A loving smile prolonged on Kanha's face as he looked at his other half, being the best sister she was, completing the final rituals for Arjun and Subhadra's marriage.

Seeing through the smile was something Kanha has always done for everyone, and his Priya was no exception. Infact she was the one who had excelled herself in concealing things with a smile.

World, was indeed a better place when the Universal Mother painted a ray of morning sunshine on her flawless face, but not her heart for it always held in her pains and battles.

Mata Kunti wasn't ready to utter a single word with her. Dau was upset with the two of them. The explanation given by pitamah Bhishma would surely never leave her mind for it was indeed hurtful. But the things were not over yet. That's what Kanha knew and she didn't.

"Lost!" Dhriti giggled, throwing flowers at him as he zoned in, but still in the same trance.

"You know how much I love you and would never leave you or break your heart. No matter what, right?" Kanha looked at her as she slowly  squinted her almond shaped eyes.

"Oh Kanha, what made you say that?
Ofcourse I know.  I can see that in your eyes everyday. You need not tell me. I know Kanha loves his Priya. She loves him more." Dhriti winked, tightly squeezing his hand as Kanha smiled in relief, knowing that Dhriti wasn't satisfied with his unusual sigh.

"Putri Subhadra, we all heartily bless you as the KulVadhu of Kuruvansh. Now, there's no need to visit Hastinapur. All the gifts and presents would be sent to Hastinapur.
Let's go, Gandhari!" Before Dhriti would ask something more to Kanha, their attention was driven towards Dhritarashtra's stern words as he hastily took a leave with Vikarn.

"Rajmata Gandhari, we wish to seek your blessings." Arjun and Subhadra smiled, but much to Dhriti's sorrow, Gandhari didn't reciprocate the same smile.

"Aayushman Bhava, Putravati bhava." She indirectly gave a small, uncertain smile.

"There’s beggary in the blessings that can be reckoned and uttered with a heavy heart.
Subhadra is a sweet heart and I don't want her to absorb all the pain at once, that too on her wedding day." Dhriti looked at Kanha, as he smiled, shaking his head in a no, asking her not to worry about everyone.

"Wait Putra!" Bhishma stepped back, stopping them from touching his feet.

"I can't bless you both." He completed as Dhriti's breath hitched in immense annoyance.

"Blessings are a matter of heart. They aren't anything materialistic, Pitamah." Kanha stopped Dhriti from being a spit fire as he walked towards them.

"I can't nod a yes to any sort of Adharma happening in front of my eyes. Therefore, I won't give any blessings to Arjun and Subhadra." Pitamah argued.

"What Adharma, Pitamah?" Kanha smirked.

"This! Ancient traditions have been insulted in the course of this marriage." He explained as Arjun observed Dhriti from the corner of his eyes, already looking down, hiding the tear stains.

"Breaking traditions is not any sort of adharma. Infact, its the natural law.
What comes, always goes and same holds true for these rigid traditions.
There was a time when all this was new, when everyone used to follow them due to the fear embedded in their hearts by the ones who used to exploit them.
Now it's gone. That is over, for we are here for reformations. Social norms should not reach to such an extent where it pays no heed to what the soul wishes for. Afterall, its our soul that is infinite and continuous. Not agreeing to what it wants pulls you away from enlightenment and ultimate realization of the time cycle." Kanha loquaciously put forth his cosmic perspective. Every word was worth absorbing in as Dhriti slowly wiped her tears. Her articulate eyes now proudly looking at his direction.

".....And who changes the ancient traditions, is it you Krishn?" Pitamah finely looked at Kanha.

"Not me, not you. Its all in the hands of time and its cadence which can never be interrupted. You have to except this time cycle which neither has any origin nor a dead end." Kanha smoothly pointed out as Pitamah gave in, blessing the pair.

"Mamashree, I can't bear any more insults thrown at me. Especially by these two." Duryodhan whispered, pointing at Dhriti and Kanha as Shakuni smartly started a conservation with Dau.

"Shriman Balram, I hope you remember the promise made by Arjun and his four brothers to Drupad kanya Draupadi during their marriage.
I pity the change of Subhadra's fate now." He wickedly grinned.

"What are you talking about, Gandhar Naresh." Dau asked, his frame of mind already disturbed by Kanha and Dhriti's effective though uncivil plan, going against him.

"We promise that no other wife would enter the Palace where Draupadi settles. She would have the sole right over the royal household as our wife." Dau remembered the promise the brothers made to Draupadi that day as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Now, I'll leave this descision making to you.
Just, as your well wisher, I would like to remind you that that it would be a huge  taint to Yadavkul and Subhadra's dignity herself." Saying so, Shakuni left to greet everyone before leaving.

"Maharanj aur Maharani ki jai ho." He flashed the same wicked grin as Kanha folded his hands in return but Dhriti kept low.

"Maate, give a reply to his words. Keeping silent would complete his–" Narad tried speaking.

"Devarshi, sometimes it's better to be a silent spectator." Dhriti answered.

"It is, but not with this oversmart human being." He replied back.

"Devarshi–" This time it was Narad's time to interrupt her.

"Narayan! Narayan! Won't you fulfil this faint wish of your prime devotee, Maate?" He spoke in his usual rhythm.

"Aapka bhi Kalyan ho, Mamashree." Dhriti emphasized her words, listening to Narad's suggestion as she faked a smile.

"Your wish is fulfilled Munivar. Aapka bhi Kalyan ho." Dhriti spoke as they lightly laughed, before Dhriti straightened herslef, studying the expressions Dau was wearing for a long time now.

