Duryodhan's Daughter : The Forgotten Princess

Chapter 48 - till 12th day

" Rajkumaari you have been called to maharani's chamber " A dasi announced. Lakshmana kept her mother's chudamani aside and hurried towards gandhari's chamber her heart pounding . The palace seemed too quiet today and also the guards outside the chamber were looking pale, as if they have went through a big shock. " What happened pitamahi? " She asked gulping. Dushala moved her glance towards her, " Pitamah is defeated by draupadi bhabishree 's brother " She answered, he eyes emotionless. " Taatshree! Taatshree! " Dhritarashtr was continuously crying.

Lakshmana felt all energy in her body drained and held bhargavi's hand for support. The night when she applied oil on his thick white hair, flashed in her mind, gandhari, dhritarashtr and vidur were continuously mourning.
" But parpitamah has the vardaan of iccha mrityu, if I am not wrong " Lakshmana voiced her doubt.

" He isn't dead rajkumaari, he is lying on bed of arrows " The soldier, who had brought this news, answered.
Everyone's eyes widened, the eldest and most important part of their family was lying on bed of arrows, lakshmana tried to imagine, how he must be looking but shut her eyes immediately. " Now, who would protect my sons! Those evil pandavas would destroy my sons! " Dhritarashtr cried.

" Jyeshth bhrata, your sons were the one to ask for war, don't call pandavas as evil " Vidur interrupted, bit angered. " Pitamah! He is just mourning , they had already lost their 20 sons please don't take his words on heart " Lakshmana requested.
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Trembling gandhari had laid her head on suvarnadhika's shoulder and lakshmana was rocking her to calm her down. " It's the start of our downfall putriyon! Till taatshree was standing as a mountain, I had little hope that my sons could survive, but now " She cried more. " Don't say such things matamahi please! Nothing bad is going to happen " Suvarna shook her head consoling gandhari.

" He was the anchor of the ship named hastinapur and kuru kingdom. Till he was here, we all were sure everything would be fine, but now " Gandhari cried more. Lakshmana made gandhari sleep on the bed , rocking her head, suvarna left to feed her baby. " You ate something? " Gandhari asked, lakshmana abruptly nodded in a no. " Then eat! You would be also tired " The tired queen of kuru managed to bring a smile on her face.

After lakshmana was sure, gandhari had slept, she rose on her feet and was about to leave, when she felt a tug at her hand. " Mata " Gandhari whispered in sleep, holding her grand daughter's hand. Lakshmana had became a mother to her grand daughter, even without her own notice.
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Walking through the long, drak hallways, every corner reminded her of her parpitamah. She could see him talking with a soldier, instructing the servants and walking through the hallways his eyes always alert. She sent back tears, which threatened to leave her eyes and hurried towards her chamber.

As she sat on her bed, she remembered, how she had forced bheshma to wear her pink earrings, when she was a child and how he was pleading her to not do that with puppy eyes. Though they didn't share many memories as he was always busy carrying out his duties, she always respected him. Looking at his strong physique, no one could believe he was having great grand children.

She remembered, how she forced him to play doll house with her and made him her cook. How he had drank the fake tea and ate the fake fritters, saying it was tasty. Lakshmana laughed without her own notice and tears rolled down her cheeks the next second. She wished to get up now itself and go to kurukshetra. Feed food to the old warrior,who had stood as a shield of hastinapur and sit besides him, looking after him.

Two hands held her shoulders from behind, but she wasn't alerted, because she knew, who it was. A smile spread on her lips, " Arya " She sighed.
Sambandh pouted, " How come you always know it's me " He whined like a child , to bring a smile on his beloved's face and he was successful.
" Because I know you and can feel you around me " She shrugged her shoulders.

He had never seen her smiling like this in dwarka, she would always busy in doing some work . He loved to see her like this, he kept staring at her beautiful eyes, that held pain. She lowered her eyes, due to the intense gaze. " Don't arya! Stop it " She whined and stood up to leave, but he held her hand pulled her back. She lost her balance and landed on his chest.

He tugged the hair strands that had fallen on her face and caressed her cheek lovingly, She was also lost in his eyes. A gentle breeze blew and she came back to her senses, she hit his arm playfully and separated herself from his grip. " What made you come here arya? " She asked.

He took the tray of food, which was kept on a table. " I know my pretty wife would forget to have dinner, so I brought it myself " He raised his eyebrows. He took a spoon,scooped the curry and fed it to her.
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Lakshmana finished giving orders to cooks regarding preparing lite food which was easy to digest and was walking back to her chamber. She was the soldier, who brings the update of whatever happened today, coming on his horse and her heart started pounding, she didn't knew what more was written in their destiny. Quitting all her thoughts, she hurried towards the Hall, where everyone had gathered.

She could only hear the last words, standing at the door, " Angraj's sons prasen and dvipat are also killed along with your 30 more sons maharani " . Her mind became numb, her eyes became red, she rubbed her palm on each other and rested them on her eyes and face, to calm herself.
As she removed her hands, her eyes we're red and wet.

She hurried inside the Hall and found immediately sat besides the crying queens of anga. She hugged vrushali with trembling hands and rocked her back, letting her cry. Gandhari was sitting there still as a statue, just tears rolling from her eyes. " At least say something mata! Don't burn your heart like this " Chandramukhi shook her, but she was sitting there still. Her 50 sons were dead now, the same sons, whom she had nourished in her womb and took care of. Though she can't see, but always imagined how they would look like, they were her own flesh and blood.

Only she and her mahadev knew, how much she had tried to keep her children away from the clutches of her brother, but....... And the society was all ready to blame her for that, no one would think how much she would be suffering , a storm was rising inside her. Lakshmana kept her trembling hand on the shoulder of dushala, who was consoling her sisters - in - law, dushala moved her teary gaze towards her and they exchanged assuring nods.

Why had the fate be so cruel to these kaurav nandinis, they have to see their own blood being killed by their own relatives. And the society and world would always be ready to call them as selfish. Lakshmana closed her eyes in despair and held vrushali on one side and the wife of her uncle
Chitraksh on her other side to calm them.
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Hey, my lovely readers, the next part is here.
Sorry for uploading at this late hour! Also comment what you feel about the wives of kauravas.
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