WHEN THE STARS ALIGNED / A Mahabharat AU

4. The Return

The city of Hastinapur was decorated brightly as the people celebrated the return of the princes. Prakriti stared forward, face void of emotions. Krishna glanced at her slightly as the chariot neared the kingdom premises.

"Did you.....check on S-Subhadra?" Prakriti hesitated.

"You need to...take a chill pill. Is that what they say in your time?" Krishna smirked.

"How can I chill when I am literally sitting beside someone who is....a goddamn god??! Over that you refuse to explain. And where the heck is....where is Niyati?? And how did we get here??" She said in frustration.

"Prakriti." Krishna sighed, rubbing her back slightly, "Just....few more days. You waited a whole month.....for few more days? For me?"

"Now, wouldn't I go to hell for refusing a god?" She asked with a frown.

"Nahhh, but you know what? I am a god when I am up in heaven in my celestial form but here beside you? I am as human as rest of the humankind." He smiled, "just with a little more knowledge about everything."

Prakriti shook her head with a smile. This was her whole last month. The moment she woke up that night after falling unconscious she was immediately aware of her reality. A panick attack was nothing unnatural but her adoptive brother, who is literally Vishnu Dev himself, who acts like time traveling is an everyday thing for mortals like her , comes up to her and tells her to calm down. Her mind falls back to the memories of her last life or the apparent future. The running, the attacks and the final jump. They were supposed to survive, not take birth in Dwapar Yug. Her mind now settled on Niyati, apparently by the way he is acting, Prakriti knew Niyati fell into the past just the same as her but he wouldn't tell her where.

"Rest your head, there's a lot you have to think about anyway." Krishna nudged her.

"I think, if I was not already accustomed to the, the newly found memories of my...eh...last life would've made me fall down on the floor and stare at the castle in awe. Like what the-" Kanha cleared his throat, "control, behena." He chuckled. Prakriti grumbled in annoyance.

"We're here." Satyaki informed before helping the princess down the chariot and heading towards Subhadra who was in the palanquin.

"They already find you intriguing, afterall, Princesses in chariot is unique to them." Kanha informed.

"They sound like nomads." Prakriti rolled her eyes. Holding her hand out towards Subhadra, it took her a month to adjust to the fact that she was living among gods. Krishna gave her a look as he heard her thoughts.

'get out of my head then.' Prakriti rolled her eyes. Krishna shook his head nearing the awaiting royal members of Hastinapur.

"Pranipat Maharaj." Krishna greeted Dhritarashtra.
"Pranipat Dwarkadeesh. Hastinapur is honoured to have your presence alongside your sisters." Dhritarashtra smiled. Prakriti stared at him weirdly for a second before greeting him respectfully aswell, "Pranipat, Maharaj."

Dhritarashtra blessed her before doing the same to Subhadra. Then they greeted Gandhari, Bhism, and then Vidur.
After it all was done they were greeted into the enormous castle.

Subhadra was greeted by Dusshala, a friend of hers from Kanyashram.

"Dusshala, meet my sister, Madhavi. Madhu, this is Dusshala, a friend of mine from Kanyashram." Subhadra introduced.

"Pranipat, Rajkumari." The kuru princess smiled, her smile faltered slightly when she stared straight into the dwarka princess's eyes. It reminded her of another particular pair of eyes she missed so dearly.