Asur means demon

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"That woman was just so infuriating."

Bheem snapped pacing the length of his common room gazing at his four siblings, who looked confused as hell.

He might as well be speaking an alien tongue, grumbling and pacing.

Those damn ebony orbs of the girl, darker than the night had sunk their hooks in his soul, and tugged with a vigor that he almost doubled with the pain of their separation.

It was stupid and he was infuriated, not at her but at himself. That girl, that stranger made him feel emotions that he had put under heavy lock and key. And he despised that.

Despised her.

Lie.

His consciousness snapped. Increasing his annoyance tenfold. He wanted to go back in time and erase their meeting, delete every second he spent in her presence.

She made him feel human, she made him feel someone. Like not everyone was scared of him, as though he wasn't a monster that he had made everyone believe.

She made him feel good and her thoughts just wouldn't leave his mind. And that tore him. It felt like a betrayal to his beautiful wife, his Drau.

That sweet woman who no longer walked this plane of earth with him. Pain stabbed him deep, flaying his heart, he bled within.

He could almost feel every emotion that he had bolted shut, seep out and poison his soul.

"Whom are you talking about?" Yudhisthir asked partly curious. In the longest of the years it had been first time Bheem had called a family meeting.

And for the first time in eons their meeting was not about war stuff or some new political strategy, but just to vent emotions.

It made his heart light with joy. Hope rose in his heart, maybe things would get back to normal.

He wasn't a fool to assume that everything would be back to the way it had been before he had met Drau, but maybe he will get his brothers back. Since Drau's death, he felt like he had lost his brother's too.

They hardly interacted like before, too submerged in their pain to share anything meaningful.

Drau's absence had left a chasm between them, that oozed with agony everyday.

"That insolent Brat!"

Bheem growled his fury interwoven with frustration, a wave of confusion curtained the room, as the four men shared a look. what had ticked their brother off so royally? More importantly who?

"Who brother?"

Nakul asked confused leaning back on the futon on the floor, that made a cozy sitting space. He leaned back on the wall, his elbow parked on the long soft cushion.

Bheem faced the four as he began narrated the happenings of the early morning. A silence fell over the room, the four gazing at each other before the busted out laughing.

Their boisterous male laughter bounced off the walls.

"Shurpanakha? Seriously?" Arjun gasped in between his laughter, leaning against Sehdev, who howled with laughter.

"Kumbhakarna was epic!" Nakul shot back sharing a high five with Arjun.

"Jyest tell them to shut up!" Bheem grumbled, his words lacking their usual heat. His four siblings were laughing, and that was something he could never really be mad about.

Maybe this altercation with the brat had at least some positives. For the first time after Drau he had left them, he had seen them smile as a family, joking about something.

And he could never be mad about his brothers' joy.

Yudhisthir smiled up at his younger brother, "Well, they aren't really wrong. It was funny little brother."

And just like that another round of laughter ensued. "So, she was bhraata Karn's best friend?" Nakul asked, gazing at his twin, who shrugged sitting silently observing his siblings.

"Yes." Bheem grumbled.

"And you fought with the one friend he has outside of family, that really matters to him?" Arjun teased, his hazel orbs lit with mirth.

"Did you not hear just how disrespectful she was being!" He asked exasperated, making the four laugh once again.

"Oh brother I am glad you found something fun to do with your morning hours." Arjun poked his elder brother, earning another scowl. Damn he missed this moments.

"But I still find her insulting," Bheem huffed, shaking his head, crossing his arms and hunching his shoulders.

His words made no effect on his brothers. Instead Nakul gave him a knowing smile and Arjun just laughed.

Bheem rolled his eyes staring down at the carpet below him, his fingers twisting in the fabric of his angvastr.

He felt himself relax for the first time since Drau's death. There were moments when they got along well, times where they laughed together.

But then Drau had died, and now he couldn't remember any of those instances. Their brotherhood had lost somewhere.

"Well. It was a beautiful tale, but I have to leave with my twin. We have to meet someone that Vasudev has brought to assist us."

Sehdev stood up walking up to Bheem, wrapping his arms around him, he gave him a tight embrace. he was grateful for this one interaction with his siblings.

The silence between them had stretched too long, and the cold icy touch of loneliness was freezing him from within. But today after the longest he had again felt a part of his family, like maybe he would at least have their brotherhood back if not Drau.

