"Vasudeva would arrive at any moment," Bhishma Pitamah stated sternly while looking at Dhritarashtra..
Meanwhile Dhritarashtra was involved in certain discussions with Mahamantri Vidur... Gandhari stood with a weak smile...She knew her eldest son Duryodhan was not in the favour of Yudhishthir's coronation and considered Pandavas as a major threat...Duryodhan and Dusshasan seemed gloomy along with their other brothers..Gandhar Raj Shakuni had a peculiar smile and was lost in deep thoughts...
YADAV SHRESHTHA VASUDEVA KRISHNA HAS ARRIVED !!!!
Everyone looked at the entrance...There stood a beautiful youth with a glowing complexion, the color of rain clouds.. His cheeks are brilliant, his smiling enchanting. He wore a peacock feather in his curly black hair and a flower garland around his neck. His beautiful garments are the color of lightning. His toenails resembled the light of the moon. Ornaments caressed Krishna's body, but his transcendental body is so beautiful that it beautified the ornaments he wore..
Bhishma Pitamah moved forward with his hands joined in respect and greeted,"Pranam Vasudeva...Your visit to Hastinapur is a matter of great fortune for all of us."
Krishna smiled and replied,"Pranam Pitamah...I had to come...Afterall, it is Bhrata Yudhishthir's coronation.." Krishna chuckled and glanced at Duryodhan who seemed pissed with his statement..He continued,"Am I right Bharata Duryodhan?"
Duryodhan glared and greeted,"It's nice to see you here Bhrata Krishna.."
Gauri knew she was late...She hurriedly ran towards the entrance of the palace...She eagerly waited for her Govind and couldn't wait to meet him...
"Govind !!!!!", shouted Gauri while running towards Krishna..
Krishna smiled warmly...His eyes were beaming with joy...He opened his arms and replied,"Sakhi I missed you."
Gauri hugged Krishna and lost herself in the embrace of her sakha..Tears fell from her eyes and she sadly stated,"I'm so glad to meet you here...I thought I had lost all hopes.."
Krishna smiled and replied,"I'm always there for you sakhi.."
The reunion was surreal..But majority of the faces were confused..Karna's curiosity increased...
Krishna looked around and laughed..He said,"Sakhi I think everyone's confused with our meeting.. Didn't you tell about our friendship?" Krishna teasingly looked at Gauri..
Gauri murmured,"I was j-just."
Karna interrupted and said,"Pranam Vasudeva.. Rajkumari just arrived yesterday so couldn't meet with everyone.."
Krishna smiled and replied,"You are definitely Angraj Karna..Anyone can realise your capability by looking at the brightness of your forehead....Pranipaat !!"
Karna generously smiled and said,"It's my fortune to meet a personality like yours Vasudeva.."
Gandhari smiled and did welcome arti of Shri Krishna...
Dhritarashtra greeted and welcomed Shri Krishna towards the dining room.. Karna stayed quiet and constantly stared at Gauri...Shri Krishna merrily talked with Bhishma Pitamah, Mahamantri Vidur and Dhritarashtra... Dusshasan glanced at Karna who couldn't keep his eyes off Gauri and seemed to be in deep thought...Duryodhan and Mama Shakuni were quiet... Duryodhan was most probably displeased..And Gauri stood completely confused and unaware of the protocols of Dwaparyuga..
Gauri couldn't wait any longer, rushed towards Krishna , grabbed his hand and said, "Govind I urgently need to talk to you...Come with me.."
Krishna looked at her and replied,"But sakhi--"
"Don't argue Govind", complained Gauri..
Karna seemed impatient...Kauravas and Gandhar Raj were baffled with Gauri's rude approach...In Dwaparyug and didn't interrupt in between the conversations, Gauri did the unthinkable...Bhishma Pitamah seemed uncomfortable and disappointed..
Bhishma glared at Gauri and stated,"You can discuss later Rajkumari...This isn't the right time.."
Gauri ignored Pitamah's words, looked at Krishna and headed towards her room with him...After a moment, Angraj stood up and followed them from behind..A series of gossips broke out in the dining room...
After reaching her room, she looked at Krishna and asked,"Why am I here Govind? Answer me..."
Krishna seemed tensed and stated,"You are here because you should be...This is where you belong to.."
Gauri was in disbelief..She questioned,"How? I lived with Guruma in Kaliyuga..How is it possible?"
Krishna's demeanor turned serious..He replied,"That was a blunder from devatas...Your destiny was to be born from Yagya as Maharaj Drupad's daughter with the same time as Draupadi..But rather you transcended time and reached Kaliyuga because devata couldn't handle your tremendous energy..This is the reason you had to be kept under the surveillance of Guruma for 20 years until you and your energy was ready to ascend into Dwaparyuga....Sakhi you were never born..."
Gauri turned pale...She couldn't process the words her sakha Krishna had uttered...Her world seemed like shattering into pieces...She cried,"So I never had a family Govind?" Gauri's tears fell uncontrollably..Her eyes were red...
Krishna smiled and replied,"No Sakhi...Maharaj Drupad is your father...Draupadi and Shikhandini are your sisters.. Drishtdyum is your brother...Nobody can change this truth...You are the Rajkumari of Panchal, my Panchali...You will have to accept your fate sakhi..."
Gauri fell on the floor and cried....She continuously repeated,"No this can't be true...You are lying Govind...I want to go back to my old life.."
