Hastinapur, Gajasahrya

Arjun's POV

"Should I?" Leaning against the vast door of twins' chamber, my lips kicked off into a fiddly smile. He and Nakul shared the same chamber which was a few ones away from mine, each one of ours being differently built. My youngest brother was occupied crossed legged on the bed, involved in painting with his brush, an art he had been endeavoring to master since young.

Sahadev passed me a glance, curving his lips and a bit amused at my question, "Bhrata, is that something to ask for even?" 

"Why won't you come inside?" Yet the dolority in his voice  couldn't be ignored by me.

Smiling, I descending beside him on the bed and peering at his little task he was engaged in. His wrist worked slow and steady, an unreadable expression dancing on his face, as he continued hueing the figures with vibrant colors, my lips pressing into a gradual thin line realizing what it was turning into. 

"Beautiful," A whisper left my lips as my gaze was epoxied on the parchment.

 It was our...family. 

"Really?"

I would be rather lying if the figure, especially of Pitashree was not appearing to burst out from there. So real, so vivid. A sob tried to bubble out of my throat but mustering courage, I shoved it down as I gazed at the boy beside me, slightly lost and a faint smile dancing on his lips as he continued with it. He is someone who would never shy away from displaying his emotions, but the events of the days appeared to have snatched that innocence from him. 

Both of them, were endeavoring their best to put up a façade of their well being.

"Beautiful would be an understatement." I wrapped an arm around his shoulder, resting my chin on his head, "Pardon me for the afternoon, will you?" Sighing, those words came out of my lips as a whisper making the latter halt in his stance. 

He shoved aside the painting and his brushes and crawled on my lap, wrapping his arms around me instantaneously. Without wasting a moment I snaked my arms around his torso, drawing him close to my bosom as much as possible. My heart twisted painfully as I desperately began to brush my fingers against his tresses, kissing his head. 

"Bhrata Arjun? Everything will fall in place, right?" He mumbled after a prolonged silence, his voice quivering as I figured him shelving his head in my chest. Drawing in a deep breath, I rested my cheek on his forehead, nodding. 

"Everything will, slowly and steadily."

Everything has to. Has to.

I myself ain't aware when will this 'slow and steady' come to an end, yet I am assuring. Neither am I aware of where this new life takes us to, nor what is written in our fate.

But, nothing can happen if the five of us are together. Just, I know this. Nothing else apart from that. 

"Just we need to provide, a little more, time." 

He smiled a bit against my chest, nodding gently, making me do so, "And this phase too, shall end someday." Whispering, I began to soothe him by rubbing his back lovingly, "Trust Mahadev." 

We will make Hastinapur our home too, some fine day. It felt like I was assuring myself, rather than him. Everything new, nothing the same. New faces, new acquaintances require new efforts to bond up. And they shan't happen within a day, we will have to endeavor to make them our own.  

The air possessed an artificial scent of the palace, the floor was no longer muddy. Nor were there ragged trees and huge banyans, nor were there thatched humble huts, instead replaced by endless corridors, high roofs and palatially built chambers.  Nor the usual carefree faces but the rigid ones, nor by sages, we were surrounded by warriors. And novel would be ways to build our relations. Accept the fact that we no longer would be blithe, but assume everything for the sake of it.

And probably,mask and suppress, emotions at times, to be steady.

My heart jolted slightly, wondering about the unthinkable, because a corner of my heart was yelling, 'It is just the beginning. Just the beginning of an epochal.' 

There was fear, yet a ray of hope too, flickering somewhere down in the valleys of my heart. That hope which too called out that 'The new life and new purpose shall bring a new dawn.' And that's what Pitashree always used to claim. 

"Sharing all love without me?" The childish and familiar voice hauled me out from descending into their thoughts as our glance fell upon the other twin at the entrance. Nakul furrowed his eyebrows and instantly rushed up towards us, crawling up. 

"Where were you till now?" Sahadev poked his twin, curving his forehead and leaving my embrace. 

 He gave a grin making me chuckle slightly, "Come over, little munchkin!" I grabbed him before he could react and shoved him to my chest, making him gasp and then giggle as I began to rummage their hair vigorously, laughing hard, sharing with them all the affection I could.

No wonder, their laughter was a soothing balm to my heart.

Always.

Because there is no doubt that I love both of them more than my life, forever prepared to guard them as a shield. And I will continue doing so.

Till death do us apart.

********

A/N

New beginning, new life, new purposes. 🥺✨

Ten chapters completed of this book, tell me dear readers are you loving the book? 🥺👉👈

Signing off for today!

Kiritija Nushkie