In Indraprasth:

Valandhara was sitting at a corner of her bed clutching a pillow tightly on her lap and shedding tears. Her loud sobs had died down though the wet trail didn't stop. Since the first time when she heard about Bheem's marriage, she had broken a thousand times in the silence of her chamber.

A loud bang sounded on the door of her private chamber. Valandhara remained quiet not answering. She had ordered the dasis not to disturb her at all. No one apart from family members would dare to ignore her order. And from the force of the banging she could well understand who it could be.

"Kashika? Open the door or I will break it!" Bheem said loudly from the other side of the door.

Valandhara wiped her tears and took some deep breaths to steady herself before going to the door and unlocking it. She turned without waiting around for it to open fully and reaching the bed lied down. Here, Bheem entered the chamber to find the heavy curtains blocking sunlight from entering the chamber making the space shadowy. But he clearly saw the dark figure of his Jaya on the bed lying sideways with her back to him.

"Why are you lying down at this hour? You didn't even come to receive me?" Bheem asked coming near her.

"I'm not feeling well." Valandhara replied shortly.

"What happened to you? Have you consulted the physician?" Bheem asked in concern.

"It's nothing serious. Just a little headache. I will be fine." She replied without even glancing at him.

"Oh! And here you made me worried." Bheem said understanding full well what was actually wrong with her. "See what I have brought for you from Avanti?"

Valandhara gulped down the lodge that formed at her throat before replying.
"I don't want to see anything. Leave me alone for sometime."

Bheem didn't say anything and left quietly. A few tears slipped from her eyes again. After a while she felt someone touching her foot and looked in that direction to find Bheem sitting there with her foot on his lap in the process of applying alta (red dye).

"What are you doing? Leave my foot!" Valandhara gasped and tried to take back her foot unsuccessfully.

"No! I have brought this from so far with so much difficulty. I will not let my hard work go to waste." Bheem replied with a frown encircling her ankle in a vice like grip though gently.

"Who told you to bring anything for me? Leave me!" Valandhara said sitting up and struggling to free herself.

"Now I went to Avanti. Such a substantial Kingdom. I had to bring something, right? Since Avanti Naresh didn't give me his daughter, so I thought to bring this only. Avanti is famous for their higher quality dyes you know." Bheem said nonchalantly and concentrated on applying the dye.

"What did you say?" Valandhara stilled her movements as his words reached her ears.

"Avanti is famous for producing higher qualitative dyes. You don't even know that?" Bheem repeated.

"No. Not that. Before that." Valandhara asked shaking her head in confusion.

"Avanti is a very substantial Kingdom." Bheem repeated again.

"After that." Valandhara was getting annoyed.

"They produce higher qualitative dyes?" Bheem repeated arching his brow.

"No. In between."

"What is in between? Seems your headache has increased. I will have to call the Vaiyd after all."

"Wait!" Valandhara closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before asking, "You didn't marry the Princess of Avanti?"

"No. They couldn't digest me." Bheem replied making a face. Valandhara stared at him stupendously.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"You went to marry the Rajkumari?" Valandhara asked again narrowing her eyes.

"Yes. I was so bored with your cooking. So, I thought if I have two wives, I can alternate between you two and won't get bored by eating the same one's handmade foods. But the Rajkumari was of no use. She lost consciousness in the kitchen after two prahars only." Bheem replied again making faces.

Valandhara gritted her jaw angrily. This bhoora bhaaloo!!! She started hitting his shoulder, back and arm in anger. Bheem gazed at her once before concentrating on his work again without stopping her. Valandhara was getting her anger, frustration and hurt out on him using all her strength.

"Bored!!! Now you're bored with my cooking!!! What am I???!!! Your maid!!!!! You hungry bear!!! How dare you!!!" Valandhara gritted out loudly. Bheem here finished applying dye on her one foot and started working on the other without reacting at all.

Valandhara continued hitting him until she got tired and stopped. She kept glaring at Bheem breathing heavily. But Bheem didn't pay her any mind. Suddenly a sob broke free from her lips and then she started crying at full force. Bheem glanced up then. He gently pulled her in his embrace holding her close to his heart with a smile. He caressed her head and back as she sobbed freely.

"Give me these massages from now on too along with cooking for me." Bheem commented as her sobs died down referring to her hits.

Valandhara threw another glare at him before hitting his chest a few times making him chuckle. He held her tightly and cupped her face with one hand before placing a deep long kiss on her forehead. He inhaled deeply filling his senses with her scent and nuzzled the side of her face for sometime. After a while, he met her eyes. The eyes that captivated him and made him find tranquillity and fervour together.

