The environment was filled with tension and Bhanumati's painful screams.
Panchali and Aryan halted before the chamber and the heart wrenching screams of Bhanumati pierced their hearts.
The faces only depicted how worried they were for Bhanumati.
"Hold patience, my son. Everything will be alright. Putri Bhanumati will be fine and so will your child." Dhritarashtra tried to assure the soon-to-be father but the husband in his son, couldn't think properly.
The Royal Mid Wife came out of the chamber as Nakul and Sahdev handed over the medicine to her.
While returning, her eyes landed over Panchali.
"Yuvrani, you came!? Please come inside, Rajkumari Bhanumati was asking about you." Informing so, she immediately went inside without waiting for her or anyone else to say anything.
Everyone looked at Panchali while she herself looked shocked and confused.
"Putri, go inside. She's asking for you." Bhism said, his voice laced with softness and affection with a mixture of nervousness and restlessness.
"But, me- how- I mean, why...?" She stuttered, not knowing what to do and how to react at that point of time.
"She needs you, Putri. Don't think much,go inside." Vidur said, assuring her.
But she didn't seem to be assured. Her face resembled anxiousness. Bhanumati's screams were not helping either.
"Bhabishree Bhanumati needs you." A soft voice of Yudhisthir amidst the loud screams of Bhanumati, reached Panchali.
She turned her eyes to the eldest Pandava. His eyes and his words kind of assured her.
She exhaled a deep breath, stepping ahead and opening the door of the chamber.
The screams felt louder than earlier. The bed was covered with white curtains.
The silhouette of Bhanumati being restless in pain, Kunti and Gandhari trying to console her and the Royal Mid Wife giving suggestions, was noticeable.
She closed the door behind and forwarded her feet towards the bed.
She gulped, certain flashbacks played with the peace of her mind.
As she stood beside the bed, her silhouette grabbed the ladies attention.
"Panchali... Panchali, you came... Ahh... Please... Sit be-beside me... Panchali..." Bhanumati called her, her voice depicted how much of a pain she was tolerating.
The would be mother's voice broke Panchali's stupor. She removed the curtain and sat beside Bhanumati's head.
Her hand was immediately held tightly out of pain.
She eyebrows were crouched, the pain seen by her was getting intolerable.
This was familiar.
This had already happened.
But it was something else.
"Panchali..." Bhanumati's voice once again broke her reverie.
"Yes" She placed her other hand over Kalinga Princess's head, which was covered with sweat.
"Panchali... Li-listen... If something ha-happens to me.."
"Bhanumati, don't say this, Putri. You will be fine. Don't utter such inauspicious words." Gandhari immediately said.
"Putri, your child is waiting to come out. And at this hour you should think positive rather than uttering such words." Kunti said, trying to console her.
"I... I can under-stand, Kunti Maa... B-but... Nobody knows wha-t fu-future holds... I am t-tired, I a-am losing patience." Bhanumati spoke, her words were broken, depicting how much of a tired and pain she was facing.
"Bhanumati." Panchali called her, as Bhanumati's eyes immediately shifted to Panchali's.
"Bhanumati, you will be fine. Your child would need its mother."
"Panchali, I-I know... But, please take my child under your wing... T-take care of m-my child, Panchali... Give some love to my c-child... Panchali..." Bhanumati's words faded as her mind went through a memory lane.
"P-panchu... T-take care of your sister... Please... I-I don't have mu-ch time, dear... Pro-mise me, that you would protect yo-ur sis-ter... P-panchu..."
"No mumma... Don't say like this... You won't go anywhere... Let's go to hospital, Mumma... Please."
"No, beta... I-I can't... I-if we get out, those m-monster will find us... And they will k-kill both my daughters."
"But, Mumma, you are bleeding... Mumma, no, mumma, please... How will I manage? Where shall I go with Doll?"
"You have to, beta... You have to."
Bhanumati's loud scream brought Panchali back to reality.
