Dhriti sat near the waters, looking at her blurry reflection, remembering Hidimba saying that she hasn't changed a bit in the whole year.
"Kanha...... Its been a year. One whole year. I haven't seen you, met you. I want to see you Kanha. If we dont meet for some more time, I might start hallucinating about you." Dhriti said a she kept looking at her reflection when a peacock feather appeared to be floating besides a lotus.
"Kanha?" Dhriti said astonishingly as she picked up the feather and turned around.
"Kanha! I know you are here. Now stop hiding from me." Dhriti said as stood up.
"Who told you I'm there?" Kanha chuckled.
"A peacock feather does not fall near a beautiful lotus, on my reflection just coincidentally." Dhriti stated, her eyes wandering.
"Well, then find me." Kanha smirked as he challenged her.
"Ofcourse I will." She said walking around, finding in the bushes and searching behind every tree.
"Its been a long time. Did you find me Priya?" Kanha teased taking a bite from a fruit.
"It was not that hard. You could have done better." She teased back sitting on the on the branch of a tree, behind which Kanha was hiding.
Kanha turned around to see his Priya sitting on the low branch smiling at him, a smile crept on his face as he moved towards.
"Now come down. Will you?" He chuckled giving her a hand as Dhriti got down and stood in front of him.
"Kanha...." She whispered as tears started rolling down her face, which Kanha gladly wiped.
"Isn't it the same Priya, teasing me a few minutes ago." He said smiling.
"I missed you Kanha." Was all that she managed to speak as Kanha held her by her shoulders.
"I missed you too Priya. Fate played its game, but not anymore." He said wiping the last tear rolling down as Dhriti just kept smiling at him.
"What happened Priya ?" Kanha asked lifting her face.
"Tell me I'm not hallucinating." She said dreamily.
"Ofcourse you're not. Your Kanha is really here. Just to meet you." He smiled pulling her closed as they hugged each other.
"Don't leave me alone anymore Kanha. Please." She mumbled holing him tight.
"I won't. Kanha is always incomplete without his Priya." He said carassing her hair.
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"Really? Its only been a year I have come here and everyone is already planning my Swayamwar." Draupadi said looking at her father and mother.
"That's because, my sister is a beautiful, grown-up woman who needs a brave man in her life to love her enough." Shikhandi said approaching her sister.
"Not only brave, I want a righteous, strong, brave, handsome and wisest husband." Draupadi smiled.
"I have called Vasudev and Balram to Kampilya as soon as possible. We need their help as well." Drupad smiled.
"Vasudev is coming?" Dhrishtadyumn and Draupadi asked in joy.
"Yes. And Shikhandi, don't forget to make sure if Mantri has sent the invitation to all the Royal families. I want people from all over the Aryavart to attend Draupadi's Swayamwar. " Drupad smiled.
"Come putri, let's see all your shringar and whether you like it on yourself." Her mother smiled as they proceeded to her room where everything was kept.
"Matashree, I love it soo much. This colour looks amazing and the ornaments. The ornaments are just breath-taking." Draupadi said touching each one of them as everyone smiled looking at her excitement.
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"What else happened in Hastinapur, other than crowning of Bhrata Duryodhan?" Dhriti asked as she rested her head on Kanha's shoulder with his hands around her.
"You got two more Bhabhishrees as Bhrata Duryodhan and Dushasan got married. Dushala became the wife of Sindhu Naresh Jayadrath." Kanha said sprinkling water on Dhriti's face every now and then.
"I'll drench you." She warned as Kanha laughed, still repeating the same thing.
"Can't believe I have missed three weddings. Three chances to ask how am I looking today." Dhriti chuckled.
They spent the whole afternoon sitting by the lake, telling each other everything and plucking fruits from the unseen wild trees.
"No Kanha! That's not the way you do it ." Dhriti chuckled as Kanha mounted the pebbles one upon another.
"And done. Look I won." Kanha cheekily grinned at her as she threw the ball at him instead of the mounted pebbles.
"Priya...." He said mischievously warning as he started running behind her.
