Hey Guys!!!! 

The Thirty third chapter. 

I don't own Mahabharat. 

A long chapter!
That leaves you wanting more ;)

Happy Reading!! 

**********  

Third POV 

-- 54 hours before the marriage-- 

Prince Duryodhana knocked on the door of a small house that seemed to be in middle of nowhere even though it was not far away from the palace. 

"Bhrata Duryodhana!" An excited voice shrieks but the person comes to a stunned stop when his eyes land on Prince Yudhishthira. 

"Greetings Raj Kumar Yudhishthira!" The boy bows his head. 

"Yuyutsu?" Prince Yudhishthira confirms. The said boy nods his head. 

"You are my brother, Yuyutsu. There is no need to address me as the Prince." Prince Yudhishthira smiles at the younger boy, widely. 

"Yuyutsu!" Prince Duryodhana pulls his younger brother in a hug. 
"We missed you." Prince Duryodhana smiles. 

"I did too." Yuyutsu admits.
It did not miss Prince Yudhishthira's eyes as to how hearing Duryodhana's voice, Yuyutsu's whole face lit like it was early Diwali. They must have really have a nice relationship. 

"Mitra Ashwatthama!" He laughs as the other man bring him in a hug.

Once released from the hug, he asks, "It's weird to see you three together. Why are you guys here, anyway?"

"Raj Kumar Karn was looking for you." Prince Duryodhana was the one who answers. 

"Maha Mahim's son?" Yuyutsu's eyes widen. 
The man is known for his kind- heart but he is also known for his fierceness amongst the villagers. Especially after the Kala- Pradarshan.   

"He is technically our uncle." Prince Yudhishthira says. "When he learnt about you, he wanted to meet you. And sent us to bring you to him." 

"But what if -" Yuyutsu looked worried. 

"No one has any right over Prince Karn." Ashwatthama ensures Yuyutsu, "Raj Mata Satyavati always sides with him." 

"And as always I will be there, Yuyutsu!" Prince Duryodhana places a hand on Yuyutsu's shoulder, in promise. 

A small smile makes way on Yudhishthira's lips.
Duryodhana dearly loves this boy! 

"I will come." Yuyutsu concedes.  
If anything bad will happen, Bhrata Duryodhana will be there to protect me. He re- assures himself.

***

"Pranipatra Raj Kumar Karn!" Yuyutsu greets the older man.

"Yuyutsu!" Prince Karn smiles as he looks at him. "I was waiting for you."

"How can I be of your help, Raj Kumar Karn?" Yuyutsu questions, hoping that he was polite and Prince Karn does not angry for any mistake he makes. 

"Oh no! None of that." Prince Karn waves his hand. "You are just like Yudhishthira or  Duryodhana to me, none of that Raj Kumar jazz." 

"So, what am I supposed to call you?" Yuyutsu asks, seriously muddled. 

"Uncle what else?" Prince Duryodhana drawls. 
Prince Karn rolls his eyes but does not counter the statement. 

"I want you around here." Prince Karn says. "If anyone has any problem with you staying here, they need to come talk to me. You are as much as my nephew as these guys are. Always keep that in mind." 

"And you lot." Prince Karn turns to every other prince in the room. "I should not be hearing that any one of you were tormenting, disturbing or hurting him. I have my eyes and ears all around the palace. Every guard and servant would rather come themselves to tell me the truth than me asking. So, no funny business. Am I clear?" 

All he received was sync- nods from the prince's in the room. 

-- Time Skip --

-- 40 hours before the disaster--

"I do not believe this girl." Prince Karn mumbles to himself as he rubbed a hand on his fore- head. "Also, this is exhausting." 

"Then go away." Princess Ananya who was sitting a few feet away from him on top of the tree exclaims, her voice snobbish. 

"I would, believe me but then Dadi will have my head, if you do not come tomorrow to the party." Prince Karn sighs. 

"As also, I will not be able to come, I am leaving for Dwarka." She returns. 

"Oh please, I know you better than you know yourself and I am damn sure that you in no way are returning to Dwarka." Prince Karn dead pans. 

Princess Ananya does not answer rather she continues helping her mom. 

"Matey!" Prince Karn whines. "Why do you not say anything to her?" 

"What do I have to say in all this?" Amba questions. "You guys fought. It's you guys who are arguing right now. Where do I come in all this? I am not going to take any sides and that is final." 

Princess Ananya suddenly stood up. "I am going to take a walk." 

"Take Karn with you." Amba says picking the plate and bowls of newly cut vegetables up.
"And yes, I am ordering you." 

Both of them grumbled but Prince Karn broodingly followed Princess Ananya. 

"I did not want you here." Princess Anaya says. "And I thought I had made it very clear to you, that day." 

"As if I would ever listen to you!" Prince Karn snorts. 

Princess Ananya huffs angrily. "Do you not get the fact that I do not any way wish to talk to you?" 

"Do you not get the fact that I only want to talk to you?" Prince Karn replies. 

