Return of the Demon Lord Durbheeksh

by Utkarsh Srivastava

  'I am eagerly waiting to meet her.' Chandraketu smiled.

  While on the other side, Digvijay was riding his horse in the jungle to reach Vidarbh. Suddenly, the foot of his horse gets trapped, and that falls on the ground along with him. Within few moments he was surrounded by around twenty women soldiers, whose faces were covered with clothes and heads were covered with turbans.

  Now Digvijay was surrounded on the point of the spears.

  'Prince of Vidarbh? And how dare you enter in this area?' One of the woman warrior asked Digvijay furiously.

  Digvijay was quite furious listening this, he warned those women, 'I am warning you all, leave me. I don't raise my weapon on ladies.'

  'Oh really, your soldiers molest the women of our villages on regular basis, and you are saying that you won't raise your weapon on ladies. We are capable enough of defending ourselves, we don't have any fear of a royal rodent like you. Capture him.' The leader of those women warriors ordered his troops.

  Digvijay turned furious listening this, he grabs the spear of that women leader and stood up pushing back all other women warriors with tremendous speed. He throws the spear and pulled out a sword. Thereafter, he pulls the leader of women warriors and grabs her neck and right hand with his left hand. And the sword was in his right hand, he keep defending the attacks of other women warriors from it. While in the meantime, he tried to convince that leader of women, 'Everyone is not same. I know my father is an evil, but believe me, I am not. I know, you all have suffered a lot, that's why I don't want to harm you.' He pushes that leader of women warriors.

  She collides with the tree, her turbans gets opened. Her face was uncovered and her right hand gets injured from a sharp branch of a tree. Digvijay was quite panic seeing her blood.

  'Suvarya…..' Unintentionally some words spilled out from Digvijay's tongue.

  That women warrior turned towards Digvijay listening this. Prince Digvijay was stunned seeing her beautiful face.

  'What you just said?' The leader of women asked Digvijay.

  'I don't know, it was not intentional. It's just spilled out of my mouth.' Digvijay himself was quite confused.

  'I can never believe you royal people, deceit is in your blood.' The leader of women raised her spear. All the other lady warriors attacked on him.

  But this time, Digvijay was ready to resist. He pushed all those warriors on the ground without harming them. He started swinging his sword and breaks ten out of twenty spears. Thereafter, he stared at the leader of women warriors.

  'Now no one will interfere in between.' The leader of women commanded his troops and attacked on Digvijay.

  'Wow, she swings the sword with tremendous speed.' Digvijay thought while resisting her attack.

  The duel continued till half of a prahar. Finally, Digvijay pulls her towards himself and grabs her waist. 'Enough, don't behave like a stubborn kid. I am saying you that I don't have any wrong intentions, then why you are fighting with me?'

  'I will never trust any warrior of Vidarbh, even if I have to sacrifice my own life.'

  Digvijay was frustrated listening this, he leaves her and throws his sword on the ground.

  'Now look at me, I am disarmed now. If you want me to punish me for the sins of my father, then go on. It will be my pleasure, if my sacrifice can satisfy you.' Digvijay present himself in front of the leader of women.

  The leader of women was silent for a while. The presence of Digvijay was affecting her deeply, she brought down her sword. Seeing this, one woman warrior stabs Digvijay from backside.

  'No, don't do this.' The leader of women warriors was in pain seeing this.

  'What happened? Why you are so panic seeing him in pain?' One women warrior asked her leader.

  Digvijay was down on his knees. Seeing his condition, the leader of women warriors was furious at extreme level. She pushes her own gang member and rush towards Digvijay who was about to fall on the ground.

  She holds Digvijay, 'We can't kill any innocent. Now help me to pick him up.' The leader of women stared at her troops.

  Soon Digvijay was brought in a cottage. The women begin her treatment.

  While the leader of women warriors was standing beside a tree. One woman warrior came and asked her, 'What happened, 'Sunanda'? Why you are so disturbed?'

  'I actually don't know, what's happening. Why I was in pain when I saw his wounds? Why I was so disturbed when I heard the name Suvarya? I don't really what's happening to me.' The leader of women warriors 'Sunanda' was quite disturbed.

  The women warrior of her gang smiled, 'It seems that this prince has affected you deeply. I also think that he is not like his father, he is different. He knows what is right and what is wrong. And I support your decision to help him.'

  'I agree with you, but it's not that thing, it's something different. When he touched me, I felt that I know that touch, as if he has touched me earlier.' Sunanda tightened his grip on her sword.

  'Are you in love, Sunanda?' Her gang member smiled.

