"You never told me!" Krishnaa smacked Arjuna's arm as the latter whimpered dramatically before circling his arms around her shoulder and rubbed his nose on her cheek while chuckling.
"Are you insane?" She pursed her lips as she side-glanced at him warily, suppressing the smile his adorable gestures were causing. "I'm scolding you and you are clinging to me!"
"No matter what you do, Priyathamaa, I'll complete my duty!" He grinned impishly as he ran his fingers through her curls, making her inhale deeply.
"Duty?" She raised an eyebrow. "What duty are you talking about?"
"The duty of loving the queen of my heart!" He attached his forehead to hers, clasping her palm with his.
"Natha, you are focusing on that duty alone these days!" She said abruptly as he quickly moved back, a light frown appearing on his face. "I'm not joking! You have many more duties to perform but you are stuck with my tantrums."
"I'm not having this discussion again!" Arjuna sighed, holding his head. "I'm dying to be with you and you do not understand it. Your family members understand it much better than you!"
"Oh, they understand you better than me! How didn't I know this before?" Krishnaa flared her nostrils, her eyes narrowing. "They are pampering their son-in-law more than necessary! You are getting troublesome day by day!"
Arjuna buried his face in his palms at his wife's accusations. "What have I ever asked other than allowing me to be beside her? How can this simple desire be termed as greed, Prabhu? Why won't she agree that I cannot be away from her at this time, and at any point of time, for that matter?"
"Natha!" Krishnaa placed her palm on his back concernedly. "I understand your emotions. But we cannot neglect our duties for six months altogether. The baby will be born soon but I cannot travel to Indraprastha immediately. That's why you should not wait for me-"
"Please, NO!" Arjuna embraced her instinctively, laying his head on her shoulder and shutting his eyes. "Don't say it again, I'm so exhausted listening to that thing! I cannot return without you, Krishnaa, and that's clear!"
"Why are you so stubborn?" She raised her head from her shoulder and cupped his cheeks. He was expecting another lecture about duties but he was taken aback when he felt her lips tracing the lines on his forehead, softly pressing against his temples and his cheeks. "Arjuna, I would never want you to leave, I need you to be with me as much as you want to be with me!"
"But you will still bother your beloved by repeating that thing!" Arjuna pursed his lips and huffed as she smiled softly.
"I'm sorry, Arjuna!" She lowered her eyes. "I won't do it again, I promise!"
"Don't keep your gaze down. Look into my eyes and show me your love, that's what I need!" He lifted her chin a playful smile that made her shake her head in mock-exasperation. "I really need it, my love! Once the baby comes, I'm sure that all your love will be focused on him alone. Who will look at me and adore me? Give me my portion of my love before his arrival!"
"Arjuna, the portion of love that I will give the baby would also belong to you because he's a part of you!" She stated, pulling his cheeks lovingly.
"You have an answer for everything!" He touched her palms which were resting on his cheeks with his own palms, he kissed the frontside of her palms below her fingers as she exhaled, wondering how she would be able to hold the ocean of Arjuna's love within the river of her heart. It was a poignant dilemma his love was pushing her into!
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Sweatbeads rolled down Arjuna's forehead despite the fact that the climate outside was freezing cold. His heart was beating so wildly against his chest that he feared it would come out anytime. His feet were unable to stay in one place and they pushed him to pace around the corridors, his hands and his whole body trembling in apprehension. He flinched constantly as her cries echoed across the walls of the birth chamber as he stood before the large, closed doors that seemed to snatch his breath with their intimidating stance.
Drupada, Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi and Satyajit, who were present there,
shared grave glances with each other.
Arjuna couldn't tolerate any sort of discomfort for Krishnaa. He didn't let her face any pain alone in the past few months. But he was standing helpless when it was the harshest pain that she was going through. As every moment passed, they all watched how Arjuna's patience wore out. When he was on the verge of breaking into tears, Drupada walked towards him and held his arm, earning his attention.
"Putra, I understand that you are fretting due to her screams but she has already given birth four times. This time too, all will be well, Arjuna!"
"I wasn't present during those births, Pita. I had heard about it but I never witnessed her in such a state before!" Arjuna could hardly suppress the panic in his tone as he continued, "I always knew that this period of time is meant to come but I never knew that I would feel so tormented... I can endure any pain for myself but I can't endure hers! It's breaking me, Pita, I cannot begin to imagine how she's feeling..."
Drupada took his son-in-law into an assuring embrace. "No one can deny the pain she is going through but no one can deny the abundant happiness she is going to bring into our lives too. She will be a thousand times more delighted when she will cuddle her baby than how much she is struggling at this point. Childbirth is painful but it is also equally beautiful. You will feel better once you behold your baby-"
Arjuna let his tears flow down his cheeks as he sought solace in his father-in-law and he remained in that position with the latter patting his head until he heard a loud, tender cry of the newborn baby, resounding in his heart.
Everyone snapped their heads in the direction of the chamber with wide smiles sprouting on their faces.
"Maharaja!" A maid rushed out of the birth chamber immediately. "Princess has given birth to a baby boy!"
Arjuna did not know how to name the emotion that consumed his heart as he listened to the melodious voice of his child. He took a deep breath, calming his overexcited nerves down, allowing the truth to seep into his every pore.
His and Krishnaa's baby, who was the fruit of their perennial love and their unbreakable bonding, the heir of their combined values and shared dreams, has taken birth! Their child has arrived!
He would finally be able to see the little one who would look like him and Krishnaa at the same time. They both would be able to touch the baby and feel their own essence in him. A deep, powerful ecstasy that couldn't be contained within the boundaries of his heart, coursed through his being.
Their love has indeed manifested itself as their son. Their union has become more perfect than ever before!
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SHRUTAKARMA IS HERE!😭❤