Moksh, Neelansh and Sutsom returned three days... Three days before Aahana's wedding. Safe to say, they had a very angry sister to tend to.

" But Aahana -"

" No. I'm not listening to anything you say. You were told to come soon! " She said, walking away, as Alata followed her.

Moksh had arrived with a beautiful princess. The princess of Avanti.

Avanti Kumari Shubhda. She was a prisoner of her cruel brother, who wished to marry her off to a local trader, one who was already nearing the end of his life just so he could live in peace. Defeating his army as it attacked Kuntibhoj, they rescued the princess and brought her back to Vajji.

She was a wonderfully sweet lady, who was just about Aahana and Moksh's age.

While Adam and Karunika had finally figured out how to balance the gold in their vaults for the wedding, they had a new problem on their hands.

Being quite old, they were vastly unable to cater to all the needs of the baby girl they had adopted. Who they still hadn't named, save for calling her Kumari.

Sahdev had told them that the baby was oy about three months old and would require breast milk. Which was what was their ultimate problem. They could control her crying, put her to sleep, do so many things, but her food, specifically her requirement for breastmilk was the problem.

Up untill now, two months after taking the child in, they had been giving her plain warm milk, but it was not sitting well with her.

She would throw it up or pass it all out. Nothing would stay in. Karunika tried mixing water in it, which helped a little but not enough.

Her frantic cries at night for food tormented Karunika's heart, but there was not much she could do.

Until...

Saavdhan! Dwarikadheesh Shree Krishn! Drarikeshewari Rukmini, Matsya Raja Virat , Maharani Sudeshna, Yuvraj Uttar padhar rahe hain!

They waled into the main hall, where the family had been gathered for dinner.

Adam and Karunika instantly stood up, holding the child in their hands and welcomed everyone.

" Pranipat.  You are all welcome to Vajji. Yuvraj Uttar, I hope you are happy to be here. " Adam said, inviting the families to sit down.

" Why won't he mitr Adam? He has his premika here. His soul is here -aaaah! I'm telling you. One day -aaaa! " The preserver of the world's shouted as yet again his poor ears became victims of his Jyeshtha's hands.

" Wonderfully done Maharani Karunika. Only you can do this to him without suffering any consequences. I don't understand. Even though I am his Jyeshth, I have to go through a consequence each time I do so." Came another voice. The Haldhari walked in, as he too pulled Keshav's ear.

" Pranipat Dau. " Karunika said, as she handed the baby over to her daughter, bowing down to take his blessings when she was pulled into a hug.

" Someday. Someday I'll get back to you both. " Krishan muttered as he rubbed his ears while his wife laughed at him, massaging it  with hands cold from the ice on the table to keep the sweets cold.

" You may keep dreaming. " Karunika said and went up to Maharani Sudeshna to greet her. She would become her daughter's mother in law. She needs to be respected so that her daughter may be at peace. Even though they are of a reputed family, no one knows the reality till they are married.

" Panipat Maharani. "

" Pranipat Maharani Karunika. I am really happy to meet you. Your daughter is an angel. One we would be grateful to welcome into our home. " She said, with genuine joy in her eyes.

" And I will be even more honoured to be a part of yours Maharani. " Aahana said, taking her blessings.

Uttar watched happily at her mother and soon to be wife, when two sets of hands came up and held his shoulders. The eight brothers of Aahana all stood behind him, indicating him away.

Adam just looked at them, shaking his head. He pulled the eldest of the bunch, Neelansh over and told him, " Try to make sure he doesn't look or feel mutilated. He needs to be alive to marry Aahana. I tust you. " While the Vrushalinandan agreed.

Keshav, who had been brewing another plan, immediately said, " Avanti Kumari. How are you? I hope my nephews didn't trouble you too much."

" Pranipat Vasudev. No they did not. They were the men their glorious mothers and fathers raised them to be. " She answered softly.

" Oh. That's so wonderful putri. So, have you decided how to proceed from here? " Karenumati asked her.

" Ji Rajkumaari. I will need to find a worthy groom for myself, as for me to be able to govern my kingdom, I need to be married. So I will find a worthy husband, get married, go back to Avanti and then we'll see from there.

