➸ 𝓦𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽: ３１３５ 

➸ 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂: 𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓃𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒟𝓇𝒶𝓊𝓅𝒶𝒹𝒾 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒫𝒶𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓋𝒶'𝓈? 𝐻𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒸𝓉? 
𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝑒𝓁𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇- 𝒾𝓃- 𝓁𝒶𝓌 𝒜𝓃𝒶𝓃𝓎𝒶, 𝓌𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒦𝒶𝓇𝓃? 

➸ 𝓑𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂: 𝒟𝓊𝓇𝓎𝑜𝒹𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒶 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒦𝒶𝓇𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒜𝓃𝒶𝓃𝓎𝒶, 𝒦𝒶𝓇𝓃'𝓈 𝓌𝒾𝒻𝑒, 𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒱𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒶 𝒱𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝒸𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝒶𝓃𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒫𝒶𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓋𝒶'𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑅𝒶𝓃𝒾 𝒦𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾. 
𝒜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒, 𝒟𝓊𝓇𝓎𝑜𝒹𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒶 𝒹𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒶𝑔 𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓃𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎. 

➸ 𝓡𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓹𝓼: 𝒦𝒶𝓇𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒜𝓃𝒶𝓃𝓎𝒶; 𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓌𝒶𝓉𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓂𝒶 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒟𝓊𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓁𝒶; 𝒟𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓇𝒶𝓈𝒽𝓉𝓇𝒶 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒢𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒾. 

➸ 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼: 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓉 𝒹𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓇𝑔𝑒𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀, 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒜𝓃𝒶𝓃𝓎𝒶 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒶 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝟤𝟦 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒟𝓌𝒶𝓅𝒶𝓇 𝓎𝓊𝑔𝒶. 𝒮𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝒟𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓀𝒶 𝒮𝒾𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒦𝒶𝓇𝓃. 

⋆ ——————————✧◦♚◦✧——————————⋆ 

Third POV 

THE PANDEVA'S ALONG WITH DRUAPADI, Kunti, Karn, Ananya and Duryodhana had just entered Hastinapur. They were coming incognito, a suggestion made by Ananya.

They headed for the palace straight away, because it was some time before noon, the court would be in full swing right now. They had to deal with all this marriage mess right now only, it is the best time to do so.

Draupadi was lost, worried about what would happen. But she had faith in her Govind. She knew he would always help her. No matter whatever the situation was.
There was just one thing that was going in her head, Who was her Bhabhi, really?

Not like that, of course she knew who she was, she was Bhrata Karn's wife but what Draupadi was wondering was where she was from and whose daughter was she?
Because her sense of dressing was different, she did not wear any chudamani to show that she is married, but yes Sindoor was used by her.

So, all this while as they traveled from the small hut in the forest to Hastinapur, Draupadi was observing her Bhabhi. Or as the Kaunteya's called her Bhabhi Ma.
She (Bhabhi Ma) was close to the brothers, all of them. And she loved them like her kids. Also she seemed to love Bhrata Karn out of the world.

But what did not make sense to Draupadi till now was her dress.
The dress was some where between a saree and lengha. Something that Draupadi had not seen in her this short life. And it jumbled her to no end.

"Bhrata Duryodhana?" Draupadi whisper asks the brother- in- law beside her.
Asking any of the Pandeva's would be awkward. So, only he was left.

The said man looks surprised at her, why did she call him?
"Haan?" (Yes?) Duryodhana asked.

"Bhabhi, ne kya pehna hai?" (What is Bhabhi wearing?) She whisper asks Duryodhana.

"Anarkali Suit kehti hai Bhabhi, usse." (Bhabhi calls it Anarkali Suit.) Duryodhana answers, looking at his Bhabhi.

"Oh!" Draupadi nodded in understanding, though it is another point that she did not understand why it was called a suit. Or for that matter why she was wearing it.

Draupadi was worried about how every one will react to this. It is not everyday that a girl is to marry five boys. She was also wondering why Krishna did not come with them? He could have helped but when Draupadi made the point, the Dwarka King simply smiled and said, 'I am closer to you, than you think I am. I will help.'

It was Ananya Bhabhi's idea. To come to Hastinapur before doing anything when fight was about to break out. Yudhishthira and Bhabhi Ananya along with Krishna were fixed that Draupadi should be married to all the five brothers. Sehdev, Nakul and Bheema were somewhere in between. While Rani Kunti, Ang- Raj Karn and Duryodhana were convinced that the marriage should be between Draupadi and Arjun only.

"Raj Durbar aaj ke liye khatam ho chuka hai." (The royal court has dissolved for the day.) The solider says. "Aap sab ko kaal aana hoga." (You need to return tomorrow.)

