As Anya left the training area, still grumbling about Duryodhan's comments, she muttered under her breath, "How dare he say I'm not beautiful! Clearly, he needs his eyes checked. Dwarka had fans of my beauty, and here I am, having to deal with *him* thinking he's some sort of big deal!"

She puffed her cheeks in frustration as she made her way to Rajmata Gandhari's chambers. When she arrived, she greeted the queen with her usual enthusiastic smile. "Pranipat, Rajmata Gandhari!"

Gandhari welcomed her warmly, her voice as calm and loving as ever. "Come here, Anya. I've chosen some jewelry for you. You'll need to wear it when you travel to Indraprastha. Kunti sent me a message, asking me to bring you, Subhadra, and Dushala along for the event."

Anya's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We're going to Indraprastha? Oh, that's going to be so much fun! But Rajmata, aren't you coming with us?"

Gandhari shook her head gently. "No, Putri. I have my duties to attend to here. But you, Subhadra, and Dushala will represent the family. Now, come and pick out your jewelry."

Anya looked over and saw Subhadra and Dushala were already there, seated beside a massive collection of gold necklaces, rings, earrings, and bangles. It was like a treasure chest had exploded on the table, and Anya's eyes grew wide as she spotted a gigantic necklace, glittering with gold.

Her thoughts immediately wandered off into her modern-day life. *How much money could I get for this in my time?* She imagined selling the piece for an enormous amount and living like royalty. Her daydream was quickly interrupted by Subhadra's voice.

"Anya, are you sure you can manage this heavy jewelry?" Subhadra asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

Anya, in her usual confident manner, puffed out her chest. "Of course I can! I'm a princess, after all. I can handle anything!"

With that, she eagerly began trying on all the heavy jewelry-necklaces, earrings, rings, everything she could find. She twirled around, showing off the layers of gold and sparkling gems. "Look at me! Do I not look like a goddess?" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

Dushala and Subhadra watched with amused expressions, while Rajmata Gandhari smiled fondly.

But after only five minutes of flaunting her new look, Anya's expression shifted from pride to discomfort. "Okay, okay, enough!" she whined, struggling to move her neck under the weight of the massive necklace. "Someone please take this off! It's like wearing a whole house around my neck!"

Subhadra couldn't help but giggle. "I warned you, didn't I?"

Anya nodded dramatically, her hands up as she tried to free herself. "You were right, you were right! I surrender to the wisdom of Subhadra! Now take it off, please! This thing weighs more than my whole self-esteem after talking to Duryodhan!"

After some struggle, the heavy pieces were finally removed, and Anya quickly chose simpler, more elegant jewelry-a delicate necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet. She turned to Gandhari, her usual enthusiasm restored. "There! This is better. Simple, yet still making me look fabulous. Don't you think?"

Gandhari chuckled softly. "You look lovely, Anya. Sometimes, simplicity is the best choice."

Feeling proud of her final selection, Anya gave her thanks and hurried out of the chamber. She was eager to show off her new look-lighter and much more comfortable. As she exited, she nearly bumped into Shakuni, who was standing just outside with his ever-present, sly smile.

*Does this man ever get tired of smiling like that?* she wondered, staring at him with mild curiosity.

"Pranipat, Shakuni Mama!" Anya greeted him with a beaming smile, completely unfazed by his sinister aura.

Shakuni returned her greeting with his usual shrewd demeanor. "Pranipat, Princess Anya. You seem rather excited today."

"Oh, of course!" Anya replied, her hands gesturing wildly. "I just got myself the perfect jewelry for our trip to Indraprastha. You know, I tried on this huge necklace, but it was so heavy I thought I'd tip over!" She started mimicking herself trying to balance under the weight of the jewelry, which made Shakuni raise an eyebrow in amusement.

"Indeed," Shakuni said, still smiling. "Jewelry, no matter how beautiful, must be practical, after all."

Anya nodded eagerly. "Exactly! I mean, I need to look gorgeous, but I also need to be able to breathe. Practicality first, right, Mama?" She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper, "And between you and me, Shakuni Mama, how do you keep that smile going all the time? Doesn't your face get tired?"

Shakuni blinked, momentarily speechless. *No one's ever asked me that before.*

Before he could respond, Anya continued, "I mean, I smiled for five minutes straight once, and my cheeks hurt for the whole day! And you're smiling all the time! Do you have some secret technique? You know, like how people stretch before doing yoga? Is there a smile-warm-up?"

Shakuni, completely caught off guard, stared at her for a moment before a small chuckle escaped him. "You have quite the imagination, Princess Anya."

Anya grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "I do, don't I? You should thank me-I'm helping you improve your smile game!"

Shakuni, still baffled by her antics, shook his head slightly, the smile on his face remaining but now less calculated, more genuine. *This girl... she's something else entirely.*

"Well, Shakuni Mama, I must go. Rajmata Gandhari summoned me, but I couldn't help stopping to admire your eternal smile. Keep up the good work!" Anya gave him a playful salute and skipped away, leaving Shakuni standing there, speechless and slightly amused.