" That's so unusual. But why don't you change the rules putri? Why is it a necessity for you to marry?" Meenakshi said. Having grown in this kingdom where the rule was equally divided among the brother and sister, she couldn't imagine having to actually marry before being able to rule.

" I hope to do so once I am a queen Maharani. It's just, my brother made the rule. His death will break it, but for that I need to be in power. The kingdom is not accepting of me as their princess as it is. They won't accept me as their queen. "

" Why so putri? Why can't the accept you? " Panchali asked.

" Kumari, I am not my father's first child and I have been born out of a marriage which was unacceptable to the kingdom. I am the daughter of an enemy kingdom of ours. My father had married my mother out of force. Hence, he and my brother don't and didn't accept me as a princess and in fear of them, neither did the people. "

" But now they are dead. So what is the issue? " Bheem asked.

" Yuvraj, you may not know, but change takes time. My kingdom is crowded by the fear that I may turn out like the rest of my family. Even if I must give up my love Or my life, I will, so that they may believe that I am not like the others. "

" Putri we accept your decision, while we may not wholeheartedly agree with it. You are free to live in Vajji till you find a worthy groom. "

" I just might have. " She whispered to herself,  recalling  the man holding the rabbits in his hand. She might be grateful for the Yuvraj to save her, but he was too loud and an unusual person. She couldn't imagine her life with him.

" So it is settled then. We will have Aahana and Uttar's wedding - where is he? " Karn asked, looking around.

Aahana's ears perked up when she realised her to be husband was missing. Which was when it hit her.....

" Oh no! Oh no no no no. " She said, running towards the fighting grounds of the palace, the family in tow.

   ~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

She reached there, panting as she saw the prince, fighting against all her brothers one by one. He seemed to have defeatsd all but two. Abhimanyu and Neelansh. The two deadly cobras around a mouse. Or would he? Would he be a mouse or a mongoose?

" Jyeshth! What are you doing! Stop it! How long will you test his worth? Is my word not enough for you? " Aahana shouted at them, as the parents looked at their children and laughed. However, the mother of the groom observed. She wanted to see something.

" Priy bahana, even if Narayan himself comes to tell me the truth, I won't believe him. "

Keshav nearby chuckled while his wife stared at him in mock anger. 'Arya. Will you please be serious'. She told him, telepathic while he quietly kept a finger on his mouth.

" Fine then. You'll have to fight me first. " Aahana replied, walking into the arena with a sword of her own.

As Karunika went to stop her, she was stopped by two hands, one of her husband and one of Karn's.

" But -"

" Kumari. Let them. This will train them to work as a team during their married years. " Karn whispered to her as she waited, but her heart dropped to her stomach.

" But bahana, we can't fight you. " Shutkarman said, putting down his spear.

" You are fighting my to be husband. He is part of my soul. He will be and even though he still is, my ardhang. You fight him, you fight us. " She told them, while the prince behind her tried to tell her that they were just playing.

" Aahana, they are teasing me. It's alright. I should be able to prove my worth to your brothers. After all, I would have challenged  Abhimanyu had we not been in war. " He told her, gently lowering her sword.

She turned to face him and they shared an unspoken message. Trust me. So Aahana walked, with her hand in Uttar's, moving away from the field, towards their parents.

They took their blessings and the moment they did, they turned around, bright smiles on their faces and said in the most sickly sweet voice possible.

" Bhrataon. If you value your sleep tonight, you will leave the Yuvraj alone now. Otherwise.... " She smirked, while her brother's smirks fell.

The couple ran away, laughing at the struck faces of the princes.

" Mata, Piatashree, May we please sleep with you tonight? We are very big. We know we have grown up. But please? " Sutsom said, as the elders laughed in delight.
  •~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

That night, Karunika sat on her bed, trying to make the baby in her hands sleep when,

" Jyeshtha. If you keep feeding the child milk mixed with water  where will she gain her energy from? " Said the voice of her nightmares and dreams.

" Krishn. If you can help me, do it, otherwise get lost. " Karunika said angrily, trying to pacify  her crying child while dealing with another.

" Jyeshtha. All you had to do was ask. " He said, bringing a pot of milk, whick he gave Karunika.

" I tried this. She'll just throw it out -"

" Just try it. "

So she did. Hoping it would work.

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So people. How are you all. Tell me how the chapter was in the inline comments.

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Much love

Radhekrishn ❤