"Arjun, I hope you haven't forgotten the promise the five of you made to Yagyaseni." Dau sternly asked as Bhrata Arjun stuttered a yes.

"If you truly consider and believe in your promise, then I can't put my sister in such an unfortunate twirl of situation.
Now, since you have skillfully followed Krishn and Dhriti's plan, you have only two alternatives, and that shall decide your course of action." Dau glared at his brother while Dhriti hurtfully looked down.

"Either you reside in Dwarka forever or at this very moment, my sister Subhadra will accompany you to Indraprasth as your wife." His imposing voice declared as he stormed away from the scene, making everyone turn their glares towards Kanha and Dhriti.

"Dau, wait!" Dhriti assuringly blinked at  Kanha as she followed Balram, but turned around, once again.

"Everything will be fine at Indraprasth. Bye.
I'll miss you Subhadra. And you too Bhrata." She gave a final hug to Arjun-Subhadra and walked in the direction, where Dau earlier left.

"She-she didn't call me Brihannala...." Arjun sadly glanced at Kanha.

"She's hurt......
Anyways, you two, I bless you with a happy life ahead.
Subhadrae, dear sister I'm going to miss your childish questions, our banter and everything else. There's no one in the palace to call me Bhratashree anymore." Kanha engulfed her in his brotherly embrace.

"Hey! There is no one to call us Bhratashree at Indraprasth as well. Now you'll know how it feels to miss your sister." Arjun laughed, hugging his best mate.

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

"Dau! Dau....." Dhriti panted, finally coming to a rest as she took a seat beside him.

"You too Dhriti? You as well?" Dau stared at the eerily quiet ocean as Dhriti too, shifted her gaze over the lonely waves.

"There was nothing else I could've done about it. You had already promised this alliance, without taking her feelings into consideration." She confessed.

"Dhriti, you or Krishn would've come and talked to me about the same. Do I seem soo unapproachable?"

"I'm.....Sorry." She said with a sudden loss of words as tears brimmed her eyelids, classically styled with dark Kohl.

"Go utter this sorry in front of Yagyaseni!" He sharply replied.

"But dau–" She tried explaining, but was eventually cut off.

"You can't, can you?
Draupadi might be an understanding and benevolent queen, but that doesn't hide the fact that she has the little flame forever burning inside her soft soul. She's Yagyaseni and her anger is nothing less than a deserted house coming down in flames.
I don't want Subhadra to face it, for its not her fault." His brotherly affection and uncertainty slowly turning into a rebuking for the other one.

"What do you want me to do now, Dau?" She helplessly asked.

"I can't forgive Krishn for his oversmartness. Keeping other things aside, it was a sheer insult to Maharaj Dhritarashtra, Mahamahim Bhishma and others." Dau took a deep breath as Dhriti's mouth went agape at his words.

"No no Dau, don't punish Kanha for this. It-it was my mistake. I suggested Subhadra to abduct Bhrata. Kanha had no say in this." She joined her hands and pleaded.

"Krishn had no say in this? Not even in convincing Arjun to get abducted by his lover instead of abducting her?" Dau raised his brow, knowing his brother too well.

"No he didn't." She lied, taking all the blame or herself just to free her Kanha for he had a lot more already making a mess on his front. Or so she thought.

"So was it just you, Dhriti?" He looked disheartened. She slowly mumbled a yes whilst composing her irregular breaths due to all the silent cries.

The conversation seemed to meet its end since none of them uttered a single word. Dau couldn't decide whether he should be angry or disheartened at his sister-in-law's behavior while Dhriti sat there counting the number of people she had managed to ruin the relations in just one day.

Only if she knew what more was about to come on her way and cross the path in the most unimaginable way possible.

The once mighty, welcoming ocean; now spectral and uncanny was a silent onlooker to his daughter's plight.
Being silent wasn't his choice anymore for he had been preparing himself for what is about to come, ever since the abode of Gods had gotten the news of Lakshmi Devi's arrival on earth.

"What can I do to seek forgiveness for my act, Dau?" She slowly gained control over her inner silence as she looked for a way out, just one last time.

"Now I want you to go and incline Draupadi to accept Subhadra's arrival as Arjun new wife without any feelings of detestation." Dau held his descision.

He had asked for the impossible. Dhriti knew her very well. She won't let Arjun step back from the promise he made, without penalizing him. Its not her fault afterall. She must be given time to partly extinguish the blaze within her was what Dhriti thought as she nodded to take charge of the hardest job.

She respected Panchali, more than the love they showered upon each other and Dhriti had never, for once tried to convince her into doing anything against her wishes. Not even the marriage to her five brothers. The only thing she did was to give her timely reassurance about making her feel welcomed and comfortable on her new journey.

"I will." Her shaky voice replied as she got up, resolving herself.

"It had took me a lot of time to accept all the change of fates, and now? Now all this had to happen in front of my eyes, Brahmadev? This is no justice to a father's agony. Everyone from Gangaputra Bhishma to Kunti herself have nearly discarded her stance and perspective and now do you want her to discard herself?" Samudra Dev vented his concern.

"Samudra Raj's words can't be disregarded for I'm sure Shri would have no second thoughts before doing it. She had apprised bhrata Narayan about this." Gauri agitatedly looked at Mahadev.

"No Parvati. She won't leave Vaishnavi at any cost." Mahadav calmly assured.

".....Not so soon." He thought to himself.

_________________________________________

A Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everyone out there.
I know it's late, but hey! Ganesha is still here with us. Anyways,

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