Bhanumati had settled in Hastinapur fairly well over the past one and half years. She got along with all her sisters in law, had become fast friends with Chandramukhi and Mridula, Vrushali di had got the news that she was pregnant again, there was peace prevailing in general for once and surprisingly enough, there was no trouble in paradise.

Why, she had even visited Indraprastha once(much to her husband's displeasure)! It was rather beautiful.

To prevent her from gushing about it's beauty, her husband had taken to spoiling her somewhat. She felt that it was childish. Not to say that she didn't enjoy being spoiled, of course.

He would bring her all sort of jewels and silks from all over Aryavarta, he arranged all sorts of musical programs for her once he learned of her love for it and he even taught her the basics of wrestling when she asked for it.

(He had been surprised, and then he had smirked. Suffice it to say, those lessons had not just been a learning experience but also rather... ahem... fun.)

And when he heard Mama Shakuni complimenting her skills in Chausar, he bought her a beautiful set in ivory.

Speaking of which, oh yes, she was rather good at the game. Of course, it wasn't seen as proper for women to play Chausar, but this was one of those few rules that nobody actually cared about. After all what women did in their free time with their family in private was nobody else's business.

She remembered giggling with her cousins and friends when they were young girls as they had hidden away behind locked doors as they shuffled the dice over a big board. Of course they had known even then that while it was not proper, this was one of those things their parents wouldn't care about, but the clandestineness of the games had been half the fun.

She showed off the set to everyone she could. It deserved to be shown off. The pieces carved from ivory were a work of art. Sheer perfection.

She had challenged Duryodhan to several games but he always lost all of them before stomping off frustrated. She had played against her sisters in law and Vrushali di and won every time. But after a few games with Mama Shakuni, she had refused to play with him again. Not because he always defeated her, no(she was not as sore a loser as her husband) but because she was certain that there was something up with his dices.

He always refused to play with any other dices claiming they held a sentimental value for him since they were made from his father's bones(not creepy at all) but as silly as it sounded she was sure they were... magical. There was simply no other way that they always landed on the exact number he wanted them to.

She even played with all her brothers in law and still won. Now none of them wanted to play with her.

As she complained to Duryodhan one night that winning all the time took the fun out of it, he rolled his eyes.

"Seriously? You're upset that you win all the time?" He asked incredulously. "That's good!"

"No, but this way no one wants to play with me anymore!" She huffed.

Annoyed, Duryodhan glared at her. "You have refused to play with Mamashree!"

"I'm telling you, there's something up with his dice."

"You're saying that just because you don't win against him."

"But I'm right!" She smirked triumphantly when Duryodhan nodded in agreement.

"Fine." he sighed tiredly. "Karna is coming over tomorrow, challenge him to a game."

Bhanumati raised her eyebrows. "He seems so... proper. I didn't think he would be the type to play Chausar."

Duryodhan snorted loudly. "None of us here are proper, my dear." he said, leaning forward to place a kiss at the tip of her nose. She swatted him away playfully.

"Karna literally defies everything by simply being who he is. I know he comes across as somewhat stiff sometimes, but he's not."

"Hmmm, is he good?"

"He is, actually."

"Why haven't any of you told me about him yet then?" She demanded.

"Ah." Duryodhan said sheepishly. "I suppose it slipped all our minds given that we all generally don't like to play Chausar with him."

"And why not?

"For similar reasons as nobody likes playing with you." Duryodhan grumbled. "He kept winning against all of us except Mama Shakuni and then he straight up accused him of cheating. To his face."

Bhanumati let out a startled laugh. "I bet he didn't like that. Bhrata Karna is right though."

"Yes, well at least Mamashree does not pester us about playing the damn game. Neither does Karna. Only you do."

"But you still love me!!" She said teasingly.

Duryodhan fixed her with an intense look. "Yes." He whispered and Bhanumati abruptly realised that somehow in one and a half years, despite all the gestures of love, this was the first time since they got married that the sentiment had ever been put into actual words.

He took her hands in his and placed light kisses on them.

"Yes, I do Bhanu." He said.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next day Bhanumati dragged Bhrata Karna into her and Duryodhan's chambers and much to his amusement, forced him to to sit down in front of her ivory Chausar set which was laid out, all ready for a game.

She glared at him.

"How come you never told me you like playing Chausar? And here I was, thinking you might turn me down if I asked."

"I would never turn you down," he told her, "And besides, I'm good at it. Doesn't mean I particularly like it."

"Like wrestling?"

"Yes, quite." Then he smirked at her. "I hear you're doing rather well in that regard what with your, ah, special training sessions with Duryodhan."

She rolled her eyes, even as she flushed crimson.

"Shut up!" She grumbled, throwing a pillow at the man.

Karna laughed.

"Lets play your game." He said, thankfully not teasing her further. And she had learned to wrestle, so really!

"What will you wager?" she asked.

"Whatever you want." He offered, generous as ever.

"You can't just say whatever I want! I could ask for anything!"

"Do so! I will gladly do my best to give that to you if it is in my capability."

"Your generosity is going to get you into trouble one day when someone asks for something outrageous." Bhanumati told him.

He shrugged. "There is not much I could not give someone."

"What if someone asks for your kingdom, huh?"

"Well, I could not give it to them, since it was given to me by Duryodhan! So there. Now tell me what you want."

"Hmmm..." She pretended to think. "You will tell me some outrageous stunt that you and Duryodhan have pulled. I want blackmailing material."

Bhrata Karna snorted. "Really, now. You're asking for stories?"

"You promised you would give me whatever I asked for."

"Fair enough. What will you wager?"

She took off her heavy gold necklace. "This."

And thus the game began. Or rather. Games.

Bhrata Karna was good. Really good. Bhanumati lost. Over and over again, much to her frustration. And he wasn't even using any special dice!

"Will you wager away all your jewelry now?" Bhrata Karna joked after she had lost five games, one after the other.

She glared at him. She had lost all the jewelry on her except her Chudamani and the string of pearls at her waist, by now. But she was going to win at least one game, gods be damned!

She got up to get some more jewels from the safe.

"Is this how you're planning to use all those jewels Duryodhan got for you?" Karna asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bhanumati waved a hand airily. "Oh he brought me more jewelry than I know what to do with, even as a Princess. Besides with you being the way you are, Bhrata Karna, you'll probably just give it all back to me if I only ask nicely. "

He snorted, but didn't dispute her.

And so, on and on it went. By the tenth game, lunchtime had come but Bhanumati had refused to go until she won, despite the fact that she felt like tearing her hair out.

Why does this man not lose?! She thought with great irritation. How can someone just keep winning?!

Never mind the fact that this had been the case with her with everyone else--except Mama Shakuni-- that she had played with, till now. Also never mind the fact that she too was turning out to be a sore loser. She internally shook her head to clear it of such thoughts. Now was the time to concentrate!

The worst thing was that part of this game depended on luck. And it seemed that lady luck who was usually always on her side, was not favouring her at all today.

Bhrata Karna's turn-- Another twelve!

She growled and the man grinned widely.

Bhanumati's turn-- A measly two!!

She groaned in frustration.

Just then, she saw that Duryodhan had entered their chambers and was coming towards them. Bhrata Karna hadn't noticed him since his back was to the entrance of the chambers.

She got up to greet her husband and complain to him about his friend.

Apparently, her opponent thought that she was getting up to leave because of annoyance at losing--As if she would ever abandon a game!-- because he called out, "Come now, don't be a spoilsport!", and reached out to grab her hand and pull her back down, but she swiftly pulled it away.

Then the world seemed to slow down.

His strong hand accidentally caught the string of pearls at her waist instead, which was wrapped in such a manner that it was holding up her pallu.

The string of pearls broke and and the pearls all scattered on the floor. At the same time, her pallu fell off her head and to make things worse, due to the imbalance of her clothing and the force of the pull, the folds of her sari slid halfway down her shoulder partially showing off her breastcloth.

She froze and panic overtook her.

She saw Karna's mouth open in shock and apology as he shot to his feet.

But as she quickly righted her sari, it wasn't Bhrata Karna that worried her.

What would Duryodhan think?! He had entered their private chambers only to see his best friend pull at his wife's clothes. It gave the entirely wrong impression.

As she raised her eyes to look at her husband, Karna followed her gaze and terrified expression and turned back as well.

Seeing his best friend and realising the picture they must have presented, horror dawned on his face as well.

Duryodhan took in their ashen expressions and stepped forward with an odd look on his own face that she couldn't parse.

She looked down, unable to meet her husband's eyes. She did not even know what she would explain. And if he did not believe her, if her chastity was questioned... Her life could be ruined due to no fault of hers.

But then, Duryodhan simply asked "Should I just pick up the pearls or must I string them up as well?"

She looked up and stared astounded. Beside her, Bhrata Karna had a similar expression on his face.

Would he ask no questions? Make no enquiries as to what on earth was going on?!

"Stop gaping like a horse Mitra, it doesn't suit you."

Karna abruptly shut his mouth with a click and stepped towards Duryodhan, grasping his shoulders tightly.

"Mitra--Mitra you must believe me--this was an accident. An accident! Bhanumati was losing the game and I thought she was getting up to leave! So I tried to pull her down and instead-- I didn't mean for it to happen and neither did she, you must believe that!"

Duryodhan gently pushed him away and fixed his friend with a hard look. Then he turned the same look at her.

Here it comes, she thought, lowering her head again, tongue tied and heart thundering in her chest.

"I am very upset by the fact that you two would think that I would ever suspect you of betraying me in any way!"

Her head snapped up.

What?

Duryodhan was glaring at the two of them.

"You are my best friend and my wife and I have unshakable faith in both of you. Besides, I saw that what happened was an accident. The fact that you still though that I might...."

Bhanumati and Karna exchanged glances. They had both misjudged him. Duryodhan had implicit faith and great love for his queen and his faith on his friend Karna was perhaps even greater. He did not suspect them of anything and he did not get angry with them.

He grasped each of their hands in both of his as they both looked away sheepishly.

"Where there is no trust, there cannot be a proper relationship. And in a true relationship of love, there is no place for doubt."

She stared at her husband, transfixed. She truly loved him so much, she realised in that moment.

"Come now, help me pick up the pearls." He told Karna, letting go of her hand.

Bhrata Karna trailed behind him looking at him with practically stars in his eyes. And now she knew why.

People called Duryodhan evil, terrible. Bhanumati would bet they had never seen this side of him. He was the farthest from those things.

(Little did the Princess know, what was to come and destroy their lives of temporary peace in only a few years. Little did she know that these two men who she had grown to love and who were on the floor on their hands and knees now, looking for her pearls, would be greatly responsible for it.)

Hey! So here is the chapter that was the reason for my writing this fic in the first place! Ever since I heard this story, I have been I love with it and I am greatly upset by the fact that NONE OF THESE SERIALS EVER INCLUDE IT. It's one of the rare peaks we get into the lives on the other side. And yet the only place I've ever seen it shown is in the South Indian movie 'Karnan' which came out at some point in the 1960s. That's where the picture at the beginning of the chapter is from.

If you liked it, don't forget to leave you comments and votes!