A week had passed since the tumultuous battle against Ayushman, a clash that had drained the Pandavas of their vitality and spirit.

The royal infirmary was hushed, a cocoon of tranquility that enveloped the brothers as they lay in their individual beds, each locked in a deep sleep.

The air was thick with the scent of sandalwood and fresh flowers, remnants of the care that had surrounded them during their unconsciousness.

As the first rays of dawn broke through the tall windows, illuminating the room in soft, golden light, Bheem was the first to awaken.

He stirred, the heaviness of slumber lifting slowly from his body. With a start, he shot upright, a torrent of anxiety crashing over him like a wave against rocky shores.

Where was Draupadi? Had their desperate attempts to save her succeeded, or had they failed?

His heart raced as he scanned the room. The sight of his brothers, peaceful in their slumber, brought him a moment of relief, yet the gnawing fear remained.

“Draupadi?” he croaked, his voice a low whisper laced with desperation.

Just then, a figure seated by the window broke through the silence. Krishna, radiant and calm, looked up from the book in his hands.

His presence filled the room with an ethereal glow, as if the sun had taken a corporeal form.

Clad in a garment of azure silk that shimmered like the sky at dusk, he exuded an aura of divine grace.

His features were both delicate and striking, with eyes that sparkled like twin stars, holding an infinite depth that seemed to reflect the universe’s wisdom.

The faint scent of jasmine surrounded him, and where he was present, peace followed like a gentle breeze after a storm.

“She is here, Bheem,” Krishna said, his voice smooth and soothing as honey poured over warm bread. “She is resting peacefully.”

Relief flooded through Bheem like a warm tide. He took a deep breath, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease as the fear dissipated like mist under the morning sun. Just then, one by one, his brothers began to awaken.

Arjun blinked against the light, yawning as he stretched his limbs. His eyes sharpened as they met Bheem’s worried gaze. “What troubles you, brother?” he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“Draupadi… I was afraid—” Bheem began, but Krishna interjected gently.

“Fear not, for she is safe, and so are you.”

Nakul stirred next, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Is it morning already?” he mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Yes, morning has graced us,” Krishna replied, his smile brightening the room even more. “And you have all been in slumber for quite some time.”

Sahadev sat up, the remnants of sleep still clinging to him like a faded dream. “Krishna, when did you arrive?”

Krishna closed his book, his demeanor shifting to one of gentle authority. “I was here the moment you all fainted,” he said, a playful glint in his eyes.

Bheem frowned, the remnants of worry shadowing his face. “But you told us you wouldn’t be joining us in battle, that we would not need you. Yet you are here.”

Krishna chuckled lightly, the sound reminiscent of tinkling bells. “Ah, but I was needed when you were fighting for your lives, and I couldn’t let you leave this world without a proper farewell, could I?”

The brothers exchanged glances, the tension in the room easing with Krishna’s playful banter. Arjun shook his head, a smile creeping onto his lips. “Only you could find humor in such dire circumstances, Madhav.”

“Indeed, Parth,” Krishna replied, returning the smile with one of his own. “What are friends for if not to lighten the load?”

Nakul stretched again, the heaviness of sleep lifting from him. “But Krishna, what of our family? Have they—”

“Worried sick,” Krishna interrupted, his tone now serious yet warm. “None of them have eaten or slept properly since the battle. They’ve been waiting for you to awaken, and I must say, they are starting to look a bit like hungry ghosts.”

Sahadev's expression shifted to one of guilt. “We didn’t mean to cause them distress.”

Krishna waved a hand dismissively, the light in his eyes dancing with mirth. “You are the mighty Pandavas; they would wait for eons if it meant you would return to them. But a little nourishment wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

Bheem chuckled softly, shaking his head in disbelief. “We can’t even get our rest without worrying the family.”

“Ah, but that is the burden of love,” Krishna said, a hint of mischief playing at the corners of his mouth. “We are bound by our hearts, after all.”

Then, with a snap of his fingers, Krishna called for a maid, his demeanor shifting back to one of authority. “Please inform the rest of the family that the Pandavas have awakened,” he instructed.

The maid nodded, her face lighting up with joy at the news, and hurried from the room, her footsteps light as she rushed to spread the word.

