Quick note for those of you will find this information helpful!

*Mahadeva – another name for Lord Shiva. Krishna is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and he holds immense love and respect for Lord Shiva, and vice versa.

*Dwaraka – Krishna's kingdom

*Kanha – another name for Krishna

*Chappathi – a type of unleavened flatbread made from whole wheat flour

*Puri – deep-fried bread made from unleavened whole wheat flour

*Dal – a dish made from dried, split pulses

*Natkhat – a mischievous or naughty individual

"Vasudeva, you haven't eaten yet!" Yudhishthira called out, catching the attention of Draupadi and Krishna who turned towards everyone.

"We are coming, Brother. Sakha and his Sakhi were just discussing something," Krishna replied with a laugh.

"No one will ever understand you Sakha and Sakhi, Brother," Subhadra spoke up with her hands on her hips. "Now both of you come join us for dinner."

"If you don't support me, then who will side with this Vasudeva Krishna, my lovable Sister? Mahadeva, are you witnessing this injustice?" Krishna raised his arms in the air looking up towards his most respected, with an adorable pout on his face and amusement dancing in those mesmerizing eyes.

"Brother!"

"Subhadre!" he countered.

Subhadra shook her head laughing as she thought of her dear elder brother's antics. King of Dwaraka he was, yet still a natkhat lad at heart.

"Kanha, why are you pulling my dear Subhadra's leg again? Come join us for dinner, you trouble-maker!" Balarama mockingly scolded his younger brother.

"Brother! Even you're teaming against me now! Sakhi, now I only have you on my side," Krishna replied with mock exasperation and turned to Draupadi with pleading eyes.

Draupadi smiled at the father of the universe, who required nothing to be satisfied, yet continued to enjoy loving relationships with all, as a brother, son, father, husband and friend.

"Come on Govinda, you haven't eaten anything yet. Being your dear Sakhi, I cannot allow you to starve a minute longer!" she reprimanded him lovingly, making Krishna smile.

As Krishna settled down again with the others to have his dinner, Draupadi hustled around providing heaping second servings of food for everyone. Conversations resumed casually again, while one individual sat at the end, next to Nakula, with her plate of food barely touched.

Mitra played around with her food, breaking her chappathi into small pieces, but not eating it. Her thoughts had carried her away to the days before the great war, where she used to enjoy mealtimes more than any other time of the day. Eating from her mother's hand was the best. Tears blurred her vision as she remembered the days where she would refuse to take a single morsel of food, running away, as her mother would spend hours chasing after her with a plate of steaming chappathis or puris, cajoling her to have just a little more food. She had made her mother chase after her daily, and now fate had taken her mother away, far away where she would never be able to chase after. Mitra was shaken out of her thoughts as she felt a fingertip swipe a drop of water off her cheek. She had been completely lost in her memories, that she did not even register the tear that had left her eye.

Draupadi silently wiped away the tear that had rolled down her child's beautiful face with her fingertip. Her own vision blurred with tears as she saw the sorrow within the young girl's eyes. She gazed at the food on her plate, which had barely been touched.

"Putri, why haven't you eaten anything?" she asked shocked.

Mitra lowered her gaze and whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

"I don't feel that hungry, mother."

Draupadi remained silent as she picked up the plate, struggling to control her tears, as she ripped a piece of the chappati and used it to scoop some dal. Taking a deep breath, she raised a trembling hand holding the food to the young girl's lips, partly scared that she would refuse. Holding Mitra's gaze, Draupadi waited anxiously, fearing that either her hand would be jerked away, or the girl would turn away.

"You will feed me?" came a soft voice, which sounded shocked.

A tear rolled down Draupadi's cheek as her control slackened, in response to the girl's reaction.

"Of course, I will Putri. You are my child. How can I not feed my child?"

"I've always eaten from Maa's hands only," Mitra mentioned innocently.

"Am I not your Maa, my child? I know I will never be able to replace your mother in your heart, and I would never desire to do that. I just wish that one day, you will be able to accept me as another mother, Putri. I just want you to remember, that you will forever be my child," Draupadi whispered as another tear made its way down her cheek.

Mitra reached out and wiped the tear streaming down Draupadi's cheek, which only caused more to escape her eyes. She shook her head negatively, silently conveying to the latter not to cry. With a soft, yet child-like smile on her adorable face, she playfully arched her eyebrows at Draupadi.

"I'm hungry now. Will you feed me? Will you feed me, Maa?"