Bheem exhaled, his posture sagged completely. Pretending to be a mountain with no emotions was exhausting. He was exhausted.

In that one moment he let himself go. He embraced his brother like they were young again, living in the forest with their parents and with all the love they ever need, where life was so much simpler.

A calmness descended over their souls, as they just let themselves go. The other three moved ahead, wrapping their arms around the two.

A warm feeling swelled through Bheem's chest, he hadn't realized how much he needed these moments, and how much they reminded him why he was fighting so hard to stay alive and why he wanted to protect his family.

The others didn' need him, but here they had him, and it felt good.

He released a deep sigh closing his eyes for just an instant, reveling in the feeling of his family surrounding him, of being loved.

When he opened his eyes the others stood watching him expectantly. He chuckled turning towards them, "Alright, we should get going if we don't want to be late."

They laughed moving out of the doorway as Bheem walked out and closed the door behind him. A family they were through thick and thin.

☆☆☆

Dhriti grumbled under her breath, recalling the Baboon from her squabble earlier. That man was infuriating to the core.

Yet those deep eyes and his perfect jawline and those intense heated stares made her shiver, and not in a bad away.

Oh no they were very delicious tremors, which made them all the more annoying. Like seriously?!

She had officially lost her mind or something, he was not the right candidate to be crushing on. It was just plain stupid. A path to destruction.

And yet it didn't just feel like a crush, oh no it was so much more. A crush wasn't supposed to be this intense.

This constant pull she felt with the two strangers was ridiculous. Her gaze flickered at the darkening sky, the clouds rolled in, blanketing the gorgeous blue with its dull grey.

A sigh passed through her lips, life was just so unpredictable. "Dhriti you need to get back to work. "

Turning around from the open corridor balcony, to the huge maghony door. A sense of deja-vu washed over her. 

That sense of familiarity bloomed in her chest, it felt as though she had been here before. Walked this corridors and had entered this study before.

A memory tugged her sharply.

Moving from one feet to another, she gazed at the study door ahead of her.

Hesitancy sunk it's claws in, should she? What would they think if her? What if they too certified she was crazy?

She knew they were excellent people, that they really cared for her, that they wouldn't judge, but the nagging insecurities were insistent.

Weaving a tale of horrorndrous scenarios.

Shaking her head, she pushed down the anxieties.

Everything will be fine, everything will be.

It was a constant mantra on her mind, easing it, assuring herself.

Before she lost the strength, she knocked on the door.

Her breathing coming in short pants, fidgetting, she awaited. 

Though it hardly took a second, she could almost feel the time crawl by. Making her heart hammer in her chest.

A feeling of restlessness, and suffocation, coiling within her.

"Come in." It was Nakul's voice, that reverberated through the door, breathing in deeply, she pushed it open.

The air around her seemed to tighten with pressure, making her heart clench.

Trust them.

A part of her whispered.

Stilling her palpitating heart, she crossed the doorway.

Taking careful steps in, she shut the door.

Coward.

Her conscious snapped, making her heart clench, yes she was. She was buying time more than anything else.

Turning around, she gulped, her throat dry, she walked in.

The five stood facing away from her, they were bent over a huge oak table, that had various maps spread over it.

Neither of them looked up, pointing and continuing their discussion.

"This much sadness? What's got you worried dear?" It was Bheem, who spoke, his eyes hadn't left the maps, as he moved a little marking to another side.

A confused frown made it's way to on her beautiful face.

How did he know? He didn't even look up once. She wondered, ceasing her fidgetting movements.

"How?" Confusion tinged her tone, Bheem's lips spread in a soft smile.

"A little birdie told me that's how." He teased, humor tainting his words.

When she just continued to frown, gazing at the floor, Arjun sighed heavily.

"The sound of your anklets, that's how he knew." The third son of Kunti replied, turning another leaf of the map.

His answer, was as clear as mud.

"My anklets? They speak?" Her eyes averted at her anklets, as though expecting them to pop up lips, and speak.

The five laughed, shaking their heads at her innocence.

"No Drau. The sound of your anklets vary, on how you are feeling. When your happy, you walk a little faster, as though your gliding through the air. Your anklets sing the symphony of joy." Sehdev began gazing up from the map, his eyes clashing with hers.

The soft smile on his lips, nearly knocking her heart out of his chest.

