An arrow was passing through the air cutting it thorough and tuck !!! Got hit to the target correctly.
The boy of 12 smirked seeing his target hitting at the centre of the board . He pulled another arrow from the quiver and pulled the string of the bow and aimed the target but a voice halted him from doing so
"Bhaiya Bhaiya" a figure of a girl was seen from a distance . She was running in his direction as soon as she came into a clear view her violet eyes and a Trishul mark on her right arm was clearly visible
"What happened choti?" He asked her seeing her panting and in hurry to inform something
"Bhaiya ma wants us to go to papa and bring him along with us as guests have been arrived" she said after catching some breath .
"Chitrika who has come ? I have never knew that we had relatives and them visiting us isn't it a bit suspicious" he said putting back his arrows and bow in a secret place
"Even I don't know Bhaiya. I haven't seen them I was playing outside that's when ma told me about fetching papa" she said thinking for a while
"Okay let's go and bring pitashree or else mata will kick us out of the house" he said ruffling her hair a bit
"Don't do that you know I don't like that" she said setting her hair right making him chuckle
Hastinapur palace
As soon as they reached the palace they were lost in the corridors of the massive structure and suddenly got bumped into some one
"Can't you see and walk" he yelled at chitrika making her flinch a bit to his harsh tone
She lifted her head up to see the person who is not so elder to her but may be they would have gap of two to three years. "You can do the same right , you also have two eyes like me and a brain can't you use it and walk a bit side when you have sensed a person is coming in your way" she retreated towards him
"Do you know who I am ? I am prince of Hastinapur and future king why should I give you the way" Duryodhan said keeping his head high
"Oh ! So you are kumar Duryodhan then I am jhansi ki rani" she said smirking at him
Karn who was witnessing their banter hit his head knowing that his sister never like to give up an argument as she always like to pester with other.
"Sri aren't we getting late . We have to find pitashree please kumar I am sorry from her side" he tried to end this but Sri was not in a mood to give up
"No bhaiya let me give this insolent brat some brain this much attitude doesn't work with me Gandhari Nandan , either you accept your mistake for yelling at me or" she pointed finger towards him
"Or what will you do ha ?" He said with the same attitude "or I will bite you" she said scrunching her nose a bit
"You will bite me hahaha" Duryodhan laughed seeing small figure in front of him adding more fuel to her anger he grabbed his hand and bit him hard making him Yelp
"You wild cat I won't leave you wait" he tried to grab her but she immediately grabbed Karn's hand and ran towards nearest place to hide
"What was the need to do so?" Karn whispered "Bhaiya there should be some kind of entertainment in life . Why should we always lead the same boring life when we can bring some enjoyment in it. Don't deny that you don't like it I know you enjoy it very well doing like this with me" she said making him smile
But soon they heard foot steps around a sharp voice made them gulp "who is there hiding come out" the voice was stern and loud
Slowly they came into view to see that a blind folded person was standing infront of them "who are you two and what are you doing here" she questioned them making them gulp
"Mata I will tell" Duryodhan said who was entering inside the room "she bit me mata" he said making her touch his hand
"Oh please you were the one who was doubting that if I can bite you or not I just gave a demo" saying so she shrugged
"Mata look at her see" he again tried to complain to her "oh come on Kumar are you still a baby to complain to your mother awe my cry baby" she said pulling his cheeks
Karn and Gandhari were laughing seeing both of them banter "I am not a baby understand" he said freeing himself from her hands
"Oh lulu lu baby bura man gaya" she teased again making him full red with embarrassment and huff
"Putri who are you ? I haven't noticed you in this palace ever" Gandhari asked her
"Maharani we are children of mahamahim's charioteer Chitrasen we came to find our pitashree" karn answered
"What ever it is Putr putri you both have come during time of my prayers to mahadev so stay till the prayer completes and Suyodhan you are also going to accompany me today" she said making them nod but
"Mata I don't want to" Duryodhan refused "we should not say like that Kumar . Mata says that god is above everything he is reason of our birth and we should be grateful enough to him and pay our salutations to him" karn tried to reason seeing Gandhari's face
"Who knows by praying him he might given some teeny tiny brain to your massive body" Sri joked making even Gandhari laugh
"You ! I will deal with you later" he huffed moving towards the Pooja mandir where idol of lord shiva was placed
Gandhari completed her prayers and offered them Prasad karn and Duryodhan completed their part but Sri just took a pinch of it and made it into two halves and placed in Karn's and Duryodhan's hand
"Putri why did do so ?" Gandhari asked sending her act
"Maharani I don't like sweet that much and more over my Bhaiya and your son need more blessings than me from god so that they can attain some brains" she said
It took them a bit to realise that what she has told they started to chase her all over
"U wait what have you just told that I don't have brains" karn said chasing her "yes what do you think you little bunny hopping here and there wait till we catch you" Duryodhan said who was chasing her too
"First you both should catch me and that can never happen" she said sprinting towards the garden as she reached there she stumbled upon a stone and got hurt in her knee
Both of them laughed seeing her lay on the ground but seeing her angry face they stopped soon enough sri started to laugh
But karn saw her leg was bleeding immediately lifted her up "you idiot couldn't you be more cautious . Look how much it is bleeding" he said examining her wound
"Bhaiya it's a small one don't worry and I can walk so can you please put me down" she pleaded him but in return got a stern look from him
She pouted seeing her brother in a bit angry mode "now don't make that face like a baby , you were calling me baby till now look now who has got hurt . Couldn't even walk properly" he said a bit hitting her forehead Making her pout more
They took her near by place and karn immediately tore his angavastra and tied at her wound making her wince a bit .
