"Bade Pitashree, do you remember the last time we visited Dwarka?" Shatanik excitedly asked, cosily adjusting his now grown up figure into Bheem's huge arms.

"This sight and it's crisp air never gets old." Arjun got down from his chariot, his usual smile missing with the sight of Dwarka right in front of him.

"How will I even face Madhav." A notion of worry immediately covered his face.

"Why did we stop before reaching the palace, Pitashree?" Shatanik pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Nothing dear. Just giving a thought, we'll be meeting everyone after soo long, it feels different." Arjun guiltily lied, ruffling Shatanik's hair, quiet disappointing the younger one.

"I had spent the whole morning setting them nicely, Pitashree." Shatanik frowned, positioning back his hair.

"No wonder Nakul would be the proudest father right now." Bheem lightly chuckled, partly lightning up the unseen tension in Arjun's behavior.

"He does that to impress himself." Arjun playfully laughed at Shatanik.

"I've been trying to look all good since I'm going to meet Bua after an eternity and she should know her favourite nephew has grown up quiet exceptionally." Shatanik innocently spoke as Arjun nodded, just about to ruffle his hair yet again as the other one dodged the action.

"Little things get you excited, Shatanik." Bheem smiled picking him up.

"Yes, but this time we have a great news and I'm going to tell that to everyone by myself. Individually." Shatanik grinned.

"I'll let you do that.
Maybe because you're like the only one who will be listened with just pure adoration." Arjun sadly smiled as the continued their short walk towards the palace.

"Welcome Rajkumar Arjun and Rajkumar Bheem. Didn't posses any previous knowledge about your arrival." Satyaki gave a small smile, inwardly disappointing Bheem, not addressing him as Bhrata, like he did everytime.

"We wanted to surprise Bua and Kakashree. Oh and Vaishu too." Spoke Shatanik, innocently.

"Oh I see! That's great Chote Rajkumar. Let's give them the surprise then." Satyaki chuckled at his sweetness.

"You aren't good in delivering surprises, Satyaki." Kanha suddenly walked out of nowhere, patting Satyaki.

"Because you some how ruin them for me, Krishna." Satyaki joked back.

"Alright Alright, I'll get going. You proceed with.....Our guests?" Satyaki unsurely continued, his mind tracing back to all the events he witnessed alongside Dhriti, as he left, not before curtly flashing his last smile and Kanha nodded with a sigh.

"Pranipat Bade Bhaiya. I assume everyone and everything is fine at Indraprasth, Parth." Kanha smiled.

"Pranam Kakashree." Shatanik touched his feet, slyly smiling as Kanha blessed him.

"Where is Bua, we all have been missing her a lot." Shatanik continued his talk as Kanha patted him.

"She won't stay away for long once she knows her favorite nephew is here.
Oh and her brothers too." Kanha darted a knowing smile at the two of them.

"Madhav...." Arjun finally collected himself to directly face Kanha, as his guilt ridden eyes met with Kanha's lotus ones.

"Not now Parth, not now.
Talk about something else." Kanha shook his head in a silent dismay. He knew every single thing around but he was surely not going to forget the turmoiled look on his Priya's face anytime soon.
Pushing the thoughts back, he smiled, directing the three of them towards the inner side.

"What is Dantavakra doing here, Vasudev?" Bheem asked, half bewildered to see the Karusha Naresh doing in the gardens.

"You're doubts weren't wrong bade bhaiya. He's surely here to create a hindrance." Kanha nodded, glancing at Shatanik's confused face.

"The one whom you're finding is in her chambers." Kanha pointed as Shatanik wasted no time in running inside.

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

"Hmm.... Jasmine or Parijat?" Dhriti stood in front of Vaishnavi with small garlands of the flowers in her hands.

"Lotus." Replied Vaishnavi, way too instantly.

"Nah, those are too big for a normal day." Dhriti shook a no.

"Then......What about roses? You look pretty in them." Vaishnavi replied, after thinking for a while.

"No no, you're to choose between these to." Dhriti reminded, dextering her hands.

"I don't know, why don't you put both on one each side?" Vaishnavi giggled as Dhriti rolled her eyes.

"Maharani, Satyaki wishes to see you." A dasi informed.

"Satyaki.... Now? Is everything alright?" Dhriti replied, getting up with some uncertainty.

"Alright, let him in." She continued, keeping everything aside.

"What is it Satyaki?" Dhriti watched him, awkwardly walking inside.

"We've― I mean, I have a surprise for you both." He grinned.

"For me!" Vaishnavi beamed.

"Satyaki's surprises are nightmares Vaishu, don't fall for them." Dhriti frowned.

"She's just joking Vaishu. I'm a good man, and you possibly know that." Satyaki defended himself as Vaishnavi walked towards him.

"What are you hiding behind?" She whispered.

"That's what we call a surprise." He corrected, not before hearing Vaishnavi squeal in joy. Too late, he thought to himself.

"Maa, look who's here!" Vaishnavi muttered, still squealing as she pulled Shatanik who had been hiding behind Satyaki all this while.

"Shatanik, is this you?" Dhriti spoke, totally flabbergasted.

"Pranam Bua." He gave a wide grin, touching her feet.