As the door closed behind her, the atmosphere shifted, filled with the unspoken bond between the brothers. They shared a moment of silence, the weight of their experiences resting heavily in the air. Yet there was an undeniable warmth, a sense of safety that enveloped them like a well-worn blanket.

“Buashree will be delighted to see you all,” Krishna said, breaking the stillness. “She has been fretting over you, of course. You should be prepared for her to shower you with affection.”

Bheem laughed, the sound rich and deep, recalling his mother's angry face.  “And perhaps a lecture about our reckless behavior.”

Krishna grinned, his eyes twinkling like stars. “Just think of it as her way of reminding you of your mortality.”

The brothers chuckled, the laughter echoing against the walls of the infirmary, easing the lingering heaviness in their hearts.

It was a reminder that despite the battles they faced, their love for Draupadi and for one another would always be their guiding light.

In the soft glow of the morning, surrounded by the warmth of friendship and love, the Pandavas found solace in Krishna’s presence, a reassurance that peace had returned to their lives.

They were no longer mere warriors; they were brothers, bound by love and laughter, ready to embrace the next chapter together.

And as the sun climbed higher in the sky, casting a golden hue across the room, they felt a renewed strength blossoming within them—a promise that no matter what lay ahead, they would face it together, as they always had.

With that shared laughter hanging in the air, the chapter closed, leaving a sense of hope and lightness as the maid rushed to inform their family that the Pandavas had finally awakened. . .

***
The door slammed open with the force of a hundred angry elephants, making even the sturdy walls of the infirmary tremble. Duryodhan, Karn, Dushasan, and Yuyutsu stormed in, their eyes ablaze with a mix of rage and worry, like mothers who had just discovered their kids playing in a field of quicksand.

The Pandavas, lounging on their beds like they’d just had a nice spa day instead of nearly dying in battle, blinked up at them groggily.

Arjun was mid-yawn when Karn’s furious voice filled the room.

“YOU BUNCH OF ABSOLUTE MORONS!” Karn roared, his fists clenched so tightly you could almost hear his knuckles cracking.

“Do you have ANY idea how close you came to dying? And for what?!”

Bheem sat up, rubbing his eyes like a sleepy toddler. “We saved people, jyest. You know, being heroes and all?”

Duryodhan stomped over, grabbed Bheem’s ear, and twisted it like an angry grandmother. “Heroes? HEROES?! We nearly DIED of stress while you were off playing knights-in-shining-armor! Do you have ANY idea what it was like waiting for you idiots to wake up?”

“Ow, ow, ow!” Bheem flailed, trying to bat Duryodhan’s hand away. “Stop! I’m a warrior, not a cow! Stop pulling my ear like that!”

Arjun, seeing the storm that was brewing, quietly started scooting toward the edge of his bed. Maybe, if he was quick enough, he could slip out unnoticed.

“Where do you think you’re going, Parth?” Karn growled, catching him in the act. “There’s no escape for you.”

“Who, me?” Arjun put on his best innocent face. “I’m just… uh… stretching my legs! You know, long sleep and all that. Muscles get tight.”

“Stretch this.” Karn delivered a smack to the back of Arjun’s head that echoed through the room.

Arjun winced, rubbing the back of his skull. “Really, Jyest? I thought we were supposed to be friends now.”

“Friends?” Karn’s eye twitched. “I’ll show you friendship.” He cracked his knuckles ominously.

Yudhisthir, the ever-reasonable one, raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Brothers, brothers, let’s not resort to violence. We’re all on the same side here.”

“OH REALLY?!” Dushasan barked, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You, the calm one, charging into danger like you’re invincible! You almost gave us all a heart attack! And for what? For some heroic nonsense?”

Yudhisthir’s face remained calm, but his eyes betrayed a hint of fear. “I assure you, everything was under control.”

“UNDER CONTROL?!” Karn’s laugh was a harsh bark of disbelief. “You were THIS close—” he pinched his fingers together “—to becoming fertilizer for the battlefield!”

Bheem, still nursing his twisted ear, grumbled. “Alright, alright. We get it. You were worried. No need to get all dramatic.”

