Dwaraka, just after the wedding

"This is not right, Bhrata!" Devika frowned. "Why did you come here leaving Didi alone?"

"Your Didi only wants me to talk with you." Krishna smiled.

"About?"

"You know. Don't you?"

Devika looked away, grimacing.

"We could talk on this later, Bhrata. This is your time to spend with my sister. I cannot be the reason for ruining your special moments."

"This! Exactly this is your problem, Devi! When will you understand that your loved ones cannot be happy if you cannot?"

"Bhrata please..."

Krishna raised his palm. "Let me speak. Hope you remember that I'm your elder brother in-law now and you must obey me!"

"You are my Guru even before that. Did I ever deny obeying you?"

"So you will listen whatever I ask you?"

Devika nodded slowly, but her eyes shivered and left Krishna's gaze.

"Then promise me, you won't give my Jyeshtha anymore pain!" Krishna calmly demanded.

"Oh! Both you and Mitra Didi see only your brother's pain alone, right?" Devika bit her lips. "As if I don't have a heart!"

Krishna smiled patiently. "Is your heart still yours, Devi? Is your pain still different from his?"

Devika sighed. Was there anything she could hide from the all-knowing eyes of Krishna? Could anybody ever do that?

"You two have lost your independent self long ago, dear sister!" Krishna continued. "Now you two live in each other. His happiness is yours. Your tears are his. You too know that your heart can be cured only if he finds peace!"

"Is he not in peace, Bhrata?" Devika softly asked, as if to herself.

"Don't ask me. Ask yourself. Your heart knows the answer!"

Devika lowered her head.

"Jyeshtha has asked you something, Devi. Why haven't you given him the reply yet?"

"I'm still trying to find the perfect reply that he deserves." Devika said, without lifting her head.

"Didn't Sakhi Krishnaa help you finding that?" Krishna smiled knowingly.

"I see. So it's you who let her know that..."

"No." Krishna shook his head. "I said nothing. My Sakhi is intelligent. She has guessed it herself. And both of you helped her to guess it so soon, given your silent suffering for each other! The more you tried to hide it from her, more it has become evident."

"Draupadi is too good, Bhrata! She is generous like open sky who has no spot of envy or hatred within! She is just like your Jyeshtha, - the same piety, same loving nature to all!" Devika sighed again. "She is perfect for him!"

"And you are not?" Krishna smiled at her.

Devika turned away. "How can I know how I am?"

"But Draupadi knows! She has a huge respect for your selflessness, your wisdom and courage. And her respect has become hundredfold now as she sensed how selflessly you care for her husband!"

Devika slowly lifted her gaze to meet Krishna's eyes.

"Did she tell you that?"

Krishna smiled. "She shares everything with me."

You won me once again, sister Krishnaa!  Devika confessed to herself.

"Devi, you and Krishnaa both are same. You both love my Jyeshtha in your own way. You both have same kind of pure, selfless, all giving, all fulfilling kind of love for him. It's never possible for either of you to cause any scratches in his happiness. Each of you will rather strengthen him, and also strengthen the bonding of the other with him." Krishna affectionately patted Devika's head. "Believe this!"

The Princess knelt down at Krishna's feet, joining her palms.

"I don't know what I should do! I can't see which decision of mine will be best for him! I'm tired struggling with my own emotions, Bhrata!" Helplessness dripped from her voice. "You are my Guru, my guide. Only you can show me the right way!"

Krishna lifted her, smiling.

"Your lost way can now only be found in your beloved, Devi! Take my word and meet Jyeshtha. Everything will be fine, trust me!"

***

At seashore

The ocean of Dwaraka had never felt like such a close friend.

As if that salty water, those restless ripples on its bosom reflected Yudhishthira's own unshed tears and hidden sighs. Ocean's each roar felt like his own heart's silent screams that no one had ever heard! Loneliness around the seashore mirrored his own emptiness that even a festive Dwaraka could not cure.

The same emptiness that was crushing her too!

Yudhishthira saw Devika, clad in light blue, sitting on a rock facing the roaring sea. Her beautiful face turned pale, her long braided hair did not have a single ornament or even a flower. The gem-studded golden bangles had become loose on her leaner wrists. Her bare neck did not have any impression of worn ornaments. Maybe she had not been wearing any necklace at all since many days.

His heart broke, remembering the day when he met her first, in this very Dwaraka. The Princess he had seen then loved to deck herself up! And now...

"Jyeshtha, you only have to fix everything again!" Krishna had told him. Yudhishthira realized how true he was. He regreted for not looking at Devika so closely in the past few days.

Maybe it had already been too late. But Yudhishthira knew he had to make this move. For her. For himself too!

"Rajkumari!"

Devika turned back, shocked.

The King of Indraprastha stood there on the sandy beach, without a single bodyguard. He was wearing only a white robe as someone would wear for performing some vrata or special worship. Absence of jewlry had made him look even more pious, more handsome. It took Devika great effort to take her eyes off that pure golden frame shining in sunlight.

"Maharaj, you here, alone at this seashore?" She hesitatingly uttered, rising to her feet. "Any urgency?"

Must be Krishna's work! Devika thought. She had planned to meet Yudhishthira later in the palace, or at most in the royal garden of Dwaraka. Before that she had come here to calm herself down. But Krishna seemed to have spoiled her entire plan.

"Urgency indeed." Yudhishthira softly replied, almost like a whisper that only she could hear.

"Let me take your leave then." Devika briefly joined hands and hurried towards the opposite direction.