"You cannot catch me Kanha." She sung as she ran around the trees.
Kanha, after running a few rounds behind Dhriti understood he can't simply catch her. He smiled as he sat on the rock waiting for Dhriti to notice it.
"Kanha? Why are you sitting there? So I was running alone all this time?" Dhriti chuckled.
"Something hurted my foot." Kanha acted.
"What?" Dhriti said as she came running towards him and sat down taking Kanha's foot in her hands.
"Where?" She asked looking at him as Kanha smirked.
"Ahaaa, caught you." He laughed.
"Oh Priya, you're too innocent." Kanha pulled her cheeks as she giggled standing up.
"Priya, its getting late now. I need to leave." Kanha protectively held her shoulders.
"I know can't stop you Kanha and I won't. But promise me, we'll meet again." Dhriti sadly smiled.
"Yes Priya, we'll meet very soon. And then, we won't be separated again. But until than, promise me, you won't shed a single tear for me." Kanha's smiled faded looking at her small smile.
"I promise." She mumbled.
"But where do you have to go Kanha?" Dhriti asked.
"To Kampilya. Maharaj Drupad has called me and Dau toh help him for his daughter's Swayamwar." Kanha smiled.
"Daughter's Swayamwar? Shikhandi is getting married?" Dhriti asked.
"No Priya. His another daughter Yagyaseni Draupadi." He answered.
"Yagyaseni....." Dhriti said restlessly.
"I have heard about her, I have seen her. She knows me. I feel a bond towards her." Dhriti mumbled tightly gripping Kanha's hands.
"I understand Priya. You'll get your answers. " He assured her.
"And yes! Feed this small leaf of tulsi to Ghatotkach. Make sure no one sees it." Kanha said keeping a leaf on her hand as she nodded.
"Priya....." He called.
"Hm?" She replied.
"Bye my brave warrior." He smiled.
"Kanha! Wait." She stopped him, holding his hand as Kanha smiled.
She put his peacock feather, that fell into the lake back into his crown and smiled.
"Now you look like my Kanha." They smiled as they parted they ways in opposite directions.
Dhriti started taking her steps towards the cave, but her heart wanted her to have one last glance behind.
"No! No Dhriti. You promised Kanha that you won't shed a tear. Don't look back. Don't!" Her mind insisted but she anyways turned back but Kanha had disappeared.
'I promise.' Her words kept ringing in her mind as tears started forming at the brim of her eyes but she quickly gulped her sorrow down and put a brave smile on her face.
"Where were you Dhriti?" Arjun asks as Dhriti sits beside them.
"Taking a break from my brothers." She laughed.
"But but but, where is my nephew?" She said looking for Ghatotkach.
"Must be playing in his room." Bheem said as Dhriti walked towards Ghatotkach.
She entered his room as she realized both Mata Kunti and Hidimba are busy somewhere else.
She smiles at the sight of little Ghatotkach playing as she joined him and slowly fed him the tulsi leaf Kanha gave her. The smiling Ghatotkach slowly drifted off to sleep as Dhriti found it peculiar but left him to rest.
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"Sakhi!" Kanha called for Draupadi.
"Govind! Why didn't you arrive along with Baldau?" Draupadi beamed as she walked towards.
"I was busy meeting someone important." Kanha mumbled as he smiled at the thought of Dhriti.
"I'm glad you came here before the Swayamwar. Bhrata Dhrishtadyumn just gets bored with my talks. " Draupadi chuckled.
"Did someone talk about me." Dhrishtadyumn raised his eyebrow as he hugged Kanha and continued his chores.
"Govind, Sakha, I know you want to tell me many things." Draupadi smiled as she pulled him towards her room.
"So.... Basically I have no choice in choosing my husband. The one who wins there, will be my husband. So what are your thoughts Sakha. I know you wouldn't have agreed on this without a reason." Draupadi reasoned.
"Sakhi, there are only two people in the entire aryavart who can win you. That's all I want to say. Rest you'll find on that special day." Kanha grinned.
"That's all?" Draupadi frowned.