“DRAMATIC?!” Duryodhan shrieked, launching himself at Bheem’s neck, arms flailing. “I’ll show you dramatic, you oversized gorilla!”

Bheem staggered around the room, Duryodhan hanging off his back, fists raining down on him like a particularly angry rainstorm. “Get OFF me, you little—”

“LITTLE?!” Duryodhan locked his legs around Bheem’s waist and started punching his ribs. “I’ll show you little!”

Arjun, seizing the moment, saw an opening. If Bheem was distracting Duryodhan, maybe he could still sneak out.

“I’m just gonna… check on something… outside,” he muttered, inching toward the door.

Not so fast. Dushasan had already noticed his escape attempt.

“And where do you think YOU’RE going, Mr. ‘I’m-the-best-archer-in-the-world’?” Dushasan grabbed him by the collar and yanked him backward. “Trying to run away again, huh?”

“I wasn’t running!” Arjun protested. “I was just… testing the breeze. Making sure the air quality is good for everyone.”

Dushasan raised an eyebrow. “You think you can fool me with that nonsense?”

“Well, it worked last time,” Arjun mumbled under his breath.

Without warning, Dushasan smacked him across the arm, and Arjun yelped in indignation. “Hey! I need this arm for archery!”

“You won’t be needing it when we’re done with you,” Dushasan said, grinning wickedly.

Meanwhile, Sahadev, the quietest and arguably the smartest of the Pandavas, had been subtly trying to blend into the background.

Maybe, if he was still enough, they wouldn’t notice he was here. He could just melt into the scenery. No one ever attacked the quiet ones, right?

Wrong.

“Sahadev!” Yuyutsu’s voice rang out, causing Sahadev to freeze in terror. “Don’t think we forgot about you! You think just because you’re quiet, you can escape a beating?”

Sahadev gulped. “I didn’t do anything! I was just… there!”

Yuyutsu cracked his knuckles. “Exactly. You were there. And that’s reason enough.”

Before Sahadev could protest, Yuyutsu delivered a surprisingly well-aimed slap to his shoulder. “That’s for making me worry. And this—” another slap “—is for being the quiet one. It’s always the quiet ones!”

Krishna, sitting comfortably in the corner of the room with a bowl of grapes, was absolutely howling with laughter at this point. He wiped a tear from his eye as he watched the chaos unfold before him.

“Oh, this is rich,” he wheezed, clutching his stomach. “You lot have been itching to smack the Pandavas for years now.”

Bheem, still staggering around the room with Duryodhan clinging to his back, yelled over his shoulder, “Madhav! Are you not supposed to be helping us?!”

Krishna popped a grape into his mouth, grinning like a mischievous child. “I am helping. I’m helping the Kauravas vent their frustrations. You see, you guys keep doing reckless things, and then we all have to deal with the fallout. This is… therapeutic for them.”

Therapeutic or not, the Pandavas had had enough. They exchanged glances, silently agreeing that it was time to make a break for it.

“Okay, plan,” Arjun whispered to Bheem, Yudhisthir, and Sahadev as they regrouped. “We create a distraction, and then we bolt for the door. Karn and Duryodhan will never see it coming.”

Yudhisthir nodded sagely. “A sound strategy. Let’s go with it.”

As Karn was distracted with giving Nakul an earful about his hairstyle “Do you know how much conditioner I have to use to maintain this?!” Nakul whined, the Pandavas made their move.

Bheem grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at Dushasan, who ducked just in time. Arjun fired a fake arrow (really just a stick he found) toward Karn’s head, while Yudhisthir and Sahadev sprinted toward the door like their lives depended on it.

“We’re almost free!” Arjun whispered triumphantly as they neared the doorway. “We just need to—"

Suddenly, the doorway darkened, and three looming figures stepped in, blocking their escape route like a brick wall of doom.

It was Dhritarashtr, Bhishm, and Shakuni.

“Going somewhere?” Bhishm asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Pandavas froze, their eyes widening in horror.

Before they could react, Shakuni, with a grin that said “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” smacked Arjun in the face with his cane.

“Back in the room, boys,” he said, nudging them back in like herding cattle. “You thought you could run away from this family meeting? Think again.”

***

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