Many eyes were looking at their bond where as Sri was having a small smile and looking at her brother
"Why are you smiling idiot? You got hurt or during fall have you lost your brain cells" Duryodhan said Earning a smack from her "shut up ! If you won't smile at your failures then others will smile and it's not a big deal to fall and get hurt" she said casually making the listeners a bit shocked
They didn't expect these words from a seven year old child but the thing surprised them more was Duryodhan's behaviour towards her he wasn't that free with anyone till now except his brothers even with dushala he would be a bit formal
"Awesome putri what you said is really true" bheeshm said coming towards them accompanied by Chitrasen
Sri immediately rushed near him engulfing him in a tight hug soon karn joined them
"We missed you papa" Sri said kissing his cheek a bit
"But we haven't been apart for long isn't it chitrika" he asked her
"So what ? Aren't we allowed to miss our pitashree?" Karn said making him smile "of course of course" he chuckled seeing his life lines
"Your children are really sweet Chitrasen" mahamahim said making him chuckle "please don't go in their innocent faces mahamahim they are innocent from out side but totally stuffed with mischiefs mainly this fire cracker" he said kissing her cheek
"Putri putr he is mahamahim Bheeshm" he introduced them to him . But instead of greeting him they both looked each other conversing something threw eyes
"What happened Vasu Sri greet him" Chitrasen said "Pranipat ganga putr" both of them said at same time making bheeshm a bit surprise
He bent to their level "Putri vats why have you addressed me as that" he asked her look deep violet eyes
"Well pitashree told us that how much big we become or how much we achieve in this world one should never forget his origins and you are ganga Putr at first later became Hastinapur's mahamahim so we wanted to call you so" karn replied making him smile a bit
Sri went towards Duryodhan and forwarded her hand "I am mostly known as chitrika but I am Sri for my family it was nice meeting you and let's say teasing you and a free advice you can smile a bit more it's free of cost you know no one is going to charge you" she said making him grumble but yet accepted her hand with a smile
"I will remember it Jhansi ki rani or I should say queen of annoyance" he teased her a bit
"No problem you can call me anything till shows your hearts content a small thing even my brother sometimes calls me rakshasi so never mind see you soon cry baby" she said shaking his hand making him smile a bit
Karn came towards her and ruffled her hair "don't do that bhai what do you know my efforts to set my hair right" she winced setting her hair normally again
"Wait till I get a bit longer then look how I am going to pull your hair" she huffed noticing their height difference trying to reach her hand till his head top
"You can't do it shorty" he teased her making her pout again "well can anyone of you say that why have you come here" Chitrasen asked them
"Oh no pitashree because of Sri I forgot mata told that some guests have arrived and she wanted us to bring you with us" karn said turning towards him making him confuse
"Guests at our home weird" he mumbled to himself as he never expected to anyone to visit his home after they left their homeland
"I think you must go it might be something important or else Chitra wouldn't asked you to come" bheeshm gave him permission making him nod
Karn turned towards Duryodhan "see you soon mitr when we meet next time I will tell you what annoys this rakshasi Sister of mine so that you can take your revenge" Duryodhan was perplexed with the word mitr
Never had he encountered someone who can dare to talk him back or tried to befriend him
Always he was treated as an arrogant prince or bad Omen "sure mitr I will surely like to do so and I hope you will be in my team then" he replied smiling towards him
"Look papa he is the first brother in the world who is asking his friend to take revenge on his own sister" Sri complained to her father
"Revenge is a bad thing Putr you shouldn't keep grudges it will burn yourself first than others" bheeshm said in stern voice
"But always forgiveness is also not good thing Ganga Putr we should learn both who knows what might be useful in our future" karn simply said making bheeshm shock he hasn't seen someone with unusual thinking
"I have to admit Chitrasen you have really brought up your children well their thoughts are really mesmerising and they are really gifted children" he said seeing them making him smile
"My dear children would you like to stay whole day outside the house" he said making them Panic
"No pitashree/papa we don't want to face wrath of Bhadrakaali" they gulped knowing their mother's wrath
All of them chuckled seeing them tensed on the name of their mother
To be continued:::::::::::::::::::::
Just a glimpse of their childhood other two also will soon be coming into vision