Arjuna's Pov

I entered inside. The first thing I saw was her. How can I forget her face? I could remember every inch of it. She was blindfolded and kept walking towards me.
"What is she doing in the palace of Dwaraka?"

She looked entirely different from before. She was wearing a yellow lehenga with a feather on her lehenga, shiny ornaments and her hair dazzled in the soft breeze. I stood staring at her, while she came closer to me.

"I should've moved back. Instead, I decided to lean
in and stand still."

We were a few steps away from each other and I could smell her scent. Lilies. She smelled like lilies. 
"Maybe I should move back. Or else things might get out of hand."
I was about to take a step back when she held my shoulders and pulled me in aggressively.
"I got you, Kanha na." she jumped. "You lost so easily."

She removed her blindfolded cloth and stood so close. We both locked eyes again. I could see her brown eyes so clearly and hear her breath so hard. I couldn't stop myself from staring at her lips, her jhumkhas moving slowly, and lastly, smelling her scent. She stared at my lips back.

"Why would she stare at my lips? Don't give me any strange thoughts, Dhaksha."

We both were lost in thoughts.

" You." she stared into my eyes.

Dhaksha's Pov

It was Arjuna, who stood close in front of me. We were less than an inch away from each other. I held his shoulder and stared at his eyes.

"I knew that I had to let go of him. But, I still held onto his shoulder and locked eyes with him."

"You," I said in a weak tone as my body was shivering.

He slowly leaned in close, staring at my eyes. While I was lost in thoughts.
"I know this would be a wrong thing to do. I can't do this. I've promised Kanha that I wouldn't disturb the past." I took my hands off his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was someone else. " I moved back.

"Did you follow me here? Or are you here for more fruits?" he smirked at me.
"Do I look like a fruit thief to you?" I crossed my hands.
"You do, Dhaksha." he bent to my height.

"it's not possible for me to like this guy. He has the worst attitude ever."

"Why are you here, Mister?" I asked.
"Don't call me mister. Call me Rajkumar Arjuna."
"You mean mister?" I smiled at him.

He pinned me to the tree near us and put his hand beside my shoulder, locking me against the wall.

"Call me Rajkumar Arjuna," he moved closer.
"I won't call you by that," I whispered in his ears
"Do you enjoy this?"Driving me crazy like this." he asked.
"I do enjoy it a lot."
"You know, Arjuna. You are different from other men I've seen so far." I leaned in closer to his ears.

His facial expressions changed as he started to give me those stares I couldn't resist.

"Why, Dhaksha?" he put his other hand beside my shoulder and locked me from both sides.

Words got stuck in my throat.

"Because you are a guy with the worst attitude I've ever seen." I bent down and got off his lock.

"You, Dhaksha-"

"Partha?" I heard Kanha na.
"Pranam Madhava," Arjuna greeted.
"What happened Dhaksha? What is the problem?"Kanha Na asked.
"Do you know this woman?" Arjuna pointed at me.
"Well, this woman is my sister. Her name is Dhaksha."Kanha laughed.
"She's your sister? Oh, that's why she seemed familiar," he looked at me.

"When will we ever stop looking at each other?"

"Madhava, I came here to visit you. How are you?"Arjuna asked.

"I'm fine, Dear Partha. Come inside, have some food and some tasty milk. You can leave by tomorrow sunrise," Kanha Na said.

"As you wish, Madhava" Arjuna greeted him.
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Just imagine how would have Dhaksha looked in yellow Lehengha 🌼💛

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"Eat well, my dear Parth," Kanha Na said.

"Thank you, Madhava." Arjuna smiled.

"Are they both some kind of secret lovers? Parthaa Madhav."

Arjuna was giving me stares here and then. We locked eyes again. That's when I started getting hiccups.