"Didn't I promise that I will always protect your smiles and destroy whoever becomes the cause of your tears? Then how could I let your smile get dimmed and tolerate these teardrops?" He whispered softly.
"I have lost myself in your eyes long before. Now it is not possible for me to find myself in someone else."

Valandhara held his gaze as their breaths mingled and he gently traced the curve of her nose and lips with his fingers.

"Remember what you heard me say before your swayambar?" Bheem asked in a whisper again. Valandhara only blinked once not wanting to break the spell by speaking.

"For the person who loves me, I won't even hesitate to die. Then how can I hurt my beloved who brought thrill and passion in my life? And except you, no one can stir those emotions in me." He said before touching her lips with his.

Time seemed to stop, but the raw emotions only intensified with the pounding of her heart. Her whole body tingled with the feel of his heavy frame leaning on hers as he pulled her closer. Her fingers traced the curve of his shoulder before tangling them in his hair. Nothing else about him felt this soft and silky. He shuddered feeling her soft touch and there was a sound from the back of his throat, half growl, half moan. Little shivers of pleasure shot through her as he deepened the kiss, parting her lips.

The rush of sensations crawling across her body was maddening. Scary. Thrilling. Their lips remained sealed. It was like they couldn’t get enough of each other. They were devouring one another, drowning in each other. After long moments, their kisses slowed, becoming tender and infinitely more. His powerful body shook like hers with restrained desire. It was easy for them to get lost in each other, lost in this connection between them.

"So beautiful," he murmured against her swollen lips biting them softly. She was trying to calm her heavily pounding heart and to regulate her breathing. This heady addictive feeling was making it hard to think. She rested her head on his chest absorbing this euphoria. His thumb was throbbing at the hollow of her neck, rubbing up and down, pulling her into the warmth of him.

As Valandhara got her bearings again, her eyes fell on her feet and a frown appeared on her face. She pushed away from him and touched her feet in astonishment gasping. Here, Bheem knowing what was ahead, controlled his chuckle and slowly got up inching towards the door.

"Wha--what is----what have you done?!!!!" She shouted angrily. There at the centre of both her feet were drawn two small paws with the red dye.

"Yeh bhaaloo ka panjja hai. Kisi pad ek bar pad jai, toh samagra jeevhan issi cinhha ke saath byatit karna padta hai.
(This is the paw print of bhaaloo. If once the paws land on someone, then he has to spend his whole life bearing these prints only.)"
Bheem replied before slipping through the door just at the right time to escape the flying pillow that was aimed at his head.

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In Madra:

"Kya aapne mera aapharan kar liya hai? (Have you kidnapped me?)" Vijaya asked with a pout looking scared and worried. Sahdev slowly turned his face towards her and stared for a while. After vigorously crying at her heart's content, she had finally calmed down and asked this.

"Nehi. Hum toh bhraman ke liye aaye hai. Dekhiye yeh batabaran kitna swach aur nirmal hai. Hare peer, khula akash, udti chidiya. Accha lag raha hai na?
(No. We've come for a walk. See, the weather is so refreshing and beautiful. Green trees, open sky, flying birds. Isn't it nice here?)" He replied finally with a sweet smile.

"Kintu aap sabko batakar bhi toh aa sakte the. Iss tarah sainiko par prahar karne ki kya aabasakta thi? Sab humse rusth honge na?
(But you could have informed them before coming. What was the need to hit the soldiers? Everyone will be angry on us, won't they?)" Vijaya asked innocently.

"Vul hogayi mujhse. Aagli bar batakar niklenge. (That was my mistake. From next time I will remember to inform them beforehand.)" Sahdev replied again with a tight lipped smile. Vijaya nodded her head being pacified.

Sahdev stared at her for a while before turning his eyes elsewhere with a sigh. They were out of Northern Madra and had entered the forest of Southern Madra. It was the quickest path to cross Madra's border. A small troupe of soldiers tried to stop them at their way, but it didn't take much time for Sahdev to get rid of them.

Sahdev collected things to start a fire as Vijaya observed their surroundings with interest. Dark was going to fall soon. So, after crossing the border and coming to a safe distance, he had stopped in a clearing between the trees. His charioteer had packed and kept the essentials that he would need for the return journey to Indraprasth. He didn't intend to stick in Madradesh for long. As he worked on starting a fire for the night, his mind wandered to the happenings of two days ago which forced him to take such a big step.

