It was insanely hard to bring about the topic of Panchali in front of Yudhishthir. I was stumped and confused. How would I even tell him.

' Hey! I totally admire your dharm.. But you kind of sort of put your own wife up on a bet. So... '

See my problem?

Anyways, considering life is weird and we can't do anything, I went to the kitchen to make dinner for the three of us. Since I was now Mini's only legal guardian, all her parent teacher meetings had to be attended by me... And I had one tomorrow.

I've attended my own, never gone to someone else's, as an elder! How is that fair.

So, putting music on my phone, I began.

' Ghum hai kisike, pyaar mein, dil subah shaam, par  tumhein likh nahi paaon, mein uska naam, haye raam. Haye ram'.

Someone else too heard the singing. Now if I knew the door to my room was open I never would have sung it, but it wasn't and I didn't know..

Someone did stand by the kitchen door, my back to him as I sung my heart out... This is one of my favourite songs anyways.

" Chaha hai tumne! Jis bawri ko, wo bhi sajanma - aaaa! " I shouted as I saw him, standing there, smiling as if he'd seen god again. Oh wait, we can... But yeah.

" Damn! Why are you planning to give me a heart attack if you love me? Do you want me to die early? Khade khade kya dekh rahe the? " I asked, panting as I poured water into the now burning tomatoes in the pan.... Which I realized were black.

" Shit! Shit shit shit . " Was all I could say as the man still stared at me, now amused.

" I didn't do anything. You were the one who dragged me out of my world of painting to you... Ironically, I was painting you only. " He said, now walking up to me. These are the times I realized that he was very much taller than me.

" After all, who could resist the voice of an apsara.... " He whispered.

" I -I'm not the apsara. The one singing the song is. She was a legendary singer. "

" Yes, the one singing the song is an apsara, a beautiful smart -"

" Didi! I'm hungry. You've stunk the whole house with smoke. Who are you talking to? " said the third wheel in the house, as she closed her nose to avoid the smoke.

" No one. " Squeak.

" No one. I was singing."

" Well sing later didi. I need fooood. " She whined, skipping away.

" I swear if she wasn't her sister...." He mumbled.

" What if she wasn't my sister? " I asked, a frown on my face. A fake one mind you, but he didn't need to know that.

" Oh nothing. I just nothing I - I didn't mean -"

" Oh I get what you meant. Move. I need more onions." I said walking out of the kitchen with a smile on my face, my back to him as he looked like a kicked puppy.

" Arre. Priye. " He said, following me around. " I didn't mean that. You know I didn't. " He said, while I refused to look at him, busy in the food.

We did need food. Mini was right.

So I stayed mum, despite the poor guy's pleading. He looked sad. But I have the right to tease him. Don't I?

" Now. Mini! Khana! " I called as I served her the food.

She took away her sabzi roti happily as I took out mine and his, handing it to him while I went to sit in the garden outside the house.

Now, I could have just said it's fine... But it's fun to rile him up too sometimes alright? He doesn't lose his cool. It's time to make him.

So I sat outside, eating my food in peace. When he sat down by my side, I saw him looking at me through the corner of my eye.

Suddenly I heard a hiss.

I looked at his way, who was clutching his fingers like he burnt them.

" What did you do? Don't you know how boiling hot the daal was. You idiot. " I said, wrenching his finger away to see a single yellow small flower, one which grows in the grass.

" So you did talk to me, if on the pretense of me being hurt. I should do this more often. " He said, laughing at my shocked face.

" You lied. "

" No I didn't. You assumed I was hurt. I just hissed. I did, because the thorn in the rose had pricked me, but that's a different story. " He said, grabbing the hand holding his in his own.

" How long dear heart. How long will you not speak to me? See I even brought out my painting of you. Does that make you feel better? " He asked, bringing out the painting.

It was so beautiful. It shows how much I enjoyed sitting in the gardens.

" Alright. You're forgiven. If... You sing the song with me. "

" No. No priye. I can't sing - "

" No no. Now you have to sing. " I said as he kept protesting.

I taught him the lyrics and then....

" You lied today kumar. You told me you don't sing well. "

" I don't -" I shushed him, a hand on his mouth before I realised what I was doing.

      ^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•

" Speak Sivi Kumari, what is it you have to say? "

" Maharaj Dhritarashtr, I wish to invite the pandav princes and their friend, Raajkumar Ajatshatru to my kingdom in Sivi. Please allow them to do the same. "

" If they agree then why not? It'll strengthen the relationship between Sivi and Hastinapur Kumari. They may go if they wish to. " Mahamantri Vidur said.

" Dhanyavaad Maharaj, dhanyavaad Mahamantri. " She said, walking out of the room, to tell her new friend the good news.

Oh she did plan to strengthen the relations between Sivi and another kingdom. Just not Hastinapur. Well, not yet.

" Kumari. The prince has said not to allow anyone in yet. " The dwarpal told her.

" Please tell him Devika has come to meet him. He will agree. " She said.

" You may go in. "

As she walked in, she saw me respond to Saag's letter.

" Who is the lady who has won your heart kumar? " she asked, a slight disappointment in her voice. Why so?

" Not my heart no. She is my closest friend, Sagarika. She and I are from the same... Gurukul and Kanyakul. Yes. So she wrote to me. She has lost her grandparents and is now alone in her home, with only her younger sister. " ' and her time travelling boyfriend but I can't tell you that. '

" Oh. Well I am sorry for her. Doesn't she have her parents to look after her? "

" No. She lost them too a few years back."

" I am sorry for your friend. I am sure she's a wonderful woman. "

' Woman part is questionable. She's just Sagarika. ' I thought mentally laughing at her expression when I would say this.

" You tell me, why are you here?"

" Oh. I've come here to tell you, that you are coming back to Sivi with me. You and your friends, the pandav brothers. " She told me.

Traveling? For so many days? Without entertainment? Narayan help me.

" Why not? Sure. I would l-love to go. " I said, as she smiled gleefully.

" Wonderful. I'll start packing. " She said, walking out of the room.

Guess I should pack too.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Ahem... Anyways. They are in
the L the O the V the E .

Tell me in the comments how you felt about this chapter and vote for it...

Much love

Radhekrishn ❤