Of course, he did not recognize them, they all were still in their forest get up. While the ladies had their face covered so as to not being identified.

"Par -" (But -) Bheema starts to speak up but is cut off by the solider.

"Mujhe maf kijiye, Brahmin devta." (Pardon me, Brahmin sir.) Solider looked apologetical.
"Par mujhe aapko andar jane dene ka adesh nahi hai. Aur mujhe aapne aadesh ka palan karna hoga." (But I cannot let you in, I do not have the order to do so. And I need to follow what I am told to do.)

"Hume Maha Mahim se milna hai, senik." (We need to meet Maha Mahim, solider.) Ananya speaks up, not waiting for any other brother to speak on their behalf.
Draupadi looks at her Bhabhi a little surprised, she did not expect her to take lead. 

ASHWATTHAMA WAS WALKING AROUND THE PALACE, with the love of his life, his wife. Dushala. And it was then when he noticed it.

They were ten people standing there at the gate of the palace. And they all seemed familiar but the most being the girl who stood further ahead of others. She seemed to be kind of arguing with the solider there.

But that was what not that made him freeze in between the corridor.

"Arya?" (Dear?) Dushala's sweet voice brings him out of his staring state and he turns to her sweet wife.

"Woh log dekhe dekhe se lag rahein hain kya?" (Those people seem to be some one know, right?) Ashwatthama questions his wife, who turned to where her husband pointed.

The people did seem known to her. "Lagta hai!" (It seems so.)

They stare closely at the lady standing near the solider and their eyes widen in perfect synchronization. Before they turn to look at each other two words releasing their lips.

"Bhabhi Ma!"

The couple instantly rush towards the gate, where the others were. They needed to meet them.

But Dushala suddenly stops, pulling her husband to a stop too, "Hume unke saamne as Maharaj aur Maharani jana hai. Woh log agar aise aaye hain toh koi karan hoga. Hume unhe andar sabke paas le jana hoga." (We need to go in front of them as King and Queen. If they have come here in such a form there must be a reason. We need to take them inside, to where everyone is.)

Ashwatthama stares at her wife. She thought all that? All the while there was only one thing that roamed in his mind, 'Anna Bhabhi is here.'

'This is why I love her.' Ashwatthama thinks, as he nods at his wife. 'My beautiful Intelligent wife.'

"Yahan kya ho raha hai, Senik?" (What is happening here, solider?) Dushala is the one to question the solider.

"Maharani Dushala!" (Queen Dushala!) The solider bows his head. "Yeh log Maharaj evam Maha Mahim se milna chahhte hain." (These people want to meet King and Maha Mahim.)

Dushala turns to look at the people in front of her. She could easily identify her brothers and Bhabhi, Chachi Kunti was also not hard to distinguish but she could not identify the last lady. The lady was in the middle, standing kind of beside Brother Duryodhana.

"Unhe aane dein humare saath, Senik!" (Let them accompany us, solider.) Dushala orders.

"Jaisi aapki marzi, Maharani!" (As you wish, Queen.) The Solider bows and moves out of the way to let the people in.

"Dhanyavad Maharani!" (Thank you, Queen.) Ananya says softly as they start to move to an abandoned part of the palace, to reach the rest of the family.

Draupadi watches as the girl cautiously looks around before jumping onto Ananya Bhabhi, "Bhabhi!" She exclaims happily.

Draupadi continues to watch wide eyed as her Ananya Bhabhi caught the girl who had flung herself on their Bhabhi, easily. She was not expecting it but one look at others face and she knew that they were, and seemed happy about it too.

"Mujhe bahut yaad aayi aapki, Bhabhi!" (I missed you a lot, sister- in- law.) Dushala continues to grip her sister- in- law tightly.

"Main jaanti hun, Shala." (I know, Shala!) Ananya replies, laughing slightly in amusement.

Once they pull away from hug, Dushala turns to the man who had been walking protectively just a step behind her Bhabhi, her husband- Karn.
And her brother Karn gives Dushala a big, bear hug. Being youngest has perks, you know.

And to Draupadi's surprise, Ashwatthama pulls Bhabhi Ananya in a hug. But there was nothing that looked weird about it. It seemed like a brotherly hug.

"Aapko hume nahi chodna chahhiye tha aise, Anna Bhabhi." (You should have not left us like that, Anna Bhabhi!) Ashwatthama declares.

"Haan Bhabhi, Arya sahi keh rahein hain." (Yes, Bhabhi! He is saying the right thing.)

