" Just try it Jyeshtha. It might work. "

So she did. She fed the little baby the milk Keshav gave her...

What Karunika saw blew her mind. She saw, just as the baby drank the milk, her body glowed brightly, as if the stars itself had established their energy in her body.

The child in fact did not throw out the milk. The light dies down and the child let out a burp of approval.

That sound was one of the sweetest sounds Karunika had heard all day and her eyes were moist with tears of joy.

She turned around to see Keshav who was smiling at her in happiness.

" Keshav. You solved another problem of mine. Truly, you are Hari. The one who removes and takes away everyone's problems. " She said, rocking the child to sleep.

" Jyeshtha. What are you planning on naming her? " He asked, whispering as the child slumbered on a full stomach for the first time in months.

" I need to talk to my children and Arya about that. I wanted to name her Madirakshi, because I feel that's what life has done. It has given me my daughter through another woman, one who lost her life to protect the child. But I feel if I do, am I replacing my daughter? The one I lost? The one my children named Madirakshi? Am I replacing my child with someone who has given me the same happiness, if not more? " She asked, turning around to look at him with eyes that searched for an answer. A mother who searched for an answer.

" Jyeshtha. Just because we lose someone does not mean they are lost from our hearts. No one can take putri Madirakshi's place in your heart. No one. But if this child helps you feel that she's here with you, then why not. A name is just one to identify you. Whether or not you live up to that name is what makes you a strong person. You could name her Madirakshi and you still would not be stealing her happiness or yours. You would not be replacing her. " He told her, as her eyes softened at the thought of calling the child in front of her the name she ahd yearned to call the child she lost. But in some way, she found the child yet again.

Physical features may be different, but life finds its way through the trials of time. Karunika may not have the Madirakshi she wanted, but she had the Madirakshi she deserved.

Karunika looked at her family, her husband and children as they agreed to her wish of calling the child by that name.

" Mata. Madirakshi stood for the one person in the world who would be our Jyeshtha. But she became our anuja. Earlier she would have been the one to look after us, now it's our turn. We are her Jyeshth and Jyeshtha. She is our Madirakshi, she is our anuja. She is Karunika's heart and the Apple of Adam's eye. She is Aahana's anuja and my stars. " Moksh said, as they held their sister, carefully rocking her as she smiled up at them.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

As the next few weeks passed, the family approached the day of Aahana's wedding with much more excitement and chaos than necessary.

Karunika always felt that the most chaos she felt was when Yudhishthir became the Yuvraj many years ago.

She was wrong. Her brothers may have had children, they may have gotten married, as a matter of fact, her brother even became grandparents. But they still could not manage anything around the house.

One fine day....

" Jyeshtha! We can't find the bright red flowers meant for the mandap! "

" Bhrata Bheem! Stop eating and tasting every delicacy made for the guests. It is made in the kitchens properly. There won't be anything wrong! "

" Jijashree! Madirakshi has gone missing! She was with putr Abhimanyu and now no one knows where she is. "

" Jyeshth! -"

" MAUN! Maun ho jao. " Karunika finally yelled. The people went dead silent. Bheem let go of the ladoo he was holding. Adam and Abhimanyu stopped their frantic searching for Madirakshi, who crawled back into her father's lap with muddy hands.

Sahdev and Nakul dropped the basket of flowers they had, while Aahana just held her head in her hands.

" All of you. If you value your life, work without complaining. " Karunika ground out as her son laughed at his mamashree's horrified faces when "Aah-mata -aah. "

" Do you have anything to say? "

" N-no-no mata. I'm just. I'm just. Arre Nirmay. Come Avanti Kumari was looking for you-aah. Mata. I'm going. Please leave it alone. " Moksh said, rubbing his red ears.

" How are you grown up is beyond me. " Karn muttered as his wife laughed at him.

" Jyeshtha we -"

" No. Nothing. Just do your work. " She said, picking Madirakshi up from her husband's lap, which was now soiled with mud. He followed them to the room, where Karunika attempted to clean her off.

Changing his dhoti, he walked out to see a very stressed Karunika standing with her head in his hands.

He snaked his hand around her waist, pulling her to him in a hug.

" Priye. So much anger is harmful for health. Calm down. "

" How can I calm down? They aren't doing there work properly. The wedding is in three days and they haven't even -mmmgh. " She said, turning around indignantly as a hand covered her mouth.

"Priye. Shaant. They'll do it. Trust them. "

" That is what I was -mmhgh. "

" Shh. Madirakshi is sleeping. Come to the balcony. You need to sleep. You are functioning on three hours of sleep. " He whispered, pulling her by the hand into the balcony outside. He lay her down on the bed, holding her by his chest as he sushed her to sleep.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Three hours later, Karunika woke to an empty bed in the balcony and ran up to see her daughter, who was not in her crib. Assuming that Adam might have taken her, she relaxed, walking down to the sabha, where she was shocked to see. Everything had been done to perfection. The decorations, the mandap, the flowers. All of it was beautiful.

What was missing was her family.

She saw a worker passing by and asked, " Where is everyone? "

" They have all gone out to welcome the Samrat and the Samragyi Maharani. "

So she ran outside to the palace doors, seeing her brother walking in with his beautiful wife.

" Where is Jyeshtha? "

" She's sleeping Bhrata Yudhishthir. She was too tired to do anything. " Bheem said.

" Won't you tell her who was the one I was tired because of dear Bheem? " She said as she walked up to them.

" Jyeshtha. You are tired because you take too much of stress. We did everything anyway and no one even have to say anything to us. "

Adam and Moksh both cleared their throats as Aahana glared daggers at them.

" Really? I seem to hear my daughter's shouting very prominently. You forget I am a warrior too Bheem. I keep an ear open at all times. " She said, when Yudhishthir finally came up to her, taking her blessings.

" Thank Narayan you are here. I cannot deal with these miscreants anymore. " She said, putting her head on her brother's shoulders.

" Hey! What am I here for? " Adam and Karn said, simultaneously.

" You being here did nothing! In the end my poor daughter had to raise her voice at all of you. " She said angrily, holding the child close.

" Jyeshtha-"

One glare was enough. Yudhishthir and Devika erupted in laughter .

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So... Tell me how it was.

Much love

Radhekrishn❤