"Be careful Dhaksha ma," Rukmini Ka said.
"Your concentration should be on the food, Dhaksha. Yours is somewhere else. " Kanha Na smiled at me.
"Mm uh. Yeah," I stammered

I tried so hard to concentrate on the food, not at that Arjuna. When I rested my eyes on Subhadra, I noticed her staring at Arjuna. And obviously, Arjuna was smiling back at her.

They are going to be husband and wife after all, this is how their love blooms I guess.

Arjuna's Pov

As soon as the sun went down, I walked to the garden. The gardens at Dwaraka looked the most beautiful at night. That's when I noticed Dhaksha sitting beside the lake.

"I've to accept the fact that, she is different from other women out here. I wouldn't know the reason why she is different. But it's not possible for me to like her. She looks clumsy and goofy."

But I still couldn't take my eyes off her. Her earrings and necklace shone bright from the moonlight.
"Why do I wanna keep staring at her? Why do I feel like keeping her close? I had a desire to throw flowers at her and make her even more beautiful. I took a white lotus.

"Rajkumar Arjuna." I heard some woman from behind.

I turned to see Subadra walking towards me. I quickly put the flower in the shawl and smiled at Subadra.

Dhaksha's Pov

"Be Careful, Partha," Kanha said.
"Yeah, I'll be fine Madhava." Arjuna smiled.

"They are lovers. For sure."
"Did you forget that I hear you through minds?" Kanha na asked.

I smiled at him and he smiled mischievously back at me. "Oh God. He is planning on doing something."

"Dhanajeya, Can you take my sister along with you too?"Kanha Na asked. "Last time she travelled alone. She was lost."

"Where are you planning on sending me, Kanha?"
"I want you to accompany her to Anga. She would wanna visit Karna."

Yes. I should probably go. I miss Karna too.

"Are you close with Karna?" Arjuna stared at me.
"Well, yeah. He's my close friend. I've even stayed at his home. His mom treats me well."

"Why did you allow Dhaksha to be friends with that Karna, Madhava?" he asked.
"What is the problem of me being friends with him?" I asked.
"I don't have any problem," he replied.
"Alright. You both have to leave soon. Stop arguing." Kanha na laughed.

We both took different chariots. I wouldn't stand to be in the same chariot with him. He gets on my last nerve.

We travelled so far from my home. It was almost sunset.

"I'm suffering a lot without a watch. It's so hard to guess the time."

Arjuna's chariot which was going in the front stopped.

"I think we should rest here. It's not safe to travel past sunset with you." Arjuna opened the curtains of the chariot.

"Yeah. We'll do it." I stretched out my hands to him.
"What?" he exclaimed.
"Help me get down," I said.
"Ask your maid for help to get down," he replied.
"I didn't bring my maids along with me. I've my maids back there at Anga. It's alright, I'll just ask the guards for help."
"Alright. Alright, here, get down." he stretched out his hands.

"'My mind still wonders. How a warrior's palm is this soft."

~~~~~~~
"Why didn't you tell me that you were Madhava's sister?" we sat on the grass beside the fire.
"Why you didn't ask me, Mister?"
"Call me, Rajkumar Arjuna."
"Can you call me Rajkumari Dhaksha," I smirked at him.
"Do you talk like this to everyone? All rude and disrespectful."
"No. Just you."I replied.
"Try disrespecting me one more time. See what happens next."
"I want to know what would happen." I leaned closer to him.
"You want to know? Are you sure?" he leaned closer and put his hand around me.

My body started to tremble, as he came closer.
"You wanna know?" he asked me again moving even closer and our faces were inches away from each other. My heartbeats were going out of control.

"Alright. Fine. I'm sorry, Rajkumar Arjuna." I said.
He stared at my eyes and chuckled looking down.

"I would've just let this insect bite you. If you didn't call me Rajkumar." he took it and threw it away. And then he moved back.

"Is that why he came closer?"

"Where did you learn Archery?" he changed the topic.

"Ah. It was half from my Bhaiya and half from Karna."

"Karna? You learned from him. Why not just Vasudeva? Why do have to learn that from him?" he asked.

"What about you? What were you doing yesterday night?" I crossed my hands.
"Yesterday night? Where?" he exclaimed.
"I saw you whispering to Subadra and laughing. Answer me what were you doing?"
"Why do have you to know about my private stuff?" he asked.
"Exactly, Rajkumar Arjuna. Why do you have to know about my private stuff? Now let me sleep. We have to start travelling early morning."

