✧ *✧･ 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐚 • ✧ *✧

44. Souls.

As Karunika stood on the cliff watching the sun, the sounds of the me tears, wails and haunting cries of children were heard.

" Jyeshtha. We must go to the other camp for the surrender of weapons by the other party. Come. " Yudhishthir said, guiding her down.

All the way towards the camp, she heard the same words she had said to Krishn the other day. Repeating in her head.

'I promise Jyeshtha. She will not be hurt. I promise you.'

She won't be hurt...

Not hurt. No pain...

It clicked and Karunika ran back to the camp, but her brothers reached their before she did, faster than she was.

" I killed your dear sister here Kauntey. Now your other brothers and their children are left. Maharaj Pandu' s lineage will end right here. Enjoy. My friend will finally rest in peace. " The masked person said, as he walked away, bloody sword gleaming in the light.

Karn ran up to the bed, to see a brutally attacked Aahana. Blood flowed down the cut on her neck.

" Jyeshth! Jyeshth! Where's my daughter! " Karunika asked, skidding inside the room, to see, the blood. She lit the mashale, watching her own daughter. Her beautiful sweet daughter.

Karn who had been gauging her response all this while was stunned as she sat back down near her. Heart breaking at her sight.

"Jyeshth what? "

" We must go to the children. Ashwatthama plans to kill them run soon. Don't we have effigys? Small ones. We'll fill them with blood. This is the female camp. It will take him at least an hour to reach the other side of our camp to our son's rooms. Move! We will fill them with Nakul and Sahdev's medicines which resemble blood. He needs to know he killed them all. He needs. to believe it. " Karn said, hand moving away from Karunika's shoulder, who was unbothered. Her focus on her lying daughter. She was paralysed by shock and grief.

She sat there, struck as it finally hit her. Her daughter was killed.

A hand went up, trying to wake her up.

" Aahana. Putri? Come on. Wake up. Won't you listen to your mata? Look you always listen right? Even when Moksh doesn't. Wake up darling. Please. Please! Wake up! WAKE UP! " She shouted, crying.

" AAHANA! " She let out. Her voice showing her pain..

" Narayan! You asked for everything and I gave it to you! You asked for my childhood I gave it up. You asked me for my first daughter I gave it up. I gave the agnipravesh with my belief in you and Mata Lakshmi. I went through insults like an animal in a sabha. I agreed. Please! Give me my daughter back! What has she ever done to you ! Please. " She broke off as sobs wracked her body.

Two warm and strong arms came from behind her, holding her.

" Karunika? " He whispered, watching how she cried. She cried for her daughter. The one who wouldn't experience the happiness of life. Studying, learning how to do different things, fighting, choosing her choice of weapon, marriage, love, happiness of a child. Nothing. Yet again Narayan had snatched a child from her, another girl.

" Mata! Aahana! " Moksh yelled, running into the room as he saw his sister, sprawled on the bed in a pool of blood.

" Karunika. Shh. It's not okay. But we need to be calm. You will hurt yourself. How will your son live? He needs his Mata Karunika. He lost his sister. He needs me too. We must be strong for him. We must stand together. I took you through all parts of my life. This is one more. Come we must hold him close. " Adam whispered, rocking his wife back and forth. Her tears had brought out his own as he saw his dear daughter. Dead.