Mahabharat: Shiva's Last Variable
Chapter 95 - 93: Betrayal Of The Little Sister?..
(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
Guys I hope you put more comments and power stones... Which will encourage me...
I was thinking about adding local deities too to the story. Any thought about This idea.
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That afternoon, the streets of Trivenivrata were already overflowing with movement.
Pilgrims carrying offerings walked toward temples.
Merchants argued loudly over stall placements.
Children ran through decorated streets holding flower garlands.
Devotional songs drifted through marketplaces while incense smoke curled upward into the warm sky.
Then suddenly—
-BOOM!
A massive drumbeat echoed across one of the central streets.
The noise cut cleanly through the market chatter.
Another followed.
-BOOM!
People immediately turned toward the source.
A royal announcer marched steadily through the streets with several soldiers accompanying him,
A large ceremonial drum strapped against his body.
With every strike of the drumstick, the sound rolled powerfully through the roads and alleyways, drawing more and more attention of the public towards him.
Visitors stopped walking.
Merchants paused negotiations.
Temple devotees turned their heads curiously.
Once enough attention gathered, the announcer unrolled the royal decree in his hand and shouted loudly.
"Hear the decree of Trivenivrata!"
The streets gradually quieted.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The announcer raised his voice further.
"On the sacred night of Maha Shivaratri..."
"Our king, Devaratha..."
"...shall perform the sacred Shiva Tandava in honor of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and their divine union!"
For a moment—The crowd simply stared.
Then reactions exploded everywhere at once.
"What?"
"The king himself?"
"A Tandava?!"
Even many merchants looked stunned hearing the announcement.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Because sacred dances performed during Shivaratri were not uncommon.
But a king personally performing the Shiva Tandava before the public?
That was another matter entirely.
The announcer continued loudly.
"All devotees, sages, pilgrims, and visitors who wish to witness this offering of devotion are welcome!"
"There shall be no restriction!"
That sentence alone sent excitement surging through the streets.
Nearby Shiva devotees immediately raised their hands toward the sky.
"HARA HARA MAHADEV!"1
The chant erupted loudly.
Others quickly joined.
"HARA HARA MAHADEV!"1
The sound spread rapidly through nearby roads like fire catching dry grass.
Temple bells began ringing from several shrines almost simultaneously after hearing the announcement.
Sages visiting the kingdom exchanged surprised looks.
Several ascetics sitting near roadside shrines slowly opened their eyes in interest.
Even experienced devotees looked visibly curious now.
Because the Shiva Tandava was not merely performance art.
It carried sacred spiritual significance.
And for a ruler to perform it publicly before devotees meant he was either deeply devoted...
Or dangerously overconfident.
The sages intended to discover which.
Meanwhile, local citizens who had already grown deeply attached to Devara reacted with pure excitement.
Children immediately began running through streets repeating the announcement to others.
Women decorating temple entrances smiled proudly.
Several soldiers looked visibly energized hearing the chants rising through the kingdom.
Nearby merchants exchanged increasingly interested glances too.
Because now the festival itself was becoming an attraction powerful enough to draw even larger crowds.
Some instantly began planning extended stays.
Others mentally calculated how much profit this divine spectacle might generate.
Meanwhile, hidden among the public—Several spies quietly memorized every detail of the announcement.
Because news that the future king intended to publicly perform a Shiva Tandava during Maha Shivaratri would spread through neighboring kingdoms very quickly.
And not everyone would interpret it positively.
Yet above all the noise, chants, excitement, and curiosity—
The cry of Shiva’s devotees thundered repeatedly through Trivenivrata’s streets.
"HARA HARA MAHADEV!"1
"HARA HARA MAHADEV!"1
Royal Palace...
Inside the royal palace of Trivenivrata, the atmosphere remained far calmer than the bustling streets outside.
At least—Until the news arrived.
Within one of the inner palace courtyards,
Rajmata Satyavati was seated comfortably while several servant women nearby discussed the rapidly spreading announcement with visible excitement.
"The whole market started shouting Hara Hara Mahadev!1"
"I heard sages are already gathering near the Shiva temple!"
"They say even wandering ascetics from distant lands are coming!"
The women sounded so animated that Satyavati finally raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What is causing such excitement?"
The servants immediately straightened respectfully after noticing the Rajmata listening.
"...."
"...."
"...."
One stepped forward carefully and folded her hands.
"Rajmata,"
She answered respectfully,
"the royal announcement was made this afternoon."
Satyavati narrowed her eyes slightly.
-Frown!
"What announcement?"
The servant woman smiled nervously, still clearly excited by the news herself.
"Our king, Devaratha... will perform a Shiva Tandava during Maha Shivaratri to honor Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Rajmata Satyavati blinked once. Then twice.
-Blink! -Blink!
"...What?"
The servant women immediately lowered their heads further, thinking perhaps they had spoken incorrectly.
But before anyone could clarify—Two more figures entered the courtyard.