~~~~~~~~

I was very happy to see Radhai Ma and Vrushali after a very long time. Soon Karna took another wife named Supriya. They soon had kids together.
Virshasena and Sudama were born.  Many months passed away, I became attached to Karna's family the most. Even my brother Vasudeva didn't even call out for me. I continued living with my Radhai ma happily. There were times when I missed my family. My mom and dad.

Soon I was invited to Draupadi's Swayamvara, which was one of the most important events of the Mahabharat. I wouldn't miss this event for sure. I accompanied my brother Kanha and Balram na, who was also invited.

The ceremony lasted for at least sixteen days including prayers, sacrifices, welcoming of guests in the assembly, and giving and receiving of gifts.

On the very last day,  Draupadi presented herself.

"Bhaiya? Is that the Pandavas?" I asked him.
"Yeah, Dhaksha." Kanha na replied.
"I've heard the whispers that the Pandavas escaped the house of flames." Balram na said.

When Karna's turn came Draupadi spoke out and she humiliated him and mocked him as Sutaputra. I was tied up to the chair being presented there as Rajkumari of Dwaraka and also the promise I made to Kanha na.

After that Arjuna who was among the Brahmin won the fight. Soon the princes who didn't know that it was Arjuna, thought it was a mere Brahmin, and they began to fight with Arjun. Soon it turned into a huge fight.

Karna withdrew from the fight and rushed to his son  Sudama who was hit by an arrow sent by the Brahmin warrior when fighting earlier with the other kings.

"Let me go and tend to Sudama, Bhaiya," I asked Kanha with my eyes filled with tears.

"You can go, Dhaksha," he said.

I rushed to Sudama who was hurt by the arrow.

"What happened to our Sudama, Karna?" I sobbed.
"He's dead, Dhaksha." he started sobbing.
"What? He's dead?" I exclaimed.

All the princes, Kauravas and Pandavas stood staring at us.
"Stop crying, Karna. It's all fate." I held his shoulders.
"Mocking me in front of all isn't enough for them? Why do they have to kill my son too?" he shouted.
"Are you alright, Dhaksha?" I heard Arjuna's voice after a long time.
"How do you expect me to be okay? Our Sudama is dead. He was just nine years old." I started sobbing.

Arjun's pov

It's been many months since I saw Dhaksha. I wouldn't stand to see her crying.  That's when I rushed to her, leaving behind my brothers and Draupadi.

"Are you alright, Dhaksha?" I asked her.

She looked up with her eyes filled with tears and her whole face turned red. My heart felt weak for some reason when she sobbed.

"How do you expect me to be okay? Our Sudama is dead. He was just nine years old." she started sobbing.

I sat down beside her.

"Dhaksha, please don't cry." I held her shoulder.
"What did you expect to happen?  To start the fight among the Brahmins. Why does my son have to face this fate?" Karna replied.
"Please leave, Rajkumar Arjuna. You are just making it worse," she said those words without even looking at me.

"He was right. Why does a nine-year-old have to face this fate?"

"But, Dhaksha-"
"Please let me mourn to my Sudama in peace, Rajkumar Arjuna. If you care about me and my family. Then leave!" She joined her hands.

"She was really hurt and devastated from the loss of Sudama."

I touched the feet of Sudama and prayed to god for his peace.

"I'm sorry, Dhaksha. Forgive me, Karna."  I walked away.

To be continued...

So do you think Karna and Dhaksha's relationship would affect the bond of Dhaksha and Arjuna?

What do you think about the special bond Karna and Dhaksha had?

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