"Aayushman Bhava Putra." Dhriti smiled, bending down to his height as Shatanik tightly hugged her.

"How are you? How's Prativindhya and Sutasom?" She bombarded him with questions, tears brimming on the edge of her eyes.

"Jyesth and Sutasom both are doing great. And I'm good as well, look I've grown up so much." He excitedly narrated.

"Exactly, why did you grow up this fast?" She mumbled, blinking her welled up tears.

"Because I had no other option left." Shatanik giggled.

"I know I know. That was just a rhetorical question." Dhriti laughed, letting go of him as Vaishnavi mischievously grinned at him.

"Bhrata Bheem and Arjun are here as well." Satyaki silently looked at her changing expressions.

"Coming." She sighed, straightening her posture as Satyaki gave a reassuring pat, before leaving.

"Kids, let's go and meet everyone else." She called, not before contemplating her sentence as both of them clinged her either arm.

"Maa, I came first. Now pick me up." Vaishnavi pouted.

"We've met after an entire year Bua, pick me up." Shatanik retorted.

"Noo, I'm the younger one."

"Then, I'm the favourite one."

"Stop both of you! I'm not picking up anyone. Walk by yourself." Dhriti declared, walking out of her chambers.

"We won't come out and meet everyone then." The kids uttered in unision, their arms crossed against their chests.

"How will I pick you both at the same time?" Dhriti huffed.

"Well, if you try...." They hysterically laughed looking at Dhriti, finally shrugging.

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

"Even if we try, there's still no possible way to overpower him." Bheem let out.

"One thing you all must realise is the fact that, things can't be mended with a courteous talk." Kanha spoke.

"You want us to direct our armies at Magadh, Madhav?" Arjun questioned with a visible confusion.

"If that's the only open door, then yes." Kanha nodded.

"Hastinapur had always turned a deaf ear to all the sins and havoc Jarasandh ever resonated. Even now, Jyesth Pitashree would never let us match our armies towards Magadh because they surely want to maintain that neutrality." Arjun fumed.

"Indraprasth's sena might be constrained under Hastinapur, but Dwarka's Narayani Sena isn't." Kanha raised his brow.

"It is!" A familiarly shrill voice gathered the surrounding attention.

"The administration of all the regiments of Narayani Sena are assigned to me." Dhriti revealed herself, slowly approaching the three of them.

"Ouch my back! Now go play outside or better, trouble Satyaki. Don't create any havoc here inside the palace, I'll be back." Dhriti muttered, putting Shatanik and Vaishnavi down as the softly giggled, running away.

"Narayani sena is not less constrained." She tensed the atmosphere.

"Dhriti, that's the only way out. We can't face all allies of Jarasandh all alone. You need to understand." Bheem nearly pleaded.

"Few things went beyond my understanding long ago." Dhriti mumbled, chuckling.

"Dhriti...." Arjun helplessly looked at her.

"Your decisions will forever affect not only the people around you, but the fate of entire Aryavart.
In a good way or a bad is entirely in your hands." Kanha's calm voice ringed in her ears as her expressions softened turning back at him.

"We dont know where we are heading." Arjun looked down.

"If you look outside, you'll know where you are heading.
Look inside, for eyes provide sight but it's our heart which provides a way." Dhriti replied.

"Killing Jarasandh and ending his evil prospectus. Yes, that's the only way." Bheem uttered.

"Then go for it." Kanha approved.

"Without the aid of Dwarka's Army." Dhriti completed Kanha's sentence only to look at Arjun and Bheem's anguished faces.

"Priya, you have seemingly erased the line between the personal rifts and issues of the state." Kanha intervened.

"Have I?
Or the lines were never drawn considering how I was― nevermind." Dhriti instantly ended, suppressing down her hot tears.

A lone tear quickly slipped down Arjun's face, as his head hung low, silently apologising for every single thing.

"Remember one thing...." She looked up, her tears now dried down.

"You all have created a void in my heart and a rift in my faith. One which cannot be filled and the other can't be mended." She spoke, her voice gaining back the usual momentum.

"Not a single incumbent of Narayani Sena will go to Magadha in order to help Samrat Yudhishthir take over." Dhriti got on her feet.

"Priya!" Kanha tried stopping her.

"This....is my final verdict." She walked out.

"If you won't let the regiments serve their aid, I myself need to succour and back them up." Kanha warned.

"I can constrain and stop the Narayani Sena, not Narayan himself." Dhriti answered, without turning around as she left.

_________________________________________

Hellu peps!

First of all, A very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous Lakshmi Poojan to everyone.
May you all have Mata's blessings always by your side, always for your aid.

Today, in Maharashtra we also celebrate Narak Chaturdashi because it's believed Mata Satyabhama slayed Narakasur on this day.
So a happy Narak Chaturdashi to those celebrating.

And I want to tell you guys that, this might be the last update for the month of November.
Sorry y'all but I literally have no time to update, I'm preoccupied with a lot of things and I don't want to give any updates which aren't up to the mark.
Soooo Sorry but I'll try my best to give some.

Anyways,

Hope you like this one.
If you do, don't forget to vote and comment.
Thanks.
xx.