Flashback...

Sahdev was restless after the events of that day. He couldn't decide what he should do now. He couldn't think why Vijaya did so and why would someone instigate her to do so. Was it because there had been the attempted assault on her and he was involved?  It was possible that because of that incidence she had deliberately chosen him. But it was wrong, wasn't it? He had not come here to get married. He wasn't ready for it and he definitely did not see Vijaya as his life partner. She had no right to take that choice and freedom away from him.

After this incidence Maharaj Dyutimata would most probably demand him to marry his daughter. Bhrata Yudhisthir also thought it to be righteous move only. Though he gave Sahdev the freedom to take his decision, he didn't want to disappoint his brother. And he also didn't want to hurt Vijaya unintentionally. She was a very naive one. If she had deliberately taken this step or someone had influenced her in doing so, he wanted to make her understand that this was not possible.

He felt he should talk to her once before taking any decision. It wouldn't be so easy to find her though and if someone saw them together, there would arise another problem. So, he had avoided doing that until now. But this indecisiveness was leading him nowhere. So finally after days of turmoil, he set out to search Vijaya and talk to her. The security had been raised after that night's incident. But still it was nowhere near enough to stop Sahdev from slipping into the secluded part of the palace. But finding Vijaya and meeting her undetected was another matter.

"Look  how innocent she acts. But in truth she is no less than a clever fox." Sahdev heard someone say and turned in the direction of the voice to find two Dasis talking outside one chamber. He hid behind a pillar and peaked to find Vijaya inside the chamber.

"Yes! How carefully she has trapped the Rajkumar!"

"Then what else she should have done? Blood talks you know. Her mother too trapped Maharaj. But dirty woman! Couldn't handle her youth and now see, the daughter is walking on the same path."

"I think, no one forced her or anything. That all was her drama. She must have called that Rajkumar to her and now when everyone got to know, she is trying to hang on his neck to save her honour."

Sahdev's face hardened as he understood the implied meaning behind their words.

"That is clear. Who will want to marry someone like her who was caught red-handed with a man? That's why she played this trick to score a Rajkumar."

"Poor Rajkumar Sahdev! Now he will have to take responsibility of this impure girl. He became the scapegoat." The Dasi laughed saying so with the other one joining her.

Sahdev fisted his hands to control his anger. How could people think so lowly? Even being women themselves, they didn't hesitate to throw mud at another. Sahdev understood Vijaya was kept in surveillance and it would be near impossible for him to find her alone to talk. So, he tried to leave silently.

"What are you doing here?" A woman's voice stopped him before he could though. He recognised the woman as Manuja, Vijaya's governess.
"If someone sees you, another drama will start."

"I---I want to meet Rajkumari Vijaya."  Sahdev hesitated at first, but then decided to tell the truth hoping maybe she could help.

"That is not possible. There's already going on a lot of problems. No need to add on that Rajkumar." Manuja replied firmly.

"I just want to talk to her. Just for a few moments." Sahdev requested.

"Please try to understand Rajkumar. She is already in troubles. And that too without any fault of hers." Manuja said politely. Sahdev nodded understanding her concerns and was going to leave.

"Rajkumar Sahdev?" Manuja stopped him.
"I wanted to apologise to you. I misunderstood you without hearing anything. And because of me you were accused of such a thing. I realised my mistake. Please forgive me."

"You reacted on what was before your eyes. But sometimes our eyes get deceived too. I do not blame you." Sahdev said before adding on a second thought.
"You seem rather protective of Rajkumari Vijaya."

"I have raised her practically. To me she is no less than my own daughter. And she also loves and respects me like her mother too." Manuja replied with a fond smile.

"I can tell. But what I am unable to understand is why she acts to be so naive? She must know what she did the other day is no way an acceptable or expected behaviour of a princess." Sahdev commented in skepticism.

"She does not act. She is just that way only. And what she did, wasn't deliberate as you're assuming. She only wanted to thank you. But unknowingly she ended up creating more problems for herself." Manuja replied stiffly.

"What does it matter? I am the one who will have to suffer the burnt of the action. Everyone will point fingers at me and demand I pay for it." Sahdev said again in reproval earning a frown from Manuja.