"When you are feeling playful, your feet move with the mischievous spin of  wind, your anklets playing a crescendo of fast rhythms." Arjun continued, he beamed like he was talking about the most interesting things in the world.

And not the sound of her anklets.

"But when you are sad, your feet echo a silence, one that weighs with the heaviness of your thoughts. Your anklets are quite as air.  Like all the joy from this world, had completely vanished." Sadness tainted the words of Bheem, explained.

The soulful dark chocolate eyes, gazing at her, her sadness reflected in his, almost as though he could feel it.

Like her pain hurt him, like her sadness weighed on him.

That echoing sadness reverberated through them all.

Her vision blurred, throat tightening, she gulped.

For how long had she exactly awaited for someone to understand her?

Almost a lifetime, is what it felt like. . .

"Dhriti!"

Karn shook her, frowning down at her. She blinked her heart hammering wildly as she gazed up at him.

What the heck was that? Just what the hell did she witness?

Was it a memory. . .but that couldn't be right. She was Dhriti and not Drau, as those men in her dreams kept calling her.

"Dhriti." Concern laced in the voice of eldest son of Kunti. "What's the matter? Are you sick? Should I call a doctor-"

"No! I'm fine. I am fine." She assured, forcing a smile on her lips. The lie tasted sour in her mouth, yet she curved her lips up in an assuring smile.

"You sure? It's okay you can meet my brothers' some other day. They'll understand-"

"No. This is my duty. I really want to do it. I promise it's all good."

The look on Karn's face revealed that he didn't believe her, but he let it go.

Smiling he pushed the door to the study open.  Revealing floor to ceiling lengths of shelves, rows and rows of them. A huge maghony table stood in one left corner.

Isn't  that where the five stood leaning over the maps, just like her dream or vision or whatever the hell it was.

Her throat was suddenly dry as the Sahara desert. Those five names hammered around in her mind.

She couldn't recall the faces, but those names were just so clear. Maybe she had heard this before and her mind had just cooked up some story.

But than how did she know what this room looked like?

Anxiety crawled up her throat like a snake, slithering and tightening around her heart, squeezing it so hard, she feared it would shatter in a million pieces.

"Dhriti? Where do you keep getting lost?" Karn asked as he froze mid sentence, turning to his friend.

"Nothing. What were you saying?"

The eldest son of Kunti stared at her for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should press on the matter.

Maybe she wasn't ready to talk about whatever it was. He had to trust their friendship.

"I was saying that the twins will guide you, since this is their forte. For now you can start by arranging this books in order, I'll help. Come-"

"No! This is my work. I am certain you have your princely duties to do. Shoo away."

She waved her hand in the air, dismissing him of. A laughter peeled through his lips, "You're the only one probably who gets away with 'shooing' me away."

"And Vrishali doesn't? Like  would-"

"Bye Dhirti!"

Karn said loudly his face flushing a deep shade of scarlet, hearing the name of the woman he loved to crazily.

"Oy! Where are-"

"I'll see you soon!"

And just like that the mighty prince of Hastinapur rushed out of the room, leaving behind a chuckling Dhirti.

Her gaze fell on the mountain of books and she groaned. "What were this princes of Hastinapur doing? Making castles out of this books."

She grumbled trudging towards the books. "Let's get to work Dhriti." She mumbled to herself, as she began sorting the books.

Time seemed to pass faster as she submerged herself in the work, an hour later she stood on the ladder, placing the books on the higher shelves.

"For whom was this library meant for? Freaking giants?" She grumbled, stretching on her tip toes to reach higher up, straining to reach the first shelf.

"Stupid shelves. Stupid height." She cursed under her breath. "Just one more book-"

"What the fuck are you doing?!" A loud growling male voice snapped, shattering her concentration, she lost her balance stumbling back, fanning her arms in an attempt to right herself but it was too late.

Shutting her eyes, she felt herself zooming down towards the hard floor. Fear clutched her heart in it's claws.

"Fuck!"

Nakul cursed, sailing over the couch, he rushed forward just in time to wrap his arms around the girl, who seemed so damn hell bent on getting her neck snapped.

Electricity zinged through his body, lighting up his heart like it was freaking Diwali. His heart hammered as he gazed down at the beauty in his arms.

She clutched hard on his angvastr, her eyes were shut tightly. Terror marring her features. And yet she looked just so precious.