"Sun, Ma tumne?" (Did you hear that, Mom?) Karn begins to speak.
"Hume yahan aaye, do mint bhi nahi hue hain aur char bar Bhabhi- Bhabhi keh diya in hone. Parantu ek bar bhi Bhai na bola." (We have been here only for two minutes, and they have called for their Bhabhi four times. But not even called once for her Brother.)

Rani Kunti laughs, as she sees her kids interact.

Draupadi looks between the mother and son. They are so sweet.
And yet this was the same lady who made her married life a mess today.

Ashwatthama and Dushala, turn in sync to take blessings from their aunt, wife of Dushala's father's brother. One who they were meeting nearly after two years.

Hugs and greetings were exchanged between all the brothers, Dushala and Ashwatthama until Draupadi was the only one left. Dushala turned to observe the lady.

"Aap kon hain, Devi?" (Who are you, lady?) Dushala questions, the lady in front of her seemed to be in a beautiful blood red attire, the only thing off was her veil that she was still donning.
Why was doing that?

Draupadi had no idea as to how she should really answer that question, so she turned her eyes, from under the veil, from Dushala to Ananya Bhabhi. Knowing that the lady would most probably know the best way to break things to the young queen.

"Ishi bar mein baat hai." (We are here about this only.) Ananya says slowly. "Achcha hoga agar main ek hi baar sab ko samjhaon." (It would be better if I tell about all this in front of everyone.)

Dushala and Ashwatthama nod in understanding before the take her to where the rest of the family was supposed to be.
The rest following closely behind, falling back in to their acting of being mare seven brahmins, a mother, one wife and another yet to be decided. 

THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF HASTINAPUR were still in the throne room.
Maharaj Dhritarashtra was too tired to get up, and the others understanding his plight. Decided to keep the old man company. As also they had nothing else important to do.

Dushala and Ashwatthama had excused themselves, in the name of the former not feeling well and the later going after her to look after her.
Maharaj let them leave easily, he knew there was nothing wrong with Dushala, but they were kids, young ones, new to love. Maharaj Dhritarashtra did not mind it.

So, imagine their surprise when Dushala comes bonding in to the room, closely followed by her husband and some other group of people.

"Dushala?" Maha Mahim was the first person to speak up. "Yeh log kon hain?" (Who are these people?)

He was feeling that he had felt the foot steps before but something was not settling in him.

"Maharaj, Maha Mahim. Pranipatra!" (Greetings!) Ananya stepped ahead, her face covered, hand joined and voice pitched a little higher than normal.

"Pranipatra." (Greetings!) The two people greeted back, all the while everyone was frowning.

"Maharaj, humare pass ek samasya hai." (King, we have a problem.) Ananya speaks up once again. "Aur uska haal ham sab mein se kisiko samajh nahi aaraha hai." (And we are not able to find any kind of solution for it.)

"Kya samasya hai, Devi?" (What is the problem, lady?) Maha Mahim questions, he was intrigued.
Plus, this lady seemed know to him in some ways more than other.

"Yeh humare devar hain, Maha Mahim." (This is my brother- in- law, Maha Mahim.) Ananya begins putting a hand on Arjun's shoulder, who does not look in anyone's eyes directly.

"Inki shaadi, is Devi se honi thi." (He was supposed to get married to this lady, here.) Ananya puts her other hand on Draupadi's shoulder.

"Toh is mein dikat kya hai, devi?" (Then what is the issue in it, lady?) Maha Mantri Vidor questions. He could see nothing wrong in it all.

"Dikat?" (Issue?) Ananya questions. "Baat toh yeh hai ki, Devi ko mere Devar ne ek Swaymawar mein jita hai." (The point is that he won this lady in a Swaymawar.)

"Usse koi farak toh nahi padta hai." (But that does not change anything.) Guru Dronacharya frowns.

"Nahi, parantu dikat yeh hai ki, jab meri hone wali devrani ko lekar yeh humare ghar aaye toh Mata Puja kar rahin thi." (No, it does not but the actual problem is that when they brought her to our house, mother was praying.) Ananya starts to move towards her problem.
"Shivling ki Puja kar rahi thi." (She was worshiping the Shivling.)

The royal family looks at the people in front of them in interest. This problem seemed to be spinning a very jolly way.

