✧ *✧･ 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐚 • ✧ *✧

25. Flowing tears, Rishi Durvasa is here.

Karunika didn't realise how fast time flows with children.

Soon her little bundles of joy had become five years old, while making her miss every moment they spent with her.

Arju, Bheem Nakul and Sahdev had all left after a year they were born, for their respective tapasyas, to please the devtas. Their fight was not yet over.

Meanwhile, the children, Karunika and Adam along with Yudhishthir stayed behind, earning merits in their name  each day by serving any rishis and munis who would chance upon their hut.

Thanks to Karunika's boon given by the rishis, whenever she was home, they would never run out of food.

One such day....

Karunika was running around with a makeshift stick, her saree in one hand, while her hair flying open from her braid.

" Ruko! I'll not leave you. Come here. Ruko! Putr Moksh! " She yelled, following a small boy, who ran in circles around the hut, troubling his poor mother.

He suddenly collided with his mamashree. Yudhishthir.

" Now I'm done. " He muttered.

" Oh! Finally, thank you Yudhishthir. This boy.  I can't deal with this anymore. Come on putr. We need to take a bath. " She said, cajoling the child from behind her brother when,

" Jyeshtha. Love my poor nephew alone. He'll take bath after his classes with me. Won't you? " He said, picking the child up in his hands, while both the child and his mother were shook.

'Mamashree took my side? Against mata? '

" Yudhishthir. You as well? All of you are spoiling my boy and no me of you will listen. My only comfort is my putri. She listens to what I say. Putri?Putri Aahana? " She said, sitting on a rock while the nephew mamashree duo just looked perplexed.

Two tiny hands surrounded her vision.

" Tell me who is it mata? " She said, then slapped her forehead.

" Hmm. Arya? " She guessed.

"No. Pitaji has big hands mata. " She said, yet again not realising her error.

" Hmm. Is it. Yudhishthir? "

The man in question kept laughing, hands on his mouth to mute the sound.

" Mata. Mamashree is in front of you. "

" Hmm. Then, is it putr Moksh? "

"Mata. Bhrata Moksh is in mamashree's hands. I am not playing this. You don't recognise me at all. " She said, huffing.

Turning around, she grabbed her daughter by her waist, plopping her into her lap.

" Putri. Did you know? I knew the moment you put your hands. " She whispered in her daughters ears, while combing her hairs out with her fingers.

" Truly mata? Then why did you ask about everyone but me? " She said, looking at her mother.

" Putri. Your mata was testing your patience. Would you listen to her completely, or would you become angry and leave. " Adam said, sitting by his wife and daughter.

" Pitaji. Does that mean I didn't do, well? " She said, now worried.

" Putri, you held out till I finished everyone. That is better. Yes you should have waited till I called your name out, but it's alright. We learn from our mistakes don't we? " She said, hugging her daughter.

" I'm left! " Screamed Moksh as her ran up to his mother and sister, embracing the two.

The two men looked on, happiness in their hearts. Little did Yudhishthir and his other brothers know, he had a surprise for them.