Eight days ago...

"Jyesth..." I stood nervously over where eldest sat in the cornerstone of the playground.

He so much as slightly glanced up once, settling down the spear he was cleaning with satin cloth and patting the space beside him. "What are you thinking about Phalgun?"

"Jyesth, I...I think they don't like us."

"Who?"

"Tatshree's...our cousins, brother."

Eldest glanced at me then switched his gaze to the ground as if contemplating something for a moment before his gaze shifted back to settle on my face.

"Arjun, they are our brothers. Where did you get that thought from?"

"I have seen, Jyesth, the way they...look at us. The way they look at you, Bratha Bheem... We disgust them Bhrata."

"It's nothing like that, Phalgun. It's just petty competitiveness out of playful naivete. I am sure they don't intend us any harm. "

"But Jyesth-"

"We are safe here Phalgun, relax your jaw."

My jaw unclenched. I didn't even realise I was holding onto it tight enough for jyesth to notice it within a mere half of a glance. Nevertheless, I still had my doubts. I wanted to argue that something didn't feel right here but my throat was clogged like someone was holding me up in a chokehold and all I could do was hope.

"I hope you are right Bhrata."

I quietly stood up, leaving Jyesth to resume with his chores.

It was around afternoon when Duryodhan came up to us with two of his brothers following closely after. Maybe I was too lost in my thoughts since morning or maybe I just couldn't let go of this harrowing feeling in my chest but my ears missed whatever was being said. I picked up on a few words here and there, 'swimming' 'river' 'Pramankoti'

And before I knew anything else, we were already riding our way to the banks of Ganga for what the princes called 'Water Sports'.

It turned out to be a small palace near the Ganges banks with magnificent splendour in its wake. Water tanks filled with fragrant lotuses all around and inside and rich decorations over the beautifully painted walls.

Many of the Kaurava princes wasted no time in throwing off and away their angvastram as they jumped into the water, swimming and splashing around with great joy.

Bhrata Bheem was about to join them when he halted a second, sniffing on the faint aroma in the air as he exclaimed. "I smell delicacies, Nakul! Where!"

He was right. There were loads of delicacies cooked by Royal chefs in the corner of the playhouse. And Bhrata Bheem being himself stormed straight towards the food counter. He looked ecstatic today with all these dishes all to himself and the kaurava brothers serving him more delicacies to taste.

Duryodhana and his uncle followed behind him soon. I had seen the two whispering something to each other.
But Duryodhan seemed to be caring as well today. Every other moment he would ask after jyesth or us for any kind of discomfort or whether we were enjoying ourselves or not.

Maybe Jyesth was right. I truly was thinking too much about Duryodhan's intentions. Maybe the expressions I noticed on their faces before were truly just naivete - the stubborn anger of a kid who has lost a match to his sibling.

Soon after, I also dropped my angvastram to the side, descending into the waters as well. It was cold to touch but soon grew into a comforting temperature under the gentle winds of spring. I also joined Nakul and Sahadev who were playing with the Kaurava princes almost reluctantly, swallowing down my hesitation yet still.

Bhrata Bheem, who had satiated his stomach to his heart's content, was specially energetic today. In all the games of either swimming to the shore or of holding the breathe underwater, he seemed to defeat everyone with the ease of an elephant against lion cubs.

He would hold many of them between his arms like he did with Nakul Sahadev and hold them under water for as long as they would tolerate. One look at him, anyone would be able to tell he means no actual harm and most probably he would be the first to panic if anything actually happens but I had a feeling the Kauravas took it as a challenge to their strength instead.

After a long time of rigorous sporting everyone begins to slowly retire for a nap. Even Bhrata Bheema slept beside the river banks in his inability to walk back to the palace anymore.
The day had went by in a blur between my constant thoughts and moments of actual playful joy. I had just laid down and when the momentary blink turned into a gentle embracing sleep, I have no idea.

"Bhrata Arjun! Bhrata Arjun, wake up!" I felt a force oscillating my body in uneven successions.

I rubbed my eyes before turning around to lie on my stomach, hands covering my head as I replied in muffled gibberish. "What is it Nakul? Is father back from meditation already?"

And there was silence. I was asleep but not unconscious enough to not realise that silence and Nakul were rare acquaintances. I slowly turned around, squinting my eyes open when I took in the surrounding.

Oh.

We were not in Shatasringa anymore.

Maybe I was so deep asleep that my mind have started playing games on me. Of times when I woke up from an afternoon nap and pitashree...he- No, no, not the time to jump back into the whirlpool of memories.

The silence between Nakul and myself was defeaning as we walked back to our chariots. Even stretching my sore neck felt like taking too much space.

It was already past sunset, I had overslept and it wasn't just me actually but nevertheless the same. The one to finally break the silence was Sahadev.

"Jyesth, where is bhrata Bheem?"

"He has probably already left for the royal palace while we were asleep, Bhrata, nothing to worry about, " Interrupted Duryodhan. His hands were jittery, voice slightly meek and eyes a little too attentive for someone as careless as him. He looked almost like he was anticipating something. Or was it anxiety?

Jyesth being his usual trusting self agreed to him. We too didn't mind it much after that. It was like a low reminder in the back of my head.

We ran straight to Kunti Maa after our arrival, to seek reassurance and a closure to that anxious feeling about Bheema.

"Pranipat Maa, is Bheem here already?" Jyesth initiated as he ascended after Charan Vandana*.

"I bet he's already in the kitchen exclaiming 'I feel even hungrier after playing'" Nakul mimicked how Bhrata Bheem patted his stomach with drooping lips whenever he was hungry and started laughing by himself.

Sahadev and I joined him too, even jyesth shared a chuckle at Nakul's exaggeration. But Mata didn't laugh, not even a slight giggle. Whether her eyebrows knit together in apprehension. She took a hurried glance at Jyesth and whispered in a barely audible voice yet somehow her voice drowned out the loud laughter.

"Yudhisthir...Bheem... He isn't here."

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I wrote this after so long, I have literally forgotten how to write T-T
Istg I might have even made petty grammatical errors here and there.

~Parthvi