"Why are you so sad? " Arjun asked them, as they walked in.

"Because Gandharaj Shakuni has recognised you and as the Maharaj is not present here, Yuvraj Duryodhan is the acting king, hence he has ordered former Yuvraj Yudhishthir's arrest, along with his wife, for abandonment of duties to the throne. We were here to inform you, so that you could choose your route from here. " Devika said and i sighed.

Looking up at Yudhishthir, we both had the same thought.

" Arjun, Panchali, look after Madhu for us." Yudhishthir ordered and chaos broke in the hall.

"What do you mean Jyeshth? All this hiding for nothing? " Nakul asked enraged, while Bheem and Hidimba stood to one side.

I walked up to my sister and held her hands.

" I will need you now more than ever Kaali, wr both know all seven of us have to defeat Madik and Moshtik. Please come with us. I promise, no one will question your presence. If not in Hastinapur, then go with bhrata back to Pragjyotishpur. You'll find Sulohita there as well. But please, come back with us. " I pleaded to her.

" I'll come. I'll come to Hastinapur. " She said softly, but before I could hug her, I heard the sound I truly wished was not hammering in my head all the time, but also the one who was there for me when no one could be.

"Wah Sakhi, all three of you are married and I didn't receive a congratulatory feast from either of you-aah! " He exclaimed, jumping away from Devika's slap to the head.

" Putri, he's the Dwarikadheesh. " Mata chastised.

"Mata, when he's the Dwarikadheesh, he has our respects... Right now, he's our friend, who has very evidently decided to welcome our anger. " I told her calmly, before going up to him, raising both my hands as if to hit him, but then joined them.

"Sakhi what? " He asked surprised.

"Not today. Today you have made me indebted to you, for more reasons than one. " I said reverent and he understood what I meant, an imperceptible nod to accept my gratitude.

" You're my friend Sakhi. I can be called ranchod for my family's peace. I can take a few insults to hold your respect too. " He smiled.

"Now, we need to work smart. All of you will return to Hastinapur under the same lie. That I forced you. Y-Arya cannot lie, so he won't be able to say he forced you, but everyone knows I have lied, they even know I can lie for my own benefit. So, we'll say that you forced us.... " I announced and Yudhishthir nodded in agreement.

"True, it is a good plan. If thereafter, Maharaj puts up any questions, we'll say outright, that he has no right to punish us, if he hasn't punished those who conspired fo kill us, those who conspire to kill a child, those who insulted the eldest daughter in law of the kuru family on the day of her wedding. " He solemnly said, holding my hand, lightly pressing it in support.

"But putri, your daughter is still young -"

"Mata, we aren't planning to stay there. My guess is, Maharaj won't be able to detain us fir long once we threaten him, with the fact that we can actually tell the whole kingdom the truth and more importantly, if Arya says it, they'll believe it too. No one would then accept Maharaj's decision. People would come to the streets.. Even if Maharaj doesn't care, pitamah will, he won't allow such animosity between the king and his subjects and then, Maharaj will have to let us go. " I told her, bending to touch her feet in respect.

" Alright putri, Vijayi bhav. Vijayi bhav Putr. " She blessed us, teary as they all left the caverns that we called home all these months.

The plan to stay for two years became least than a year.

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" Wonderful Yuvraj, you are such a two faced man, on one side you promise honour to the kingdom and the other you yourself abandon your responsibility. " Said Duryodhan, as if they had been waiting for us outside the mayavan.

Before I could say anything in retaliation, Yudhishthir held on, to my hand, stopping me.

"Come, sainik, bind these two traitors of the throne! " He ordered and they brought in shackles, heavy and incredibly hot in heat of the sun.

"Aah." I winced, as they began to bind it against my arms, my husband turning his head at the sound in worry.

" I'm fine. It's just too hot. " I told him softly and he gave me a curt nod, worry being suppressed in his caramel eyes.

