The war of Mahabharata was on the dawn yet one attempt for peace was required. Everyone knew the war was inevitable. Yet they wanted to try a last attempt to prevent such a blood shed. Vasudev Krishn himself became the peace envoy for the Pandavas. He was the only one, who was fair to all and was respected equally by both sides.

The night before his journey to Hastinapur, he was in his room with the eldest pandava, when his beloved sister's sweet voice interrupted their conversation.

"Bhratasree!" Both men looked towards the door to see the ever smiling face of Krishnanuja.

"Subhadre..! Bahar dwar pe kyu khadi ho...?" Vasudev Krishn said.
(Why are you standing at the door?)

"I'm.." she stopped looking at Yudhishthir.

"You can come in, Subhadra." Yudhishthir said. "I was just finishing up with Vasudev. He is all yours now."

"Jyesth bhrata.. will you be kind enough and wait a little while.. I wanted to talk to both of you." Subhadra said walking in.

"Of course.." Yudhishthir said while patiently waiting to hear what the woman had to say.

"Bhratasree you are going to Hastinapur tomorrow... Can you take me with you?" Subhadra asked.

"You want to go to Hastinapur with me.. Sure. If Jyesth allows." Krishn said very well understanding what was in his sister's mind.

"Can I go, Jyesth bhrata?" Subhadra asked.

" Of course Subhadra, but why?" Yudhishthir asked.

"There will be war soon. And I know whatever Bhrata Krishn do.. he can't prevent it. Everyone there will stand opposite to us. So for the last time I want to meet them without conflict of interest." Subhadra said. "And Mata is also there. I'll bring her back."

"True indeed. Did Parth give permission to go?" Krishn asked.

"He doesn't know yet. That's why I asked Jyesth bhrata. And you already said I can go." Subhadra said. Krishn chuckled at his sister's wit.

"Inki soumyata dekh kabhi kabhi hum sab bhul jate hain ki ye hain to apki hi behen Vasudev. You trapped me in my own words Subhadra." Subhadra smiled with rossy cheeks. "You can go. I'll talk to Arjun."

(Looking at her tenderness, we often forget she is your sister Vasudev.)

"Thank you Jyesth bhrata.." 

"Subhadre.  Jao aur prasthan ki tayari karo." Vasudev Krishn said. Subhadra greeted both of them before leaving.
(Subhadre.. prepare for journey.)

*Subhadra's room*

          Upon returning from her brother, all of her children were waiting for her in her room. Not only Abhimanyu and Bhargavi but all Droupadi's children too. The sons and daughters of Panchali knew Subhadra as their mother because she foster them during the exile of their fathers. She was the mother to all. They were all waiting to talk her out of going, and she knew it.

"It's a pleasant surprise... I rarely see you all at one place." Subhadra said casually coming in.

"Maa... We know what you are intending on doing.." the Eldest of them Prativindhya said.

"Oh.. news travel incredibly fast. I was just uttered my wishes minutes ago. Who told you?" Subhadra asked folding her arms infront of her. Bhargavi raised her arm timidly.

"I'm sorry Maa.. I swear I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I accidentally heard you talking to Taatshree and Mamashree. Then it was such a big news I couldn't help myself and told Pragati and pragyna jiji and eventually everyone else." She said.

"Accidentally hearing something is forgivable but spreading the news, that's a offence fit for punishment." Subhadra teased her daughter.

"Were you planning to up and leave tomorrow?" Abhimanyu asked in a surprised tone.

"What is even there to tell..? I'm going to Hastinapur with your Mamashree. There I said it." Subhadra said casually.

"Maa... You just come here...sit... Sit here." Prativindhya hold her by her upper arm to guide her to the bed and sat her down. "Just answer me.. why? Why do you even want to go to that God forsaken place. Why?"

"Because your grandmother is still there and I had to bring her back." Subhadra said.

"She can come on her own." The twin girls chimed in together.