Ambika and Ambalika had just arrived intending to speak with Rajmata Satyavati regarding important news from Hastinapur.
Unfortunately for them—The first thing they heard upon entering was:
"Devaratha is performing a Tandava."
Both froze instantly.
"...."
"...."
"...A what?"
Ambalika asked slowly.
The servant women now looked increasingly terrified about being the messengers of what clearly qualified as alarming information.
Satyavati meanwhile looked genuinely stunned.
Because unlike ordinary dances—The Shiva Tandava carried tremendous spiritual significance.
And Devara was not announcing a private devotional performance.
The entire kingdom had been invited to witness it.
Before sages. Pilgrims. Devotees.
And likely thousands of people.
Ambika slowly sat down nearby while processing the news.
"That child..."
She muttered faintly.
At this point, none of them were entirely sure whether Devara attracted divine incidents...
Or personally hunted them down.
Before the conversation could spiral further,
Ambalika remembered the actual reason they had arrived.
Her expression shifted immediately.
"Rajmata,"
She said seriously and respectfully,
"we received important news from Hastinapur."
That regained Satyavati’s attention quickly.
Ambika spoke this time.
"The astrologers observing the royal chambers have sent word."
Rajmata Satyavati’s eyes sharpened.
Regarding Crown Prince Dhritarashtra and his queen Madri.
The servant women quietly retreated further away as the atmosphere became more serious.
Ambalika continued carefully.
"The clay pots ...have begun moving."
Silence settled instantly.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Even Satyavati’s expression changed.
Because everyone present understood the implication immediately.
The infants growing within the preserved ghee vessels were nearing birth.
Any day now—The heirs of Dhritarashtra would emerge into the world.
And considering the unusual circumstances surrounding their existence already...
The timing felt strangely heavy.
Outside, the sounds of festival preparations and distant chants continued drifting through Trivenivrata.
Inside the palace courtyard, however—Three royal women now sat quietly processing two overwhelming pieces of news simultaneously.
One concerning the future heirs of Hastinapur.
And the other concerning a certain young king who apparently intended to perform the cosmic dance of Shiva himself tomorrow night before the entire kingdom.
Satyavati eventually closed her eyes briefly giving up.
"...One problem at a time."
Meanwhile on the other side...
Within the quieter sections of the royal gardens of Trivenivrata, far away from the crowded markets and festival chaos,
Prince Shakuni currently looked like a man spiritually defeated by art.
He sat beneath the shade of a large flowering tree with the posture of someone who had survived battle.
Not war. Painting lessons.
Before him rested a large plate filled with freshly cut fruits harvested from the kingdom’s blessed lands.
Mango slices. Pomegranates. Sweet melons. Grapes.
Normally Prince Shakuni would have spent the afternoon wandering freely through the city causing harmless trouble somewhere.
Instead—He had spent nearly half the day standing beside his sister while she practiced painting.
Repeatedly. Endlessly.
With terrifying determination.
At first, Gandhari had lacked confidence.
Now? Now she had become dangerous. After she got motivation from her husband his brother in law Devara.
Because after improving slightly, she had suddenly developed intense artistic ambition.
And unfortunately for Shakuni—He had somehow been appointed "official assistant."
"Does this mango look realistic?"
"Should the shadow be darker?"
"What about the leaf shape?"
"What expression should a grape have?"
Shakuni still did not understand the last question.
All he knew was this.
Being forced to stand still for long periods while discussing fruit aesthetics was slowly destroying him.
He was naturally energetic.
Restless.
A prince who preferred movement, strategy, banter, and action.
Not quietly standing beside paintings pretending to understand artistic philosophy.
Now, seated beneath the tree like a retired veteran recovering from campaign trauma,
"...."
Shakuni bit into a fruit slice with visible relief.
Peace. Finally at blessed him.
No paint. No brushes.
No suspiciously judgmental fruit sketches.
Just silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then—His ears twitched slightly.
-Twitch! -Twitch!
Nearby, several palace soldiers standing some distance away were talking quietly among themselves.
Normally Prince Shakuni would have ignored casual gossip.
But one word immediately caught his attention.
"Tandava."
His chewing slowed.
Another soldier spoke excitedly.
"They say the whole Lord Shiva temple will remain open all night. And the king himself will perform it."
Shakuni blinked once hearing the news.
-Blink!
Then slowly lowered the fruit from his hand.
"...What?"
The soldiers continued talking enthusiastically, completely unaware that Gandhara’s prince had silently locked onto the conversation like a hunting hawk.
"Apparently the announcement spread through the entire city already. Sages from outside the kingdom are gathering too."
"One priest even cried after hearing it."
Another soldier laughed nervously.
"-Haha!!!"
"I just hope I survive crowd duty tomorrow."
Prince Shakuni stared blankly into the distance for several moments.
Then slowly looked upward through the tree branches.
"...He’s doing what now?"
At this point, Shakuni had begun accepting that Devara possessed unusual connections to destiny.
Fine.
Divine incidents. Celestial tigers.