"Do not worry Rajkumar Sahdev. No one will say anything to you. When has this society ever blame the man when there is a woman involved? Lankapati Raavan abducted Mata Sita, but it was her who faced the questions and criticism of people." She said with detest dripping from her voice.
"Maharaj doesn't want to marry off Rajkumari Vijaya to anywhere except Hastinapur. And he surely will not want to send her to Indraprasth. And as for blaming you for the events? Even if someone believes you to be at fault, no one will raise question on you or maling your character. Because you're a man. And at the end, the fault lies in woman only, does it not? So, you're absolutely safe and going to appear unscathed after this. You'll be forgotten as soon as you leave Madra. But same cannot be said for Rajkumari Vijaya."

"Hastinapur?!" Sahdev asked being astounded.

"Satta aur samarth ka khel hai yeh. Aap toh mujhse behtar samajhte honge.
(This is the game of power and throne and I am sure you understand it better than me.)" Manuja replied with a scornful smile.
"Anyways, I only request you not to throw accusations at the poor girl like everyone else. Instead of being sympathetic, everyone is busy in blaming her. Not a single person is concerned to catch or find out the real culprit, but when it's time to criticise the victim, everyone is there."

Manuja went away after that leaving a distressed Sahdev behind. How could Vijaya go to Hastinapur?! Guilt and self loathing scrapped his insides again. Here, he was thinking about himself, his life, his future. And that girl? What future she was going to have after this?!  What was her fault in all of this?

Moreover, Vijaya going to Hastinapur wouldn't bring any good to her. But what could he really do to stop this? He could not talk to anyone. Not even Yudhisthir. Then what was left for him to do except leaving quietly from Madra?

But would he be able to live in peace knowing that he let a criminal roam freely and the innocent girl was suffering?

"When will we go back?" Vijaya asked bringing Sahdev back to reality. Sahdev had the fire going on already. Darkness was enveloping them fast.

"We won't go back. We will spend the night here. Then resume our journey tomorrow." He replied stoically.

"How will we spend the night here? Where will we sleep? And Maani Maa will be worried. I never left the palace for so long or came so far before." Vijaya said making round eyes in tension.

"Don't worry. She will understand. And as for sleeping, you can sleep on the chariot." Vijaya looked at the chariot and frowned not liking the idea. How could someone sleep on a chariot?

"Can we not go back now?" She asked hopefully.

"No. Night has fallen. We will lose way." Sahdev replied.

"But this is a forest. What if some wild animal comes and attacks us?" Vijaya asked fearfully.

"I will protect you. And besides, this fire will keep most animals away." Sahdev said in monotone.

Sahdev sat leaning on a tree near the fire and Vijaya awkwardly followed his action sitting a little distance away.

"May I say something?" She asked in hesitation. At Sahdev's nod, she started saying.
"What you said in the court, do you really think so about me? Do you really think that I tried to trap you to---to marry me?"

"No. But I did suspect that you may have did so because you liked me or something." Sahdev replied impassively staring at the fire.

"No. No. Why will I like you?" Vijaya said hurriedly causing Sahdev to give a side glance at her.
"I mean I do like you. But I did not like you. No! I mean I did like you, but I do not like you?" Vijaya added but then she herself got confused on what she meant. Sahdev chuckled at her confused expression.

"I guess what you're trying to say is, you do like me as a person. But you did not see me as a prospective groom. Right?" He said helpfully.

"Yes! That's absolutely what I mean!" Vijaya replied brightly.

"Do you like someone else though? I mean someone who you would like to marry?" Sahdev asked carefully though it was a little late to know now.

"No. I will only like the one who marries me." Vijaya replied sternly.

"Why so? I mean, you do have a right to choose the person whom you want to marry. Then why not like someone before and then get married to him?" Sahdev asked curiously as he noticed the stubborn expression of hers.

Vijaya nervously fidgetted looking here and there not replying. Sahdev understood she wasn't comfortable with the topic, so he thought to change the topic.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. Vijaya looked at him and slightly nodded her head. He got up and brought the foods that had been packed and kept in the chariot. He handed the food to her before going back to his previous position.

"Vijaya?" Sahdev called her tentatively. But as she threw her innocent gaze at him, he thought better to not say anything.

Seemed like Indraprasth and Vijaya both were going to get the shock of the abduction together.

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Hello readers!!!

How was it???

Those who still couldn't understand how Valandhara got pregnant, hopefully you got your answers now....😂😂😂

And the fifth oblivious Queen of Indraprasth is coming soon....😉😉😉😂😂😂

By the way...

This chapter will have a target of 100 votes....😆😆😆

Let's see how the voting experiment goes...😉