  Sunanda turned furious listening this, she cuts down the branch of the tree with the single blow. After that, she turned towards her gang member, 'Love could be only a symbol of weakness of a person. I remember the experience of my elder sister Durdhara. Love only gives pain, and I don't want to have that pain.'

  'You accept it or not, it is visible in your eyes. I want to tell you that every man is not same. And I think he is suitable for you.'

  'Enough. Get lost, I don't want to listen anything more, I want to be alone.' Sunanda shouted at her gang member.

  'As you wish, leader.' That women warrior stepped back and left that place.

  Sunanda was standing still near the tree. Soon injured Digvijay arrived there.

  'Why you come here? You need rest, your wounds are still not healed.' Sunanda was in pain seeing his condition.

  'No, I am fine. I have to reach Vidarbh as soon as possible, otherwise they will start searching me, and it could be dangerous for you all.' Digvijay was in pain, but he wanted to leave.

  Suddenly he lost his balance and falls, but Sunanda grabs and saves him, 'Don't behave like stubborn kid. You need rest, and I will not let you go.'

  Meanwhile, Digvijay loses his consciousness. Sunanda smiles at him, 'And you were saying that you want to go.'

  Sunanda supported Digvijay on her shoulder and brought him in a cottage. She puts him down on a bed.

  'Take care of him.' She ordered the Vaidya sitting beside the bed.

  After that she went outside that cottage, 'What a stupid he is?' She smiled while thinking.

  The last prahar of night was about to pass. Sunanda and her gang were in deep sleep. As soon as they opened their eyes, they all were surrounded by hundreds of soldiers of Vidarbh. They all were stunned.

  The soldiers laughed, 'Enough sleep now, let's go.' The spear of soldiers were on the neck of Sunanda.

  Soon they all were captured and their leader Sunanda was brought on her knees. Now Sunanda's neck was on the point of sword.

  'How dare you captured our Prince Digvijay? Now you have to die.' That soldier was about to kill Sunanda.

  But before that he could do that, he was beheaded. The soldiers of Vidarbh were stunned to see Prince Digvijay cutting head of his own soldier.

  'The girl who saved my life, you want to kill her. Free them all.' Furious Digvijay shouted at his soldiers.

  The soldiers were afraid to see his expression. His command was followed within moments, all the women warriors were freed.

  While Digvijay came nearer to Sunanda and asked her, 'Who is that soldier, who dared to touch you first?'

  Sunanda raised her finger towards one soldier. Furious Digvijay turned towards that soldier and stepped towards him with the blooded sword in his hand.

  The pain of love

  Digvijay stepped towards that soldier. The sword falls from that soldier's hand, his foots were shivering. Digvijay was about to kill him but Sunanda grabs his hand.

  'It's not good to kill
your own soldier, prince. You will be called as dictator if you do so. Don't behave like your father, who kills innocent people without any reason.'

  'Without any reason? He has raised his weapon on you, Suvarya. I cannot leave him.' Digvijay was furious.

  Sunanda was quite disturbed listening the name 'Suvarya'. While Digvijay himself was surprised, what he just said. Both of them were silent for a while.

  After few moments, Sunanda stared at Digvijay, 'You should leave now, Prince Digvijay. I hope that we are not going to meet again.' Sunanda turned back.

  While the anger of Digvijay was disappeared, he was standing still.

  'Let's go, Prince.' The leader of Vidarbh's army came nearer to Digvijay.

  'I am sorry, I really don't know what's happening to me.' Digvijay throws the sword on the ground.

  'Let's go.' Digvijay stepped towards one horse and ascended on it. His soldiers followed him.

  Digvijay turned back and looked over Sunanda, while Sunanda was also staring at him. At the very next moment, Sunanda turned back.

  'How rude she is?' Digvijay also turned back and moved towards Vidarbh.

  While Sunanda was silent. She stepped towards her horse, ascended on it and moved towards her desired destination.

  'What's happening to her?' One woman warrior asked another.

  'She is in love, and this is the pain of love.' She replied.

  While Sunanda reached near a river and stepped down from her horse. She washed her face and looked over her image in the river.

  'What's happening to me? Why I am missing him? Why this word 'Suvarya' is affecting my heart so deeply? Why I feel so much comfortable when he touches me, as if I remember that touch? Why?' There were lot of questions in Sunanda's mind.

  While on the other side Digvijay was also in deep thoughts, 'Why this word 'Suvarya' is spilling out of my tongue every time? Why she is affecting me so much? I remember her touch, it seems familiar, as if I have met her earlier. It's something very rare that I never felt before.' He continued riding his horse towards Vidarbh.

