"Feels ecstatic to personally meet you after such a long time, Karusha Naresh." Kanha smiled, as he waited for Dantvakra and his son, to get down from the chariot.

"You didn't accompany him?" Devki tapped Dhriti's shoulders, as the latter stood at a distance, observing the arrival of the intermeddlers.

"Should I? I haven't met any of them before." Dhriti apprehensively turned around, waiting for Devki to give a nod.

"Now, it would be very ignobel if the Maharani of Dwarka won't smile and welcome the guests.
Whether they invited or not, Taittirya Upanishad mentions the synonymity of a guest and god himself. Therefore, no guest of ours shall feel shortchanged.
Now go." Devki patted her with a trusting smile as Dhriti awed at her explanation, before smiling and walking towards the entrance.

"......And you must be Samrat Yudhishthir's younger sister. Am I correct?" Dantvakra smirked, looking at Dhriti as she walked, slowly approaching them.

"No, I would rather liked to be recognized as Dhriti itself.
Or most likely the Maharani of Dwarka, for right now I'm executing the duty of a regent." Dhriti finally flashed a smile, ethically folding her hands to greet the other two men.

"Well, he's my son, Yuvraj of Karusha, Viranth." Dantvakra introduced his son, who's queeringly strange persona was immediately caught up by Dhriti as she nodded at him with a small smile.

"All the praises of her head strong glory and beauty will mewly pale away on seeing her right in front of you.
Infact, Shishupal didn't lie when he describe Pandu Putri's appearance. I haven't seen such grace and bodily lustre in any other woman. She effortlessly surpassed them all." Viranth  whispered to Dantvakra as he lecherously gazed at Dhriti.

"Right. She's also the one who singlehandedly smacked Shishupal without her weapons." Dantvakra reminded.

"Shishupal had a different motive than me. It would be foolish to hurt a gem like her.....
Without even personally experiencing her exalted worth." Viranth evily chuckled before turning back towards Dhriti.

"Its a long journey to trace from Karusha to Dwarka. I'm sure both of you would be much obliged of some rest before furthering your visit." Dhriti lightly smiled, standing a bit more closer to Kanha as he slowly held her hand, returning his assurance.

"That's completely fine. I would rather love to adore this beauty." Viranth sneerfully smiled, directing at Dhriti.

"Indeed, Dwarka is very beautiful." Kanha finally remarked at Viranth's gaze at Dhriti as she softly scoffed at her husband's words.

"And I would highly appreciate if Maharani would show me around her extensively prosperous state, while Dwarkadheesh attends my Pitashree in their political matters." Viranth replied, much to Dhriti's surprise.

"Will do. That will be a good to pass your time while I help settling your Pitashree's suspiciosly sudden political issues." Kanha sneered back as Dhriti gave him a bewildered look.

"He gives seat even more foolish vibes than Shishupal." Dhriti pursed her lips.

"Everyone with a direct affiliation with Shishupal is a fool and I believe you can find yet another loop hole here. Afterall future isn't the most kindest person." Kanha chuckled, looking at Dhriti rolling back her eyes as she looked out for someone.

"Vaishu?!" Her soft, euphonious voice called.

"Yes Mata?" Vaishnavi came running around, acquiescently answering her mother.

"Mind joining me to show Yuvraj Viranth around Dwarka?" Dhriti playfully squinted her eyes with her usual smile plastered on her lips as she glanced at Vaishnavi.

"Not at all. Let's go!" Vaishnavi excitedly replied, holding her mothers hands as Dhriti, once again straightened herself, leading the way for Viranth.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"He's one of the foremost ally of Jarasandh, chiefing his each and every miliary move!" Arjun exclaimed as Yudhishthir motioned the spy to leave the five brothers for a solitary discourse.

"We know that Bhrata.
The reason of his sudden arrival is the only unknown chary." Sahadev shook his head.

"The reason is quiet obvious. Jarasandh is aware of our preparations ahead of the Raj Suya Yagya.
Turning Dwarka against is like shooting two preys with a single arrow." Yudhishthir sighed.

"Jarasandh won't stop until he quenches his thirst of revenge and turning Dwarka against Indraprasth will ultimately mean his sole reign over the entire Aryavart taking into consideration Hastinapur's constant ignorance to all his misdeeds over the years." Bheem shouted.

"A fool of him to think that Dantvakra's shallow manoeuvre will put us in a spot of opposition from Dwarka." Arjun sarcastically chortled.

"Unduly halfwit of you to forget what happened between Indraprasth and Dwarka within the last few weeks." Kunti's strident voice echoed through the entrance as her five sons turned around, with a noticeable change of expressions.

"Mata.....
Whatever happened, was confinedly between us and Dhriti. That should not at all affect the political status of the state she is effortlessly managing." Arjun answered.

"Diverging due to an individual pitfall is synonymous to going against the dharm of a regent." Yudhishthir let out a deep breath.