Krishna couldn't see her sakhi in pain...He approached towards her and replied,"Calm down sakhi...Those people in Kaliyuga have forgotten your existence..This is how maya works...The moment you transcendeded into Dwaparyuga, your maya removed your memories from their life... Your powers got activated....Forget them and follow your dharma..You are the foundation of dharma in Aryavarta..."
Gauri wiped her tears and asked,"But what would be my role Govind?"
Krishna smiled and said,"Time will tell sakhi...But right now I must inform you that Maharaj Drupad and entire Kampilya is worried about you..Their entire workforce is searching for you..After all, their Panchali is missing.." Krishna chuckled...
Gauri gasped and exclaimed,"What? I completely forgot about them..But Maharaj ordered me to leave Kampilya...I upsetted him.."
Krishna laughed and replied teasingly, "Seems like you are really good in upsetting people in Dwaparyuga sakhi...Pitamah also seemed disappointed from you.." He continued laughing..
"Govind !!", said Gauri pretending to be offended but then joined her sakha in laughter....
"We should inform Panchal Naresh that his Panchali is safe with me in Hastinapur..Right Gauri?", Krishna asked...
Gauri nodded in agreement..
Angraj Karna overheard everything and left...Krishna and Gauri arrived in dining room...Pitamah looked displeased... Duryodhan seemed curious..
Gandhari asked,"What happened Vasudeva?"
Krishna teasingly glanced at Gauri and replied,"Mata Gandhari, this sakhi of mine left the palace after an argument with Maharaj Drupad and arrived at Hastinapur to meet me without informing her family about it... That's why she was worried and wanted my suggestion.."
Gauri was quiet..
Gandhari said to Gauri,"Putri you should have told me about it...But it's alright....Today itself, we will inform Maharaj Drupad about his daughter's arrival in Hastinapur...In this way, he would also attend Yudhishthir's coronation.."
Gandhar Raj was in deep thought...He asked,"But Vasudeva, I have got to know that Rajkumari was born from Yagya recently...How come she is your sakhi?"
Krishna chuckled and replied, "Mama Shri our friendship isn't of this life...It existed since the beginning of time...You will get to know.."
Shakuni nervously replied,"You made me your Mama Vasudeva.."
Krishna laughed and stated,"Why not Mama Shri !! You are Bhrata Duryodhan's Mama Shri..So in that relation, you are also my mama.."
Shakuni grinned and replied, "No Vasudeva no... I'm afraid to be your Mama.."
Krishna scoffed,"Why Mama Shri? I granted moksha to my mama Kansa...He was absolved of his sins.."
Shakuni intensely stared at Krishna as if he was trying to figure out the metaphors hidden in the talks of Vasudeva..Krishna smiled..
Gauri looked around but Angraj was absent...After the "Bhoj" Gauri was heading towards her room...But her eyes were searching for Angraj Karna...
She thought,"Where is Angraj?!"
Gauri was busy in her thoughts when she bumped into someone and lost her balance...
She shrieked,"OUCH."
Gauri was about to fall but was held by a man...She opened her eyes and saw a young handsome man with loosened hair and arms were long and smooth and thick like clubs...He resembled a gigantic elephant because of his tall physic...
"Are you ok?", asked the young man worriedly...
Gauri nervously replied,"Yes I am...I apologise for not being careful...Thank you...No I mean dhanyawad.."
The young man replied,"My pleasure...But who are you? I never saw you here.."
Gauri exclaimed,"I'm Gauri, the daughter of Panchal Naresh.."
Young man greeted her and replied,"Pranam Rajkumari...So you are that Rajkumari who has upsetted Pitamah.." The young man chuckled and continued,"I'm Pandu putra Arjuna.."
Gauri's eyes widened and she smiled brightly...She said,"Hi Arjuna...I have heard a lot about you."
Arjuna proudly remarked,"I'm so famous... Ofcourse I'm the best.."
Gauri chuckled and replied,"This is funny...The great Archer Arjuna is praising himself.."
Gauri continued giggling...Arjuna was enchanted by her giggle and beauty...He kept on staring at her...
Nakul and Sahdev came running towards Arjuna and tried to hide behind him...Arjuna came back to reality and was confused...
Nakul requested,"Bhrata Arjuna save us...Bhrata Bheem will eat me and Sahdev..Our life's in danger.."
Arjuna laughed and asked,"What did you both do this time? I'm sure you both did something.."
Sahdev replied,"We did nothing.."
An angry Bheem rushed towards Arjuna and shouted,"Don't lie Sahdev..You and Nakul ate my favourite laddoos..Now I will eat both of you.."
Nakul cried,"Bhrata Arjuna save us..Bhrata !!!"
Bheem ordered,"Arjuna stay away from this matter..I will do justice.."
Arjuna teasingly replied,"As you say Bhrata Bheem.."
Sahdev begged,"No Bhrata Arjuna...Think about mata..She would be sad."
Bheem and Arjuna looked at each other and laughed as louder as they could...Nakul and Sahdev also joined in the laughter...Gauri was amused to watch the sweet and healthy brotherhood among Pandavas...
Bheem looked at Gauri and asked,"Who is this devi you were talking to Bhrata Arjuna?"
Gauri smiled warmly and replied,"Pranam Rajkumar Bheem... I'm Gauri.."
And Arjuna added,"Daughter of Maharaj Drupad, Panchali.." And smiled at her...