"Priye? " Yudhishthir mumbled as I walked into the room that day.

As per their agreement, The Maharaj of Vajji did give his daughter the chance to choose.

And.. Unsurprisingly, she didn't choose Rudra. She chose someone neither of us expected her to.

She chose mine... And I kept wondering.

But he's still so young.

My husband had to remind me.

"Priye our son is twenty five, You still think of him as the boy you held in Vajji's gardens. But he's a man now. He knows the art of humanity and the skill of life. You must let him go." He said softly, pulling my into a hug.

In Vajji, it was customary for the groom to go live in his bride's home.

Now, I don't mind it at all. But for me, who's always lived in Delhi, in Hastinapur and all these regions, I haven't imagined my son leaving me. Ever.

But, I am reassured by one thing.

My husband and I raised a strong, responsible young man, who will treat his wife well. If he doesn't, well, Madhu isn't far away. She'll be coming back from Dwarka soon enough.

" I know, it's just hard to let him go. " I mumbled into his arms as he hugged me closer.

It had been nearly thirteen years since the war ended. Thirteen years since Yudhishthir and I took the throne and things had been.. Interesting to say the least.

" Mumma! Why don't we have AC's here!"  My darling daughter whined in one particularly hot day.

But, let me tell you this. If I can survive the summer heat.. It's not hot okay!

So I sat by my daughter " Bacha if it's too hot just go for a swim. "

" Mumma, " She sighed, flumping onto my shoulder, " I've been in the water ever since summer began. I didn't know how hot it gets without the AC. "

My husband on the other hand was, well, you saw how he was when our daughter and our son had lived in the forests right?

He constantly feels he is unable to provide for his children's demands.

Which isn't true. Our children love him, but I do sympathise with her, she had only been back from Kaliyug for about a week now.

Krishna's mercy always makes me realise just how much I lost and gained.

" Come here Madhumita." My husband called as she stood, fanning herself with her dupatta, walking up to him.

He stood up and held her face gently.

" I'll figure out how to get an AC here for you, you will never complain of the heat as long as I am alive. " He gently pulled her into a short her, kissing her forehead.

" Now, would you like to spend a day out while I figure something out? " He asked and she looked at him in confusion.

" Papa, as much as I know you want to get me an AC, it's fine. I don't need one -"

" My daughter is not able to bear the heat, it's my job to make sure she lives comfortably, now go. " He very nearly shoved her laughing out of the room.

" You do realise, she's just going to adapt to it in a few more days? " I said, walking close to him.

" Yes, but my daughter needs to have the comforts of the world -"

" If you raise her in such comfort all the while, how will she be strong enough to fight her battles? Not everyone will accommodate for her cold will they? " I told him sternly and he frowned.

" My daughter is mentally strong to fight any problems in life and if she falters, she has us and her brother, what are you saying? " He asked me sternly and I sighed.

" I know she is. She was ready to bear the heat so you didn't have to go mad trying to search for an air conditioner for her." I said softly, kissing his cheek.

" Think up my love.. You need to find an AC for her. " I smirked, walking away when.

" It's not as if I'm letting you go. I need your help. " He said, tugging me back into a hug.

" Mhm and what do I get for my reward? " I asked and he laughed, raising my face to meet his eyes.

" Ahem... Bhratashree. Bhabhishree. " Bheem's voice cut through and I jumped apart.

" Bheem. Why -what happened, why are you here? " Yudhishthir cleared his throat and I hurried out to the vanity.

" I may have a solution to your problem jyeshth. " He said, pulling Yudhishthir away as I sat on the bed, laughing softly.

But that night, I saw my daughter sleeping peacefully in the heat, while a huge block of ice was being fanned by a stick, the stick was bound to the flowing curtains in a way even I couldn't explain.

All I knew was, he kept up to his promise, while I stood by, watching.

" You do realise this will make our room very cold.. I don't like the cold. " I told him and he frowned at me, whacking my forehead from behind.

" Ow! "

" You're a bonehead. " He mumbled, resting his head on my shoulder. " You have me and you fear the cold? " He said and I blushed, with him whooping behind me silently.

" Aha! Still have it. " He mumbled when we heard someone clear their throat, " Bhabhishree, I feel like Jyeshth forgets he's the king with you by his side. Please remind him, we see enough of your love in court. We don't want to see it as we go to our wife. " Nakul said, fumbling as a red faced Sahdev pushed him ahead.

" You-" But before I could say anything they ran away.

We had just returned from the party Vajji Naresh wanted hosted, to show the acceptance of the bride and the groom for the marriage.

What did he call it? Vaagdaan. But why did he want a Vaagdaan was beyond me. Her daughter did choose our son.

What surprised me more was the fact that he didn't even take a moment to say yes, then pursed his lips realising his error.

Was my son being too hasty? Or did he not tell me what he was doing.

Which is what prompted me to go to him, " You're awake Abhi? " I asked into the dark and I heard the clattering of about thirteen quills, toppling of a inkpot and a few more items.

" Abhi, why aren't you asleep, it's so late." I said, moving over to his desk which had a small lamp. And a few papers with something or the other written on it.

Before I could pick it up, he snatched them out of my hands, " Uh, mumma, yes, uh did you need something? As -as you said it's so -so late-"

" What are you doing? " I asked, smirking at him and he blushed, sighing as he stowed away the sheets, then stood up to the balcony.

I walked over to him, it always surprised me how much he looked after Yudhishthir, but not because he wasn't his father, what are you thinking! No, it's just, they were uncannily similar, but not.

He looked the same as him in all aspects but his eyes. His eyes, as Yudhishthir kept reminding me, looked like mine.

" So, what troubles my son? " I mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

" I'm not troubled mumma. I'm simply wondering, when Madhu didi comes back, how many whippings will I have to take from her. " He smiled.

" Why will Madhu hit you? " I started at him in shock.

" Well, we had a pact, which, I am telling you now, I am not allowed to tell you, by her, not me! But yes, we had a, bet or a promise of a kind and I've technically lost. "

Deciding to let it be between the siblings, I sat down, pulling his head into my lap.

" Are you sure you are ready for marriage? I don't want you to have to regret it, or think that you're being forced into it. If you don't want to marry her -"

" No no. It's not that, it's not that I don't want to marry her mumma. " He answered sternly.

" But isn't it too quick and -"

" Mumma, " He sat up, then held my hands and frowned, " You and papa got married within two days. Two days of him saying he loves you, so, " He laughed and I smirked, " You don't need to tell me how quick is too quick-"

"-he was handsome okay and we had a job to do-" I tried to distract him.

" -oh so you had a job, I see I see, then why not go with the original idea of coming here as his sister-"

" - Abhi if you say one more word -" I threatened, holding his ears tightly.

" Alright alright! " He tried to pry my hands off his ear, " The point is mumma, I know she's good for me, she's a kind, strong and honest woman, she's beautiful and she has the ambition,she's like you and didi. What more could someone want. " He said softly and I smiled at him, pulling him back into a hug.

" Come, we should sleep. " I mumbled and he nodded.

When he reached the bed, as I got up he held my hand.

" Would you stay with me mumma? For tonight? " He asked and, Yudhishthir might tell me our son has grown up, but despite it all, he'll always be my little Abhi who loves the mud too much.

Just like his mamashree.

" Why not. " I said, pulling his head back into my lap as he slept soundly.