Duryodhan's Daughter : The Forgotten Princess

Chapter 45

It was the second day of lakshmana's stay in hastinapur, tomorrow all the warriors were going to leave for kurukshetra. The dusk had fallen and night had started to slowly crawl in the huge palace of hastinapur, it may be the last time lakshmana was seeing the palace filled with her people, probably..... She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts and was walking in the corridor.

She saw a staircase in a corner, besides the Royal kitchen. A grin , shrunk her eyes and she hurried towards the stairs, this was the place where, she, lakshman , surmasan ( durmasan, dusshasan's son) and sushyant ( dushyant, vikarna's son) would spent their evenings. It was easy to steal sweets from the kitchen and no one know. The sweet days of their childhood danced in front of her eyes and she sat on one of the stairs.

She remembered how they used to tease each other and munch the sweets and Savories from the kitchen.
All of a sudden , she felt three palm of her shoulder , she jumped, a scream was about to escape her mouth, when she saw the trio of brothers standing in front of her. She rolled her eyes and bit the palm of sushyant, who was covering her mouth. " You teeth are still the same sharp " Said sushyant caressing his hand with a frown and all others burst into giggles.

They all settled on the stairs, their only sister between them. " Didi, see what we have bought for you " Surmasan extended his palm , " Rasmalai! " All three of them exclaimed together and took it in their hands. Lakshmana was about to eat it, but there came three hands in front of her with a piece of rasmalai.
Lakshmana smiled with tears and ate the rasmalai, first from surmasan, then from sushyant and then from lakshman, descending order of their ages.
( don't know rasmalai existed in dwapara or not 🤭 )

" Let's talk of something horror! " Lakshmana said excitedly, surmasan crept close to her and grabbed her hand, " You forgot didi, I am afraid " . Lakshmana smiled, he was an nineteen year old boy, but still won't stop acting. " I know you are not sushi. You have spent an entire night sitting here alone after my wedding " She exchanged knowing glances with lakshman. " Pretty sure, laksh bhai would have told you about this, why do you always leak my secrets " Surmasan hit lakshman on his arm and frowned.

" Didi, how are your days going in dwarka, we would be more eager to listen them " Sushyant interrupted like a mature child, he had inherited the maturity of vikarna kaka, lakshmana thought to herself. She kepy flattering about dwarka endlessly, after few minutes she felt a tug on her right hand, sushyant had fallen asleep on her right lap and surmasan was also dozing. She giggled on herself, " You haven't changed " Lakshman said looking at her.

" This is my home bhrata and I am the only princess here, everyone fears me here " She said hiding her giggles, " I can do whatever I want, but situation is different in dwarka, I am a kulvadhu there, I have responsibilities and can't be carefree " She explained him. " Your talks have became so mature lakshi , you've grown up " Lakshman rocked her shoulder. " May I ask you one question? " You already did lakshi " .
" Stop your pale jokes, why didn't you marry? " She snapped.

Lakshman jerked as if coming out from a sleep, he stole glance from lakshmana, " Answer me bhrata? " Lakshmana asked concerned. " Go... Go and sleep lakshi " He stood up and was about to leave, but lakshmana held his hand. " I need my answer bhrata " She said sternly. " Don't lakshi please don't, I don't want to fall weak in front of you " He pleaded.
" What are you saying, I know you since we were not even born, more than anyone else. Tell me bhai, whats the matter " She held his hand into hers.

" Lakshi...... I also wished to marry and have a family, but " A tear escaped his eyes, " You know right...
No one loves us here! Pitashri tried for my wedding but I was rejected from everywhere, because..... " He broke into tears, lakshmana moved forward " Because? " She clasped his, hands. " Because they all think, I am like pitashri, they think I would do the same with their daughters, what pita did with samragini " Lakshmana was dumbstruck, she didn't knew her brother hides so much pain behind his handsome smile.

" And... And you know.... Please also think that it was pitashri who killed our maa " Lakshman broke down,
" Nahiiii " Lakshman screamed horribly, " My... My pitashri... Noo " She tried to come out of the shock. They both held each other's hands and let out all their tears. " Life is very very unexpected, I don't know whether I would be always there with you or not, you take care of yourself " Lakshman said like an elder brother, for the first time lakshmana saw, her father in lakshman.

" Don't say such things, you are brave and you are going to prove your bravery my brother " She said proudly. " I am and would always be proud of you, you all " Her eyes held confidence, which made lakshman more strong. She laid her head on his shoulder and drifted to sleep patting surmasan and sushyant. Lakshman, who had never seen his mother, felt bhanumati in lakshmana, the way she used to always care for him and saw to it that he never missed bhanumati always reminded him of their dead mother.

He looked at her with teary eyes and rocked her head, " Even if I die, I would be reborn as your son " He wiped his tears.
Imagine this song in background
Oh behna meri tu nanhi si Tere ane se gul chehek utha...
Tu pyaari si ek gudiya hai.... Phulon ki mehek khushboo ki tarah...

Oh behna meri muskan teri satrangon se bhi pyari hai....
Phika na pade kabhi rang tera tu sabki lad dulari hai.....

Lakshman wiped his tears again and slept on the floor besides the staircase.
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Hey, my lovely readers, the next part is here.
I almost cried while writing this part, no one talks about lakshman's pain, he would have also suffered, without his mother. I wish I would have written about their bond earlier too.
Another thing, the death of bhanumati isn't fictional or for plot twist, in some version of mahabharat it's mentioned that duryodhan's wife died during childbirth.
Also comment your views about the children of kauravas ( including Karna) .
Hope you enjoyed reading this part, let me know your thoughts through your comments, they are much important for me ❤.