Chapter 29

Prakriti P.O.V

"Your Tapasya is over now, you should go back to your family, Parvati" Mahadeva said, I could see in his eyes that he didn't want me to go but it has to be done besides he will be with me in the form of Arya whose Tapasya is about to complete as well. I nodded my head with a smile "Yes Swamy, time has come for me to go" I responded, he put his hand on my cheek and gave me his soft smile one last time, with a fog surrounded us, he vanished from the view leaving me alone in the garden, I sighed and stared at the place he was a couple of seconds ago.

I should go now.

With that thought in my head, I closed my eyes and transformed myself in my nature self wearing the sage cloth suitable for the exile. I slowly started walking, garden vanishing from the view behind me. I reached Gandhamadan mountains after walking for hours, Its been almost twelve years since I was in the Amarnath cave for my Tapasya that means Brother Bhima and Twins have already finished their worship and are in our home in Kamyaka vana. A smile pulled on my face, finally I will meet my family after so many years, I have missed them so much.

Brother Krishna, How is my little Warrior?

He has grown up now without his parents by his side, my eyes filled with tears remembering his innocent face when I left him twelve years ago.

He is fine Prakrite, he is not little any more, he has become a fierce warrior now just like his parents.

Brother Krishna voice entered in my head, he was proud of his nephew, I could hear it in his voice. I wiped my tears away, I shouldn't cry, I will meet him soon, just one more year.

He miss you and Partha so much, lots of the time, he asked me to take him to you but I made him remember that time will come for that.

Tell him as soon as Agyatvasa will be over, I will come to him without wasting any second.

Just then I felt an anxiousness feeling in the pit of my stomach, my eyes quickly moved towards the sky, looking past through the clouds in the Indralok. What I saw made my blood boil, my fist clenched in anger as I stared at the scene in fury.

***

Third Person P.O.V

Arjuna opened his eyes and sat up with a cry. The moonlight shone through Apsara gown, so no part of her was hidden from him. He quickly averted his eyes away in discomfort. "Devi, how are you here at this hour?" he asked in confusion not daring to look at the celestial maiden. She gave a short laugh, she was nervous herself for the first time. "I have come to serve you, my prince" She said in her velvety voice, any other person could have fallen for her instantly but not this Archer, he wasn't even looking at her.

"But why, O my mother?" Arjuna babbled, he wanted her to go away from here but he can't be rude to her and she was wearing revealing clothes which were inappropriate as he thought of her like his mother because she was wife of pururava and he was ancestor of Kuru clan. Urvashi was advancing towards him when she froze as if he had struck her. A spark of rage in her grey eyes, "Mother? Did you say mother?" She breathed in anger. Arjuna nodded solemnly, he pulled the duvet from his side and gave it to Urvashi, she growled and pushed the duvet away standing up to her full height. "Pandava, I have seen you stare at me when we danced for you in your father's halls, I come to you for love and you dare call me mother?" She asked, her fist tightening. She was looking at the Archer coldly.

"You are the mother of my race, Apsara. That is why I stared at you, thinking, 'That is Urvashi, who was Pururavas' love. She is the mother of the Kurus and she is far lovelier than I had imagined.' I swear these were my only thoughts. Forgive me if I misled you" he said truthfully, he never thought of her in any other way. She remembered her forgotten time on earth, she was perhaps his 'mother'; that only whetted her desire. If she was patient, she could seduce him. After all, which man had resisted her? Which Deva or gandharva had? Not Indra, or any of them, ever. This beautiful mortal was diffident; but she would coax him out of his shyness. "Kshatriya, you don't know how it is with the apsaras. We are always young, Arjuna. We never become mothers, but are just for love. I was your ancestor's lover, once, but I never belonged to him or to anyone I loved. We are dancers in Indra's sabha, the courtesans of Amravati. We are here for the pleasure of all and we are forever free" She said laughing softly, again trying to seduce the Prince. He quickly stood up from the bed feeling mortified with the situation.

"The dharma of the earth does not bind the apsaras: time in Devlok is another river. You will only sin if you spurn me. Aren't you a man and a kshatriya? Isn't it a warrior's dharma to slake a woman's thirst, when she desires him? I am not your mother, or anyone sacred, Arjuna" She said slowly coming towards him with a sway in her hip. But he stepped back in alarm. "Ah, don't say that! You are as much my mother as Kunti is; you are as sacred to me as she. You are the mother of all the Pauravas, O, you are beautiful past believing, Urvashi; you are desirable past all reason. But I cannot think of you as my lover, my heart doesn't belong to me anymore and I can't give it to others either" he responded keeping distance from her.

He knelt before her. "Forgive me, mother! Bless me, I am your son."

She froze in her track, rage boiling in her blood. Ravaged by a frustration she had never known, like a demon in her body, she cursed him.

