Hanuman stood silently, a gentle smile resting on his face. His expression carried a strange calmness, as if he was witnessing a scene that only a few souls in existence could understand.
Ashwatthama stepped forward, observing him carefully.
"Pavanputra, what thought has brought such a smile to your face?" he asked.
Hanuman's smile grew slightly.
"Vidwan, I am simply witnessing the beauty of this moment."
Ashwatthama looked around, trying to understand what had caught Hanuman's attention.
Then his eyes fell upon Trikala.
The warrior who had always appeared fearless and detached was sitting beside Siya, watching over her unconscious form. His eyes carried worry, his silence carried pain, and his presence revealed emotions he had tried to hide for a long time.
Hanuman looked at him and spoke softly.
"Tell me, Shri Man, would you call this concern only the worry of someone protecting their life-giver… or is there something deeper hidden within it?"
For a moment, Ashwatthama remained silent.
Then a loud laugh escaped him.
"Pavanputra, calling it only concern for a life-giver would not be completely fair. Perhaps this feeling deserves another name… perhaps love."
Hanuman's smile remained unchanged.
Ashwatthama looked toward Trikala with curiosity.
"Why not ask him directly and find out?"
Before Hanuman could respond, Ashwatthama vanished.
---
Trikala had remained beside Siya for hours. Without realizing it, exhaustion had overcome him, and he fell asleep sitting near her.
Suddenly, Ashwatthama's voice echoed through the silence.
"Why, Trikalyagya? Go and rest peacefully. Why are you sacrificing your sleep, hunger, and comfort by sitting here?"
Trikala immediately opened his eyes.
"Gurudev…"
He looked toward Siya.
"My responsibility is to protect her. I owe her a debt that I can never repay."
Ashwatthama observed him carefully.
"A responsibility to protect her… yes. But what danger does Siya currently face that requires you to destroy your own health? And are you truly doing this only because of a debt?"
Trikala became silent.
"Gurudev, what are you trying to say? I do not understand."
Ashwatthama walked closer.
"It is simple, Trikala. You are worried about Siya because you are attached to her. Tell me, how long have you been hiding this feeling from yourself?"
Trikala lowered his gaze.
"Not every feeling receives an answer, Gurudev."
His voice became heavier.
"One-sided emotions only create suffering. I decided that as long as I remain in this world and as long as Siya needs me, I will stay beside her and protect her."
Ashwatthama looked at him with sympathy.
"That is true… but it is also painful."
A pause followed.
"Because her past is returning, Trikala."
Trikala's expression changed slightly.
"The person she is bringing back… her forgotten past… perhaps her heart still belongs to him."
Trikala remained calm.
"Gurudev, that is something only Siya knows. Whatever decision she makes, I will respect it."
Ashwatthama looked at him deeply.
"My words are not reaching you… or perhaps you do not want to understand them."
Trikala looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Ashwatthama's voice became serious.
"I said her past is returning."
A silence surrounded them.
"And perhaps that return will not only affect Siya… it may become a problem for you."
Trikala's eyes narrowed.
"Problem for me?"
Ashwatthama stepped closer.
"You know who is returning."
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
"The one who knows everything. The one who recognizes everyone. The one who carries memories of the past and knows the secrets buried within it."
Ashwatthama paused.
"Perhaps even yours."
For the first time, Trikala's calm expression disappeared.
His face became serious.
"I do not understand, Ashwatthama. What are you trying to say?"
Ashwatthama remained silent.
Because he knew the truth hidden behind Trikala's existence was not something that could be revealed easily.
A truth connected to the past.
A truth connected to Jate.
A truth that could change how everyone saw Trikala forever.
Who was Trikala before he became the protector of Siya?
What secret had he buried within himself?
And why was the return of Jate becoming a threat to him?
The answers were waiting in the shadows of forgotten time.