For a while, none of them spoke.
The steam from the cutting chai curled upward into the warm night air. Small glasses clinked softly against the metal tray as the tea seller moved around behind his stall, pouring fresh tea from a dented steel kettle into rows of waiting cups.
Traffic roared endlessly along the road.
Cars rushed past in streaks of white and red light. Scooters weaved through gaps in traffic like restless fish in a river.
Avantika watched them quietly over the rim of her tea glass.
Five thousand years.
Even saying it aloud had felt unreal.
She had expected disbelief.
Shock.
Maybe denial.
Instead—
Karna sat perfectly still, staring out toward the road as another car sped past, headlights slicing through the night.
Sahadev, meanwhile, had turned slightly sideways on the plastic stool. His gaze moved constantly between the traffic, the electric streetlights above them, and the glowing advertisement screens mounted on nearby buildings.
Observing.
Always observing.
Avantika followed his gaze.
A large LED billboard across the street flickered with an advertisement for a phone company. Bright colors flashed across the screen.
Sahadev leaned slightly forward.
"That light…"
He spoke toward the phone resting between them on the table.
Avantika picked it up quickly and held it toward him.
He spoke slowly in Sanskrit.
"What fire produces such steady brightness?"
The translator spoke.
Avantika glanced up at the streetlight.
"Electricity."
The Sanskrit version echoed from the phone.
Sahadev frowned slightly.
"Electric…?"
Avantika gestured toward the wires running along the tall poles above the road.
"Energy moving through metal lines."
She searched for simpler words.
"Controlled lightning."
The translator delivered the explanation.
Sahadev's eyes widened slightly.
Karna turned his head toward the streetlight again.
Controlled lightning.
The word hung strangely in his mind.
Another car roared past.
This one louder.
Its engine growled like an angry beast.
Karna's gaze snapped toward it instantly.
The vehicle sped down the road and vanished between two traffic lights.
Avantika noticed.
She smiled faintly.
"Metal chariot."
The translator spoke the words.
"Without horses."
Karna glanced at her.
Then back at the road.
His expression remained calm but there was something deeper behind his eyes now.
Interest.
Warriors were always curious about new machines.
Especially fast ones.
Avantika finished the last sip of her chai and set the glass down.
"So."
She folded her arms on the small metal table.
"We need a plan."
Both men looked at her.
She gestured around the city.
"You can't walk around dressed like ancient kings."
The translator spoke.
"That will cause problems."
Sahadev nodded slowly.
"People already observe us."
He had noticed the occasional curious glance from passing pedestrians.
Avantika leaned back in her chair.
"Exactly."
She pointed toward the bag containing their old clothes beside the table.
"We keep those hidden."
Then she gestured toward their new outfits.
"And you stay like this."
Karna spoke quietly.
"We are dependent upon you."
The translator repeated the sentence.
Avantika paused.
The words carried a weight she hadn't expected.
Dependent.
She wasn't exactly thrilled about suddenly becoming the caretaker of two legendary warriors.
But leaving them alone in Delhi would end in disaster within an hour.
Probably less.
She sighed.
"I would try to help however i can without putting my safety at risk , thankyou for trusting me."
The translator spoke the word.
"But it's not a permanent arrangement; just enough so you can survive easily."
Both men accepted the condition without protest.
The tea seller approached their table and collected the empty glasses.
Avantika stood up.
"Come."
The phone translated.
"We should leave this place."
Karna rose first.
The movement alone drew a few curious glances from nearby customers. Even in simple clothes his presence was difficult to ignore.
Sahadev stood next.
They followed Avantika toward the wider road.
The city stretched endlessly around them.
Towering apartment buildings rose in the distance, their windows glowing like hundreds of tiny stars.
The hum of engines, voices, and distant music blended into a constant background noise.
Karna slowed slightly.
His gaze moved across the skyline.
"This world…"
He spoke quietly toward the translator.
"…is very loud."
Avantika laughed softly.
"Welcome to Delhi."
The Sanskrit translation sounded strangely formal.
Sahadev stopped walking for a moment.
His eyes moved upward.
Toward the sky.
But the sky here was different.
City lights drowned most of the stars.
Only a few faint points remained visible above the glow of the city.
He spoke slowly.
"The stars are hidden."
Avantika followed his gaze.
"Air polloution ; so much it's even hard to breathe , even for me i lived here almost my whole life till now."
The translator struggled with the unfamiliar concept.
She simplified.
"Too many machines realising substances which makes air bad."
Sahadev nodded thoughtfully.
Then they continued walking.
After several minutes Avantika stopped near a quieter side street lined with parked cars and closed shops.
She turned around.
"We need somewhere safe."
The translator repeated it.
"Somewhere you can stay."
Karna spoke.
"We will adapt."
Avantika raised an eyebrow.
"Adapt?"
The translator echoed the word.
She gestured around them.
"This world runs on machines, electricity, money, and languages you don't understand."
Sahadev looked calmly at the glowing city again.
"Then we will learn."
The translator delivered the sentence simply.
Avantika stared at him.
There was no arrogance in his voice.
Just quiet certainty.
She exhaled slowly.
"…Great."
She rubbed her forehead.
"I just accidentally started a five-thousand-year cultural exchange program."
Neither warrior understood the sarcasm.
Which somehow made it even funnier.
Avantika started walking again.
"Come on."
The translator repeated the command.
"You can stay at my place for today, hurry up before the city decides to get even weirder tonight."
Behind her, Karna and Sahadev followed silently.
Three strangers walking under electric lights.
At the edge of two completely different worlds.