"I thought you were a man. A real man would never scorn me, when I came to you as an offering. Arrogant Arjuna, if you won't have my love let my curse be upon you instead!" She shouted, all the love of this Prince was gone now, in place of it was pure fury of how this mere mortal disrespected her, her beauty, how could he reject her.

"Since you have behaved like a eunuch tonight, I curse you to become one. You will lose your manhood, Pandava and spend your days among women, singing and dancing, but incapable of anything else!" She snapped at him in anger. Arjuna eyes widened in shock as her words registered in his head. He joined his hands together, Abruptly, his visit to Devlok had turned into a nightmare. It was a fate worse than anything he could have imagined: to never be a man again, At the same time, Indra entered in Arjuna's chamber, his eyes were wide and he was tensed, when he took in the scene in front of him, his tension increased more.

"What have you done, Urvashi?" He asked looking at her in disappointment, her grey eyes went towards King of Gods and she gave a scoff "I did, what was right, that man kneeling here refused me, ME, the most beautiful woman in the entire universe" She said, her voice haughty.

"YOU DID A TERRIBLE MISTAKE, NYMPH, NOW IT IS TIME FOR ME TO TEACH YOU A LESSON"

A bright light appeared in the Devlok, inside Arjuna's chamber.

No one could make out the features of the bright light, but everyone could see her arms which were holding different weapons, Indra quickly joined his hands together so does Urvashi as they stared at the creator of the world.

Adi Shakti!

"Mata, Its a great surprise to see you in my abode" Indra said bowing down his head in respect. Adi Shakti ignored Indra, her whole focus was on the celestial maiden who thinks that her beauty can get her everything. "I am not here to visit you, Devraj, I am here for specific person who dared get out of her limits" she snarled, her light shining brighter, Arjuna was dazed as he looked at the Goddess in amazement, slowly he stood up from the ground, his hands still in joining gesture.

"You cursed Prince Arjuna because he stopped your advances!" She said, her voice cold, she was more that angry, that Apsara cursed her husband even when he wasn't at fault just because she is beautiful doesn't means she can get any man in her life. "He stopped you because you are like his mother but you thought of that as a disrespect, being beautiful doesn't means you can stake a claim on anyone, even if the person denies you, you think that beauty is everything!" she said slowly moving towards her, her Trident in a attacking position ready to end this maiden life. Urvashi quickly lie down on Adi Sakti feet pleading "Forgive me, Mother Goddess, I was being blinded by rage for seconds" she cried, tears sliding down her cheeks, she knew the wrath of Adi Sakti, she has destroyed asuras and the people who did misdeed, Now she is here to punish her.

"No, you weren't, you were being blinded by your beauty, you think that everyone will fall for your outer beauty and that made you condescending, I curse you, for what you feel superior will be your downfall because Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart" Adi Shakti said, her voice holding no emotions, she didn't feel any remorse giving this curse to her. It has to be done, people need to know that Outer body is not everything all the time, The beauty of a woman is not in face, but true beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. Slowly Urvashi face lost her glow and marks started to appear on her face hiding her beauty, she looked hideous now to the person who only loves physical appearance.

Urvashi started crying, folding her hands together and asking for forgiveness again and again "Please, Mother Goddess, don't curse me" She sobbed, her beauty is everything for her, she has been living like that since she was being created by Narayana himself. Arjuna moved forward "Devi, please forgive her, whatever happened was a mistake" he said softly getting out of his dazed state, Adi Shakti turned her gaze at Arjuna "She cursed you for being an Eunuch for your whole life" She said, her husband has such a big heart, he still doesn't think anything bad for celestial being. Arjuna lowered his head and sighed "She did but she was angry, decision being made in anger is never good just like you are making right now" he responded, a small smile appeared on her face which no one can see, she pulled her weapon back.

"Yes, Mata and the curse Urvashi has given can be useful in the future for Agyatvasa to stay hidden" Indra said intervening in the conversation.

Urvashi suddenly stood up from the floor, her hands still joined together "Mata, I regret giving curse to this pure man, I thought that no one can resist my charm but I was wrong" she said in regret, she turned her head towards the great Archer realizing her mistake "Son, I comprehend my mistake now, I cannot take the curse back but I can amend it, the curse will last only for a year and you can choose the time when you want the curse to work" she said raising her palm and changing her curse into blessing. Arjuna bowed his head in respect, his heart was light again.

"Devi, she has realized the mistake now, please take your curse back" Arjuna said requesting to the creator of the world. "Prince Arjuna, My curse is inevitable, it can not be reversed but if she appreciate her inner beauty some day, her outer beauty will match her inner self" she responded not taking the curse back but giving a chance to Apsara to redeem herself. Celestial nymph nodded her head accepting the curse.

"Very well"

With that said, Adi Shakti disappeared from the heaven taking her glow with her which was illuminating the whole heaven in different light leaving people behind her amazed.