" Sagarika, come -"

"No mata, hold on please. Now I don't care about being respectful or careful with my tongue. " Moving towards Mahamahim Bhishm, I looked up at him, before saying, " So, what was your reason for not stopping your grandchild? " He looked despondent, gloomy, his head hung low in shame, tears streaked his face.

"Putri, I was bound -"

"No no, I want to know. Is this your Kuruvansh? Find women, treat them poorly, then offer the solace of 'dharm'? Does your dharm give you the right to watch a woman be disrobed? You can curb your vision, but you won't make sure that this doesn't happen at all? "

"I am sorry,  I've spent my life serving the throne -"

"And I'm not saying you haven't! But your fake dharm has destroyed far too many lives, frankly, it's destroying more. " I snarled and he had the right to be ashamed.

I moved along to Guru Dron. " Tell me, Gurudev, is it amenable for a brahmin like you to watch this adharm take place? Where is your son? He considers me his sister doesn't he! He calls me kid! You should have taken the responsibility my father couldn't! You watched as your student proudly boasted his lust, his greed for the throne! His adharm and all you have to say is that you were bound! To whom! Dharm is liberating! It's not supposed to bind! "

"All courtiers! I will accept no punishment for my actions, because I am not wrong! You dare to threaten my family. I promise you, you have only met two of us... The next five will destroy your Kuruvansh and no one will know it ever existed! Give us back our throne! Give my husband his possessions! Give him the power he held, because if you don't, war is coming to Hastinapur and I'm not waiting for you to be ready. " I said, when I heard the doors open once more, revealing, Sulo, AJ and Devi.

" Saag? " AJ whispered, shook.

It might have been the loss of adrenalin, or my anger finally subsiding, but seeing my daughter, my husband and my brother made me weep.

"Shh." He mumbled, pulling me close to him in the classic AJ hug. He knew what that meant. It was a hug of reassurance. It was one of the times I let AJ care for me too.

" You are so strong. Even if not related to you by blood, I'm proud to call you my sister. " He muttered, before drying his own eyes.

" Maharaj Dhritarashtr! " He shouted, the sound frightening me to my core, as I looked up alarmed with wide eyes.

" AJ -"

" No no. Wait. Maharaj Dhritarashtr! What gave your son the right to insult the princess of Pragjyotishpur! You have invited war upon your kingdom, " He exclaimed, all the elders in the court were growing restless, they would open their mouth to object but nothing came out.

"Is that an active challenge for war? " Duryodhan asked and I really wanted to facepalm myself.

" It was a challenge the moment you touched her without her permission you swine, now it's not a challenge. It's a promise. " He answered, staring right at him.

AJ, you cannot fight... What are you doing!

" Maharaj Dhritarashtr, I am taking the princess of Pragjyotishpur, along with her family away to my home, where she will be under the protection of her brother, the Yuvraj and her father.... So be aware of what you do and say. Return my brother in law's throne, we leave here and you will never face any threat from either of our kingdoms. If you fail, I hope you are ready to step into the battlefield. "

" Yuvraj, why do you think we'll agree to this pointless condition of yours -"

"As I recall, Gandharaj, you aren't part of Hastinapur, nor are you there regent, the advisor or have any legitimate post in this court. Frankly you're a coward and a vengeful idiot who can't stay and look after his own kingdom. As for how I dare... I don't think a kingdom threatened with war has any right to say that to us.  If your might is your army, Mahamahim Bhishm, Guru Dron, then ours is our army, Panchal, Dwarika's Narayani Sena, Balram Dau and my wife and her sisters. You seem to not know so we shall tell you. They are the seven flames of Agnidev. If you dare to cross their path, well, you saw how two of them nearly burnt your court down, do you truly wish to have all seven of them ready to anhilate your kingdom? Because believe me, they will. My sister is one of the most vengeful woman if you insult her or her family. So be warned. " He concluded, grabbing hold of my hand as he pulled me out of the sabha, the rest of us following.

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"Putri! Putri Sagarika! " A voice called and I turned around to see a panick stricken Maharani Gandhari.

"Putri, please! I beg of you! Please forgive my son! I know he's sinned, he doesn't deserve it! But please! I've had to suffer far too much to have my sons, please dont take him away from me -"

" Your son means nothing to me, other than someone who dared to disrobe someone akin to a mother in relation to him in front of the whole sabha. Tell me, mata, forgive me brothers, but had my husband, or any of his brothers, my brother had done this to Dushala, would you have forgiven them? " I asked, eyes cold as I stared at her.

"I -but -"

"This is hypocrisy mata Gandhari. Tell your son, if he doesn't return my husband's possesions, his throne, if he doesn't return our life and home, he will die and I will not be sorry. " I told her.

The woman was struck for words.

"Mumma, but I thought killing is bad. " Madhu whispered.

" It is darling, but when someone does a wrong thing, one which you should not forgive, they suffer for it and then Narayan himself decides their punishment. We are just his devotees, his creation. We are the ones tasked to carrying out what he wishes to do. Like papa always tells you, we are establishing dharm. " I said and she smiled, nodding. It may be foreign to her, but she'll understand.

"If your son doesn't uphold his end of the promise Maharani, prepare your army. Your sons need to be protected don't they? But how far will they run from fate? The day my sisters and I decide to punish him, he will be sorry for his birth. " Sulohita promised, eyes blazing in anger.

" Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." AJ muttered.

^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•

The worse feeling any child can have is to see their parents in tears.

So, I had decidedly turned my head around so that my dear daughter, who although sat right next to me had no inkling of my pain.

" Mumma, won't you tell me why you're sad? " Her curious eyes asked, as she stared up at me from her lap, my hand running through her hair stopped short as I used the other to wipe my tears, looking down at her with a big smile.

"Who said so Madhu? I'm perfectly fine -"

"Mumma, lying is bad. Papa says so. " She answered, eyes accusing.

"Papa ki pari. " ( Father's princess/ Daddy's princess)  I muttered, as my husband laughed out long.

"So my dear wife, if you haven't learnt up until now, lying is bad and now I have our daughter to hold you accountable for it. " He said, smirking at me.

" I'm pregnant. " I answered, looking straight into his eyes.

" What? " He faltered, eyes widening as he aimed to asses if I was lying or being honest.

"You're lying, aren't you. " He trailed off.

"No. Not lying. I'm fine. Don't you remember, I told you I was not well in the morning? " I said, grinning at him.

" But -how -"

" Madhu dear, cover your ears won't you." I said, keeping my own over hers for reassurance.

" If you ever ask me how again, I am not letting you close to me... What do you mean how! You know how!  And I am not lying. It's the truth! " I said and he looked back at me startled.

" But we -we haven't -we don't know if we have anything to raise the child with -"

"We have our love! Isn't that enough for you? Do we need to have the same conversation again? "

"No, but I am truly honoured. I'll tell everyone soon. " He promised.

"Well, are you happy? " I asked him, grinning.

"What do you mean woman! You're a bonehead. Of course I'm happy! "

"Mumma, can I remove my hands off my ears now? " She asked.

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

Wowsies... Far too many bombs dropped in one chapter.....

Any guesses who's the last flame?

Tell me how it was and do vote

Much love

Radhekrishn ♥