," she said.
Raghuveer didn't respond.
"Wait… I'll just wash my face," she said and ran to the river to splash water on her face.
Raghuveer kept walking ahead. She ran and caught up with him.
"I told you to wait, didn't I?" Pratiksha said.
Raghuveer didn't speak, and Pratiksha's chatter didn't stop. They kept walking, and the trees were left behind. The forest that was filled with darkness at night was now filled with light. Birds were chirping in the forest.
"Aren't you going to ask… why I came with you?" Pratiksha asked.
But Raghuveer said nothing. She got angry.
"I came so far for you, and you won't even say a word," Pratiksha said.
"Why… why did you come?" Raghuveer asked.
"I don't know… I just felt like coming… so I came," she said.
Walking and walking, they reached the edge of the forest. They saw a green meadow, with not a single tree. A vast field stretching far and wide. The grass growing on that field made it green. The breeze flowing over the field. The small flowers swaying in that breeze. Butterflies sitting on those flowers. This scene was soothing to the eyes.
Raghuveer took a deep breath and exhaled. Because that place was easing his tension.
"So beautiful…" Raghuveer said.
When a person is under stress, places like this help relieve it.
There was happiness on Raghuveer's face.
Is the world really so beautiful? Raghuveer asked himself.
Pratiksha stood silently. There was surprise on her face. Because she knew the true nature of that place.
"This… this place is a battlefield," she said.
This was the battlefield between Aryat and Mukt Rajya. It was here that Mukt Rajya lost Varahar. Because of the enmity between these kingdoms, many people lost their lives in this field.
Still, Raghuveer was happy. Because whether someone dies or lives — he had nothing to do with anyone. He didn't want to be part of anyone's happiness, nor their sorrow.
Pratiksha stood like a stone in one place. Raghuveer kept walking ahead. Pratiksha composed herself and followed behind Raghuveer. When there is war in this field, it becomes a battlefield.
But when this field is peaceful, it becomes heaven for people.