You all are welcomed for the grand swayamvar of kaurav nandini, lakshmana.

A pleasant breeze blew through the chamber of lakshmana and played with tresses of the sleeping kaurav nandini. A gentle smile spread on her beautiful face. A hand gently moved over her forehead, " Putri wake up " Someone said in a voice filled with love. Lakshmana opened her eyes gently to find the most loving woman she knew, sitting beside her. Vrushali beamed at her and rocked her head.
" Go for bath " She said and left the room. Lakshmana raised herself on the bed, she took a looked at her beautifully decorated chamber. Bhargavi had kept her dress that she was going to wear for swayamvar, the dress she was going to wear for wedding, all the ornaments and her shringaar on a couch. Lakshmana smiled to herself and climbed down her bed. Suddenly she remembered about all the events last night. Her hands started trembling and her heart pondered and her legs felt weak.

She gathered courage, gulped her tears and decorated her face with a faint smile. Lakshmana walked for her bath, where supriya and bhargavi welcomed her with a warm smile. Bhargavi looked at her with concern and asked her if she was fine. Lakshmana gave a faint smile and told her not to be troubled through eyes. Supriya cupped her face lovingly and rocked her hair. Lakshmana had a Royal bath and wore a beautiful red dress. Uttara came along with dushala to help her get dressed. Heavy ornaments were elegantly placed around her neck and in her ears, tiny mangtika decorated her forehead and anklets in her ankles tinkled.

After getting ready lakshmana looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.
" Putri" Gandhari entered her chamber and tried to reach her head.
" I can feel you would be looking extremely beautiful, hope I could look at you " Gandhari said trying to hold her hand. " Pitamahi, that won't diminish your love for me na " Lakshmana hugged her. Vikarna, karna, lakshman, vrishasen and all brothers of lakshmana came in her chamber to meet her, they all shared a big hug. " I miss suthanu " Lakshmana whispered in dushala's ears.

" Come on hurry up, it's getting late " Ashwatthama came and announced, all the ladies with the children chuckled. All of them left and lakshmana was about to leave her room, she looked at her room for one last time and gulped. " God, I've surrendered to you, please help me " She murmured and swallowed her tears once again. " Mani " Duryodhan came and kept her hand on her shoulder. They both looked at each other and duryodhan hugged her involuntarily.

" Let's leave " Duryodhan took her outside her chamber. Uttara, bhargavi, asavari and ketaki were waiting for her. Duryodhan and all the elders went and sat in the vast hall. " Let's welcome, the swayamvaraā, kaurav nandini, duryodhan putri, rajkumaari lakshmana " , ashwatthama announced.

Lakshmana came into the vast arena, bhargavi, uttara, asavari and ketaki behind her. Many kings and princes were smitten by her beauty. She walked keeping her gaze towards the ground and sat in front of the arena besides duryodhan. Duryodhan and mahamahim welcomed all the suitors and announced that lakshmana would choose the Royal, by putting an Garland around his neck. Counches and trumpets were blown. Lakshmana rose on her feet and took blessings of all the elders. She walked towards the place were all her suitors were sitting, her eyes searching for, the yadava prince who had stole her heart. He was looking at her with happiness in his eyes and a wide smile on his lips. Her heart started pondering, she remembered every event, right from their first meet till present moment. She stood at the place like a statue, looking at sambh.

Uttara hinted her to start walking and she was back in her senses. She walked in front of her suitors, bhargavi introducing her to them, lakshmana didn't even raised her eyes and looked at them, she kept on walking thinking about sambh and her father. " He is rajkumaar sambh from dwarka " Bhargavi said Impishly. Sambh was shocked, he expected bhargavi to be happy while introducing him. Lakshmana stood in front of him, her throat dry and eyes heavy with tears, her lips started shivering. Sambh looked at her with awe and didn't understand, why she was behaving like this. They both were in love and had promised to marry each other. Sambh rose on his feet in disgust and held lakshmana's hand.

Bhargavi, vrushali and supriya's eyes went wide. Duryodhan, karna, mahamshim and vrishasen stood on their place. Lakshmana stared at sambh gasping for breath. Before anyone could move from their place, sambh gripped her wrist and started running, ulmuka behind them. Lakshmana was number, her heart was telling her to go with him, she ran her wrist in sambh's hand, held tightly. There was a big chaos in the arena, all the suitors raised their weapons, considering this as their insult. Vidur, ashwatthama and vikarna was engaged in stopping all of them. Vrishasen and karna went behind sambh, ulmuka and lakshmana, vrushali, dushala and supriya took all the elders back into the palace.

Sambh made lakshmana climb their rath and then himself and ulmuka climbed. They quickly hurried from the palace, but vrishasen and karna were following them. After riding for some distance, karna came across their rath and stopped it. Lakshmana started dripping tears, which she had been holding from long. Karna and sambh started shooting arrows at each other, ulmuka and vrishasen engaged in a sword fight. Seeing her uncle and brother, fighting with the man she loves, she fell in the rath with a thud. Sambh's gaze moved at her for a second and at the same time karna's arrow captured him.

" Run ulmuka, get help from dwarka " Sambh screamed, ulmuka quickly climbed his horse and hurried towards dwarka. Sambh was captured by karna and vrishasen, vrishasen came forward and made sure that lakshmana wasn't hurt. She had some minor bruises on her hand.

In the palace, all the ladies stood praying in front of God for the safety of their daughter. Vikarna and ashwatthama were still calming the guests. Duryodhan was walking in his chamber like a tiger in his cage, his eyes filled with rage. " Jyeshtha, I had told you, you shouldn't invite family of that chaliya, see what had happened now " Dusshasan was blabbering. Duryodhan threw a flower pot on him in fit on anger,
" Keep your useless mouth shut stupid, mitra and vrishasen would bring lakshmana back " He said glaring hard.

A soldier came riding on a horse , where all the people were seating. He announced that karna had captured sambh and lakshmana was safe. Everyone sighed a breath of relief. Immediately a palanquin was send to bring lakshmana back to the palace and sambh was brought as a prisoner.
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Karna came with sambh, his hands tied like a prisoner. Duryodhan took heavy steps and walked towards them in anger. " This chaliya putra, how dare you touch my daughter " Duryodhan was about to box him, but karna interrupted. Karna and ashwatthama took sambh to the prison and then entered the palanquin of lakshmana. Indumati rushed and helped her chimb down. Her tresses were dishellved, ornaments were broken, eyes were swollen from crying and she had bruises on her body.

Duryodhan ran to her , " Are you fine, tell me are you fine " He shook her. Lakshmana started crying and hugged duryodhan. Duryodhan also held her protectively .

Bhargavi and supriya then took lakshmana to her chamber. Supriya gave her water to drink and sat besides her. " Mata, I want to be alone for some time " Lakshmana said gravely and Impishly. Supriya nodded and left the room, bhargavi stood up and started walking, but lakshmana held her hand and made her sit besides. No one knew, what to stay, they both sat quietly.

Breaking the silence, bhargavi held lakshmana's hand into hers
" Rajkumaari " She said in low voice.
Lakshmana hugged her and started crying, bhargavi rocked her cheeks and tried to console her. " You should rest now " Bhargavi said separating the hug, lakshmana nodded in a yes. She laid on her bed, thinking all that had happened in these two days, her life had changed, she closed her eyes in despair and exhaled. Suddenly she her mother's words, ' don't lose hope, whatever is meant to happen would happen ' , she felt hope in that statement. Her heart had some hope they both would be together, " But how! He is there like a prisoner in my home, how would it be possible " She questioned herself and fresh pair of tears ran down her eyes.
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