𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒌𝒉𝒂, a young cheerful girl from Kaliyug, is reborn as the sister of the Pandavas after she dies. She was the apple of their eyes, their soul, their peace.
She was Yudishthir's mind.
She was Bheem's strength.
She was Arjun's eyes.
She...
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Day 1
Post Midnight
Kurukshetra
The darkness shrouded the camps of the war in a sombre wave. Most had fallen asleep, needing to get a power nap before the sun rose. The camps of the Pandavas were so silent and eerie that the only sound was the breeze. In the tent of the Mastya royalty, Indulekha tied her hair into a single braid, deciding against sleeping and utilizing this time for more preparation. The torch on her table flickered as she stared at it, wondering if Krishnaa and Aadhya got to meet. Agni died in the tainted pyre, assuring her way away from heaven. It all struck Indu like a sword digging into her flesh. Perhaps if she hadn't assembled a pyre, or even, gone to the memorial-like pyre lighting, she could've saved her. If she had done anything else, maybe Agnishika would've been alive. She glanced at herself in the mirror, looking drained and fatigued. Her cheeks, stained with tears, had sunken in. She told out some face powder that Nakul had made her, saying it heals acne and tired skin. But she applied it in hopes of covering her dark circles. The cakey and white-ish look of her skin bugged her.
CLANK!
But her daze of self-hatred broke as she heard a loud noise and turned around. She smiled, subconsciously, seeing her husband. "Shh, the kid has finally fallen asleep. She and Madhusmriti had been talking for hours." Indu sighed as she saw Satyadev stumbling over the table and making the bowls fall. He gave her a sheepish smile as he placed the bowls back on the table. "Don't wake her up again." With a nod, he walked over to her and gave her a cosy back hug. His hands wrapped around her waist and his head snuggled in her shoulders.
"Satya?" She mumbled, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.
"Lekha?" He lifted his head, still resting it on her shoulders. With a swift movement of his fingers, he wiped off the cakey powder on her face and smiled.
"Better," he mumbled. He was lost in the tranquillity of her beauty as she smiled at the sweet gesture of his. He gaped at her before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "How are you holding up?" She asked, ruffling his hair. "I'm better than before. Uttar was brave and attained martyrdom. I shouldn't be upset over it, as death is never the end of the soul, only the body."
"Are you not going to sleep?" Satyadev asked. "Yeah, I'll prepare for the war until sunrise." Indu smiled to which he rolled his eyes. He picked her up, the same way he had been hugging her. She shrieked to which he shushed her saying, "Shh, you don't want Smika to wake up."
"Put me down," She hissed as he took her to the bed and plopped her down.
"You will sleep," He folded his hand, trying to show his dominance, playfully.
"No, I will not."
"Too bad, you don't have a choice."
***
"You're not going to sleep?" Nakul asked the child in front of him. Madhusmriti smiled and nodded a 'no'. Karn sat with the two, admiring Nakul's immediate love and protectiveness for the little one. "I've lost my mother. How could I sleep?" She sniffled with a watery chuckle, gazing at the night stars. "Don't worry, Madhu. A person lost is not a soul gone. She still exists in this world, in the fire, and in our hearts." Nakul patted her back to which she nodded. Karn nodded as well, unknowingly picking at his burnt skin.
"Mata told me, when I was a toddler, that I had two fathers. One is Pitashree Karn and the other one is you, Pitashree Nakul." He looked at her, his remorseful heart shattered into pieces. "She said that you might not be my biological father, but you'd love me exactly like one. Is that true, Pitashree?"
One drop, and another. And another. Until his face was fully covered with tears. He wrapped Madhusmriti in a hug, elated upon hearing her call him 'Pitashree'. The only part of his love left in the world accepted him as her father.
What more could he ask for?
"Now, now. You two better sleep. You have to fight in the war tomorrow, not me! Go, shoo!" She smiled as the two fathers nodded, giving a sense of comfort to all of them.
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