Her hold on Bhanumati's hand loosened as her face resembled anxiousness.
Nobody noticed her with a scared expression, she looked at Bhanumati.
She slowly got up from the bed, stumbling back on her legs.
The flashbacks from the past started triggering her mind.
She slowly backed away from the bed, towards the door.
She opened it grabbing everyone's attention, who all too failed to notice her condition except Arjun.
"How's Bhanumati?"
"What's the condition inside? How's Bhanumati?"
Questions were thrown towards her but she couldn't listen.
Her mind was uncertain. She went to a side where Aryan stood, who asked what happened to her but she was not in a position to answer.
"Panchu, what happened?"
"Are you okay?" Arjun asked going near her, being the first one to notice something off with her.
The same visions... Panchali immediately shut her eyes.Her breathing started to get heavy.
"I-I... failed, Ar-aryan... I failed to save her... Aryan... It-it was m-my fault... I" Panchali spoke stuttering, as realization hit Aryan.
She was getting her damn Post Traumatic Stress Disorder back.
"What happened? Is Bhabishree okay? Are you okay? Do you want something?" Arjun asked, and started getting anxious.
Aryan noticed Arjun getting suspicious of her behaviour and he also heard what she spoke.
He needed to distract Arjun, before they found out something about her.
"Arjun, uh... You can go, I am here with her. Your family needs you." Aryan tried to distract Arjun, who frowned heavily.
Arjun raised his eyes at Aryan. He didn't feel right. Something was wrong.
And by the expression, he could only conclude that Aryan was trying to hide something.
"No it's fine. Nakul and Sahdev are there, so they'll manage. But she isn't fine... Something -" Arjun was interrupted by Aryan.
"Panchu is fine. It's just that she has never seen someone getting into labour with her own eyes. That's why she got scared. I assure you, Kumar Arjun. Just give her some time and she'll be fine. Please don't bother, your family needs you." Aryan tried his level best to remain calm, Panchali's PTSD syndrome wasn't helping at all.
And his words indeed irked Arjun.
He wasn't a kid to not understand that Aryan was asking him to go away but his heart remained restless for Panchali.
"Mind you, Rajkumar Aryan that my family revolves around my wife too. She is my family and taking care of her is my sole responsibility which I think I am doing." Arjun gave a stern reply with a stern look.
"I understand, Kumar but-"
The same screams... Panchali clutched her ears.
"Nhi... N-nhi... Mumma... B-baby... She-she'll die... N-no... Please..." She was shivering and stuttering, tears coming out of her eyes.
It was as if someone pulled her back in time and she was bearing that phase again.
Aryan called her, trying to calm her, but it went into futile.
Arjun didn't know what to do. She wasn't at all fine. Something bothered her.
Looking here and there, he was getting restless, he needed to do something.
Her anxiousness pierced his heart with a sharp knife. It was making him feel anxious too.
"You wanna drink water? Please tell me what's bothering you? What should I do?" Arjun received no reply in return.
"I-I couldn't save her... I-I failed as a daughter..." Panchali kept on murmuring which made Arjun confused and Aryan scared.
"Panchu, please, calm down. You are in Hastinapur, Panchu. Are you listeni-"
A sudden thought crossed his mind, noticing Panchali behaved like that.
His hands were still in the air. His lips were parted, as his eyes widened in shock.
Arjun noticed Aryan now. He was again confused looking at his face which resembled as if Aryan realized something.
Panchali's behaviour was abnormal..!!
As if someone was controlling her. As if she wasn't present over there. As if she didn't know what was happening with her.
Her behaviour was as if someone was deliberately controlling her mind and soul.
As if she ain't present over there but in the past, on that night.
Panchali was covering her ears, clutching her hair like a mad woman.
"Panchu..." Aryan cautiously called her to see if she would reply back but she didn't.
"I-I failed to protect Doll... I-I f-failed to save her..." Her constant murmuring made Aryan realize something grave as his face turned into a horror filled expression.
