Manvendra stood on the balcony of his room, staring out at the clear skies, where white clouds roamed freely. It was clear that the season of monsoon was over now, there was no sign of another shower from above.

And that was making Manvendra grim, for it meant that he had to go back to Nagasaharya and face his treacherous Kaurav cousins. Till now he was happily residing in Gajasaharya, free from the pettiness of his cousins and their companions, but now it seemed his solace was slowly slipping away.

It felt as though the syncopated rhythm of the falling raindrops had synchronized his heartbeat, soothing his troubled mind and shielding him from the harsh realities that awaited him within the palace walls of the capital.

Manvendra kept thinking about a way to postpone the inevitable confrontation with his treacherous cousins. He had somehow evaded it by saying he'd return after monsoons. But now it seemed impossible to delay it further, he knew he shouldn't.

His heart grew heavy as he thought about his Kaurav cousins, whose ill intentions and jealous maneuvers had plagued his peaceful existence. It had plagued the peaceful existence of everyone in the royal palace.

"Raudra ?" The voice of Dhisana brought him out of his thoughts. He looked at her with a stoic expression, but she could see well past it.

"Is something troubling you ?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Why do you ask ?" Manvendra questioned.

"You seem distant ever since that messenger from Nagasaharya came." Dhisana said, "Is something bothering you ?" She asked.

"I don't wish to return to Nagasaharya. I don't want to go back to the palace." Manvendra said.

"But why ?" Dhisana asked confused.

"That place is the ground of conspiracies." He said.

"Conspiracies ? But isn't that the home of the great Kurus ?" She asked.

"The 100 sons of Maharaj Dhritrashtra, my cousins, are the ones to be blamed.  They were the ones who undertook countless conspiracies to kill the Pandavas, Lakshagriha being one of them. They have also undertaken some conspiracies to get rid of me. Their jealousy and their hunger for power is slowly consuming Hastinapur." Manvendra said, a tinge of grief evident in his voice.

"Really ?" Dhisana asked, a worried frown making its way on her face.

"They are the reason I didn't bring you to Nagasaharya. You would've been an easy target for them." He said.

"I thought Arya men didn't harm women." She said.

"Arya men don't. One is not Arya from birth but from deeds. The eldest among them, Duryodhan, has lost all sense of discrimination between right and wrong." Manvendra said.

He then diverted his gaze as a sense of melancholy washed over him. Seeing her husband's dejected state, Dhisana kept her hand over his cheeks, her gentle touch offering him solace.

"I wish I could find a reason to postpone going to Nagasaharya." He muttered, still gazing out.

"Don't do that." Dhisana said causing him to look back at her.

"Raudra, you have always been firm in fulfilling your duties. This attitude now doesn't befit you." She said.

"But-" "No buts." Dhisana interrupted him, her voice stern and her gaze firm.

"By evading your responsibilities, you would be leaving your kingdom, and those dependent on you, vulnerable to the whims of your conniving relatives. This escapism in which you are seeking to find peace would only delay the inevitable and worsen the situation for the people." She told.

Manvendra didn't say a thing, he just listened intently, allowing her words to penetrate his troubled mind.

"Raudra, you have taught me that true leadership meant staying grounded, addressing problems directly, and tirelessly working toward a better future for the subjects. You know Rajdharma and it's nuances. Please don't go back on your own values." Dhisana said.

He stared at her while contemplating her words. Even his intellect told him that avoiding Nagasaharya wasn't the solution to the problems he faced. A smile appeared on his face, which turned into a chuckle.

"What ?" Dhisana looked at him confused.

"You are now acting like a true Arya woman." Manvendra said. At that Dhisana smiled shyly, a sense of accomplishment overtook her as he said that.

He took a step towards her, gently cupping her face with his hands. His eyes looked at her with pure love and admiration.

"Keep supporting me in my righteous endeavours and guiding me when my mind wavers like this." Manvendra said as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against the smooth, delicate skin of his wife's forehead.

As Manvendra tenderly brushed his lips against her forehead, Dhisana couldn't help but blush slightly. Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, a telltale sign of her shyness and delight in receiving such a simple yet intimate display of affection from her husband.

Suddenly a knock on the door brought both of them back from their stance.

"Come in." Manvendra said. A servant came inside the room, looking pleased and happy.

"The noble Pandavas along with their common wife and their mother have arrived in Gajasaharya. They'll be shortly arriving here." He said.

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A/N

The Pandavas are back and they have decided to meet their cousin first !

Now you'll finally get the meet of Draupadi and Dhisana ✨