Her little button nose, and pouty lips, with her deep golden tanned skin. She was gorgeous, not the out of the world beauty the way Drau-

The thought of his wife was like someone had splashed cold water on his face. "What the fuck were you doing?" He growled, his arms unconsciously tightening around her.

Anger seemed a better response than the heart warming softness that he felt towards her.

Which was insane. He was married and had a wife, though she wasn't here with him, but she was all that he ever needed.

Fuck!

Her eyes flew open, Nakul's heart shuttered gazing down at the swirling dark orbs. That tugged him in like a storm.

Holy hell of everything that was sinful! Who was this man?!

Deep chocolate brown orbs gazed down at her, darkening with a fury so intense that made them look pitch black.

This man was devastatingly handsome with a sharp jaw, and striking features there was no doubt this was Prince Nakul, the most handsome man to ever walk this planet.

How many rumors had she ever heard about him? Too many to remember. Too many lores of his beauty were sung. But not one made just justice to his heavenly charms.

He glared down at her, like an angry god ready to turn her in ashes. The feel of his rough calloused hands and strong muscular body had goosebumps breaking throughout her body.

She just blinked up at him. Willing her mind to speak, but it was like her mind had lost the capacity to form words.

The dark god with the devastating mix of an angel's looks and the temper of devil's. Prince Nakul of Hastinapur was a vicious cocktail of opposing traits.

"Have you lost your freaking mind? Had I not been here you would have cracked your head in two? What the hell were you thinking?!"

Nakul snapped, fury burned through his veins gazing down at the stranger that didn't seem like a stranger at all.

There was something about her, that just tugged at him so sharply towards her.

"Had you not been here my concentration wouldn't have been broken. And I would be doing my work."

She knew it was a very very bad idea to argue with a prince, specially the one you were working under, but damn it this man set her blood on fire.

"Oh really? Who in the first place told you to climb so high? What are you 6 to just randomly follow orders?"

"Well maybe the fact that some people are actually trying to do their work, unlike you who just seem to pounce of strangers for no apparent reason."

"Pounce? Woman I saved your life!"

"The one you put in danger to begin with!"

"The heck are your manners at! I am the prince!"

"So just because you feel you are a prince, you are entitled to do whatever the hell you want."

"Are you saying I am a spoiled one?"

"Oh my god! You actually use your brain that's amazing!"  Sarcasm dripped of Dhriti's words as she gave him a fake excited smile.

His plump pink lips curved downwards, eyes clouding with a thundering fury. The air zinged with passion and attraction, they could practically feel the teeter connecting them, pulling them together.

The intense longing to sink in the others arms sparked in their eyes, but they held black, instead glaring at each other.

"You will regret this." He promised his words darkening with a threat that sent shivers down her spine.

He awoke a mixture of emotions in her heart, one she didn't know what to make sense of. His vanilla fragrance teased her sense, tempting her to lean closer to breath in that tantalizing smell.

Bad Dhriti, you don't even know him.

Nakul's grip tightened on her, pulling her harder in his arms. The feel of her supple skin, set his in a hot heated blaze.

"Are you the one, who is assisting me?" He asked carefully, squinting his eyes at the girl in his arms.

"I am assisting you?" She asked incredulously, sure she knew that this was Prince Nakul, she had taken a guess but actually hearing the confirmation had her heart galloping.

How stupid could she be? Damn it!

She gritted her teeth as he smirked down at her, an air of smugness surrounded him.

"Yes. And your work starts right about now." He stated, setting her down. As he moved towards the window. "I want a tea. Go get me one now."

"But-"

"You want this job or no? Than you do exactly what I say." He snapped, turning around, folding his hands over his chest glaring at the girl ahead of her.

"Yes your highness." She gritted her teeth, glaring at his handsome face, and just like that her heart thumped once again.

Damn it! I don't like him! He is a rude entitled man!

And a very handsome one at that. Her conscious whispered, making her grit her teeth.

What was it with man in Hastinapur and her? They all frothed in mouth with crazy fury seeing her. Not that she made it any easier for them, but- uggghh!

"What are you waiting for? Get moving!"

He snapped,  the princess in her bristled. This rude man! He was just so infuriating. Prince of handsomeness more like Prince Asur.

"Servant girl, get moving. I don't like to repeat myself. "

"Yes, prince." Asur . She almost wanted to say the word on his face, just to see his reactions, but no, it would serve no purpose. Things would just get worse.

She walked out of the room fuming at the demon prince. What the heck was wrong with people of Hastinapur? More like the princes.