"Yes that's all." Kanha laughed.
"Govind? Why are you so happy today. Gleaming like a golden ray of light and smiling as wide as the petals of lotus?" Draupadi playfully raised her eyebrows.
"Is there someone who's making my Sakha this happy. If yes tell me about her. When will I meet her? Will you bring her to my swayamwar?" Draupadi whined like a little child.
"Hmmmm.... Even Subhadra and Revati Bhabhi say the same thing. Your wish will be fulfilled sakhi. I must assure you, you'll love her." Kanha smiled.
"Then tell me about her. What's her name. Where is she from. She must be beautiful and angelic for you to love her so much. I can read your face Sakha." Draupadi teased to a smiling Kanha.
"Yagyaseni! Its not even been one whole day that I have arrived and you have already started teasing me. I'll tell you everything little by little. Have patience." Kanha laughed.
"Okay okay, I won't tease you. But atleast tell me her name Govind." Draupadi pleaded.
"Dhrishtadyumn! Shikhandi! I'm hungry. Now save me from your sister." Kanha called as Draupadi's siblings stood there laughing at both of them.
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"Parvati, let's go there Sakhi, where all other Devis along with Sakhi Saraswati are sitting." A youthful Lakshmi brought Parvati out of her thoughts as she smiled and joined her.
"Arey, Sakhiyo, meet them, they are the wives of Devindra's sabhasads." Saraswati smiled at Parvati and Lakshmi.
"She is Sachi- King Indra's wife, Shyamala- Yamraj's wife and this is Bharati- Vayudev's wife. " Saraswati introduced each of them as Lakshmi's gaze shifted towards the other woman collecting flowers in her basket.
"Who is she Sakhi?" Lakshmi curiously asked Sachi.
"She's Usha, the wife of Ashwins." Sachi smiled back.
Dhriti kept moving her legs as she started feeling inquisitive about the dream she was watching.
"Swami? Why is everyone gathered around this huge fire. Why are all my new sakhis deprived of their Shringar?" An agile Lakshmi asked Narayan.
"Priye, soon, we have to take our respective incarnations on earth. That time, we might need help of all these demigods, but we can't take all of them with their respective wives with us, can we?" Narayan smiled as Lakshmi nodded no.
"So when their earthly forms incarnate along with us, their wives would incarnate as well, not individually but as a single form." Narayan explained as they saw the 4 wives sacrificing their earthly forms into the Agni, out of which their composite avatar was formed.
"Agnisuta! Welcome to the dev lok. We all appreciate your past deeds and therefore, I grant you a wish." Mahadev smiled at her.
"Hey Mahadev! When I incarnate on earth, I want to be married to a righteous, strong, brave, handsome and wise man." She smiled.
"But, having all the qualities in a single man in human form is near impossible." Mahadev complained.
"Hey Shiv Shankar, you granted me a wish and now you yourself are refusing to fulfil it. Why?" She said with an evident anger in her eyes.
"Your wish will be fulfilled Agnisuta." Narayan smiled at her.
"Noooo!" Dhriti got up as her face was full of sweat and unknown fright covering it.
"Why did I see Shri Narayan and Shri Mahalakshmi and Mata Parvati and Mata Saraswati. And-and those ladies who sacrificed themselves only for another woman to emerge out?" Dhriti said as she kept drinking water.
"Who were they? Devi Sachi, Shyamala, Usha and Bharati. And the one who emerged out of their sacrificial fire was Agnisuta. Daughter of Agnidev." Dhriti rubbed her pounding head.
"I was dreaming about Dev Lok. Okay, maybe I am thinking too much. It was just a dream Dhriti, calm down Dhriti." She said taking deep breaths.
"Bhratashree, I can't sleep." Dhriti whispered shaking Yudhishthir.
"Why ?what happened?" Yudhishthir said opening his eyes.
"Dhriti, why are you sweating?" Yudhishthir asked getting up.
"Nothing. I don't know." She mumbled as she rested her head on his lap.
"You must have dreamed something." He smiled pating her head but she was already asleep.
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