"Ghar aakar, devar ji ne, kaha ki woh Mata ke liye koi chij jit kar layein hain." (On coming to the house, brother- in- law said that he brought a thing he won.) Ananya slowly speaks up.
"Bina devar ji ke taraf dekhe Mata ne kaha ki, 'Tum jo bhi laye ho, aapne pach bhaiyoan mein batlo.'" (Without looking at him, Mother said, 'Whatever you have brought, divide it amongst you five brothers.') Ananya finishes up.

"Toh bataiye, Maharaj, Maha Mahim." (So tell us, King, Maha Mahim.) Ananya questions.
"Meri hone wali Devrani kis ki patni hogi?" (My to- be- sister- in- law, should be whose wife?)

Absolute silence followed her question.

No one had any answer to the question.
This was all messed up. How could they understand what to do.

In the silence, everybody on Ananya's side were staring at every place other than someone's eyes. They did not wanted to be found out now, at least not until their Ananya Bhabhi gave a motion for them to declare their real identity.

On the other hand, the royals were staring at the people in surprise and shock.
How did these people land in such a mess?

Ashwatthama and Dushala, all the while were exchanging looks and were looking around too.
All the while admiring their Anna Bhabhi's skill as to how she placed her points, plus the way she changed her voice.

'She is so cool.' Both of them thinking, smiling discreetly at her.

Shakuni's mind on other hand was whirling. One mother. Five brothers. Plus, two men, who seemed like their brother. One Bhabhi for all of them.
Where had he seen this condition before? It was like, a light bulb was blinking at the back of his head, but he could just not look at it, he could just not place his hand on it.

Maha Mantri speaks up, "Aapke devar ki shaadi Devi se ho sakti hai." (Your brother- in- law is to be married to the lady.) he points at Arjun.
"Baaki sab ko brahmacharya ka palan karna hoga." (The others will take up celibacy.)

The others nod in agreement with the said deal. It seemed fine.

"Par, Maha Mantri, Mata ne toh baat Shivling ke samne boli hai," (But Maha Mahim, mother said the words before a Shivling.) Yudhishthira speaks up,
"Shivling ke samne boli gayi baat ko tala nahi ja saakta hai." (Something said in front of Shivling cannot be dis- regarded.)

But before any more could said, Maha Rani Gandhari stumbled down the stairs and grabbed on to the first person who was beside her.

"Maha Rani!" (Queen!) Ananya exclaimed, catching her and in the motion of doing so, her dupatta moved, falling of her head. Exposing her face to everyone in the room.

But she was to pre- occupied with the aunt in her hands to even notice it.
While everyone in the royal room took a harsh breath in.

Was this Anaya?
Their eldest sister- / daughter- in- law?
Did she survive the fire? How?

"Putri Ananya?" (Daughter Ananya?) Were the two words that made Ananya realize what had happened. She decided to ignore it for the time being as she straightened her aunt up.

Rani Kunti rushed beside Ananya trying to get hold of her sister- in- law who seemed to be a little ill. She was worried about her. Losing a son is not at all easy, she had felt the pain of separation. And now her sister- in- law was going through something similar.

"Jiji!" (Sister- in- law!) She exclaimed as she looked at the mess, her elder sister seemed in.

"Kunti?" Maha Rani Gandhari stood a little straighter when she felt her sister- in- laws touch and heard her voice.

"Jiji! Yeh kya haal banaliya aapne aapna." (Sister- in- law, what state have you made of yourself?) Kunti says, horror in her voice and concern lacing her words.

"Kunti!" Maha Rani Gandhari sobbed pulling her sister in a close hug.
She had missed her sister- in- law a lot too.

Ananya steps back before pushing Duryodhana towards Maha Rani Gandhari. She needed support right now, needed to meet her son back.

Duryodhana on the other was nervous as hell. He did not know what to say and do. After all he was the one who left this part of family behind, right?

"Mata?" (Mother?) He hesitantly spoke up. He did not know what to expect.

"Suyodhana?" His mother retaliated, her voice was raw, vulnerable, even broken somehow.

"Haan Mata?" (Yes mother?) He questions grabbing her hands.
In a few seconds Maha Rani Gandhari crashed in to her son, pulling him as close as she could, trying to make sure that he stays with her.

The royal family were stubbed. They were alive all this while?
But if they were alive, why did they not return?
Where were they all in these two years?

While Shakuni was as white as sheet, his mind whirling. And jaw slacked open.
How did this happen?
How did they survive?
How did they not die even after the poison and fire?
There was not even a single clue that showed they escaped.

So, how in the name of all gods were they standing here? 

⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 .... ⋙ 

⋘ ᴛʀʏ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ...... ⋙  

████ 60% *___* 

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