"Wait, Princess!" He moved closer to her. "My urgent need is with you only!"

"With me?" Devika slightly turned away. "What can the King of Indraprastha need from this Princess of Shivi?"

"King of Indraprastha does not. Your Yudhishthira does!"

Devika looked up. He was smiling. She knew those copper-hued eyes never lie. He did mean what he said. There was something in his calm voice, especially in the emotions poured into that last sentence, that made butterflies run within her stomach, after years.

Deep down inside she knew that her barrier of patience was breaking.

"My world has been paused in the wait for your answer, Devika!" Yudhishthira's copper eyes betrayed the pain within. "Only you can breathe life into me again! Won't you?"

Devika threw her moist eyes to him.

"Do I really need to voice it, Maharaj? Can't you see my wish written in my eyes? In my heart?" Her tone now held a possesive authority over him. An unique right to complain that she could do only to him.

Yudhishthira smiled.

"I knew, Rajkumari! I only waited for you to admit it!" His brown eyes beamed with pride and love. A rare hint of mischief too.

A speechless Devika stared at his smiling face.

He had pulled out her hidden confession. Could anyone ever win over her Dharmaraj's intellect?

As his endless love fused within her grief-stricken soul, guilt tormented her more. How heartless she had been to turn so cold to him! How could she?

After so long, his warmth felt like the first touch of bitter medicine on her wounded heart, hurting the most before healing. Devika's patience failed. Waves of emotions passed through her, making her lips shiver. Within a while, Yudhishthira saw his own unshed tears rolling down her pale cheeks. Uncontrollably.

Without a conscious thought, Yudhishthira's golden palm immediately reached out to wipe her tears. His gentle touch broke even the last resistance. Devika collapsed in Yudhishthira's arms, sobbing against his chest.

"Forgive me, Natha! In all my efforts to heal you, I have only made you bleed even more!" 

Yudhishthira said nothing. His consoling hand brushed her hair. With each breath, his serene fragrance soothed her restless heart. She wrapped her arms tighter around him.

This is life! This is her only shelter in this world! How could she stay away so long from here? Devika felt like she had been dead until this moment! He had revived her! He was not the death incarnated, he was her life-giving Amrita! Her entire existence surrendered to him once again. 

"Forgive your Devika, Dharmaraj!"

Yudhishthira shook his head. "Not you, Devi! It's me who should ask for apology! I know I have made you suffer a lot." He softly uttered, caressing Devika's back.

"It's due to me all your dreams have shuttered, all your plans broke!" He continued in the same tone. "I couldn't honour your painful wait of two years. I couldn't help your Shivi to secure alliance with Pandavas! I alone am responsible for your tears today!"

"I too have not been any less cruel on you, Natha!" Devika lifted her head to meet his gaze. "I thought I was sacrificing my love for your happiness, while actually it was just my own ego that I was prioritising, not you!"

"Wrong, Devi! Despite all your efforts, you could never actually stay away from me! Have you done that, your Yudhishthira would have not been alive today!"

"Maharaj!" She frowned. "Pray, do not utter this!"

"This is true. You went against your own family to save my life, my honour. You willingly faced every danger for me!" He said again. "And what did I do in return? It's me who failed the test of love, Priye. Not you!"

"Who said you failed? Without you, who provided this much courage to your Devika to fight every difficulty? Who gave her that power, Natha, except Dharma himself?" She finally smiled through her tears.

He reciprocated her smile. "I know you have never taken my fault to your heart! But I still need to do my part, to deserve you again!" His determined tone make Devika take another look at him.

"You have fought a lot, my brave Princess! You have cried a lot! But not anymore!" Yudhishthira cupped her face, his lotus-petal eyes radiating a protective aura of love within which she always felt home.

"Let your pain be mine from now!" He smiled. "For the rest of our lives!"

She stared unblinking at him for a while, her heart raced in unexplainable pleasure.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming, Maharaj!"

"You aren't, my Queen! Your dream will become a reality." His eyes shone. "Very soon!"

Devika saw her hope reflecting in his brown eyes. But the next moment, Govasana's stiffened face surfaced in her mind.

"There are so much obstacles waiting in our way, Maharaj." Devika sighed. "With Sindhu and Hastinapura joining Shivi, the situation has now even worsened! I myself can't say what my father is planning for me!"

"I know that. But no obstacle can stop me anymore from reaching you, Devi! You have once overcome every difficulty for my sake. Now it's my turn!" Confidence flashed in his voice. 

"I shall be waiting!" She whispered, this time consciously resting her head on his chest.

Two golden frames merged into one, keeping Samudra Deva as witness, in the same Dwaraka that saw their first meeting once. Sitting in their vivaha mandap, Krishna and Mitravinda exchanged an accomplished smile, giving their blessings to the couple.

It's time to unite on earth, Dharma and Dhumorna!
__________________________________________

**Important note**

I know I have scared many readers in my last update. So this note is for clearing that misunderstanding.

Yes, this book is going to end soon with YuVika wedding. But the story will not end. I'm making DharmaPriyaa a trilogy. Second book will start after Devika's marriage.

So, your Devika is going nowhere. She will come back to you again, only her status will change from Princess of Shivi to Queen of Indraprastha. Get ready to meet her in bridal silk, wearing mangalsutra given by Yudhishthira!

A huge thanks to KrishnaManoharaa
For the beautiful aesthetics she made for my YuVika. I'll use them in the second book. New book deserves their new look, right?

For now, let's prepare for Devika swayamvara!