"Unrighteous for a regant? So was the inharmonic silence the five of you maintained while witnessing things in front of your own eyes.
Is this the reason you're called Dharmaraj, Yudhishthir?" Kunti walked closer.

The chamber once again grew silent, making Kunti even more restless.

"Why are you silent, Yudhishthir? Tell me. Haven't you taken her granted every single time just because you know she would never go against you, no matter what?" A tear reflexively slipped out of Yudhishthir's eyes.

"Why Bheem? As an elder brother, didn't you feel any sense of duty towards her? To protect her self-regard, or even you were blinded and ignorant to everything happening around because saving your own sanity was more important?" Kunti demanded a yet another explanation.

"I won't even confront you Arjun." Kunti snickered through a blur of her tears.

"Mata―"

"If not anyone else, atleast you could have intervened the debacle, before it wrecked in shambles, Arjun.
But you chose to stay silent, so now it's better you maintain that silence." Kunti distanced him.

" 'Didi, no matter what, we would never leave you alone because we all are incomplete without you.'
What happened to that promise the three of you made which each other, Sahadev?
She was left alone in her own home wasn't she?"

"Maybe she knows you a lot more. Infact, better than anyone else, Nakul and you just failed her. The look in her eyes spoke it all." She sorrowfully patted the youngest ones.

"Now, even if Dantvakra and Jarasandh decide to court up and alliance with Dwarka or announce an attack on them, none should bother you all.

Somewhere or another, every woman becomes an outsider after her marriage. Watching you all grow up, I delusionally thought maybe my daughter won't experience the same but neither she, nor I could've stopped these bitter turns of fate." Kunti finally wiped her watery stains, gracing up a smile.

"My sons, I must say, today, you all have made your Pitashree and Madri proud.
That's what I actually wanted to say, before leaving." Kunti pressed a tight smile for the last time before leaving behind the five scions of the Kuruvansh swamped in utter remorse and contrition.

Not long before she tiredly turned around to leave her son's with their own thoughts, she realized Draupadi silent presence. Her lean body still railing against the door frame with parted lips and possibly a mournfully shattered heart.

"All Hail the well positioned, powerful yet diffidently insecure Samragyi of Indraprasth." Was the only thing Kunti audibly stumped at her daughter-in-law as she departed.

Draupadi's hands involuntarily reached her mouth, covering it as she badly suppressed her convulsive sobs, slowly feeling Kunti's fading presence.

"Jarasandh and Karusha Naresh will definately take an advantage of such personal tensions between Indraprasth and Dwarka." Draupadi took a deep breath, sniffling a bit before she stood beside her husbands.

"His only motive is to hinder our Raj Suya Yagya by completing his murderous sacrifice of 100 minor kings and thereby assuming his own filthy grip over Aryavart." Bheem raged with clenched fists.

"Aggression will lead you on wrong paths, Bheem!" Yudhishthir sharply silenced him.

"There's only one person who can help." Arjun gave a knowing look to the other five.

"Govind!" Yagyaseni correctly guessed with a sense of complete faith in her Sakha.

"Karenumati!" At the same instant, Nakul's eyes shot up with a different gleam as he dynamically took a sudden exit, surprisingly the rest.

"He was all hushed since the start." Bheem overlooked him.

"His zestful spirit is nothing new Bhrata Bheem, I'm sure he'll join us later." Sahadev answered, assuring Yudhishthir to further their discussion.

"Madhav is the only person who can convince Dhriti, before we ourselves confront her." Arjun pointed out.

"But how does that stop Magadh Naresh from refraining to hinder our political outlook?" Draupadi furrowed her brows in puzzlement.

"Convincing and apologizing Didi was the ultimate job, Panchali." Sahadev sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Everything is knotted up in a jumble.
Our unsettled dispute will empower Jarasandh and his allies to assume unrighteous control therefore we need to ravel up the situation which is impossible without my sister knowingly or unknowingly by my side." Yudhishthir went on explaining as the others nodded with different sad smiles evidently showing up their tensed and tired faces.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"My good boy, you know your way back to Chedi right?" Nakul softly smiled, tying a faded scroll on the owl's foot.

"Now go, safely deliver this letter to my Renu. I'm sure she'll help us out with whatever news she posses about Jarasandh's next moves, most importantly my didi, through all these political shabbiness." Nakul patted his head for the last time before the hooting owlet took off a flight past the jaded yet vividly solemn sky slowly turning into a shade darker.

_________________________________________

Hellu people,
Happy Navratri ! (I know a bit late but yeah.)

So here's the first part (out of many more to come hehe) of your long awaited 'Pandavs regretting the past events' chapter. Now sorry if it's boring or disappointing but I tried.

I wanted to engage as much as characters possible so our beloved Renu will make a re-entry in the next chapter.

Also, did you find Viranth mildly macker or what we call a hitter?
Because that's exactly how I want to show him so do let me know if I need to try harder.
(In mumbai we call it line marna, but let's be decent here lol.)

Anyways,

Hope you liked it.
If you do, don't forget to vote and comment.
Thanks.
xx.