As Anya disappeared down the hall, Shakuni's thoughts lingered on her. *She might be a bit of a whirlwind, but there's something about her spirit... She's both unpredictable and amusing.*

He shook his head once more, returning to his usual scheming, though a small, amused smile remained on his lips as he went about his day.

Got it! Here's the revised version without the reference to Anya reading about Duryodhan in the Mahabharata:

---
Anya was practically bouncing with excitement as she looked for her brother, Balaram, to show off her new look. She finally found him near the training grounds, chatting with none other than Duryodhan. With an enthusiastic grin, she sprinted over and twirled dramatically in front of him, her jewelry jingling with the movement.

"Dau! Look at me! Don't I look amazing? Did you notice anything different?" she asked, puffing out her chest and striking a pose, her hand deliberately drawing attention to the delicate necklace Rajmata Gandhari had gifted her.

Balaram, always the doting brother, gave her an affectionate smile. "Yes, little one. You look fabulous. But what's the special occasion? You don't usually wear such extravagant jewelry."

Anya beamed. "I'm going to wear this in Indraprastha! It's a gift from Rajmata Gandhari."

Balaram nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, I see. Well, Krishna will also be in Indraprastha, so I won't worry about you being there. I'll have to leave for Dwarka for some important work."

Anya's smile wavered, her excitement dimming as she pouted. "But Dau... you're leaving me behind?"

Balaram chuckled, pulling her into a quick hug. "Don't worry, little one. Krishna will be there to look after you, and besides, you're strong. You'll be fine."

Anya still looked a little downcast, but before she could say anything else, Duryodhan, who had been standing quietly, suddenly chimed in with an unimpressed, emotionless look on his face. "You look ugly now."

Anya froze for a second, eyes widening in disbelief before she puffed up in indignation. "Ugly?! You're clearly blind! You should get your eyes checked, Prince Duryodhan!" She huffed, her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

Balaram, seeing the tension between them, sighed. "Anya, that's no way to behave."

"But Dau!" she whined dramatically, throwing her hands in the air. "Your pupil over here just called me ugly! Do I look ugly, Dau?" she asked, turning to him with her most innocent puppy-dog eyes.

Balaram gave Duryodhan a serious look. "Duryodhan, that's impolite behavior. My little one here is beautiful," he said with a fond smile, then added with a chuckle, "She's like a lotus blossoming in a battlefield, always standing out."

Anya nodded furiously in agreement, satisfied by her brother's compliment. "Exactly! I'm a rare beauty. Even Dwarka had fans who would line up just to admire me!" she said, shamelessly praising herself.

Duryodhan sighed, rubbing his temple. "Sorry, Gurudev... Princess Anya," he muttered, not looking the least bit sorry but saying it out of respect for Balaram.

Just as things were settling down, a messenger arrived, bowing to Balaram. "Gurudev, King Dhritarashtra has summoned you."

Balaram nodded and turned to Anya, patting her head. "I'll see you later, little one. Don't cause any trouble, alright?"

Anya gave a sweet but mischievous smile. "Of course, Dau! You know me-trouble always finds *me*, I never seek it out!"

With that, Balaram left, leaving Anya alone with Duryodhan. Suddenly, the playful spark in Anya's eyes flickered out, replaced by nervousness. Duryodhan's intense stare locked onto her, and as he began walking toward her, Anya instinctively took a step back.

He kept advancing, a smirk growing on his lips as she kept backing away until her back hit a pillar. Anya's heart raced, and she was trying to keep her composure, but her nerves were getting the better of her.

"So, even the confident Princess gets nervous, huh?" Duryodhan taunted, his deep voice low as he came closer.

Anya, trying to keep it together, puffed out her chest and waved her hands frantically in front of her. "I-I'm not nervous! I know what's going on here! You're probably plotting something, aren't you? Well, let me tell you, I'm onto you! I'll be watching you-always!"

Duryodhan arched an eyebrow at her rambling, clearly amused. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes! And don't think for a second that you scare me! I'm not afraid of you! I'm just-just... um-"

She was cut off as Duryodhan stepped so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. He leaned in ever so slightly, and in a small, nervous voice, she whispered, "Don't come near me..."

Duryodhan smirked, leaning in just a little closer, his breath warm on her ear. "And why not?"

Anya's eyes darted around as she searched for an answer, her mind racing. "B-because... um... I... well... I don't have time for your... schemes! And... and my brother is just around the corner!" she stammered, her words tumbling out in a rush of nervous energy.

Duryodhan chuckled softly, amused by her rambling. He reached up and gently plucked a stray petal that had somehow ended up in her hair. His fingers brushed against her cheek as he whispered in her ear, "You look cute when you're scared like a little rabbit, Princess."

Anya's breath hitched as her cheeks flushed bright red. She was too stunned to respond as Duryodhan finally pulled away, giving her some space. With a sly grin, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, pressed against the pillar, still trying to process what had just happened.

"W-what just-? Did he just-? Ugh! How dare he! Evil! He's evil, I know it!" she mumbled to herself, shaking her head as she straightened up. "He said I'm cute... like a rabbit?!"

As Duryodhan walked away, he glanced back one last time, a smirk still tugging at his lips. *She's too amusing for her own good. But cute... in her own chaotic way.*