Draupadi's vision blurred again with tears, as she felt an unexplainable happiness and joy surge through herself. With a bright smile on her face, she hurriedly wiped her tear-stained face with one hand and raised the morsel of food to Mitra's lips. The young girl took a bite and closed her eyes enjoying the richness of the flavours. She opened her eyes wide and smiled a toothy grin indicating that the food was delicious. Panchali's smile widened as she stroked Mitra's head and softly pinched her cheek. The sweet interaction between mother and daughter went unnoticed by all present, but acknowledged by the one who adorns the peacock feather on his crown, as he smiled in witness to his Sakhi's re-surfacing motherly affection.

"Partha, when are you planning to train our dear Mitra in archery?" Krishna asked Arjuna, catching the attention of both Draupadi and Mitra.

"Not anytime soon, Madhava," Arjuna replied, smirking at Mitra from the corner of his eyes. "My child still needs training to walk properly without tripping and falling on her face."

Mitra narrowed her eyebrows at Arjuna while he threw his head back and laughed heartily, causing everyone else to chuckle. Mitra huffed in irritation as she glared at her Baba who was having the time of his life making a joke out of her.

"Arjuna, that's enough. Don't pick on our sweetheart like this!" admonished Yudhishthira as he held back a chuckle and struggled to keep his face straight.

"I'm not picking on her, Brother. Just merely stating the facts," Arjuna replied while he tried to hide the grin on his face.

"I would not have tripped, if your big foot hadn't come in my path, Baba," Mitra countered back. "I'm sorry you don't have control over your own coordination!"

This time Krishna threw his head back and laughed at the wit of the young child, and all followed suit.

"Look at her, Madhava. See how feisty she is playing tit for tat!" Arjuna pouted as Mitra raised her eyebrows and flashed him a victorious smirk.

"Ahhh Partha, I'm used to a similar feistiness like this, and I believe it hails from Panchala," Krishna mentioned shifting his gaze to Draupadi, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Govindaa!!"

"Madhavaa!!"

Everyone gaped at the owners of both voices that had warned Krishna in a 'do not mess with me, Krishna' tone simultaneously.

Draupadi turned her head to look at the owner of the voice who had warned Krishna in a similar way at the same time as her. She was astounded when her eyes met Mitra's amused ones and realized that it had been her! Then Mitra winked and offered a high five to Draupadi making the latter softly giggle as she returned the gesture.

"Now look, Partha. I tried to stand up for you, but these two sakhis have teamed up against me!" pouted Krishna, yet his eyes shone bright with happiness in witness to his Sakhi's giggle.

"Okay that's enough all of you. Now finish your dinner," Raja Mata Kunti cut in with a small smile forming on her face, as she witnessed her broken family starting to mend their bonds again.

Draupadi spent the later hours of the evening directing the cooks to arrange the flours and spices, received from Hastinapura, in the kitchen. She was comparing the two types of graham flour received from the palace, when a small tug on her garment brought her out of her thinking.

She glanced down to see little Mitra looking at her with curious eyes. Draupadi bent down and lifted the child up on the kitchen counter, amazed at seeing the little one finding the kitchen an interesting place to explore. She stared at Mitra's face, wondering why the child appeared to be so curious.

"What is it Putri? Did you need something?"

Mitra shook her ahead in affirmation, indicating that she did.

"Very well! What is it that my lovely girl wants?" Panchali smiled at the angel seated before her.

Mitra cocked her head to one side, still eyeing Draupadi with intent curiosity.

"Do you know what it's like to experience joy, Maa?"

Draupadi was taken aback with her child's random question. It brought her back to her early days in Panchala where she always trailed behind her elder sister, Shikhandini, asking all sorts of random questions that popped in her mind – with the latter struggling to find satisfying answers.

Smiling to herself from the memories, Draupadi shifted her attention back to Mitra.

"Of course, I do! I've experienced so many joyful moments in my life, and now I'm experiencing it while having you beside me," she smiled as she cupped Mitra's cheek.

A mischievous glint filled the young one's eyes as she regarded her mother.

"That's interesting. Are you one of those rare persons who acknowledge the joy they feel in a silent way? I haven't seen or heard you laugh heartily since I arrived this afternoon, despite having joyful conversations at dinner today. Have you forgotten how to laugh, Maa?"

"I...ahh...uhmmmm. I do know how to laugh, Putri. I've laughed many times before. Just not so recently, but I know how to experience joy," she replied as she tapped Mitra's nose.

