Karunika was dumbfounded by the turn of events today.
Earlier, while playing pitthoo Suyodhan's behaviour felt off. Now, any person would assume he was being rude to his brothers, especially Bheem, but it was the opposite. It was as if flowers were showering from his mouth.
Karunika was doubtful, but the arrival of Guru Dronacharya dulled any suspicion.
As of now, the news of Bheem not being found had created a ruckus in the rajmahal. No one was able to find Bheem or Suyodhan.
" Maharaj! Maharaj! I found these jewels and bloodied angavastr outside a lion's den. I fear, that the lion had made a meal out of rajkumaar Bheem.
Aho durbhagy Maharaj! Aho durbhagy! "( curse the fates.)
Shakuni came in, limping with the jewels.
It was as if someone had killed both the mother and daughter. They couldn't imagine so many losses. First the king and his younger wife, and now the kumar!
Kunti ran to the shiv mandir in the mahal. " Give me my son back Mahadev, otherwise this whole earth will drown in a mother's sorrow! " Kunti wept, so tired and exhausted, that she nearly fainted.
The 4 brothers and their sisters huddled next to their mother, crying for everyone's beloved Vrikodar, while Shakuni and Suyodhan watched, joyfully revelling in their victory.
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𝟷𝟹 ᴅᴀʏs ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ
" Mata, Jyeshtha, there is a brahmin dev who doesn't seem to stop eating. He is not yet satisfied, but we have started to run out of food! Now what shal we do? " Sahdev and Nakul asked, worry etched onto their faces.
" Don't worry, after eating from mata's hands, everyone feels satiated. Don't worry, she'll go feed the bhramin dev. " Yudhishthir told them.
" I'll also come mata. I want to meet this Dev. What is incomplete in my food, that he couldn't feel satiated. I will apologize for the same. " Jyeshtha said, curious to know more.
" Here bhrahmin dev, have some laddoo by me. " Said Kunti, and as soon as he did, a loud burp startled everyone. But no one was more shocked than Karunika, who couldn't fathom the miracle.
" Bhrahmin dev, was there anything missing in my food. I am grateful that you feel satiated now, however I want to know how to improve. Please bless me. " She said, bending down to touch his feet.
" Arre- Jyeshtha! You can't touch my feet. You're my elder. Please move back. I am your brother. Bheem! See I'm back. " Bheem said, startled by her actions.
Before anyone could say anything, Nakul and Sahdev ran to Bheem, hugging him as if their life depended on it, the rest of the panduputr joining, happy to see their brother back.
" Bheem! You are alive? I am so happy my putr. How are you feeling now? " Asked Kunti, elated at her son's arrival.
" I am fine mata. How are you? my brothers seem happy too. But where is Jyeshtha?" Bheem asked, confused. " Till now she was here only, where did she run off to? " He asked.
" I think she is angry with you bhrata Bheem. Now who'll save you? " Arjun quipped.
" Don't worry, I'll talk to her. " Yudhishthir said, praying for Bheem's soul, as he was going to face his dear sister's wrath.
" We'll all go bhrata. Come on all of you. " said Bheem.
𝓘𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓰𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓼....
" Jyeshtha. Please forgive me. I wanted to come earlier only, but I wanted to surprise all of you. " Bheem said, inching away at each angry glance he received from his brothers and mother.
" Mata, please ask ' Raajkumar Bheem' to go away. I don't want to listen to him. " Karunika fumed.
Falling to her feet, Bheem said
" Kshama Jyeshtha Kshama. I will never make such a joke again. If I tell you the full story, would you forgive me? " he pleaded.
" You are free to speak raajkumaar." Karunika said reluctantly.
" As it happened.....
𝘔𝘺 𝘬𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘶𝘺𝘰𝘥𝘩𝘢𝘯! 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 !𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥?𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘮 𝘐?
𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘳, 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘝𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘪 𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 , 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘢𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 ten thousand 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴..
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘝𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘪 𝘥𝘦𝘷 . 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥.
.... and this way, I have been blessed. I admit, I wanted to come the second I was healed, but then I wished to surprise all of you." Bheem narrated.
Karunika, as in her nature, first hugged Bheem to show that she had forgiven him, and them twisted his ears hard.
" Aaaa- !Jyeshtha!Please! It hurts!
I am sorry, I won't do it again."
" What do you mean again. Are you planning on endangering yourself once more? " she said, shocked, with tears in her eyes.
" Arre, Nahi. I mean I will never play such a bad joke again I promise. After all, who will make my favourite food if I don't aplologise to you? " He said, trying to lift her spirits.
" Haw bhrata Bheem! This means you are only apologizing so that you can have your favourite foods. See Jyeshtha, don't forgive him!" Arjun said.
" Arjun! " Bheem and Kunti simultaneously scolded.
" Bheem. I forgive you. But if you ever do this again, then no Kheer for 3 months." Karunika threatened.
" Ok, Jyeshtha. Whatever you may choose. " Bheem said, laughing.
" Anyways, all of us were called by pitamah. We should leave for the mahal. " Yudhishthir informed.
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" What! They will go to gurukul? pitamah, Nakul and Sahdev are not even of the right age yet. " Karunika expressed her dissatisfaction, seeing the fear of separation from their mata Kunti in the eyes of the madreyas.
" I understand putri, however, this is done so that they can learn to work together. They are the princes, the new generation. They must learn to work together. " Pitamah reasoned.
" Fine then. Guru Dronacharya. I have heard, that your wife is also a very gyani lady. For my studies of kanyakul, I wish to choose her as my Guruma. " Karunika announced.
" Kumari, I can accept this request, only if I am promised something in return. You will not pamper the princes, especially your five brothers, and you will not counter the decisions I take for them. If you do so , then I will send you back to the rajmahal. "
" By swearing on my faith in Bhagwan Narayan, my aaradhy, I promise to not speak in between any of your teachings and lessons, as long as they are righteous and are born from compassion, and goodwill. " Karunika declared.
" Alright then. We'll all get ready to leave now. Aagya pitamah. " Yudhishthir said.
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" Putri. You have done an unthinkable thing. How will you live among so many men. I understand that you still wish to care for your brothers, but this is unheard of. The world will mock you. " Kunti worridely told her daughter, who was unmoved in her resolution.
" Mata, after the incident with poison, I can no longer trust the kaurav kumars. The world mocks everyone. I am no one special. I am going there for the safety of my brothers, and I will ask them to teach me shastr vidya too." She said.
" Jyeshtha, with us by your side, you will never need to lift a weapon. We will die before anyone tries to harm you or your samman. " Bheem promised. ( respect)
" I know that Bheem. I trust you all will always be there, but every human needs to be able to fight for themselves. Hence I will learn too. If gurudev does not agree to teach a woman, you all will teach me. " Karunika said.
They all touched Kunti's feet and stood up to hug her. As always, Bheem, left alone hugged last, nearly making everyone fall.
Their laughter could be heard till swarg, and all the devi devtas hoped that their smiles would not vanish.
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Author's note.
Bonus chapter as I have a farewell this Saturday and may not be able to right.
As always, share your love through comments and votes.
Constructive criticism is welcomed.
Radhe radhe everyone❤
Have a prosperous week ahead.