He didn't know what he should do.
"Rajkumar Aryan, what happened? Are you okay? What happened to her?" Arjun asked being tensed.
"Kumar Arjun, can you please bring some water?" Aryan asked, his voice laced with urgency as Arjun nodded and went away to bring water.
"Panchu... Listen to me... You are in Hastinapur... That phase is long gone, Panchu... Are you listening..."
Aryan continuously tried to bring her back into the present but it was as if she was stuck in the past and trying to do everything right but couldn't do that.
Panchali kept on murmuring. She felt the loss again. She felt guilt. She felt anger on herself. She felt helpless and what not.
Covering her ears and clutching her hair, she behaved as if someone was sucking the soul out of her.
She felt burning all over her body but didn't know what to do.
It was as if her Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder made it easier for someone to control her mind, soul and thought process.
Within a few moments, Arjun came with a glass and jug of water, noticing Panchali getting worse in her condition and Aryan trying to console her.
He tried to make her drink water but as if noticing the jug, Aryan snatched it from Arjun.
Opening the lid, he threw the entire water harshly over Panchali's face, making her jerk out from her condition and in the process her upper garment got wet.
"Kumar...!! What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?" Arjun shouted immediately, removing his Angvastra and wrapping it around Panchali.
Aryan didn't reply anything in return. What bothered him at that moment was the wellbeing of his best friend.
Panchali felt immense tiredness washing over her. Her mind was slowing returning to peace.
She didn't know what happened to her all of a sudden.
Her head felt heavy as if someone was hammering over her head.
She felt someone covering her with a piece of cloth. Raising her tired filled eyes, she caught a concern filled eyes of Arjun.
He was covering her with his upper garment. His eyes showed how concerned he was for her.
But it was soon enough she felt the world around her swirling as darkness engulfed her into a state of unconscious.
And Arjun was quick enough to hold her by her waist, refraining her from falling down.
"Panchu... Panchu, what happened?" Aryan patted her cheeks in the hold of Arjun.
He was going to sprinkle water over her face but Arjun immediately held his wrist with a stern look.
"Don't."
"Kumar, I -"
"Don't..! And I mean it !" Arjun gave a stern warning with a dangerous look.
"Sainik, convey my brothers a message that Yuvrani has fainted." Arjun ordered a soldier nearby in a stern voice while his eyes held concern and worry as it was fixed on Panchali.
He placed his other hand under her knee and in a swift motion, he picked her up in a bridal style.
While Aryan watched Arjun going away and the soldier going towards the other four Pandavas conveying the news.
He stood there watching Yudhisthir, Bheem, Nakul and Sahdev had a scared and worried expression just they got the new of Panchali falling into unconsciousness.
Yudhisthir and Bheem immediately rushed towards where Arjun took her, going past him while Nakul and Sahdev gave instruction to the Royal Physician as much as possible regarding the medicine and soon they too marched behind their older brothers.
Aryan breathed a sigh in relief. Her husbands will look after her, and he was very sure about that.
His Panchu was in the safe hands.
He would lie to himself if he said he didn't feel hurt when Arjun denied him to sprinkle water over her face, but he also knew for the fact that Arjun was worried for her and cared about her.
He glanced down at the glass of water in his hand and sighed heavily.
Dear Readers,
Hello everyone, how are y'all doing?
Long time again, I know... But one thing I want to tell that I think you all are getting least interest in my story, right!?
Cuz I am noticing none of you are responding in the chapters and I am feeling low and not getting enough courage to write.
Whenever I am thinking to write a chapter, my thoughts are getting disturbed by thinking you all are least bothered about this story.
Uh what can I say more now. My special thanks to those who are still waiting for this story to be updated, voting and commenting.
I am updating only for y'all, guys.
I won't tell you all to vote and comment now, it's all your duty. If you like, then do vote and comment your thoughts and those of you who don't like this story, I would tell you that please don't read.
Thanking You,
Hiya