"She can but why should she. I'm her daughter in law. It should be my responsibility to keep her from any unkind situation. Imagine what she will say while taking permission to come here.. it will be easier if I go to bring her."

"Maa .. after what happened to Mata Droupadi there. Do you think you should go there?" Abhimanyu asked. "Atleast let one of us come with you. To protect you."

"I can go with you." Sutosom loudly agreed.

"You may have gotten your weapon training from your Mamashree but I taught you how to hold your first weapon. If necessity arises I am able to protect myself. Besides I'm not going alone. My brother will be with me."

"Maa you can fool everyone but me.. please just tell me why you want to go there." Prativindhya said who was sitting at the foot of the bed holding Subhadra's both hands.

"There are some cords that needed to be shavered before the war. For my own peace of mind." Prativindhya tensed up from his mother's word. "I'll be perfectly fine. You don't have to worry my child." Subhadra finished cupping his both cheek.

"Can I have a go with my wife now... If your royal highnesses allow?" They all turned to Arjun standing by the door.

          All of them started getting up from different places and positions they were sitting. With 'we will be back', 'this is not over yet', 'I'll come back to help you pack', they all left one by one. Last one was Prativindhya who still hasn't looked away from Subhadra, sighed and got up. Once he reached Arjun he stopped looked back at Subhadra and said to him,

"Change her mind, will you."

"I'll definitely try."

          Arjun assured his son before entering the room himself. He looked at his wife calmly sitting on the bed. She was always like this. Unbelievably calm in most situations. Maybe her selflessness made her like so. They kept staring at each other in silence for couple of seconds before he broke the silence.

"You went ahead to talk to Jyesth bhrata behind my back? That was a sneaky move Bhadre.."

"If I asked you, would you have agreed."

"Ofcourse not. I would have forbid you to speak of this again."

"See... You left me no choice." She said smiling.

"I know you must have tired of this question by now but why are you doing this Love?"

"Because there are family there. Family who will be fighting against you, my sons and my brother. I will not pray for their safety then. So before war starts. Before my mind and heart cloud with darkness, I wanted to bid them last greetings. With pure respect and love. After all I'm still that family's badhu." Arjun always wonder how could someone be this pure.

"But Madhavi... They never accepted you as their badhu. I still think even Pitamah don't accepted the circumstances of our wedding completely."

"Well I accepted them. And my relation to Hastinapur was well before I met you. Maybe not as Badhu but as Princess of Dwarka they accepted me. Loved me. Respected me. I owe this debt to them. Let me go.. please?" Subhadra argued very softly. Arjun chuckled.

"You never asked for anything before Madhavi.. how can anyone deny you... But I do have one request."

"Hmmm."

"Take Prativindhya with you. He is sensitive towards you.. for him staying here in your absence will be difficult."

"He is just emotional right now. They all are. It's the initial shock of the news. It would have been different if they heard it from me or any one else. But they heard it from Bhargavi and knowing her she must have been crying or panicking or overly dramatic. They will be alright once they have time to calm down."

"You think they will calm down..? Ye ab wo bache nai rahe jo andhakar se dar ke tumhare anchal main chhup jate the. Bade ho gaye hain. Yudh par janewale hain. They have faith on their abilities. So much so that they feel they are to protect you now. You are going away from their protection. How can you expect them to calm down?"

(They are not those little ones anymore who use to hide in your vails in dark nights. They are grown ups. They are about to go to war.)

"That's right Aarya.. They are all grown up now. They are about to go to war. And in war you loose people." Subhadra stopped to look at her husband. That look said it all. Arjun understood what his wife intended.

"They never loose anyone. But in war they will. The people they practice weapons with, trainers, maybe relatives too. They will lose them. And my children need to learn to cope with this. They always stayed with me. All their life. Maybe this separation will help them learn and cope with vulnerability. The feeling of not being able to do anything for people you love. For someone going to war it's necessary." Subhadra said. She then walked to the window to look out.

"You have prepared my children's body well for the war Aarya... I'm just preparing their hearts."......

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