  While Durbheeksh (Surjan) was staying with the bandits. Mahabali Akhand reached there and called one of the bandit and asked him, 'So what's the update?'

  'One fierce warrior has joined our gang. Our leader Meghvarna was so much impressed by his skills and strength that he appointed him as our leader in his absence.' The bandit described the duel between Surjan and Meghvarna.

  Mahabali Akhand turned furious listening this, 'How could he take that decision without concerning with me?'

  'It was the decision of our leader. We cannot violate it, Gurudev.' The eyes of the bandit were down.

  'I want to meet that warrior.'

  'Sure Gurudev, come with me.'

  While Durbheeksh (Surjan) was practicing in the arena. It was the night time, one bandit arrived to inform him, 'My lord, our mentor has arrived. He wants to meet you.'

  Durbheeksh was stunned for a while, 'Mahabali Akhand, he can recognize me seeing my eyes. I have to stay away from him.'

  'What happened, my lord? The mentor of bandits is waiting for you.' The bandit pinched seeing him silent.

  'Ah…, nothing. Tell him, I am coming.' Durbheeksh said.

  'I have to hide my identity, even I should try to change my voice. I am sure that he can recognize me even with my voice.' Durbheeksh was thinking while walking.

  When Durbheeksh (Surjan) was about to reach, he saw three firelight which was the source of light in that dark cave.

  'I have to extinguish these firelights anyhow. And for that I have to use one of my five divine powers, the speed of winds will definitely extinguish these lights.' There were few movements in Durbheeksh's hand.

  As a result, there was tremendous flow of wind in the cave. All the firelight were extinguished within moments.

  'What's happening? How these speedy winds arrived suddenly?' Mahabali Akhand was astonished.

  The other bandits tried to lighten up the fire, but they didn't succeeded. Meanwhile Durbheeksh arrived in front of Mahabali Akhand, but his face was not clearly visible because of darkness.

  Akhand stared at him for a while, 'Where are you from?'

  'I am from the village of 'Sopara', which is very near, my lord.' Durbheeksh successfully changed his voice and chosen the name of nearby village.

  Akhand was quite convinced listening his voice, that even he didn't bothered to ask his name. He stared at Durbheeksh and asked him, 'I have come to know that you fought with Meghvarna till three prahars, is that true?'

  'Yes, my lord. It is true.' Durbheksh replied.

  Mahabali Akhand came nearer to him listening this, 'You deserve to lead one part of our army. Our mission is to fulfill more and more youngsters in our army. What you just told me? I mean the name of your village.'

  'That is Sopara, my lord.'

  'So now your job is to bring more and more youngsters from your village, so that they can join our gang to increase our strength. As soon as Meghvarna and Chandraketu returns, you should start your mission.' Mahabali Akhand commanded Durbheeksh.

  'Sure, my lord.'

  'You can go now.'

  Durbheeksh leaves while thinking, 'What else I will have to do to know the secret of these two warriors?'

  After Durbheeksh leaves, Akhand uncovered his face. He was furious staring at Durbheeksh who was going outside the cave.

  'What do you think? I can't recognize you? The moment you came to meet me and the blow of wind begins, I was almost sure that it's you 'Durbheeksh'. Because no one else can bring this sudden change in weather. I know one thing very well that you will not attack anyone through deceit. But I want to know the reason why you have come here, who has sent you here or you have come by your own? How you came to know our location? Let me wait and watch that what you actually want.' Mahabali Akhand was staring him furiously.

  The flow of wind stopped. MahabaliAkhand covered his face and ordered the bandit, 'Lighten up the fire.'

  'I have to follow him.' Mahabali Akhand went behind Durbheeksh for the sake of further information.

  While Durbheeksh heard the sound of a havoc while walking. As soon as he heard that voice he rushed towards the jungle. Mahabali Akhand chased him.

  Soon Durbheeksh reached an opened space in the jungle. A havoc came near to him and sat on his hand, there was a message bounded to the foot of that havoc.

  Durbheeksh took that letter and opened it. He read the message written in it.

  It was the message from the demon's mentor Bhairavnath. 'We need you Durbheeksh. Hastinapur has rejected our proposal of peace, they have refused the domination of Vidarbh over them. And this can reduce our terror. So it's time for war, we are preparing our army. You reach here as soon as possible.'

  Durbheeksh was irritated reading that message, 'Again a war, again a war. Every year, we have to fight at least ten to twelve wars. I am really tired of it. I regret for that moment, when I gave my words to Jaivardhan to help him for entire life.'

  Durbheeksh was silent for a while. Thereafter, he stared at that havoc. He took that letter and begin writing on the backside of that letter. Thereafter, he tied that letter with the foot of that havoc.