Karna frowned, tossing sideways like a rag doll. What was wrong with him?

The way she wiped the sweet milk off her lips, looking down awkwardly. Her entire mannerisms were different from most women, and it caught his attention.

She was too cute and dangerous.

"This is the first time I am seeing my son awake and not noticing my presence." Karna hurriedly stood up at his father's voice.

"Pardon me, Pitashree. I- I .. My mind was pre-occupied.. " Adhirath smiled sternly.

"Does it have something to do with our guest?" Karna gulped, shaking his head. But his father just pulled him outside, making him sit on the steps.

"Every man will be enchanted by a beautiful woman, and lust is bound to follow. Do you..." Karna cut him.

"No, Pitashree. I don't have even an ounce of lust when I look at the Devi. She- she's someone I owe my life. You saw right? How she fearlessly defended a stranger and stood by her words. I always had the pre-conceived notion that women were timid. But she's just the opposite. And how could she use Astras without any mantra? I mean.." Adhirath laughed.

"You admire the young woman, and I won't deny that it may turn into something more. But think about its implications. We are sutas, and I am definite that she isn't lower than us. Her  mannerisms show that. Suppose she doesn't return your feelings, you'll have to get over it. But if she does, how many will you go against ?"

Karna lowered his head. He didn't want to admit that he would be ready to go against anybody for her, but it was embarrassing to admit to his father.

"I know your wandering thoughts, boy. Your shameful expression reveals it all." Adhirath raised an eyebrow, Karna's head lowering further.

"Uh Pitashree.."

He patted him slowly. Both walked to his room, Karna pulling the curtains to hold the breeze.

"Think about it. If you are lucky, I have no problem. Now, close your eyes and make yourself sleep. I am not good at lullabies."

A faint smile graced his face as his father put off the lantern, wishing him a goodnight.

Unfortunately, her face kept popping up, no matter how many mind tricks he used.

"Ugh.." He wanted to kill his mind, but it wasn't possible.

He shifted as his door creaked open. Who was it at this hour?

Surely not Pitashree, who had just told him to sleep.

His throat got stuck as the faint scent of blue lotus wafted into his chambers. He didn't need a lantern to understand that it was Ishani. 

He hurriedly adjusted the mess of books on the table and the thrown blanket. Her eyes glowed strangely, or maybe he was seeing things.

She wore a loose cloth wrapped around her waist, a knot tied in the front that covered her ankles. Her translucent odhani made him slightly nervous.

Her hair was bound by a small hairpin, and it fell around her face like a halo.

"Uh Devi.." Only when she hesitantly entered his room did he notice her face sweating profusely, her pupils dilated in sheer terror.

"Shreeman.." She gasped, and he immediately jumped up, gesturing her to sit on the chair. She gripped it tight, looking around as if someone would enter and harm her.

"Nightmare?" He hummed softly, looking at the floor. She whispered a faint yes, breathing in deeply as she forced herself to calm down.

Karna looked up, moving to the headrest where he lit a bed torch. In the dim light, he noticed that her odhani kept fluttering, and she had hung it on one side, her bare waist peeking out.

Okay. She's beautiful but we need to concentrate. He told himself.

"When your demons try to take over, remind them that you are in charge. Nobody can take over you unless you give them the power to. " She jerked when she felt a warm hand give her a small pot of water.

"Here. It'll calm you." He murmured, his eyes softer than cotton candy. Just  beneath his right eye he had a visible scar. Warmth oozed from him naturally, as if he was an inbuilt room heater.

"You're... I'm sorry... unusually warm." He chuckled, the sound soothing her tense nerves. 

"There are some things about me you'd find weird. I hope you don't find it concerning." She shook her head, looking at him calmly.

"Having a super powerful armour isn't concerning." She bit her tongue at her mistake only after she saw his shocked face.

"Ho-how.. di..did.. yo.. you know?" His eyes narrowed. A flash of doubt filled him.

"Were you sent by any king to plunder Hastinapur?"
He knew the answer, but still went ahead.

She looked at him like he went mad. " I told you Krishna sent me. Obviously he told me about you." Still, he wasn't satisfied.

"But why did he tell you about me? I don't know him, and haven't done anything in his favour."

"He told me that you were a good man who deserved the world and more." She whispered, a tone as if she understood what he went through.

"My parents left me all alone, to fend for myself. In an unfamiliar place where I was taken advantage of." He looked at her in shock.

How could they leave her in such a fragile condition? As a man, he found it extremely difficult to grow up alone, imagine her.

"Who are your parents? Are they royals?" He asked, out of curiosity. She shook her head, standing up.

"I must leave, Shreeman. Tongues will wag if I'm seen in your room, that too late at night. Goodnight." Before he could reply back, the scent vanished and she left the room, leaving him disappointed.

He sat on his bed, perplexed. Who was Ishani?
Why did her parents desert her?

How did she know Vasudev? Why did he ask her to save him? 

What was her aim of entering Hastinapur's inner politics?

He struggled to sleep as her sad expression haunted him.

Meanwhile,

Arjun Mehta growled in fury, shattering the car window. He refused to believe that Ishani was dead.

"Arjun, it's true. She died in her sleep. Probably an overdose of pills. You can't blame her. Final stage of PTSD." One friend spoke.

Arjun kept quiet, opening the door as he saw the crowd at her funeral.

He spotted Advay and Kriti, whose eyes were bloodshot and vengeful. He knew they would be ruthless in their dealings.