Nakul laughed throwing his head back, watching as the girl walked out. She was fiesty there was no doubt it.

Amusement permeated the air. Crazy girl. He shook his head, his eyes falling over the throngs of papers and he groaned, damn it he need to finish this work, this sucked. He hated paper work.

Sehdev had to make a detour to collect some herbs, and would be here anytime but this sucked royally.

Sighing deeply he walked towards his table, sitting down he got back to work.

A few moments later, the girl walked in.  "What's your name?"

"Dhriti." She whispered keeping the tea beside his hand.

"Good. Servant girl get a paper and pen and start making a list. "

She gritted her teeth, as the prince waved his hand nonchalantly. If he had to call her servant girl, why ask her name?

Amusement curtained Nakul's heart, was he enjoying teasing Dhriti? Hell yes. Did he regret it? Not a bit.

She picked and paper.

"Sit on the couch." He commanded, and began listing out items that they were running out of.

"Look here Servant girl, keeping the check of Dev's, my younger twin Sehdev's inventory will be one of your jobs. You will need to learn the names of different herbs and their uses. That would be your job this week. We'll escalate more as time goes by."

He stated taking a sip of the tea, it was perfect. But just to ruffle her feathers, he scrunched his face up.

"It's too sweet. Get me another one. And make sure, you are the one making it, but less sugar this time. " He instructed.

She squinted her eyes in suspicion. The sugar was fine. But maybe he liked it differently. Huffing she walked to kitchen, making another tea, before walking back.

He gazed up at her, those dark orbs swirled with mischief, making her jaw set. He was playing with her. She was sure of it, but could she do anything about it?

Freaking no!

He took a sip. "No. Too less of a sugar. Get another one."

Seven teas later and god damn what felt like the hundredth time walking to the kitchen later. Dhriti was boiling with a deep sated fury.

"Oh servant girl, you are ridiculously bad at making tea. Get me another one."

"Will do. " She whispered.

Marching up to kitchen, she remade the tea. Instead of sugar her hand snatched up the box of pepper powder.

"Let's see how much you enjoy this special tea prince asur."

She smirked, dumping three spoon full of pepper powder in the mug, before mixing it well. Plastering a tired expression she walked up to the study.

"Here is your tea."

Nakul gazed up at the girl. Her tired expression had his heart melting. Maybe this joke was going too far and he should apologize.

Reaching out he held the mug in his hands, preparing to complement her. He took a generous sip, his features contorted as the sharp taste of pepper combasted in his mouth.

He nearly choked on the drink, sending it up in the wrong hole, splattering. He chocked down the drink.

His eyes watered, face turned beet red.

He reminded her of those red faced monkeys, only this demon monkey was now sneezing to hell and back.

"You-" He sneezed.

One followed another.  Dhriti pressed her lips together. Humor zipping up in the air, while she gazed up at him.

"What the he-" he sneezed rapidly, pushing the chair back, and standing up.

"You-" A series of sneezes followed his words.

"Um. Are you alright prince?" Humor tainted her words, while she blinked at him with her huge doe shaped eyes.

"Nakul?" Karn inquired walking in, a confused Sehdev following him. His gaze fell on the girl, and his heart nearly thumped to a stop.

The girl from the blazing fire stood ahead of him, amusement masking her features.  The rapid sneezing of their brother had the two Kuruvanshi's attention moving towards the girl.

"What happened?"

"I think he didn't like my tea." She whispered.

"Eh?" Karn asked confused.

"Dhriti what did you do?" He snapped, the concern for his brother flooding him.

"I made tea."

"But that shouldn't-"

Nakul sneezed harder, "It's not the tea, I by mistakenly smelled the pepper, from one of the bottles."

Dhriti's head snapped towards the prince, his beautiful eyes were a deep shade of scarlet, watering. As he sneezed.

Regret punched in her chest, maybe she shouldn't have done this. "Dhirti pass me that bottle." Nakul commanded, pointing at a glass bottle walking ahead, she picked it up.

Ready to apologies. "Oh servant girl, you have just began a war." He stated smirking at her. She squinted her eyes. Damn this man.

He was the Prince Asur. To hell with the apology. Meeting his beautiful dark orbs, she smirked right back. "Bring it on Prince Asur."

Nakul bristled at the challenge in her words. Only if she knew what hell she had unleashed. . .

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