"Daughters are like the flow of a river. Today, she's the Princess of Dwarka, tomorrow she'll be married off to some other family.
Therefore, she should be named Nivedita. One who is entrusted with dedicated service for her family and looking after all their need." The Raj Purohit spoke, before Narad could as Kanha looked at his little daughter.

"So far, our daughter has not even been named, and you've already started planning her marriage. Isn't it Raj Purohit ji." Kanha sarcastically smiled at him, making him go silently.

"I should thank my own destiny that there were no Raj Purohits present while naming me." Dhriti thought looking at Kanha as he chuckled.

"A girl's life is not just about getting married and taking the responsibility of families.
Its about that pure ingenuous nature, her agile mind constantly ridden little questions. That's how she grows.
Looking after her family is not her only dharma. She should be equally acquainted with knowledge, bhakti and her strength." Narad explained, as the surrounding fell quiet, keenly listening to his every word.

The Purohit frowned upon hearing everyone's agreement on Narad's knowledgeable words as he, once again looked at the little one.

"He dislikes me like anything." Dhriti spoke.

"You'll crack up after knowing the reason behind it." Kanha chuckled.

"Hm..." She simply replied making Kanha turn in her direction.

"May I know the reason for you sadness on such a bright ocassion, Rajkumari?" Kanha kept a hand on hers.

"I feel like telling Jyesth that his sister is so precious, he should not disappoint her at any ocassion.
Also, I want to yell at Nakul for acting like an oversmart creature and staying back." She huffed, pushing Kanha to suppress his laughter.

"Precious, yeah very much..... What? Seriously." Kanha finally laughed, making Dhriti fluster as Shatanik came and made himself a place between both of them.

"Out of so many places to sit you chose this one, isn't it?" Kanha tickled him.

"Yeah, I love you both so much that I can't choose, so I decided to sit close to both of you." He flashed a grin.

"Dwarkadheesh, according to her kundali a name starting from letter S would be the most auspicious–" The Purohit turned towards Vasudev.

"Narayan! Narayan! Things take place not due to someone's kundali, it's the game of destiny. Because even that kundali is designed by the skilled hands of our destiny.
She's born on the exact day, when Mata Sita appeared on Mrityu lok in Treta Yug.
Her face shines like Narayan's Shrivatsa mark and Mata Lakshmi's divine lotuses.
For someone who is so dear to Lakshmi-Narayan, can't be named anything other than........" Devarshi gave his usual dramatic nod.

"Devarshi, if this time you decide to stop midway, I won't spare you later." Gauri warned, as Munivar cleared his throat, nodding at her warning.

"Hence, she'll be know by the name Vaishnavi...." The Trilok Sanchari finally announced, giving everyone some time to gasp and adored this beautiful name.

"Vaishnavi...." Kanha and Dhriti spoke in unison, smiling at their little princess.

"What a wonderful name, Devarshi." Dau and Revati smiled.

"Vaishnavi! Perfect name for you, isn't it?" Bheem smiled, picking her up from Dhriti's lap as she started crying.

"You made my Vaishnavi cry, Arya." Draupadi joked.

"Arey, now how should I make her stop crying?" Bheem helplessly asked, as he saw.

"I don't know, now do it. Who asked you to pick her up so hastily, when she was sleeping?" Dhriti grinned.

"She's just born, and I can feel either she hates me or I've already scared her." Bheem innocently spoke, trying to stop her cries.

"What happened? Why is everyone laughing so much when my Vaishnavi is crying." Bhishma and Vidur walked in.

"See Kakashree and Pitamah, Bade Bhaiya has already managed to scare our Vaishnavi and make her cry." Kanha smirked.

"Oh,Bheem. Give her to Dhriti, she'll calm her down." Vidur smiled as Dhriti took Vaishnavi in her arms.

"Tell her how nice her mamashree actually is until then I'll go find this Krishn." Bheem eyed at Kanha as the latter started laughing.

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

Dhriti stopped humming a sweet song as she finally saw Vaishnavi falling asleep after getting entertained by Kanha and her other five boys for a long time.

