DEVASENA SIGHED as she handled one of the pots on her waist whilst holding onto her lehenga, making sure that she doesn't trip. It was the seventh day that she was going to fill water. Her brothers were becoming more suspicious day by day while her mother also started suspecting her. It was unusual for Devasena to do this much work but Yudhishtira backed her by saying that if she is doing extra work, then they should not suspect her rather they should appreciate her, during all of the conversation all Sahadev could do was smirk at his sister, who was trying to hide her face slightly out of guilt.

Devasena let out an "Uff." as she kept the pots at the entrance of the cave and made her way inside. Their laid Krishna with a flute near his mouth as he played a melody. His well chiseled figure shone under the sunlight. Devasena's cheeks burned slightly. She couldn't deny that he was more handsome than men of his age. And it didn't help that she was growing fond of his company.

"Tum aa gayi Radhe?" he said, his eyes closed as his back faced her. A smile made way through his lips as Devasena let out a huff.

"Aapko kaise gyaat hua ki main hi hoon?" she asked.

"Mujhe kaise na gyaat hota." he said in a soft voice as Devasena removed the bandage, the wound was nearly healed which made Devasena both happy and sad. She took the herbal paste and started applying it on his wound as he stared at her face.

"Kya kisiko aapse prem nahi hua?" he childishly asked as she tried concentrated on his wound.

"Koi uss yogya mila hi nahi." she blatantly said.

"Apke yogya banne ke liye kya karna hoga." her eyebrows scrunched as she tried to concentrate in his wound and not look at his face.

"Mujhe apne samaan samajhna, mere yogyata ko samajhna hoga, mujhe apni patini ka sthaan de na ki mujhe apni daasi samjhe." she got up as she kept the bowl at it's place and took the bandage in her hands. She crouched next to him as she wrapped bandage around his shoulder.   

"Main ek aise nar ko janta hoon jo apke yogya hai." he said with a mischevious smile.

"Kaun?" she asked without looking up. "Main." she coughed vigorously as she tried to hide her blush.

"Aapka ghav bhar gaya hai. Aap kal pratah kaal tak punah apne ghar jaa sakte hain." she hastily said as she got up and started to leave.

"Main apse prem karne laga hoon Radhe. Bahut prem karta hoon apse aur anant kal tak karta rahoonga." he said as he kept one of his hand on her shoulder.

"Prem? Mere pass aise vyarth baaton ke liye samay nahi hai." she said as she could feel the pace of her heart increasing.

"Toh yahi baat aap mere netron mein dekhkar kyun nahi kehti?" he smirked as Devasena turned and looked into his light hazel eyes which only showed one emotion; pure love.

"Main apse..." she stuttered. "Prem karti hoon." she confessed. "Kintu iss prem ka koi arth nahi hai." she looked away.

"Aisa kyun, Priye?" he asked with a knowing look. "Mera jeevan hi ek tapasya hai, Manmohan. Main kaun hoon, kahaan se aayin hoon ye aap kabhi nahi jaan payegi. Mere sang prem prasang karna vyarth hai."

"Prem karna kabhi bhi vyarth nahi hota Radhe. Prem hi ek matra aisa sambandh jo niswarth bhav se kiya jaata hai." she sighed knowing that it was impossible to defeat him in the war of words.

"Mujhe kshama kar dein, mere bhai meri prateeksha kar rahein honge." with that she ran out. Krishna sat on the cement slab as he smiled, "Kab tak mujhse door jaogi, priye. Tum mujhse jitna door jaogi, humara prem tumhein mujhse utna hi kareeb laega."

Devasena sat on the floor of the temple as she looked at the scenery with a look of daze. She was only thinking about Manmohan, his words were constantly ringing in her mind. Her white dupatta was moving along with the wind as her eyes looked sad. She was in love with Krishna. But was it the right time to fall in love when everyone aside your family is conspiring to kill you; no. Did she wanted to get married to him; yes. Was she in the right condition to get married?; no. Could she get married at foundation of a lie; no. 

 She knew that she had to get married one day and she could if she wanted to but the main problem was that the condition of Hastinapur was unstable, Yudhishtir still needed her as his sarthi. And after marriage, she could do none of them. The tip of her sword was swinging between her duties and own happiness but she was forced to make it stop at her duties.

"Kaunsa swapn dekh rahi ho, Sakhi?" A lady asked, Devasena moved her brown orbs to look up. She saw a girl, probably older, wearing a fiery red dress, adorned with jewelery made of gold, looking at her with a kind smile. By one look at her face, Devasena knew that she was a princess.

Devasena hastily stood up as she bowed her head slightly in respect, remembering that right now she was not Rajkumari Devasena. "Mere prashna ka uttar nahi diya tumne sakhi?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.   

"Main bas aise hi yaha baithi thi, Rajkumari." she answered.

"Tumhe kaise gyaat hua ki mai Rajkumari hoon?" The princess asked.

"Aapke chehre ka tej hi paryapt hai mujhe bataane ke liye aap ek Rajkumari. Main Rajkumari Devsena ki Sairandhari thi." The words left her mouth before she could even think. The princess smiled at her. "Maine bhi suna hai Rajkumari ke baare mein. Unki mrityu ke baare mein sunkar dukh hua tha, pitashree unki veerta ke baare mein mujhe ab bhi batate hain." the princess said with a sad look while Devasena's heart clenched as she felt bad for lying.   

