The princess of hastinapur stormed in the pandava camp, to question the unfair deaths of her relatives. But all anger inside her faded as soon as she saw krishna standing in front of her, possessing a sad smile. Without any second thought she threw herself on his feet, her tears falling on them. Krishna rocked her head and made her stand holding her shoulders. Before she could say something, krishna said, " I know putri, but I have a reason for everything,  trust me " . Without any second thought lakshmana nodded her head in a yes and touched his feet again.

The pandavas, pandav patnis along with Suthanu came out from their camps. " Putri! " Yudhishthir tried calling her, but she joined her hands in front of him, " Pray don't show this fake sympathy for me. You brothers had killed my relatives unfairly " Lakshmana answered giving more pressure on the last word. " Jiji " Suthanu called her softly and walked towards her, tears welled up in their eyes, they were meeting after many days and these days had changed their life completely. But the love, respect and admiration they had for each other was the same, they were indeed ' sisters separated by fate ' .

" I understand the pain you are going through" Suthanu said, " No you don't pandav nandini, because you have your whole family standing by you " Lakshmana cried , both girls were about to hug each other but bheem roared. " How dare you say this to our daughter! ". Lakshmana looked at him calmly, " The person who drank another person's blood and kicked my father's head, need not tell me, how I should talk with my sister. You don't know what we feel for each other " . Suthanu looked at them both confused, whom should she side with.

" Don't dare to speak like this with our only daughter, when her fathers and mother's are there " Bheem answered.
" Won't you ever let go your habit of taunting people! Not even for a princess who is of your daughter's age! And yes, I know my father is half dead and would die soon , but he is going to die a warriors death, paying for his deeds " Lakshmana answered. Krishna wondered, how was the ever impulsive lakshmana answering so calmly. " Enough please ! Thani take lakshmana to your  camp " Subhadra interrupted.

Suthanu smiled, indeed krishna's sister knew how to handle tense situations. She would cleverly keep children away from fights, like the way she is doing now. Lakshmana joined her hands in front of everyone and started walking behind Suthanu. As they walked past the camp of uppandavadas, they saw a stream of blood coming out from the tent. Frightened they ran inside the camp, to see another heart wrenching scene in front of them. Uppandavadas along with draupadi's brothers, shikhandi, drishtdyumna and satyajit were lying dead on the ground.

Suthanu let out a loud scream and fell on the floor. All the elders, krishna and uttara too rushed in, hearing a scream. Draupadi fainted as soon as she saw her sons dead, shock was a small word to describe the expression on everyone's face. Bheem sensed Satyajit moved his hands a bit, " Rajkumaar tell us who did this to you, tell us please " He said to Satyajit.
" Th.. Thama... Thama.. Drauni " Was all Satyajit said before breathing his last.

" Ashwatthama! " Arjun gritted his teeth, everyone's eyes we're on Lakshmana now. Uttara pulled her outside the camp and requested her to go immediately, otherwise she would be target of everyone's anger. Though heavy hearted lakshmana left the camp and went to the place, where ashwatthama was preparing to lit the funeral of suyodhan.
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Sambh and kirtivarma were also helping ashwatthama in preparing the pyre. Sambh went near her and laid his hands on her shoulders, they both were speaking through eyes.
" Kaka! Why did you do this " Lakshmana asked glaring at ashwatthama. " Revenge " He answered with lowered gaze. " You all and your revenge. How much more blood shed is to be done! Can't you all see the condition of mother earth. Just look at the soil of kurukshetra once, it had became deep red with blood. A daughter pleads you stop this blood shed stop it " Lakshmana said.

Kirtivarma kept his hand on Ashwatthama's shoulder and gestured him to light the pyre. Lakshmana's eyes we're speaking a thousand words, she just joined her hands and stood besides the pyre. Ashwatthama lit the pyre with shaky hands, he had lost everyone he had loved. Lakshmana wrapped her hands around him, crying her heart out, he was only father figure left at her natal home now. Ashwatthama rocked her head slowly as she saw him crying for the first time.

Lakshmana felt something wet on her hair, separating from ashwatthama, she saw blood dripping from his arm. Sambh and kirtivarma ran towards him, there was an arrow, he removed the arrow and glanced around. Pandavas along with krishna were coming there. " Attacking from behind you cowards " Ashwatthama smirked, " They way you killed our sons " Nakul roared, " I killed your sons and princes of panchal in fair fights " Ashwatthama answered back.

Lakshmana came in front of ashwatthama with joined hands " Please don't do anything to my kaka, I am already an orphan please don't take him away from me " She was about to fall at their feet, but Sambh held her by shoulders. Krishna gestured Sambh to take her away, in spite of several protests by lakshmana, sambh and kirtivarma took her away from that place.
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They brought her to the pandavas camp, as the kauravas camp was deserted. Sambh made her drink water and asked her to lay her head on the nearby rock, if she was feeling uneasy, she just nodded her head in a no and continued staring at the ground, making Sambh's heart break.
Sambh pulled her in his embrace, but she was unmoved, now she was an orphan, devoid of mother, father and brother.

Kirtivarma was about to say something, just then they saw an arrow moving towards the tent where uttara was resting. They all rushed in only to see uttara screaming clutching her belly. Devika and Subhadra were holding her hands and trying to ease her pain, but her screams were only increasing. Everyone's eyes turned towards the entrance and Krishna entered along with the pandavas. Vijaya and Suthanu joined hands in front of him, pleading him to save Uttara and her unborn child, the heir of kuru.

Krishna walked towards uttara and kept his right hand on uttara's belly. Slowly uttara's screams faded as the pain in her belly diminished, Krishna told everyone that ashwatthama had shot brahmastra towards uttara's unborn child and as punishment he took the diamond on ashwatthama forehead and cursed him to suffer from leprosy till the end of kaliyug. Lakshmana was getting shock after shocks, her only father figure from her natal home had also been separated from her.

She walked out of the tent, climbed her horse and rode towards the palace, Sambh and kirtivarma following her.
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Hey, my lovely readers, the next part is here.
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