Overlooking the expanse of the city of Hastinapur, Panchaali stood in the balcony.

Beautiful as it was, the city many termites eating it up from within. A fact that hurt the new bride deeply, her conversation with Arjun played in her mind like a broken record.

His few questions, had given her answers that she in her emotional haze had overlooked.

"Yuvrani." Dhara called breaking her chain of thoughts, making the princess turn around to face her.

"Tell me one thing Dhara, who can stop them?" She asked, her voice soft, a deeper tinge of thoughtfulness laced her words.

Realization hit the maid, as she gazed at the new bride. She knew,  the wife of Pandavas was referring to the forced slavery that the Kauravas had instilled in lives of many.

But, what she didn't understand was. What  Panchaali wanted to do with it? She understood that the princess was hurt by the norms of Hastinapur.

But, they had been there for a very long time. And in all honesty, laws were made by men. Women just moved along.

The most a royal woman could do was request her husband to change them. Or make an exception for her.

And in this scenario, the pandavas were in cage, so there was no chance of Panchaali helping them in any way. So why was she asking?

Dhara failed to understand.

Confusion marred the face of the maid, "Uh... Mahamahim Bhism tried, and controlled it to a certain extent.

However, since King Dhritrashtr overruled Mahamahim's decision. It has a been a different story.

Now, if we are trying to understand who could stop them, than technically it was Prince Yudhisthir. As he is the eldest, and the rightful king, his words will be law.

Now, even he couldn't do a thing, as they are arrested. . ." She was cut off by the princess of Panchaal.

"So, what you mean to say that if the five were out, this wouldn't be happening?" Asked Panchaali, her voice distant and careful.

The maid nodded hesitantly. She watched, as the face of the princess lit up like the night sky on the occasion of Diwali.

She beamed, her body vibrating with excitement. "What are you thinking?" Asked the maid, carefully.

"Oh nothing, just stopping the wrong doings of the Kauravas." Panchaali stated, shrugging, her words so casual as though she was discussing the weather.

"Whattttt? But, women shouldn't meddle in men's work!" Dhara argued desperately. "Oh, but it is duty of the woman of the family to prevent her family from committing sin." She replied back evenly.

"Yes, but..."

"Are you saying that what my brother in laws are doing is righteousness?" Draupadi questioned, raising her brow in question.

"Of course not..."

"Than are you suggesting that I should let them sin? And not do my duty of a good sister in law by stopping them?" She fired another question.

"Of course not, but..." Dhara was yet again cut off by the princess of Panchaal.

"So, it's decided! The princes of Hastinapur and sons of Maharaj Pandu, shall be released." Panchaali's voice rang with a finality, Dhara gazed at her shocked.

What should she say? She wanted to get the princes out? But how was that possible? The king will never let that happen!

"Princess, how will you get them out?" She asked stupefied. Her voice laced with shock.

"Well technically Maharaj Dhritrashtr would order their release, and that too by tonight." She announced, the gears in her mind changing rapidly, as a plan began to form in her mind.

Pieces began to click in it's place tightly.

"Why will he do that?" Dhara asked confused. "If given the right motivation, humans do anything." Panchaali stated vaguely, further confusing the maid, as she beamed excitedly.

This should be fun.

Enthusiasm reverberated through every cell of her body, as she gazed at the maid.

"So, here is what you need to do. . ." Whispered the princess, leaning near the ear of the girl, cupping her hand around her mouth and the maid's informing her of the plan.

The maid's eyes widened, tremors filled her body, terror snaking through her heart.

"No, no, no ,no. It's not going to work! Forget about others, Yuvraj Yudhisthir and his four brothers will peel my skin off for endangering you!" She nearly yelled in panic.

"Hush woman! Nothing is going to happen. Just follow my lead. I am doing it, with or without you. So what do you choose?" Panchaali asked sternly, her face a mask of determination as she gazed at the maiden ahead of her.

She knew very well, by the indecisive look on her face, that Dhara will follow her lead. It was that simple to read her.

The girl fiddled with the loose end of her saree, indecisiveness pulsing through her.

"I will follow you lead." And just as expected, the words flowed out of the girl's mouth, making Panchaali bite back a smile.

The ball had began rolling, and it will hit the mark soon. King Dhritrashtr wouldn't know what hit him so hard. . .

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Sahadev sat back in the dark room, the cold rocks pressing hard in his back, while he leaned against them. His eyes shut, focusing internally on the inner energy, he crossed the third veil of meditation.

How many days had passed he wasn't sure, the dark vortex of energy fluxed internally. Buzzing through him, as ringlets of power formed around himself.

The pulsing aura that he felt within, was intoxicating, empowering and all the more enriching his connection to the nature around.

Filling the bonds, the fine threads that weaved him one with every being out there pulsed vibrantly.

His focus settled on the finer threads, the golden ones between him and his brothers pulsed the strongest, and most powerfully.

The silver with his mother, buzzed with an aura of strength, and infinite love. There was nothing new among the six bonds, they were even, and pulsed with the same familiar auras, that he was accustomed to.

What he found new was the novice bond, that thrummed painfully slowly. Scarlet than the blood, and glimmered with a golden hue.

It was new.

Fragile. Pulsing, almost fluxing. Trying to test its limits, and push through them. A darker, deary aura tinged it.

Sadness.

It was growing on it. Weaving deeper, seeping in more. Draupadi.

Her bond, it reflected the sadness that weaved deep in her. That crumpled her from within.

The turmoil that he was experiencing from her end had been consistent. And, he had taken it upon himself to monitor her closely.

Her face emerged in his mind, surfacing through all the waves of memories. The beautiful, regal persona, with a beauty that was outwardly.