"Bua! Pitashree Bheem is finding you. Its his snack time, afterall." Shatanik's playfully whispered as he and Prativindhya entered, tightly clinging to Kanha's arms.

"Monkeys! Finally back?" She commented.

"Yes! Pitamah and Kakashree Vidur told us tales. About your childhood." Kanha laughed with Dhriti joining their laughters, knowing it was one of Bhishma and Vidur's favourite job to do.

"Yes and now Kakashree promised to tell us about his and Dau's childhood. Didn't you Kakashree?" Shatanik grinned at Kanha.

"Oh wait, I dont remember saying any of this." Kanha reflected his grin in utter shock.

"Yes yes, you did Kakashree. See Mata told us once, Pran jae par vachan na jae." Prativindhya joined his brother.

"Yeah yeah, who knows it better than me.
But, now it's almost midnight and if you don't get up early tomorrow for our plan, then I'll drench you both in cold water." Now it was Kanha's time to laugh.

"Yes, What's brewing without me? What plan boys?" Dhriti excitedly asked.

"Ah ah, its boys only." The three of them said together.

"Okay sure, Mean Girls!" Dhriti stuck her tongue out at them as she left for Bheem's rescue.

"Now we have to make up for her tomorrow." Shatanik said, thinking that Dhriti got really sad about it.

"Kakashree will do it best. Haina?" Prativindhya kept a straight face as Kanha sighed, nodding a yes.

"Oh I missed you so much sister!" Bheem chuckled, grabbing some fruits.

"Missed me or all this I do for you?" She questioned, railing on the wall of the kitchen.

"I know you're still pissed for Nakul and Jyesth's absence. But I'm hungry." He started eating as Dhriti playfully rolled her eyes.

"Ofcourse I am. I have six siblings, 100 cousins and look who's here! Only the two of you?" She spoke.

"Six?" Bheem asked, furrowing his brows as Dhriti realized what she had done in the fit of anger.

"What an intelligent woman!" She thought to herself before clearing her throat.

"Oh I-I counted myself as well. Yeah! 5 brothers, hehe." She gave an awkward laugh, near satisfying Bheem's question.

"Dhriti....." Bheem started.

"Yes?" She smiled, sitting beside him, knowing that his snacking won't get anytime soon.

"Why do you have this habit of keeping your questions to yourself?" Bheem asked.

"There's nothing I'm keeping to myself but?" She half questioned.

"I'm your brother, and your face really never ever fails to show your emotions. Like even Vaishnavi would point out, that her mother is sad about something." Bheem joked.

"Why did Nakul stayed back with Jyesht?" She absentmindedly asked.

"Good you reminded me about it. Your little brother has changed a lot." Bheem chuckled.

"Why! What happened?" She asked in a worried tone.

"Nothing happened at such. But I found his behavior a bit different lately, like Nakul is acting nothing like Nakul." Bheem casually spoke as Dhriti thought for sometime, before realizing the reason.

"Even I need a chance. Even I want to fall in love. Once! Only once I want to listen to my heart, without thinking about anyone else or what everyone will feel. I want to live it my way didi, I want to...." She remembered Nakul crying in her arms.

"In that case he's the same Nakul, Bhrata. My crybaby." Dhriti giggled.

"Our sister's judgement woukd never be wrong. But I still feel, that his mind stuck somewhere....." Bheem spoke as a wide smile appeared on Dhriti's face.

"Mind and heart, both stuck in SOMEONE. Now I know why Nakul decided to stay back." Dhriti's heart cheered up.

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

"Rajkumari Karenumati! Rajkumari Karenumati!" A sakhi ran into a huge chamber.

A young woman turned around, her eyes previously fixed out of the Palace widows as her restless heart waited for someone.
Her innocence reflecting on her fresh tinted face as her wavy hair swayed with those circulating breezes.
There stood the Princess of Chedi, sporting those huge jhumkas, a delicate little nose ring and a little laid back crown, with its pearls making a perfect match with her pitch black hair.
The smile on her face spoke a million words as she had already submitted her faith to someone she knew, would help her. And now, she knew the wait was finally over.

