Had I known travelling on a chariot was worse than the palki, I wouldn't have done it, when I was spiteful of my husband.

I was regretting it now as each moment we encountered a bump, my body was jostled and it hurt so damn much. It didn't help that the discharge from post birth hadn't finished yet, even if it had now started to turn yellow in colour, from the vibrant red that it was.

At my next wince, Yudhishthir who seemed to have been studying my face for signs of a reaction all this while as he rocked Gudu in his hands.

"Alright. That's it. Come here." He said sternly, as he shifted Gudu over to one arm.

"I'll be f-"

"How many times must I repeat myself? Are you an idiot? " He gently pulled me towards himself, settling his other hand over my abdomen to hold me in place.

"Stupid woman, anger doesn't mean you put yourself in harm. Idiot. " He muttered as  I settled next to him.

We rode this way for nearly half a day more, with me and Gudu switching positions .

It was nearly two weeks when we made it back to the forests.

"Well, let's go. " I sighed as we entered the mayavan, tracing our paths back.

It had now been neary a month to God's birth, we still had no name for her.

"What do you think we should name her? " I asked as we walked side by side.

"I am still confused.. Your mata had given me a wonderful idea, but I'm not sure you'll like it. " He answered.

"Why, what is it? It isn't something weird and unusual is it? "

" No, it's just, she called her smile sweet as honey. I've been trying to find names with that resemblance. " He answered as he kissed her forehead.

Now that she was able to identify our eyes, she would give a big smile, or atleast her attempt at one, each time we were near her.

" Haw! Look at you! You're so adorable. My sweet daughter.. Yes, everyone isnso right, such a sweet smile you have! " I cooed at her and Yudhishthir looked at me like I grew three heads.

"What? " I asked, looking back at him and he held one of his hands against his mouth to, try and stop his laughter.

"Why do you speak like that, use your original voice. " He stifled a laughter.

"I honestly don't know... It's just natural. " I said and he just laughed some more.

Soon, we reached the cave from where we had to enter the rakshas kingdom and we stepped in.

"Bhabhishree! Jyeshth! " I heard and was nearly barreled with the loud noises of my brothers in law.

Ny dear sister Kaali walked in quietly, with a hand on her stomach, with a nearly five month pregnant baby it seemed.

"How's this possible! I was only away for a month! " I exclaimed and all of them looked at me confused while Hidimba laughed, throwing her head back.

" A rakshas pregnancy is different bahana, it's faster. I'll be having my child next month. " She said and I stared up at my husband, hitting his shoulder.

"What! " He exclaimed and mata joined us, " You couldn't have been a rakshas! I wouldn't have had to walk around like a penguin for four months! "

Now the thing was, since I had very well ignored my brothers, they had yet again chosen to welcome us with their habitual hug.

Which was more stimulation than our poor daughter could handle, from the noises to the smells.

Her piercing cry broke out at the apex of our hug as everyone parted to see the baby.

"Putr, putri, I'm so glad you're back safe. " Matasaid as she softly blessed us both, not even letting me bend to touch her feet.

" Mata, we're truly glad to be back here too. " I smiled as we finally came to one more home.

^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^

We went back to the original room we were in and it looked so beautiful, as now the room had been made ready for three rather than two.

A small basinet was readied, a new rack for her clothes, it looked truly beautiful.

"Well, I have a plan. " Yudhishthir said, jumping in behind me.

"I know. Me too. " We looked at each other simultaneously and said,
" Sleep. "

Mata who was ever ready to take care of her grand daughter, smiling and agreeing in delight as we told her, taking  Gudu before we even had to give her any reason other than,
" Mata, we were thinking, if only for a while to sle-"

"Yes yes, I'll look after her. Go and enjoy. " She said absentminded, rocking her in her arms.

So we returned, dead tired, as we got ready for bed.

"I'm so tired. Getting up for her nightly feeds was -  exhausting. " I said, yawing in between.

"I know, come we'll both rest. " He said as we clambered over to the bed, me shifting to my side and he looked at me confused.

"What? " I asked and he shook his head, pulling me to his side.

"No, you'll get your clothes dirty! I still have discharge-! " I told him and he as always, ignored my words.

"It's alright, it's just a bit of fluid. I'll wash it off myself if you're so scared. " He said, pulling gently at my head to rest against his chest, my hand out of habit made it next to my head.

"Do you think life would have been different if I had not married you? Come as your sister as I'm sure you had originally planned? " I asked, looking up at him and he sighed, before saying, " Well, there would be a lack of love in my life, lack of a daughter. I wouldn't be married, so I'd be sleeping with my brothers rather than here in an isolated room. "

"Hmm. That's a nice - sentiment. " I said, yawing yet again as I closed my eyes.

Before I could sleep, I heard, " I would not be able to live at all now that you are here, if you weren't. You're my hope, my dreams and my life. We're one souls intertwined. "

^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^

I woke up a few hours later, to an empty bed and sweat, too much sweat around me.

"Ugh, I need to wear a lighter saree. I'll ask mata if they have one. " I said as I barely teudged out of my bed, clambering off.

Freshening my face, I walked out into the main sabha to a hush and chatter amongst the family.

"What are you all discussing? " I asked as I sat down near Yudhishthir, he was making funny eyes at Gudu.

"Well, we were thinking of a name for your daughter bhabhishree. " Nakul said and I smiled.

"Well, what have you all decided? "

"It's a unanimous vote, that your daughter's smile is as sweet as honey. Many word were said and heard till bhrata Arjun gave us the best one, now I don't know if you'll like it -"

"What's, the name? " I asked, interrupting his ramblings.

"Madhumita. " Arjun spoke silently and I turned my head to him, he looked lost.

"That's beautiful! I love it. " I said, still watching as he smiled secretively.

"Then it's settled? We'll ask a local priest to confirm it when we next leave for the village for some reasons." Yudhishthir smiled.

"Madhumita, my Madhu. " I said softly, as I imagined how annoyed Mini would be if she knew I decided on my daughter's name without her.

"Arjun? What's wrong? " Yudhishthir asked, drawing my eyes back to our distracted warrior.

"Arjun, putrnis everything alright? " Mata asked, as he startled uproght, the smile dropping.

"Ji mata, I'm good. " He said, shaking away the fog in his brain.

"Arya, I'd like to talk to him for a while. " I told Yudhishthir with a look, 'don't follow us, don't worry'.

"Come Arjun. " I called as he followed me, quietly.

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Hehehe... So why's Arjun so lost?

Tell me how it was and do vote

Much love

Radhekrishn ♥