Target- 25 votes and 100 comments

Guys, this chapter was really hard to write so please give me a good response for this.

This chapter, is also pretty long with a lot of things, so brace yourself!

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It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.

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Yudhishthira sat before the mirror gazing at his appearance, it was a safe time, Draupadi was in the shower.

He delicately removed that heavy necklace he generally wore as it uncovered the cuts on his neck, cuts he had incurred himself recently, in the previous week, yet nobody knew.

While removing the jewellery a sharp edge of the ruby scratched the cut as it began bleeding once more. He shut his eyes as he cleaned the blood and again covered every one of them with the necklace, he felt a sharp surge of pain as the cold surface of the gold touched the scars but he did not show it.

From the beginning, he had concealed them from each one, nobody knew about his mental strife, he would not dare to tell them, they had greater issues on their hands.

He did the same with the scars on his wrist, the only scars someone knew about. He smiled a little as he heard her anklets jingle and decided to play a little prank.

Prank? He chuckled, he never did that, but Dhriti had changed him, pushing aside her painful memories he pretended to be engrossed at staring at himself putting the prank into action.

When Draupadi came and saw him so engrossed staring at his own reflection, she furrowed her eyebrows, no one told her that her eldest husband was fond of staring at himself, only Nakul was.

She decided to prank him as she first removed her anklets, the noisiest one, then her necklace followed by her earrings and then her bracelet, and tiptoed towards him, as she touched him on the shoulder, Yudhi internally smirked as he whispered-

"Purnima?" at this Draupadi surged with anger, as she thought of her enemy, they both hated each other. It all started when Purnima the princess of the neighboring kingdom, mocked her all the time for not knowing everything. She taunted her and called her names.

Her husband could not be smitten by that girl, Draupadi gritted her teeth.

"Oh, love, it is you. I-" Yudhi started.

"Stop with the drama, you obviously don't love me, here I came running to you and you were waiting for that girl." she said angrily.

"Nothing, I was just-" he tried again laughing inside his mind.

"I hate you so much." she said she stomped her feet like a little kid.

As he heard those words, he burst out laughing.

"Come on, Drau, what made you think I was waiting for her." yudhi said between his laughs.

"Then why did you name her." she asked pouting.

"Love, you are my everything, I even know the order in which you removed your jewellery, first your anklets, then necklace, then earrings, and finally your bracelet and then tiptoed towards me."

Draupadi let out a shocked gasp as her mouth formed an o, as she decided to tease him a little.

"So my cutie yudhi, was observing me sitting topless in front of the mirror, instead of wearing his angavastra, hmm.. hot.."

"Well, of course I did, your husband  is warrior love, and the fact he is smitten by you, he observes everything." he said as he blushed and pulled her and kissed her as he looked her in the eye seeking her permission as he travelled lower down her black, kissing her hard, Draupadi moaned in pleasure, when it struck her.

"Aarya." she shook him."we have to go for the day's proceedings,, " she said as yudhi made a face at which Draupadi pinched his cheeks as they got rid of each other and draupadi skimmed out, her insides churning at every place yudhi kissed and she blushed like a tomato.

Yudhi sat on the bed, he knew he was getting late but he could not help it.

A part of him wanted to go to the court and do his work, but he could not. He was numb, as he processed what just happened between him and Draupadi. As his cheeks turned crimson red, thinking of the intimate moment.

Another part of him just wanted to sit there, as he heard her playful words- I hate you. Here it was just for fun but no one knew how much these 3 words could hurt one.

He shut his eyes as the moment when devika said she hated him came before his eyes. The pain he felt at her memory was almost physical, everything just came back in flashbacks. He wished to forget everything and be able to live freely for once. Also, he was tired from all the royal work he had done yesterday. He had worked till late before coming to his room and then everything that happened, he needed to rest.

He did not know how long he sat there as he heard knocks on the door which he allowed; his 5 brothers came in worry plastered over their faces.

"Yudi, are you ok? Why did you not come to the court?" Karn asked him as yudhi gave him a smile.

"Nothing, I just did not feel like it?" yudhi said softly.

"Are you sure, you are ok bhrata Yudhishthira?" arjun asked checking if he was sick.

"Yes, I am, I told you, I was really tired." Yudhi said staring at arjun.

"From where the sun rose today?" bheem asked shocked.

"I don't know bharta bheem, but I can say, it is not a normal day, bhrata yudhi saying he is tired and missing the court is everything but normal." Nakul said equally shocked.

"pinch me." Arjun said as sahadev pinched him hard at which arjun winced and then glared at sahadev who made a puppy face.

Yudhi just watched the unfolding drama with karn on his side.

"Who needs entertainers here, in their presence?" karn whispered to yudhi as he chuckled.

"You better get used to it." Yudhi replied back whispering.

"But on a serious note- are you well bharta Yudhishthira? You know, we can talk." Sahadev said as the others nodded in acceptance.

"I am ok, it is just, I had so much to do yesterday, I am really exhausted from it." Yudhi said. It wasn't a lie, he had worked a lot the previous day, and returned extremely late, so and he was tired from the work. Draupadi had even given him a lecture for being late on their first night together.

At this bheem gave yudhi a small smile as he got up and gently massaged his head.

"How many times have we told you bhrata yudhi, to not work too much and take all the pressure on yourself?" nakul asked taking yudhi's hand.