Imagine her as Rajkumari Karenumati.
Thanks Anu and samz, for helping this helpless kid.

"Lalita! Did you succeed at it or not? What happened? Tell me fast. I can't wait anymore." She looked at her sakhi.

"Yes yes yes!
I got it. Here it is! A letter from Rajkumar Nakul." The other one squealed in joy as he handed over the scroll to Karenumati.

The wide beam on Karenumati's face slowly faded as he looked in and out of her chambers.

"Don't worry, Maharaj Shishupal won't know about this. I've informed everyone that our Rajkumari wants to spend some time alone and your Jyesht Bhrata will look after it." Her Sakhi assured, sitting beside her.

"Its not just a letter. A Love letter from Rajkumar Nakul, I see." She teased.

"Oh stop it Lalita!" Karenumati giggled at her Sakhi's excitement as she slowly united the scroll.

The crimson shade on her cheeks hued more brightly as he kept reading the same words over and over again.

"You're taking too long to read the letter Karenumati. Quick now, before Maharaj finishes off the work he's currently engaged in." The mere mention of Shishupal, made Karenumati shiver in fear.

She was like a dainty, filmsy flower growing between a pile of thorns, constantly pricking her instead of protecting her. Her brother and Lalita, her closest one were only ones she had here at Chedi, constantly standing for her while her Nakul was the one blooming colours of care and love in her rather gloomy life.

"Karenumati...... What did he write?" Lalita shooked her out of her thoughts. Even the tiniest thought of Nakul took no time into changing this upright and genuine yet rebellious princess into a clashing wave of sanguinity.

"He–he stayed true to the promise he made previously. See Lalita, I told you, he won't break my heart. He didn't. He promised." Karenumati smiled, with tears of joy brimming around her eyes.

"But....." Lalita stared all of a sudden.

"But what? Isn't my Sakhi happy?" Karenumati spoke, giving a questioning look.

"But what about Maharani Draupadi? How will she accept this? The five brothers have promised her during their marriage that no other wife would reside where Yagyaseni does.
And I know you can't live without him. Not at this point of time, I don't want you to suffer." Lalita's features portrayed worry.

"Rajkumari Dhriti! She'll definately find a way." Karenumati smiled.

"She will? No doubt Maharani Draupadi is very dear to her. They share a close bond, will she do this if it would, in someway hurt the other one?" Lalita thought.

"All my life, I've adored her, just by listening to her praises coursing all over Aryavart.
I've never met her. And after overhearing to how Pitashree behaved with her during Yagyaseni's Swayamyar, I feel so ashamed to even present myself in front of her.
But still, my heart keeps assuring me that, she'll be there.
Its actually because of her, that Rajkumar finally made up his mind to send this letter to me." Karenumati smiled, stating undeniable facts.

Such was Karenumati and her love. Thought tied by all kinds of obstacles, that little flame of faith in Nakul never died for her.
She would've put up a graceful smile on her face even if Nakul, by any chance out of his constant worry of everyone else's say, would've denied her love.

She smiled, laying down on her soft covers with the letter placed close to her heart as she remembered their first meet, in those deep forest towards the south.
This Jyesth MadriPutra had already made a permanent place in her heart as she, without realising his real identity, had treated his wounds and helped them in furthering their important conquest of the South, a few years back.

Maybe, this breeze of faded red, would've not been blooming over Karenumati's face if it wasn't for Dhriti to show Nakul the right path and promise to be with him, when he wanted to do the things his way, without taking everyone's different views in his way.

Someone mentioned it correct! There is nothing that ever happens against the wishes of th preserver of this universe, and his divine consort, who has once again done this job of matchmaking by adhering to the fate written by Prajapati.

But...... At what cost, for Dhriti's part in this saga was not over yet.
"Everything in the future, one way or another, depends on her, and every story ultimately pivots around her." Maybe it was time for Narayan's words to take a shape of their own.

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