✧ *✧･ 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐚 • ✧ *✧

14. Love and Lies.

While the four anuj brothers were lifting their mother, her Jyeshth, and her Yuvraj were lifting her, in their makeshift palkis. To ensure, that Karunika would stop telling her Yuvraj and her Jyeshth to put her down, and let her walk on her own, they had loosely tied a cloth around her mouth.

" Mghm! Mghm. " She tried, but to no avail.

" Karunika. No matter what you say I am not letting you down. I will shift places with Yudhishthir if need be, but we are not putting you down. " Karn told her.

" Putri. What is it. Bheem. Open the cloth. " Kunti ordered.

" Augh. Finally. Mata. I was saying, that I feel like I need to vomit. I don't feel well. But my dear brother and the Yuvraj don't seem to understand that I accepted my defeat about them carrying me long back. Now PUT ME DOWN! " She finished, yelling at them.

The second they put her down, she ran to a nearby bush, and puked out. So badly, that there was blood in it..

" Putri? What's wrong. Are you alright? " Kunti asked, concerned.

Wiping her mouth with her odhini, and cleaning her hands on the rocks, she said, shakily " Ji mata. It is plausible that one of the fruits we brought was rotten. It's why my stomach couldn't stomach it. "

Now, why she ever assumed her brothers didn't follow each of her movements was beyond them, because Yudhishthir and Sahdev had seen her wipe off the blood. But more than that, it was seen by her Yuvraj, who was furious.

He walked upto her, anger evident in her eyes.

"Karunika. I will ask once. Was there blood on your hands? " He asked her,  while the others just looked up sharply.

" Arre. Yu-yuvraj it's nothing. It might have been the colour from my odhini. Don't worry. I am fine. " She added, trying to evade his questioning glare.

" Jyeshtha, I know you lie to us so that we don't worry about you and we are able to be at peace, but I never knew you'll lie to your to be husband. " Yudhishthir told her, still eying the blood on the rocks.

Meanwhile, Kunti who had enough of her daughter trying to be everyone's saviour by disregarding herself, ran up to her, and yanked Karunika's hand towards herself. There, she saw traces of dry blood. She looked up at her daughter, tearfully.

" Putri. You lying to us benefits no one. If we know what the problem is, we can look for a solution. But if you don't tell me, your own mata then what would I do? " She asked her daughter, holding her face in his hands.

The Yuvraj meanwhile, although concerned with her health, did not like her lying to him. But he couldn't stay mad at his love for too long, so he elected to be fake mad. Seems to solve all problems doesn't it?

" Yuvraj-"

" Kumari, please either start walking, or climb the palki while we carry you, and find a place where Nakul and Sahdev may treat you. " He told her, while the others hid their faces, knowing his games by the six weeks he had now travelled with them.

"Al-alright. I'll walk. "

" Fine. Mitr Karn, let's start moving shall we? " He said, nonchalant.

" Avashy mitr. Yudhishthir, you rest for some time. I'll take over. Then Arjun, Nakul and Sahdev. We'll keep changing every prahar. "

" Ji Jyeshth. "

All this time, Karunika looked at her Yuvraj, who looked everywhere but her. Now, she knew he was angry at her for lying to him,but not so angry that he wouldn't even look at her. So, she resolved to appeal to him.
Pulling him back lightly with her hand, she said " Yuvraj. Please forgive me. I am sorry. I won't lie to you ever. I promise. " She said, looking up at him with wide eyes.