"Very bad bhrata yudhi, look at your pale skin and tired face." Sahadev said as he glared at yudhi.

"Guys, chill. It is ok." Yudhi tried to reason, seriously his brothers were nothing but drama.

"I want to talk to yudhi, privately." Karn stated as he pulled yudhi up and dragged him to the other room and locked the door.

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"I am so proud of you." Karn told Yudhishthira as soon as they were in the room alone.

"Why?" yudhi whispered as a small smile adorned his face.

"For everything, you are so brave, to face it." Karn said cupping his face.

"I don't get you." Yudhi blankly stated.

"Well, I only spent a day with your brothers, and I must admit how well you managed them, I am already all worked up." Karn said as yudhi looked away.

"What happened?" karn asked as he saw yudhi avoiding his gaze.

"Nothing ." yudhi said as he tried to get rid of the memories which were flashing back again, the ones where they accused him of murder.

"See, yudhi, you are not alone, you have me, you have your brothers, you have ma, you have everyone." Karn said as gently caressed yudhishthira's hair.

"I know." Yudhi stated.

"By the way, Do you know how proud I am you are like this, you always looked forward, you had the courage to unlearn duryodhana's hatred." Karn said as he beamed at Yudhishthira.

(hope ur ok by Olivia Rodrigo playing in background.)

"Thanks so much...It was my dharma" yudhishthira found himself at a loss of words.

'It was not your Dharma, it was your selfless character." Karn said stroking his hair.

"You know we can always talk?" karn added looking yudhi straight in the eyes as yudhi turned away.

"Yes, I know." Yudhi said as he wondered whether karn knew about the dwaraka incident and everything, even though it was clear he did not, no one knew about what all actually took place which made him leave, everyone only knew he was killed no one knew the reason of him leaving.

"Also, will you teach me to be a good elder brother?" karn asked as yudhi's head snapped up but he did not look karn in the eye.

"How can I? You are already amazing and troublesome." Yudhi said looking him straight still avoiding his eyes.

"No, I am not." Karn said softly.

"Well, this conversation would not be happening if you weren't a good one. It is not about only tolerating; it is about understanding." Yudhi said softly.

"Do you think I am?" karn asked as yudhi nodded softly. Something karn noticed was yudhi's manner was cold, very cold, as if he was afraid of something. The way he talked, the way he sat, it was cold.

"Also, there is something else we need to talk about." Karn said as he sat straight as tenseness filled the air.

"What is it?" even yudhi switched to formal mode.

"I want you to be the king." Karn said it in a go.

"Why? I can't dream of it in your presence, you are my elder brother." Yudhi replied.

"Please, it is not my cup of tea, I ruled anga and see I was obliged to duryodhana for so long." Karn said softer this time.

"No, jyesth, it is your right." Yudhi's tone remained unchanged.

"Please, yudhi, you are everyone's dream king, you have to rule." Karn said in a pleading tone.

"I can't jyesth, I just can't. it is wrong, I can't even forgive myself for aspiring to rule, it was never my right." Yudhi said.

"Yudhi, maharaj pandu wanted you to rule, kaka vidur, pitamaha have dreamed to see you rule, subjects aspire to live under your rule." Karn said holding yudhi's hand.

"Firstly, it is dad pandu not maharaj pandu for you, he is our father. And you have to rule, you are our elder brother." Yudhi said squeezing karn's hand.

"Yudhi, don't force me to order you, you will have to obey my orders." Karn said strictly.

"You can't do that." Yudhi said without hesitating.

"I can, I am your elder brother, the same rule applies here also." Karn said firmly seeing the disagreeing look on Yudhishthira's face he sighed.

"You forced me to do this yudhi, I order you to be the king." Karn said as yudhi abruptly got up.

He unsheathed a sword as he put it near his neck pressing it as blood trickled down.

"You are forcing me to do this jyesth, I can't sit on the throne, now you choose, either you sit on the throne or my dead corpse does." Yudhi finished as he pressed it more feeling dizzy because of the blood loss.

"Yudhi, NO!" karn screamed as he tried to near yudhi and pull the sword away but yudhi only pressed it deeper loosing his balance.

"Yudhi!" karn caught him before he could fall and made him sit.

"Fine! I will rule, but you will never do that again." Karn said as he put his hand on yudhi's neck trying to stop the blood. 

Seriously, Yudhishthira was really good at blackmailing.

Yudhi just looked up as he met his eyes and karn's stared back in yudhi's eyes, Eyes so young, so full of pain ... Two lonely drops of winter rain ... And no tear could these eyes sustain .For too much had they seen.

Karn tore his gaze away unable to stare in yudhi's eyes and see his raw pain any longer but before he could ask anything about it they heard a loud commotion outside and a girl screaming.

They both went out and saw arjun stained in blood as a girl was in front of him covered in blood, unconsious. It happened so fast. No one had time to do anything, but watch.

Everyone tried to examine her, and tried to recognise her, karn ran there to know what happened but yudhi stood numb as he instantly recognised her.

Dhriti

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Why is dhriti back?

Plus, it is yudhishthira's birthday (the actual one) Happy Birthday Yudhishthira!

How is this cliffhanger?

What happened here, why was arjun splashed in blood?

How was karn- yudhi talk?

Did you like all the bonding?

What was the best part?

What was the worst part?