Gods appearing occasionally.
Acceptable.
But now the future king had apparently decided to publicly perform a Shiva Tandava before sages and devotees during Maha Shivaratri.
Shakuni rubbed his forehead slowly.
"...."
Somehow—Somehow—This sounded exactly like the kind of situation where reality itself might stop behaving normally again.
And the worst part?
He was absolutely certain Devara had probably announced this calmly as though it were a perfectly reasonable decision.
Prince Shakuni leaned back against the tree trunk and sighed deeply.
"...I should have stayed at Gandhara while life was still simple."
Nearby, a bird suddenly screeched loudly from the branches above him.
-Screech!
Shakuni narrowed his eyes upward immediately.
"...."
"Don’t mock me."
The bird screeched again anyway.
-Screech!
After hearing the soldiers’ discussion,
Prince Shakuni immediately straightened beneath the tree.
His eyes narrowed.
Then without another word, he hurriedly grabbed the remaining fruit slices from the plate and stuffed them directly into his mouth one after another with absolutely no royal dignity remaining.
Mango. Grapes. Melon.
Everything vanished rapidly.
Because priorities had changed.
Chewing furiously while walking,
Prince Shakuni carried the now-empty plate back toward the royal palace corridors.
Not because he wanted another serving.
Definitely not. Absolutely not.
He was merely fulfilling his sacred duty as an elder brother.
A very responsible elder brother.
Who needed to urgently inform his unsuspecting sister that her husband was about to publicly perform a Shiva Tandava before half the spiritual population of Bhulok1.
Yes. That was clearly the reason.
Nothing related to extra fruits at all.
Meanwhile,
Inside her chamber, Gandhari was indeed still practicing painting with frightening determination.
The earlier disaster-level paintings had evolved considerably now.
Not perfect. But recognizable.
Mostly at least.
At the moment she sat before another canvas trying intensely to capture the reflection of sunset light upon the rivers surrounding Trivenivrata.
Several failed sketches already surrounded her like casualties of war.
A servant nearby quietly watched in admiration and fear.
Because Gandhari’s competitive spirit had fully awakened now.
Then suddenly—The chamber doors opened.
Shakuni entered dramatically while still chewing the last remaining fruit.
Gandhari immediately looked up suspiciously.
"...Why do you look like you just discovered a kingdom invasion?"
Prince Shakuni swallowed finally before pointing dramatically toward her.
"You don’t know yet."
That sentence immediately caught her attention.
"Know what?"
Prince Shakuni placed the empty plate onto a nearby table with all the gravity of a man delivering world-changing information.
"Your husband. My lovely Brother in law..."
Pause for his words to sink in.
"...has officially lost his mind."
The servant gasped softly hearing his bold words.
-Gasps!
Gandhari narrowed her eyes instantly seeing her brother seems to be enjoying keeping his words in the direction which clearly says he want’s to provoke a reaction from her.
"Brother."
Shakuni raised both hands.
"I speak only truth."
Then he leaned forward slightly.
"Devara announced he’s performing a Shiva Tandava tomorrow night during Maha Shivaratri."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
The paintbrush slipped slightly in Gandhari’s fingers but she caught it.
"...What?"
"Exactly my reaction."
Shakuni pointed accusingly toward the ceiling as though Devara personally lurked somewhere above causing problems.
"The entire city already knows. Soldiers are discussing it. Devotees are chanting. Sages are gathering."
"And apparently your husband has decided casually performing the cosmic dance of Shiva is a reasonable evening activity."
Gandhari stared at him blankly for several moments.
"...."
Then slowly remembered Devara mentioning a "surprise" earlier in the garden.
Her eyes widened slightly in realization.
"That was the surprise he mentioned..."
Shakuni folded his arms dramatically.
"Yes. Wait you know about it... Whatever... Because destiny hates peace, I fully expect something impossible to happen tomorrow."
The servant nearby quietly nodded in agreement despite herself even she sometime feels she was in a dream.
-Nod!
At this point, everyone around Devara had begun developing survival instincts toward divine incidents.
Meanwhile Gandhari slowly lowered her brush while processing everything.
Unlike Shakuni, however—Beneath her surprise, she also felt curiosity.
"...."
Because she had seen Devara during battle.
Seen his devotion.
Seen the impossible things surrounding him.
And somehow... The idea of him performing the Tandava did not feel wrong.
It felt dangerous. Magnificent. And terrifyingly fitting.
Meanwhile Prince Shakuni finally eyed the fruit plate near her painting supplies as if expecting his payment.
"...So..."
Gandhari immediately pointed the paintbrush at him without even looking.
"No."
Shakuni looked deeply wounded by the betrayal of his own little sister.
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(Author note:)
I hope you guys give me your opinion and idea’s.
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Guys I have a new fic which named: Karuppan: King of Openings.
All Hail Lord ShivaAll Hail Lord ShivaAll Hail Lord ShivaAll Hail Lord ShivaAll Hail Lord ShivaMortal Realm