Draupadi stuttered as she tried to find the suitable reply to her child's inquiry. Oh, how she wished she could tell her daughter how her heart longed to travel back to those golden days prior to the war and incident in the Kuru hall, where she would laugh whole heartedly with no concern in the world.

However, she missed the more obvious mischief in her daughter's eyes as she spoke, "So you won't be angry if I do this right, Maa?"

Draupadi was caught off guard as she felt a handful of flour come in contact with her face. Before she could wipe it off her eyelids and spit out the bits that had flown into her mouth, Mitra hopped off the counter laughing and dashed to the other corner of the large kitchen.

"What happened, Maa? Did I catch you off guard there?" Mitra questioned with a big smirk on her face.

Draupadi dusted the flour off her face and lifted her gaze to meet that of the tiny, amused creature standing in the other corner of the kitchen. Mitra froze, fearing that she had gone too far with this prank. But that fear gradually subsided as she saw a wide grin forming on Draupadi's shocked face.

"Wait till I catch you, you sneaky little one! I will not spare you today!" Draupadi exclaimed as she chased after Mitra.

The two sakhis ran in circles, one after the other, all around the kitchen. Each holding handfuls of flour to fling at the other. In minutes, they were both covered head-to-toe in white flour. At one-point Mitra took a wrong turn around the corner of one of the counters and got herself captured in Draupadi's arms. The squirming girl caused both to lose balance and fall into a huge pile of flour left to be sifted by the cooks the next day. Draupadi caged Mitra in her arms, who was so covered in flour that she was blowing some out of her nose at this point! Draupadi's arms released around her. Mitra was just about to pout at her mother and blame her for their condition, when a sound of heartfelt laughter made her freeze.

Draupadi's laughter was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. The sight of her mother clutching her stomach and laughing out loud with her head resting against the top mound of flour, was definitely a sight to behold. Mitra sat up on the mound of flour and stared at her mother laugh with her chin resting on her palms. Tears streamed down Draupadi's cheeks as a result of such heartfelt laughter after so long. Her mother was definitely the most beautiful woman ever!

Draupadi sat up wiping her tears and struggling to catch her breath. She had not laughed like this since her golden days in Panchala prior to her swayamvara. Those days brought forth so much joy in her heart, and today she was able to re-live those moments thanks to her dear child. She remembered her Sakha's words, prior to having dinner that evening. "You never know what time has in tune for you, Sakhi. Even the impossible can be made possible within a blink of an eye." So, this is what the mischief in her Govinda's eyes had been indicating! He knew that she would not only get to shower motherly love again, but also laugh to her heart's content, just as she had desired. It was all made possible by the lovely creature sitting on the mound of flour before her, staring at her with a child-like smile and sneezing flour out of her nose repeatedly!

"Are you angry with me, Maa?" she asked innocently, as she stifled another sneeze.

Draupadi cupped the soft cheeks of her daughter and pressed a kiss on the porcelain forehead, as a soft tear rolled down her own cheek.

"Why would I be angry at you, my love? You have brought back to life the desires I've always harboured in the depths of my heart, convinced that I'll never be able to experience them again. You've given me the biggest gift in my life, that I would have never dreamed of getting."

Mitra wiped the lone tear on her mother's cheek as she playfully arched one eyebrow.

"Okay, so since I've given you a gift...can you promise me something in return?"

"What promise, my child?"

"You will never cry again. Wait...I take that back. I realized how emotional you can be, when you were crying non-stop at dinner. You nearly made my chappathi soggy with tears!" Mitra chuckled.

"My little natkhat!" Draupadi whispered as she kissed her nose.

Mitra pretended to think deeply before widening her eyes, indicating she had an idea.

"Since you probably will never stop crying...I want you to promise me that you will always let me wipe your tears and allow me to make you laugh like this again!"

Draupadi was at a loss for words as she considered her good fortune seated before her. How lucky she must have been, despite the cursed circumstances she took birth in, to be blessed with a child like Mitra. She held her precious daughter's face between her hands and placed one hand on her head in blessing. She prayed with all her heart, mind and soul for her child to live a blessed life with all the happiness and prosperity in the world. She then let that hand glide down to find her cheek, as she gently pinched her cheek, making the girl pout.

"I promise you. I promise you, my Sakhi."

And that marks the end of Chapter 2! I really hope you enjoyed reading it! 

While you wait for chapter 3, please do comment your thoughts - I would love to hear your views :) Please do vote for the chapter if you feel it's worthy! 

A big thank you to all of you for your support and love!