Arjuna was feeling desperate. He had questioned all the guards, and had examined the tree. It did grow close to the wall and one of its branches did extend over the wall. Abhimanyu could have jumped or fallen, though none of them could find any tracks on the ground outside the wall.

Krishna's presence was all that kept him from panicking. Just being with Krishna was enough to calm him. And the little touches helped too. Yudhistira, Bheema and the twins were scouring the city. Even Krishna agreed that it was unlikely for Abhimanyu to be in the forest.

"If he had jumped or fallen, some sign would have been there on the ground," the Captain of the guards had asserted and they could not but agree.

But not knowing where his son was did not make finding him any easier. And in spite of their doubts, they had still decided to search the jungle. Suyodhana and his brothers were doing that along with Vasusena. Whatever differences they had in the past, Arjuna was grateful for his cousins' help.

Arjuna had been asked to stay back, to support his wife. But Subhadra was surrounded by women and Arjuna was left alone. Except for Krishna. The two men sat inside Krishna's chambers, near the window, waiting for some news. At some point, Krishna's fingers had curled around Arjuna and Arjuna gripped his friend's hand hard.

"You should be with Subhadra," said Krishna softly.

"I... I feel like an outsider there,"

Krishna nodded, "He'll be fine," said he. "They'll find him."

Arjuna remembered that Krishna had lost his own son while a baby. Pradyumna had been abducted but had returned a young man, having slain his abductor. Yet, both Krishna and Rukmini had suffered in the intervening years.

"How did you bear it?" Arjuna asked now. He did not think he would be able to survive one more day of this uncertainty.

Krishna did not ask him what he meant. He always knew what was there in Arjuna's mind.

"I do not know how. But I knew Rukmini needed me to be strong. And so I was."

"And Subhadra would need me to be strong," said Arjuna.

"Yes, but you don't have to be strong with me,"

Arjuna looked at Krishna, but Krishna was not looking at him. He wished Krishna would turn his head and look at him. He wished Krishna would take him into his arms and kiss him.

He turned his head away. They were not young men anymore. They could not give in to their passion, forgetting everything. They had to be discreet and careful, they could not afford to start a scandal. But Arjuna wished they could.

"Krishna," he said, his voice hoarse.

Krishna turned to him. Arjuna leaned forward and kissed his cousin. Krishna kissed him back, their arms came around each other and they were lost in abandon till a loud cough recalled them to the world and they broke apart.

Kunti and Bheeshma stood at the door, their brows furrowed with anger.

"Your son has been found," said Bheeshma in clipped tones. "He's safe-"

Arjuna did not wait to hear the rest, springing to his feet and racing out. Krishna followed in a more leisurely fashion. Kunti lay a hand on his arm.

"I need to talk to you," he could hear her suppressed rage.

He lifted his eyebrows at her. "Later, aunt."

She compressed her lips, but remained silent, for which he was grateful. While he couldn't care less about anyone finding out about him and Arjuna, this was not how he would have preferred to be discovered. And then there was Subhadra. She had known about them, of course, just as his own wives had known, but they would have expected them to be circumspect and not to allow rumours and gossips about them to spread.

Ah well, what was done was done. There wasn't anything he could do about it now. But the most immediate of their worries was over now. Abhimanyu was safe. That was all that mattered for now.