"Come! " He ordered and we followed him on the chariot, which moved too fast for my liking.

It may have been four to five months, but that doesn't mean things were not still paining.

" What is it? " He whispered to me and I clutched my shackled hands near my abdomen.

"Is something wrong? Are the prisoners uncomfortable? " Duryodhan leered.

"No Yuvraj. We are fine. " I answered and expecting the chariot to move, I looked up in surprise when he made his way over to us.

"Come on, if you're fine, then what sort of prisoners would you be... Walk. " He ordered and I felt the world being crushed under me.

"What? " I asked and, for once Yudhishthir' looked murderous.

"Walk. " He said and I sighed, making my way down, when I felt the clink of two shackles being broken next to me, with an enraged Dharmraj by my side.

" You have no right to ask her of that Yuvraj. If you don't let us move on the chariot, we will leave and you know very well that I don't lie. Imagine if I tell the general subjects of Hastinapur how their Yuvraj treats those who are being brought in fir trial. " He said and I gaped at my husband in shock.

Duryodhan visibly realised his folly and let me ride the chariot again.

"That was so smart... Is it weird that I am attracted to you more right now? " I whispered conspiratorily to my husband who chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"We'll figure this out. Don't worry, I won't let our daughter spend her life without
us. " He told me gently.

" I know. I trust you. " I said to him, smiling.

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" Maharaj, these two are the prisoners I have brought from panchal. Former Yuvraj Yudhishthir and his wife , Yuvrani Sagarika. They abandoned their responsibilities as the Yuvraj and Yuvrani. What is to be their punishment. " Duryodhan announced in the sabha as we stood at the centre, watching our loved ones in a file towards one side.

"They need to be lunished with prison! " He annouced angrily, while Shakuni and Duryodhan grinned at his answer.

" Wait Maharaj. You can't punish us. " Yudhishthir interrupted and the Maharaj raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"Really, who are you to question a decision of the throne? " He asked angrily.

"When you couldn't punish those who planned to kill these two Yuvraj and Yuvrani you brought in as prisoners, you have no right to kill a husband and wife who ran away in hopes to save their family.
When you can't imprison those who attempted and nearly succeeded in killing a child, then you have no right to punish a mother and a father to hide away for their duaghter's peace. " He answered and I was so proud of him.

"A daughter? What game is this? " He asked and I looked back up in surprise, them looked to the three idiots.. One of who was silent, but the other two had their faces twisted in anger.

"Why Maharaj, you didn't know? Maharaj Pandu has finally gotten his first grandchild. My daughter, a four month old baby is crying for me while you hold her mother here, in an attempt to arrest us and for what, no charge, no proper reason? " I asked boldly and he visibly paled.

"You are released. Go. " He ordered suddenly and when Shakuni attempted to provoke him get again, he was met with a hand.

I silently walked up the stairs, up to the throne, in the guise of bending to touch Maharaj's feet.

Right when I was getting back up, I whispered, with all the anger that had built up in me in the past few hours.

"Maharaj, this is just the beginning. My husband doesn't lie. If we tell him what your son did, then the world will forget that Hastinapur ever existed in the history of Aryavart. Don't try and threaten me Or my family, you'll have the might of the world against you. Krishn, my family, Panchal and all the kimgdoms who know we are right. So next time, keep your son under a tight leash... Pagal kutte pehle swayam ko hi hani dete hain. ( Terrored dogs, if not held by the leash first injure their owner only. ) "

I walked back down, leavincaharaj to ponder over my words carefully.

" What did you say yo him? " Yudhishthir asked and I smiled at him.

"Nothing that could be threatening. I greeted him with respect. " I told my husband who smiled at me, as we walked out of the sabha hand in hand.

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Saag may have been naive before, but now she's a mom too... No one threatens a mother's child and, lives to tell the tale....

Tell me how it was in the comments and do vote

Much love

Radhekrishn ♥