"I do not want to look at your face even." Princess Ananya cries out. 

"But I have such a good face to look at!" Prince Karn exclaims. 

"Karn!" Princess Ananya suddenly skids to stop but does not face Prince Karn, "Why are you being such a dolt? Why cannot you leave me alone?" 

Prince Karn walks towards her and comes to stand in front of her, "Because you are my best friend and that is why I will never leave you alone." 

Princess Ananya does not look up at him, rather her eyes were fixed at the ground near her feet, as she stood their head bent. 
"I do not want to go to any party with you tomorrow!" She shrieks. 

"Princess Subhadra and Princess Dushala were eagerly waiting for your arrival!" Prince Karn says ignoring the jab which hurt him. "I think you should disappoint them at least." 

"Are you trying to black- mail me?" Princess Ananya's voice sounded completely aghast and horror struck. 

"Emotional black mail." Prince Karn corrects her tutting, "Will it work?" 

"Bastard." Princess Ananya spats suddenly, turning away from him. "That is what you are, Karn. A bastard." 

Prince Karn on other hand tries to laugh it off, even though it stung him a bit. "Does not everyone know that?" 

"I suppose there is no difference between you and that Prince Panav, huh?" Princess Ananya gives a humorless laugh, "All the princes are just the same. Egoistic brat's who have zero mannerism and consideration for others? Am I not right at this Prince Karn?" 

"It was good thinking on their part that your birth parents let you float off in the ganga river!" Princess Ananya adds on snarking. She seemed on a roll. 

Her anger was getting better of her. She did not realize the implications of words spoken. Not at the moment at least. 

Prince Karn saw white at her words. The last statement was just oil to the fire. 
His eyes burnt with tears as the allegations made on him settled in his brain. 

He did not looked at her even once, he simply pushed past her and head straight for his horse. He did not stop even when Matey Amba called. 
He was in no status to talk to anyone at the moment. His anger was reaching it's level's now. And he wanted to be away before he burst. 

Him being abandoned had been a sore subject all along his life and he did not let anyone talk about it. No one. Not even his Dadi or Papa. 
Him and Ananya had discussed some things' related to it before but it was always jokes about both of them being taken away from their parents.  

When the guards of Hastinapur palace saw an angry Prince Karn walking in the corridors they were immediately trying to get everyone out of their way but how could they help when Prince Karn entered just the room where the whole family was gathered for the day? 

The royal family of Hastinapur's Kuru clan did not expect the door of the room to be broken apart by one angry Prince Karn. But even more than that the fire in his eyes made everyone stop shot. They were very well aware that they were not on the receiving ends of it but they still were sweating bullets. 

"Cancel every preparation made for her birthday tomorrow." Prince Karn says. 

The other prince's in the room had been trained to fight wars but a look at the man and all they wanted to do was hide under their mother's pallu. 
It was dam scary. His voice was like iron melting. It scared them all to no ends. 

With that being said, Prince Karn wasted no time in briskly storming out of the room much to everyone's shock and astonishment. 

-- Time Skip --

-- 15 hours before the marriage--

Princess Ananya had spent her birthday alone. Her twenty- sixth birthday she spent away from everyone except her Ma of course. 
That lady had dealt with Princess Ananya and Prince Karn's shit for nearly twenty years. She should perhaps receive an award for it. 

Princess Ananya was not being herself. How could she?
She had got in to a full- blown fight with one person she trusted whole heartedly in this world. 

Anyway, the whole point was the fact that she was not ok. 

So, when she walked out of the 'Kop Bhavan' as Karn called it the day before. Her mother seemed relieved that she was ready to eat something at last. 

She felt a little bad at screaming at Karn the day before, but the truth was she was no way ready to talk to her and she used the only way she could, considering the fact that he was not listening to her. 
She pushed him away by a method she knew would bear fruits. And it did. He went away not even turning to look at her once.  

"Have this, it came as a gift." Amba handed her daughter, an apple and grapes.  

Princess Ananya shrugs and haves a bunch of grapes before she bites in to the apple. She could see her mother a little farther away, filling water in the earthen pot from the river. 

Princess Ananya's vision suddenly started to grow hazy, she could not see clearly, her arms and leg had started to feel weightless and she was losing control over her body. 

She suddenly fell back in to arms of a waiting kidnapper. Or Kidnappers considering Ananya could feel presence of many people around her. 
For he made her smell something. And having lost control over herself, Princess Ananya had nothing to do rather than falling in the trap. 

What neither Princess Ananya nor her Ma- Amba- saw was the crocked smile on the man's face, hidden behind the tree, whose one eye was closed in satisfaction of his work going smoothly.  

**********

How was the update for the day?

Yuyutsu is in the gang! 

Ananya and Karn get in a bigger fight then before. 

She spent her birthday alone :( 

Haw! She was kidnapped. But by whom? 

Do we know the guy? 

(1905 words.) 

--Sxxxxx