"You fucking bastard!" Advay grabbed his collar, pinning him down to the muddy ground. Arjun waved his hand helplessly, trying to break free. But Advay wasn't done.

"You did this to my best friend! You ruined her peaceful life! You fucking have the audacity to come here, you bloody manwhore ! You forced yourself on her and then call her ugly!" All the people around gasped.

This was going to be trending for a couple of days. Ishani Rai was sexually abused by a former businessman? Kriti sighed, gripping her husband's shoulder to calm him.

"So..Sorry.." He tried to say, but Advay kept bruising him, until his entire face had swelled up and his lip was bleeding harshly.

Kriti stood besides him, kneeling down. Her face was expressionless, but there was a trace of sadness beneath the facade.

"You know why we aren't filing a lawsuit, you scumbag? Because Ishani left a final note to you.. and it's enough to scare the shit out of you!"

He looked at her in fear, when she chuckled. Pulling out a medium sized note taped carefully, she thrust it into his hands, and his blood ran cold as he read it.

Karma called me. Said she's gonna begin soon. With you first AM. So if you find blood oozing out of your mouth for no reason, assume she's already started her wicked torture.

At that moment, he coughed. And to their horror, blood gushed out. Arjun groaned as his palms were drenched, his throat burning like he had dipped in molten lava.

What in the world was happening? Arjun's eyes widened as the meaning sunk in.

His payback time had officially started.

Somewhere, the man with a cloudy complexion smiled as heard destiny's assuring words and evil's cry. 

Soon, Vasudev. They shall pay for harming her. Every one of them.

Hastinapur,

Morning.

"Ishani." She woke up, startled by a feminine voice. 

She looked at the delicate looking woman in front of her. It was Karna's mother, with a strained expression on her face.

"Good morning.. I mean Pranipaat.." Radha nodded, but her eyes were watering.

"Is there anything bothering you, Devi?" She gulped, sitting by the bedside.

"They have taken my Karna to the court. Since he forced you to stay here and went against the rules of hospitality."

"What rubbish!" Ishani stood up, looking at Radha firmly.

"I know it's the work of that bastard. Do not worry, I'll bring your son back. Safe and sound."

"Putri, be careful. They are dangerous." Ishani nodded, quickly having a bath and rushing out, her face veiled under the thick cloth.

She removed the veil as the guards fumbled around, recognizing her.

"Move." She spoke coldly and they stepped aside.

"Gandhar Raj!" Her roar made heads turn.

Karna, who was bound by iron chains, looked at her angrily. Why did she come here? He didn't want her to suffer the same fate. Shakuni laughed nervously.

"Devi, this hormonal man forcibly made you live at his residence for a night. He even refused to allow us to ask you, claiming you are asleep. I knew he hid you somewhere but you came out unscathed. After deciding his punishment, you can live here without any worries."

She laughed. So loudly that everyone thought she was deranged. She had broken an important rule.

Women's laughter was dangerous. To be kept away.

"I was welcomed at Shreeman's home, because it isn't a god-damn maze like this palace! Gandhar Raj, please understand your motives are see through. You want me to stay inside so you can understand why Vasudev sent me here. Then, if I am beautiful and intelligent enough in the eyes of the public, you'll try to marry me off, either to Duryodhana or Yudhishthira, whoever is supported by the people. Am I right?"

Freezing silence prevailed. The Pandavas looked at each other in utter shock, wondering at her guts to speak so boldly. Shakuni turned beetroot red, probably in embarrassment or anger nobody knew. 

Trivikram again sneered, about to open his mouth when Ishani cut him.

"Do you need to caned like a small boy to teach mannerisms and common sense? I hope you noticed the fact that fools shut their mouth when sensible people talk."

His face exploded.

"You... how dare you call me a fool.."

She simply raised a brow.

"Did I? Did I say Rajkumar is a fool? No. Not my fault when you assume things." She shrugged, looking at the silent King.

She blatantly ignored Bhisma and Vidura. They wouldn't support her either ways.

"Maharaj, I hope my words are taken seriously. I had, on my own will, stayed at Shreeman's home, not because he forced me, or for whatever reasons Gandhar Raj has beautifully fabricated. I have always preferred simplicity over richness."

"But I thought I was informed that you were spotted in his room, late at night." Her smile stilled and she glanced at Shakuni.

Karna gulped; now what would happen? He hated her character getting spoilt. He could already hear shocking murmurs.

She smiled at all of them. "I came to Shreeman's room to enquire about unnecessary men peeking into my bedroom. Privacy and modesty of a woman, I thought, was well-respected in Hastinapur? I didn't know I was that important for Gandhar Raj to place spies behind me."

Vidura rubbed his jaw. How tactfully this woman turned the tables. She was different.

Dhritrashtra was filled with anger and curiosity. Shakuni had indirectly embarrassed the kingdom due to his foolish act, but what was Vasudev's aim of sending her here?

Shakuni stood up, a sickeningly sweet smile. Vidura intervened.

"Release the man, guards." Karna dusted his fabric, standing by her side.

"You alright?" He nodded, not minding the light scratches the chains had given him.

"Mahamantri, I beg to differ. Karna has broken one of our laws, by sheltering a woman of an unknown caste." 

Ishani clutched her head. 

"That's supposed to be my fault, you idiot.. I mean Gandhar Raj. Why are you framing him.." After a few seconds, she lost it.

"You know what? Your justice system is one of the worst I've ever seen! How dare you all.."

"Cool down, dear." She turned back at the familiar voice.

Meme of the day: