Author's Pov

Karna's legs slowed down as his blazing eyes made contact with the brown orbs of the man, he once considered his Mithr, his brother. His heart dropped as his eyes took in the disheveled form of Duryodhana. His throat dried up and fear bubbled up in his stomach with each step he took towards the injured man, who was gazing at him with some kind of regret in his eyes.

Karna felt his legs stop right before the chamber where his wife was being monitored. Duryodhana, who was sitting before the door got up from his seat, his heart thudding painfully in his chest and a sense of sadness washing over him as his gaze met Karna's.

"Mitr- Angaraj, she was cornered by some asurs in the southern part of the palace. I was casually strolling through the corridor when I heard her screams. I wasted no time in getting to her. They were right behind her, Mitra. She fainted right in my arms. She was mumbling something but-" His voice cracked but he forced himself to continue. "They were right behind her. Three of them. I didn't have time to analyse anything. They were so close behind her and at that time my main concern was to save save her. And I did everything I could do to save her."

He knew, Karna deserved to know what happened to his wife in his absence.

"Oh." Karna nodded acknowledging the former's words.

He wanted to thank his Mitra for saving his wife and also enquire the well being of his former friend yet no words escaped his lips. It was as if he has lost his ability to speak.

Before more words could be exchanged between the once good friends, the doors of the chamber opened.

"Angaraj, you have arrived." The Vaidya said, stepping out of the chamber.

"Vaidya, how is juhi? Is she alright? Her wounds, they are nothing serious right?" Karna anxiously looked at the elder man before him, hoping for a positive response.

"Angaraj, Angarani is alright. The wounds on her body was nothing fatal, it will be cured in a few days." The vaidya replied, making the two men sigh in relief.

"And Angaraj" He continued. "There is a good news amidst the terror that has been faced today. Angarani Juhi is expecting."

"What?" Karna's eyes widened in shock and a look of uncertainty crossed his face as his brain tried to analyse the words of the Vaidya.

Did he really hear the Vaidya say that Juhi, his Juhi is with a child or did he mishear it for something else?

"Yes Angaraj. Angarani is six weeks far. Both the child and mother are safe and healthy. Angaran's body is a bit weak, so I would suggest complete bed rest till her first 3 months." Saying this the Vaidya left to give the royal men privacy.

Karna blinked back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. A wide smile spread on his lips as the words of the Vaidya sank in on him.

His Juhi is pregnant.

His Juhi is carrying their first child.

He is going to be a father and his Juhi a mother.

They are gonna welcome another life into the world.

"Congratulations Mitra."

Teary eyed, Karna gazed at his good old friend, who was standing beside him with a smile. A jovial smile.

Karna couldn't help but pull the smiling man into a warm hug. The hug conveyed his silent words of gratitude and love for not only saving his wife and unborn child but also his whole world. The tears he held in his eyes finally found their way down, soaking his face.

~•~

"Asuraraj we....tried.....we tried our....best.....and almost succeeded....but...a royal...a royal man....came...between...and saved....her." The asura stuttered, his body shivering in fear as he tried to explain the reason of their failure.

The moment the asura's explanation ended, his head was detached from his body by a golden handled dagger, which was earlier seen in the hands of the asuraraj. The other man who had accompanied the now dead man moved back in terror, realising he was the next prey for the raja's anger.

The atmosphere in the throne room turned more darker and tense. The asuras waited with bated breath for the next move of their Raja.

Akop walked down from his throne and moved towards the beheaded man. He bent down and retrieved his golden dagger droped down on the floor. He examined the dagger for a moment before wiping away the blood from the dagger with the dead man's clothing.

He straightened up and glared at the men with fury and hatred in his eyes. If only his men used a bit of their brain as well as power then his Chandini would have been here with him now, but useless cowards came back running in fear.

"How dare you cowards come before me without completing the simple task I have assigned? All you fucking cowards had to do was to abduct a young fragile woman yet you have failed to do it. Useless dimwits." Akopasur roared, making the asuras to flinch back in terror.

His grip on the dagger tightened as moved towards the cowering asuras. But before he could finish them, two men entered the throne room. One was an asur while the other man was a royal messenger. The emblem of hastinapura gleamed on his silver armour.

"What?" Akop barked, his eyes taking in the intruders.

"Auraraj, a messenger has arrived from Hastinapura. He refused to hand over the letter and has requested to meet you as the matter is of high secrecy."

Hearing it, Akop moved back from the two kneeling asurs. He tucked his dagger back and dismissed the kneeling asurs, who thanked the almighty for saving them from the bloodthirsty man. They scrambled out before the man before him decides to change his mind.

The royal messenger handed over a piece of parchment to Akop, making the latter frown. He opened the parchment with little to no amount of enthusiasm. He knew the man, who has written the letter was furious on finding out about the failure of the task.

And he don't blame him for it too. That man had helped him plan and execute the task. He even helped the asuras to get in the palace yet his men has failed to do the task.

'I have no words to express how disappointed and dissatisfied, I'm with the way things has turned out. Despite having a great plan, then has failed to abduct a fragile woman from a segregated place. I expected more from you and your men.

Anyway things are going from bad to worse. The Raj Vaidya who had checked Juhi, earlier this day and confirmed that she is pregnant. She is almost a month or two so far. She is currently suggested to take a complete bed rest due to weakness.

It would be near to impossible to abduct her now as she will given the best of best protection since she is carrying the next heir apparent of the hastinapura throne, considering the child will be the first of the next generation.

We should finish off the child before it takes birth on this world. A child now will tamper all our plans. The death of the child will be a fatal blow for the royals and it will also give us more than enough time to analyse our next plan.' 

Akop tore the parchment into tiny pieces and thew it into the blazing fire. Drawing a new parchment from the table, he scribbled out some words of plan for the man. Signing off, he handed it over to the messenger.

"Make sure that you deliver it to him as soon as possible." The messenger bowed and left the throne room along with the asur.

"Again carrying a child of him, dear Chandini? Seems like the past has not taught you enough to let you know of the consequences. You have done a mistake again. A grave mistake indeed. You have let him touch what is mine, again. You shouldn't have done it Chandini. You shouldn't have.

"You know how I hate it when others try to touch or take away what is mine. Your soul and your body solemnly belongs to me. Only I'm allowed to see you without any clothes covering you yet you have dared to show it to another man. You should know that anyone who tries to look at you or touch you will face my wrath and let me warn you my darling my wrath is not something you would ever want to face.

"Poor Karna, this life also he is gonna die and that too because of whom? You, my dear Chandini. You are again going to be the reason for his death. And that poor child, Karna's child is also gonna meet the same fate as his father. But unfortunately what I have planned for your child is more cruel that what I did to his father the previous time.

"You were born to be mine Chandini, just mine. If you are fucking someone, it should be me and me alone. If you are carrying someone's seeds inside you then it should be mine and not that Karna's and I will make sure of it." He whispered, as he sharpened his sword for his next slaughter.

~*~

"Arya!" Juhi screamed, waking up from an unpleasant dream.

She sat on the best panting heavily. She body was shivering from the terror that the nightmare has caused. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest as flashes of nightmare swam through her mind.

"Juhi." Karna who was laid beside her woke up. He hugged the shivering woman close to his heart.

"Arya...save....me....please save.....They....they." She sobbed like a child hugging him.

"Shh Juhi, you are safe now. No one will harm you. Calm down darling. Please stop panicking, it's not good for you." Karna whispered, hugging her tight.

"Arya...please....save me...from....him.....he.....is...trying..... trying....to.....take....me....away.....from....you...again....please.....don't let him... succeeded.....I will....I will....die... without you....." She hiccuped like a child as she snuggled into his chest.

The fear of the morning incident had shaken up her up very badly. The morning incident brought back unpleasant memories in her life, memories she prayed would never happen again.

Fear paralyzed her senses making it hard for her to even breath. The sweet words muttered by Karna in her ears were the only thing that was anchoring her to the reality.

She finally calmed down, her breathing even as she snuggled into his chest, soaking in his warmth. They stayed in silence for a few minutes letting the air to calm between them.

Few minutes later, Karna gently broke the hug and looked at his wife.

"Calm down, love and listen to me very carefully," He avowed cupping her face in his arms. "There is no one I repeat no one in this world, dead or alive who is powerful enough to separate you and I. Even if anyone tries to separate us he/she will never succeeded. The love and trust we have in each other will never let us apart."

"I'm only yours Arya. Only yours." She confessed looking into his eyes.

"I know. I just hope that you will continue loving me like this even if he/she comes between us." Karna uttered with a smile.

"What are you talking about Arya? Just now only you promised me that no one will ever come between us, that you will never let another person break us apart. Stop smiling Arya, I'm really mad." Juhi glared at her smiling husband.

"Juhi, my love, I promised that I will never let another person break us apart. The person who is going to arrive will not break us apart rather he/she will only strengthen our bond as well as bring more joy to our lives." Karna said, his eyes twinkling with happiness.

"Whatever you are saying please say it clearly Arya. I'm not able to understand the meaning behind your words."

"My dear love, eight months from today, you will bring a little human to this world." Karna uttered with a wide smile on his face.

At first juhi didn't get the meaning of those words. But soon, she joined the lines lines and untangled the meaning of his words.

Is it true?

Is she.....Is she pregnant, again?

Juhi looked at him with tear filled eyes, hoping and wishing for his words to be true and not a mere fragment of her imagination.

"Am I.....Am I really-?" Her voice cracked, not letting her complete the sentence.

"Yes Juhi, you are carrying, the Vaidya confirmed it after checking you. We are going to be parents Juhi. A little human will soon come to this world, who will call us mata and pitashree." She broke down in tears hearing his words.

She is pregnant, again.

Mahadev has returned her child, the child whom she had killed in her womb for her own selfishness.

She threw herself in Karna's arms, weeping. She shed tears for everything that had happened in the past and for everything that was happening and will happen. She shed tears for the child whom she killed and for the same child, whom she was carrying in her womb.

'Please don't snatch him again from me, lord Siva. I'm not strong enough to again bear the pain of loosing my child. If you want to punish me for the sins of my past please punish me but please don't let my child become a scapegoat for my actions. Please protect him.' She prayed to Him, the only one who is powerful enough to save her child from the demon that was lurking around her.

For she knew, the ghost of her past will not let her live happy until it extracts it's revenge from her. And it did nothing to ease her fears rather it was killing her slowly with its venom.

~••*••~

Hi guys,

*bents down avoiding all the tomato's and slippers flying towards my direction.*

Phew! Just miss.

I'm so sorry guys. Despite the target being completed a month back, I had not updated the next chapter and I really apologize for it. I swear I really wanted to update this chapter a month back but due to family emergencies I was not able to do it.

And on top of it my mental health was really down. Let me tell you being a 12th CBSE board student is not easy. They are literally killing us with the pressure. The previous years results are doing nothing to ease my worry. I just hope I pass my 12th this year. And guys do pray for my well being.

Coming back,

Hope this chapter was worth the wait. 

So what are your takes on this chapter?

Will Karna be able to save Juhi from her past before it kills her?

What do you think of Duryodhana's act?

Who do you think is the mysterious man Akop has mentioned?

To know the answer for all these questions, continue reading the book.

Target: 100 votes and 50 comments.

Till then,
Take care.