INCARCERATED SUN - The Imprisoned Fate

CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIP

"are you sure we should hide here?"

"hush! Don't talk loudly"

"ok - ok"

"you all-"

Currently our Princes of Hastinapur are hiding, say why? To see if attack will from Panchala first or if Rajkumari Shikhandi will come to fight-

"here they are!!" Vikarna whisper shouted, taking everyone's attention to the front as they watch a boy leading a huge army of Panchala soldiers coming towards them. They stayed silent until the boy get down from the horse as he shouted.

"come out Rajkumars of Hastinapur"..............Oh, it is Rajkumari Shikhandi, not a boy. They all look at each other before coming out of the bushes making Shikhandi immediately alert as she summon her arrow but yudhishtir stopped her by saying.

"we aren't here to fight"

They can clearly see confusion written on Shikhandi's face as suyodhana then came forward with his body posture calm as he open his mouth.

"we are not here to attack, we just want to talk to Maharaj Draupad, if you can lead us to him........." There was no emotion in his sentence to let Shikhandi even realise for what they are here for as she observe all of them. They seem to be many people but only ten are in front of her. All of them look like Rajkumar from face but only eight are wearing royal clothes while two of them look different, one look like brahman and other look as common citizen by clothes.

They can clearly see doubt and uncertainty on shikhandi's face so they stayed silent and calm before she turned around, telling them to follow her. All got hem look at each other before they decided that Ashwatthama, Yudhishtir, Suyodhana and Karna will go inside while everyone else will stay outside just for 'in case' situation.

They all walk behind her until they reach outside the big closed door as the soldier standing there opened the gate but not before announcing Shikhandi's presence and a rough voice allowed the door to open.

"Pranipat Maharaj" They all greeted but what surprised them more was, even Rajkumari Shikhandi greeted Maharaj Draupad like this as they could now feel a tension inside the room but they are sure it Iss not because of them but instead, it is between Draupad and Shikhandi, who are Father and Daughter but are behaving like strangers or Senapati and Maharaj right now, not informal.

"you can go now" Draupad says, dismissing Shikhandi who went back leaving the four alone with King of Panchala and the guards outside.

"Rajkumars of Hastinapur........what brought you all here if you are not here to attack?"

The four young man look at each other as the one who is wearing common clothes muttered something to which all of them nodded and send the boy who is wearing Brahman clothes in front making Draupad raise an eyesbrow in question.

"Pranipat King of Panchala, you are right we are not here to Attack on Panchala........unnecessarily" The Brahman boy added before continuing "We are here to avenge Pitashree" Now this sentence took Draupad's interest as he stare at the boy carefully, trying to remember if he knows the boy or anyone related to him but found nothing as the boy continues "My name is Ashwatthama"

"Dronaputra!!............?" There is confusion and shock both in Draupad's word as he look at Ashwatthama with surprised expression which quickly changed into angered one, much to the four boy's surprise before draupad gritted out.

"so? Are you here to fight with me? Just because you are Shiv Ansh, doesn't mean you are powerful enough to fight me, kid!" Wrong, completely wrong. Here everyone in this room knows, Ashwatthama can defeat draupad even draupad himself but he won't accept it, no matter what, though much to his surprise, all of the boys remained calm and collected making him feel mortified at his own outburst.

"as I said, we are not here to fight Maharaj. I just have some questions and the answers can only be given by you" Ashwatthama says breaking the silence, he knows he just have to make Draupad realise his mistake and then his father and Draupad will again become friends but if Draupad won't listen then he has three back ups, the two Elder Prince of Hastinapur and one boy whose sharp mind can't be read by his calm and collected face.

He is sure the two can fight easily with Draupad but as per their strategy B, if Ashwatthama wouldn't be able to convince Draupad then karna will try (after so many requesting to karna to come with them as he refused by saying he is not Dronacharya's shishya so he does not need to go) and if still didn't agreed then Yudhishtir and Suyodhana will have to use force, for sure.

"ask" Draupad said, clearing his throat as ashwatthama nodded before asking.

"what do you think matters most for a person - childhood or family status?" Drauapd thought for a while before saying "childhood" to which ashwatthama nodded as he jump to the second question.

"is childhood friendship nothing?-" Draupad opened his mouth to say something but ashwatthama didn't let him as he continued with his questions "-If not then why did you insulted Pitashree by saying 'it was all lie, a rich man and a poor man can never be same'? Maharaj, you and Pitashree both are students of Saint Bharadvaja, you both have spent your childhood together without thinking of anyone, did wealth came in between your friendship at that time? I have no grudge against you and I am sure Pitashree don't even have, he felt betrayed, he does not despise you but still whenever he talks about he feel hurt about thinking of the broken friendship. Did you not felt any of this emotion after insulting your own friendship with Pitashree? Did Pitashree came too early to you, when you were stuck inside the power of wealth and status? Has your status and wealth has bought the friendship that easily? Is having Pitashree, the Guru of Hastinapur Princes, your Gurudev's Saint Bharadvaja's son as your friend is that insulting?"

The words of Ashwatthama worked like a rope to Draupad, tying around him tightly. Feeling his throat dry yet having no answering to speak, he just kept looking at the ground with blurry sight. It was all silent and freezed up before Drauapd opened his mouth.

"no" the answer was small but they all know what is about to come after seeing Draupad's expression as he took a deep breathe before giving the true answers to dronaputra's questions "having your father as friend is not embarrassing. I was blinded by power, wealth and status at that time. Drona has crossed my mind so many times but I refused to acknowledge it.......maybe due to guilt" he murmured but all them still heard it "I want to mend mistakes of past and wish to propose a hand of friendship towards Drona by sharing my rajya, dronaputra Ashwatthama"

They all smiled hearing it except the boy who is still calmly standing away from the Prince, taking draupad's interest as he asks.

"who is he?" They all turned a round to look at Draupad asking about karna as yudhishtir replied "He is karna, our helper and adviser"

"isn't he-" knowing where draupad is going, suyodhana stopped him before by saying "and he is our friend too" to which both ashwatthama and yudhishtir nodded too.

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"they have been inside for a while"

"yeah, maybe we should also go inside"

"you are right"

"hey! Wait-" Both Bhima and Sushasana walk forward to go inside as others tried to stop them but before they could reach towards the stairs they notice four figures coming outside making them confuse until they notice it is their brothers and friends.

"what happened?" Sahadeva asked anxiously but become happy when he see the smile on his brothers face as ashwatthama says.

"Pitashree must be coming soon"

They all nodded with light smile on their face, waiting for the arrival of Guru Drona.

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