Too good to be true. Yet, she was truer, than anything ever known.

He had expected the mind numbing sadness, her aura lightened. Maybe, she was distracting herself with a walk, or reading he wondered.

Following it with a similar aura for awhile, he was jolted in shock when an aura of darkness tainted it. It fluxed and twisted.

Something had hurt her, and seeing the bond waver was like a punch in his heart. It hurt him to know that she was upset and he couldn't do a thing about it.

For what felt like hours, it withered and fluxed, till once again it restored it's lighter golden hued scarlet bond.

What surprised him, the golden flex in the bond, shimmered brighter,  it vibrated with a joy too obvious.

Confusion filled him, he was glad that she was happy. But, was curious as to what lightened her mood.

A sharp screeching broke through his mind, a headache pulsed, he felt like a band was being pressed in his head.

While he felt himself being tugged sharply, his mind fleeted, as a cyclone of auras wrapped around his conscious, and tugged him in a cosmos of unknown auras.

Energies fluxed, before he could understand what was happening, he was slammed in a darker scenario.

Blood coated the grounds, as soldiers fell on his feet. Horror filled him, he realized he stood in his wife's room.

His eyes swirled around, desperately seeking her, the realization hitting him hard that he was in a vision.

Sitting in front of her pristine white dressing table, her hair flowed down like a gushing dark waterfall. Ringlets of it were set loose.

He walked ahead, confused. 

She sat smiling, her soft luscious lips pulled back in a charming manner. The natural rosebud stain on them, enchanting him.

Her white odhni was lighter, and hugged her volumpus curves perfectly. His heart thrummed as his eyes fell on her slender waist,  that held a single chain around it.

His fingers itched to touch the milky soft skin, he struggled to hold back.

"Princess I don't think it's a good idea." He heard the voice of her hand maid, snapping him out of his dark thoughts.

He shook his head, clearing his throat, as he felt Dhara walk right through him. Her face was a mask of concern.

"It's going to work just fine. It's my plan-" the musical voice of his wife, was cut off by, the doors snapping open.

He watched as his wife and her hand maid gazed at the hooded figures. "How dare you enter the room of the wife of Pandavas?!" Growled Dhara, as Panchaali pulled up a shawl, that laid on the back of her dressing chair, and wrapped around her.

Her dark orbs glaring at the men ahead of her. Golden flecks in her ebony eyes, cackled like fire.

Fury filled through Sehdev, as he watched the men laugh. "Oh pandavas wife you say? So, where are the mighty pandavas? Didn't you know that a treasure left unprotected, is an invitation to rob it off?" The one on the left taunted.

Sehdev's fist clenched, as he glared at the man ahead of him. How dare they? He glared ahead.

His eyes shooting daggers at each one of them, had they reached his hand, it wouldn't take him long to break them in pieces.

"Who do you-" Before Dhara could continue, one of the man reached up and slapped her hard, making her head bounce off the wall.

Blood traced down the path, that she fell, and just like that she was out cold.

A malicious smirk plastered on the face of the man, with thick long beard, a scar running across his face,  and broader jaw.

Sehdev knew that the man was not a native, his pitch and accent suggested him being of a different country altogether.

Evil glinted in his eyes, lust raging hard on his face. As he walked closer.

"GUARDS!" Sehdev heard his wife scream, he could see the terror on her face, his hands fisted at his helplessness. 

He tried to reach out, and slam the man away, but his hand passed right through him.  And once again, he growled.

Remembering the fact that he couldn't interfere in the bloody vision.

He growled like an animal, fury blazing in him chest, a wave of protectiveness nearly swept him off his legs. She was his.

And his to protect.

How dare this men think about touching what was his? One thing about the pandavas that the entire Aryavart knew was that they were protective, overly so, when it came to what was theirs.

And she was now theirs. It didn't matter what her past was, who she was before. Now,  she was with them.

With him. And he'll be damned before someone touched what was his.

Glaring at the man ahead, he roared, always silent to the core man, today burned with a wrath so intense that threatened to shred everything in sight.

He anticipated the guards to come running, but nothing happened. It was like no one was hearing the desperate calls of his wife.

He jaw set, while he heard the men laugh. The one in the front, whose face was visible laughted the loudest.

"I have heard that your husbands haven't shown you the world of pleasure. Trust me, you'll love my touch. And soon will be begging for more." His voice was vile, as he gazed at Panchaali like a hungry man.

Laughter followed his words, as she stumbled back. Terror masking her expression,  while she trembled.

Sehdev's heart clenched with an agony so strong, that it almost knocked him breathless.

He watched in horror, as his wife screamed, trying to run away, while two men held her in place.

She twisted in their arms, trying to get away, their grip tightening on her, with a leering smile, the man with the beard reached up for her odhni...

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Sehdev heard her scream pierce through his heard, her loudest of wail reverberated through his mind, just as he was slammed back in his body.

"PANCHAALI!" The loud scream of the youngest of pandav, as his eyes flew open, had the other four jolting on their feet.

"Sehdev."

"Anuj, are you okay?"

"Brother, what happened?"

"Dev."

Questions came from all the sides, from each of his brother. But, he couldn't hear a thing, except for her screams.

She needed him.

She needed them.

They need to hurry.

Before it was too late.

"Sehdev!" Bheem shouted, shaking his brother out of his stupor. Bheem noticed his brother, gaze at them wildly.

Terror.

A sense of foreboding washed over the four. "Panchaali, she needs us. There is going to be an attack on her, men in her room, forcing themselves on her. . ." His voice faded away, as a sharp bolt of agony shot through his heart.

A silence descended over the room. Horror filled their hearts, as their minds blanked, what did the future hold. . .

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

DO VOTE AND COMMENT!

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