"Kehte hain ki Kuruvansh ki saari kanyain shrapit hai." one of the lady-in-waiting of the princess said as Devasena looked at her fiercely.

"Arth kya hai tumhara?" she asked in a tone filled with anger.

"Yahi, ki jo bhi kanya uss kul mein janm leti hai ya vadhu bankar jaati hai, uska jeevan dukh se bhaara hua hota hai." she explained.

"Sahi keh rahi ho Sakhi. Pahle Maharani Gandhari, uske pashchat Rajkumari Kunti aur Rakuamri Madri, phir Rajkumari Dushyala, wo toh bhagwaan ki kripa se Rajkumari Devsena ki mrityu hogi warna unka kya hashra hota wo toh swayam Shiv hi jante hain." the other lady said.

"Satya kaha, sakhi. Rajkumari hriday ki bahut nek vyakti thi, sunne mein aaya hai ki unke aur yuvraj (Duryodhan) mein sambandh acche nahi the, kaun jane kisse vivah hota unka." Devasena was now ready to rip off their heads for speaking in such a way but she maintained her composure and spoke.

"Tum dono kadapi bhool rahi ho ki Rajkumari ke panch shaktishali bhai the jo apni behen ko kuch nahi hone dete." she said with a proud look in her eyes, the princess could sense the uncomfortableness in the situation and thought of changing the topic.

"Ye vyarth ki batein chodiye main chahti hoon ki aap mere kesh ko sajaayen, jaise aap Rajkumari Devsena ka sajati thi." the princess sheepishly said as Devasena forcefully nodded in approval.   

"Kintu aapne apna naam nahi bataya, Sakhi?" the princess asked. Devasena took a deep breath. 'Ek aur jhoot.'

"Mera naam Parthvi hai." she blurted, the princess smiled at her as they made way to her palace.

Draupadi and Devasena, upon reaching the palace the two of them chatted for a while until the dasi announced the arrival of Dwarikadheesh. Draupadi's face lit with happiness as she kept thinking of the making her Sakha meet her new Sakhi. 

[This is going to be his look as Dwarikadheesh also this will be his look in all of the upcoming chapters.]

And that was when he entered, a golden tiara adorned with a peacock feather on his head. A golden angvastram around him as he walked in wearing a blue peacock coloured pyjama. Her mouth gaped as the realization stuck in, he was Dwarikadheesh. He was Vasudevnandan, the one defeated Kansa and he was the one she shot with an arrow.

"Sakhi," he said in his honey laced voice. "Tum aaj shiv mandir gayi thi, apne Sakha ko prasad nahi dogi?" Draupadi face-palmed herself.

"Main abhi prasad lati hoon, Govind aap tab tak meri Sakhi, Parthvi se miliye. Inse meri mitrata aaj hi hui hai main tab tak prasad lati hoon." and with that she left. Devasena looked at Krishna with rage.

"Aapne mujhse asatya bola." she accused as Krishna smirked. "Maine koi asatya nahi bola."

"Aap Manmohan nahi, Dwarkidheesh hain." she retorted, her eyes glimmering under the fire-lit torch.

"Aur aap Radha nahi Parthvi hain, Rajkumari." he smirked.

"Main....main koi Rajkumari nahin." she defied.

"Yeh aap swayam koi kahiyega Rajkumari Devsena." she sucked a harsh breath. "Rajkumari Devsena ki mrityu Varnavat mein hi gayi thi. Main Parthvi hoon, Rajkumari Draupadi ki Sairandhari." Krishna nodded in fake thinking.

"Ye satya hai ki aap Parthvi hain. Kintu aap jaise shahad se uski madhurta nahi chhin sakte, vaise hi aap ek Kshatriye yoddha se uske gun nahi chhin sakte. Swayam vichar kariyega, Sairandhari." he said as all of a sudden Draupadi entered with the prasad in a plate as Krishna turned to her with a smile.

"Kshama karein Govind, bahut samay lag gaya." she apologized as she placed the prasad in his hand.

"Koi apatti nahi, Sakhi." he smiled at her. Draupadi smiled at her sakha until her eyes landed on the fresh scar on his chest.

"Sakha yeh-" she ran her hand over the scar. "-kisna kiya?" . Kanha looked at Devasena with a sly smile while the princess looked at the anything but him.

"Chinta mat karo Sakhi, aapki Sairandhari aapko sab bata dengi." Devasena's eyes widened whereas Draupadi looked at him confused.

"Parantu ab mujhe jaana hoga, tumhare swayamvar ke liye yogya var jo dekhne hai mujhe." he joked as she laughed and nodded, with one look at Devasena, he left.

Whereas Devasena stood there staring at the blank space where he stood before. 

"Kya hua Sakhi?" Draupadi asked out of concern.

"Main jo chahti hoon, wo kabhi nahi hota hai aur jo main nahi chahti vo avashya hi hoke rehta hai."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*    

Radhe Radhe