LOVE: To Infinity And Beyond

Birthday!!

Krishnaa completed Priu's suchi snaan and dressed her up in a beautiful small white-and-gold lehenga. Very unlikely, white wasn't Priu's favourite colour, at all. She was more inclined towards the darker shades, just opposite to her parents. Technically, white suited on her parents more, due to their darker complexion, and the darker shades suited more on her due to her rosy-fair complexion. Though, in white, she looked like a little angel. As Krishnaa decked her up, for a moment she thought how beautiful her daughter will grow up to be. The next moment she quit the thought. However, she didn't put any kajal teeka on the baby girl since she already had a cute little mole below her left earlobe, which perfectly contrasted her fair skin. 

Just as Krishnaa was about to leave the chamber with Priu, Abhi ran in. Just as he saw Priu, he stopped in his tracks, "Wow.. You look so pretty Priu!! Though, not more than me..", he chuckled, proud of his favourite aqua-blue attire. Why were both of these kids so much like Arjun?-- Krishnaa thought. Then Abhi ran to her and hugged her. "Good morning, baby!!", he greeted her baby-bump. Krishnaa laughed, while Priu flashed a wide grin. "Maai, when will be baby out of you?", Priu asked, tugging at her hand. "Soon...", Krishnaa smiled. "Did we also stay this long inside you, Maai?", a forever curious Abhi asked. "No.. Priu was in a bit more jiffy to come... So she stayed in for about six months.. And you weren't within me... Mani gave birth to you, Abhi..", she explained. "Ooo..", the two kids said in unison. Abhi hugged her legs, Priu auto-mirrored his actions... "We love you Maaaii!!", they shouted in unison, making Krishnaa laugh again. Right at the moment, Arjun entered the room. 

Priu immediately ran to him and touched his feet. Arjun blessed her wholeheartedly and asked, "Have you touched your Maai's feet?" "Yes Pitashree..", she replied concernedly. Arjun hugged her and Abhi and the two kids left the room with Nitambini and Malini. 

"Arya, just tell me something, why are these two sooo much like you??", Krishnaa asked Arjun, as soon as the kids exited. "Maybe because, I am as naughty as them.... Who knows better than you?", he answered, slowly bringing his lips to the base of her neck. He planted a series of wet kisses along her collarbone. She lightly moaned, as he comforted her by slowly rubbing her back and lightly patting the back of her head. While she is pregnant, he has never failed to make sure not to excite her a lot.. that's not too good for the baby, though, there has always been exceptions to the usual.... 

Priu's birthday celebrations began. Satyabhama, Rukmini , Revati, Krishna and Balaram were invited from Dwarka, obviously along with their kids. All the kids, who were all so small, enjoyed each other's company a lot. Satyabhama's son and Vijaya's son were the youngest. The elders of Hastinapur were also invited, which DID NOT include the troublesome quadro and their wives. Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, though invited, didn't come, showing various excuses, but probably because their sons weren't invited. Arjun had shown the smartest excuse of not inviting them-- the function was mainly for the kids, and they didn't have any kids. But, Pitamah Bheeshm and Guru Dron have come-- they loved Arjun way too much to deny the invite to his only daughter's first birthday. Both of them blessed the daughter wholeheartedly, and wished for her birth prophecy to come true... Afterall, for complete development, Bharatvarsh needed a valorous lady warrior and leader. 

Satya also started the plannings of Abhi's birthday, which was beating about the bush.... 

Back at Hastinapur, Duryodhan was fuming...

The porcelain vase dashed across the room and crashed upon hitting the opposite wall. "I hate it!!", he screamed aloud. "Stop it Arya!!", Bhanumati shrieked back in protest, as she entered the room. "Why should I?? And, why on Earth are you protesting in favour of that Arjun!!?? It is quite rude of him to not invite us??" "It may be, for you, but for me, it isn't. He is just trying to protect his family-- his wife, his children. Afterall, he isn't like you!!" "What!! You compared him with me!?" "Oh, sorry!! You are not even close to being worth of being compared to him... Look at how much he loves his wife and children!! Even after marrying multiple times, his love for Draupadi hasn't reduced a bit...", Bhanumati shot back, sarcatically. "You mean I don't love you! I haven't even married one more time!! And what testifies his love so much? Just because he managed to rescue his wife from Vasuki? Or because you held a special soft-corner for him..", he approached his almost trembling wife, his voice dangerously cold. "What are you saying Arya..?", a shocked Bhanumati gasped. The temperature rose between them, as Duryodhan inched his lips closer to hers. He didn't want to overthink anymore. What he felt for Draupadi was unadulterated lust.. But here was the woman whom he loved unadulteratedly. He knew what it felt like to fall in love with someone's body and someone else's soul... Lucky Arjun --- singularly richest and most successful man in Aryavart with the most beautiful , rather, BEST wife-cum-love, probably the best daughter and son in the forms of Pragya and Abhimanyu, and all the bests......

"Okay, Your Highness, now may we please move towards the dining hall? All the others are done eating, and have probably fallen asleep too", a concerned Arjun mocked Satya, as his eyes drifted to his dozing off daughter. Abhi has already dined and went to sleep with Subhadra. Priu insisted on staying with her parents. Satya's newborn is asleep with Rukmini and her son in her chamber. Arjun, Krishnaa, Krishna and the forever tenaciously fun-loving Satya, along with Priu, stayed back in the new indoor garden in Krishnaa's mahal. It had a pool full of lilies and lotuses, and so many other flowers were scattered all across the place. The floor was of pure green grass and the ceiling was of glass-- giving a beautiful view of the star-studded night sky. Various orchids crept along and up the walls. Abhi had also stayed back for quite long, till the two kids were absolutely drained off of their energies. Priu dozed off on the grass bed, keeping her head on her mother's lap, while Malini dropped a sleeping Abhi to Subhadra's chamber, since Krishnaa and Arjun would return to their chamber a little late that night. 

"No way!! Not so soon..", Satya nagged in mock horror. "Please Satya!! Priu is already asleep. Krishnaa also needs rest.. And, in case you have already forgotten, you also have a newborn baby", Arjun protested. Satya looked at a tired Krishnaa who was slowly patting Priu's head, sitting at a distance from the other three. Before Satya could further say anything, Krishnaa's nightingale voice emerged, cutting through the silence. She started singing a beautiful lullaby to Priu. It was the second time, after once in Dwarka, Arjun was hearing her sing. He loved her voice when she normally talked, and he had an assumption of how beautiful her singing could possibly be.. He knew about her talents in painting, writing, embroidery, rangoli designs, veena playing and above all even weapon craft-- but surprisingly he didn't know very much this.. This probably surpassed all the others. Priu smiled in her sleep, as she imbibed another talent from her mother...