The uncertainty within me refused to fade.
No matter how many times I tried to calm my thoughts, the same question continued to echo through my mind.
Where is Siya?
Had I made a mistake?
Had I failed her again?
I looked toward Hanuman.
If there was anyone who could understand the battle raging inside my heart, it was him.
The silent war between duty and regret.
Between trust and fear.
Between faith and doubt.
I folded my hands.
"Prabhu... where is Siya? Did I make the wrong decision by letting her go?"
Hanuman's eyes opened slowly.
A gentle smile appeared upon his face.
The kind of smile that carried wisdom older than time itself.
"Sajjan," he said softly, "the battle inside you is not something I can erase."
I lowered my head.
Hanuman continued.
"But if you look at your questions from the opposite direction, perhaps your decision will begin to make sense."
I frowned.
"What do you mean, Prabhu?"
Hanuman's gaze drifted toward the distant sky.
"Think carefully."
"What would have happened if you had disobeyed Siya and stopped her?"
The question caught me off guard.
Before I could answer, he continued.
"You would have interfered with the wheel of time itself."
"Ashwatthama's arrival would have been delayed."
"The truth about Trikalyagya would have remained hidden."
"The confusion clouding your mind might never have been resolved."
His words struck deeper than I expected.
I had never looked at it that way.
Hanuman smiled.
"If you are worried that you have lost Siya once again..."
"Abandon that thought."
"Trust time."
"Because in this entire story, time is the greatest player."
The cool breeze moved through the cave.
The silence that followed felt strangely peaceful.
"We are merely pieces moving across its board."
I looked at him.
"You already know who will win this war, don't you, Prabhu?"
For a moment Hanuman simply smiled.
That mysterious smile.
The same smile that seemed to contain countless secrets.
Then he answered.
"Perhaps this war will not end with victory or defeat."
His voice became serious.
"The true nature of this battle is not about winning."
"It is about Dharma and Adharma."
"That is what truly matters."
I nodded slowly.
"Yes, Prabhu."
Unknown to me, Ashwatthama had heard every word.
The immortal warrior stepped forward.
"I heard your conversation, Ali."
I turned toward him.
Ashwatthama looked at Hanuman.
"The words of Mahabali remind me of another war."
"A war fought long ago."
"A Dharma-Yuddha."
Hanuman nodded.
"This is a Dharma-Yuddha as well, Dronaputra."
His voice echoed through the cavern.
"And in this war, the knowledge and wisdom you possess will be needed more than ever."
The ancient warrior smiled faintly.
"Then this time, I shall stand on the side of Dharma."
A strange sadness flickered across his eyes.
"Perhaps that is why Narayana kept me alive."
His gaze became distant.
"For thousands of years I have wandered this world."
"Cursed."
"Broken."
"Waiting."
"Maybe my liberation was always meant to arrive through this final battle."
The silence that followed felt heavy.
Not with sorrow.
But with destiny.
Ashwatthama looked around.
Then asked the question everyone secretly carried in their hearts.
"When will Siya return?"
I laughed weakly.
"We are waiting for the same answer."
The immortal warrior shook his head.
Then he turned toward Hanuman.
There was genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Pavanputra..."
"Who is Siya?"
The question lingered in the air.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Ashwatthama had heard countless stories.
Seen countless civilizations rise and fall.
Witnessed kings, sages, warriors, and gods.
Yet even he wished to understand the woman whose name carried such weight.
Hanuman smiled.
A warm smile.
The smile of someone remembering a beloved soul.
"You wish to hear Siya's description from me, Acharya-putra?"
Ashwatthama nodded.
Hanuman closed his eyes briefly.
Then spoke.
"If I must describe Siya in a single sentence..."
His voice softened.
"Siya is a great tree."
Everyone listened carefully.
Hanuman continued.
"A tree whose shade offers comfort to all who come near it."
"It does not choose."
"It does not discriminate."
"Whether human or animal..."
"Whether flower or bird..."
"Whether a living creature..."
"Or even a lifeless stone."
"The cool breeze that passes through its branches brings peace to everything around it."
His eyes opened.
A faint smile remained on his face.
"That is Siya."
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Because somehow those simple words described her better than any title ever could.
Not a warrior.
Not a goddess.
Not a savior.
Not a destroyer.
Just a shelter.
A source of warmth.
A source of peace.
A source of hope.
And somewhere beyond the poisoned skies and dying world...
The tree Hanuman spoke of was still standing.
Waiting.
Preparing.
For the final storm that was yet to come.