There was this gut wrenching scream. Karn found the color leave Yudhishthira's face in an instant. And then they heard it. That little noise which was music to their ears- The baby's cry. Vrushali came out with the baby wrapped in a white dhoti.

"It's a boy Yudhi", she said through happy tears, "You have a son now", she said as she passed on the babyboy to Yudhi.

Yudhi took the baby into his arms. He has never felt this much happy in his entire life, "Welcome to this world my bundle of joy! I am going to be the best father the world has ever seen I Promise!", he said and kissed his son's forehead. He just wanted to stop time and cherish that moment. He handed the boy to bheem with a smile that had been missing on his face for years because of all the struggles.

Arjun noticed how the baby snuggled to his father's touch. He noticed how proud Yudhi felt.

"Awww", Dhriti said wistfully. With just one look at her anyone can see how badly she wanted to hold him. How can Yudhi not see?

"Hey little man! Let me introduce you to our Aunt, Dhriti", Dhriti said.

"Hey little champ", Dhriti ssaid as sshe held him, "Oh my God he is so tiny",she added. She didn't even bother to hide her wet eyes, "I cant wait to play with you"

But his happiness was doubled as Kunti came out holding another child in her arms.

"There is a girl also, she is the elder twin" She said as she handed the daughter to yudhishthira as she held his hand with her tiny finger.

Tears came to his eyes as he saw himself in her, she seemed like his exact replica of him. He could not put his feelings into words. She filled him with inexplicable ecstasy. He had never been this happy. The way her tiny fingers wrapped around his war rough palms. She stared up at him, and her eyes were so large they looked like blue mint candies. They had a different pain in them. A feeling of pleading reflected in her eyes as yudhi shivered at it. She fidgeted her fingers in his hand as let out a watery chuckle. She then extended her hand and pulled his hair hard. Making him fake scowl then laugh as other burst out laughing.

"Welcome to the team, No one except me, you, Nakul and Sahadev ever dared to pull bhaiya's hair." Dhriti said laughing.

But their joy was short lived was she suddenly struggled breathing, and within a second, she shut her eyes for evermore. She died before she even saw life. Yudhishthira went hysteric as his brothers held him tight as he himself struggled in their grasps.

"Bhaiya we need you in right now", Nakul yelled from the bedroom door.

"What? What happened?", Yudhishthira screamed.

"Bhabi is loosing consciousness. Only you can bring her back. Get in here NOW", he yelled.

"Oh My God"

"It's okay we will take care of him. Go save your wife", Bheem said as he rocked the baby boy and Dhriti gave him an assuring nod.

Yudhi hurried to Draupadi followed by Kunti as Dhriti whispered to the baby, "Don't worry! I will always protect you- with my life"

After a minute or so the kid started crying. "Shshhh Shshhh Its okay champ. Mom and dad will be here soon. You are my brave prince. Don't cry! Don't cry!", Karn cooed. But he didn't stop crying. "Oh my God what do I do?", Bheema asked, Dhriti, Bheem tried soothing him but he didn't. Atlast Arjun took the kid in his arms and started swaddling him.

'He is the best of Bhaiya and Bhabi. What an amazing little soul', Arjun thought. "Hey please don't cry. Please don't.", he begged. He then took out the rattle that he stole from the heap of royal valuables that morning. The kid stopped crying at the sound of the rattle. "Yaayy its working", Arjun yelled childishly.

"Shshhh", Bheem & Dhriti shushed him at the same time. Bheemtook the rattle from Arjun's hand and started shaking it as Arjun kept swaddling the little one.

Soon the kid slept in Arjun's arms. Arjun felt an instant connection to the kid. One look at the face of the kid made Arjun wanna die for him. He felt over protective.

In the other room, Nakul and Sahadev were striving hard to save Draupadi's life.

"Bhaiya stay calm first! Keep talking to her and slap her cheeks. Bring her back", Nakul said as he was working on herbs.

"Ok Ok Hey Panchaali! I know you can hear me. Come on! I need you to comeback to me. Please", Yudhishthira said and did as he was told. "Ok this is not working! Damnit!", Yudhi was starting to get frantic. He just lost his daughter and loosing his wife was a huge no no to him. In normal situations everyone would record seeing someone ever calm loose his sanity.

"Bhaiya! Bhaiya Yudhi look at me!", Sahadev yelled grabbing Yudhishthira's shoulders in an attempt to gain his attention. "We asked you in here to help. You freaking out is not helping. I need you to calm down. Take a deep breath", Yudhi did as told, "Now go get your wife back", Sahadev said.

Yudhi stood near her bed but didn't say anything.

"Her pulse is fading", Nakul whispered holding her wrist. Yudhishthira took her and as he sat with her.

"You promised me to be with me forever." That was all Yudhi said. But with so much emotion that even his own brothers looked at him baffled, there was so much vulnerability, so much emotion in it, before her pulse raised up again and Nakul pushed yudhi out of the chamber.

Draupadi was fine and regained her consciousness as she held her son in her arms.

The birth of the heir came with the mixed sorrow and pain of the death of his sister.

~~~

The pleasure of the birth of the prince of Indraprastha resounded through every pore , brightened by the aura of the Sun god who spread his warmth impartially. The cuckoos and mynas song wafting as zenith with floral buds blooming in the unrivalled baritone of merry.

The loving residents of Indraprastha's garden jumped and danced around asserting the happiness of Nature. Like the nature had embellished itself as a welcome to one of it's own precious entity.

The common people of the Kingdom had decorated their houses with florals , the joy reverberating like it was a celebration for one of their own child. Shop - owners sprinkled water in front of their shops to give way to cool breeze knowing their sales would hype as people came from various territories. Discounts and offers were thrown as a mark of their joy for the birth of their prince. Children shared gossips of the upcoming event and shared the dress colors that they were to wear.

Royal families floated in throughout the last few days as they were greeted with abundant warmth by the sons of Pandavas. Nakula and Sahadeva took turns to escort the guests to the chambers and looked after their needs.

A young girl, the daughter of karn and vrushali ran through the emporiums of the kingdom , carrying abundant of joy and love as she gracefully plunged over the Rangolis causing the ladies to smile.

"He shall be called prativindhya." Announced the holy priest as he held up the son of yudhishthira and Draupadi. Draupadi was stricken when she heard of her daughter's death but maybe she coped up better with it compared to yudhi because she never saw her, those blue minty eyes, that soft palm.

"Prativindhya." Draupadi said softly as she stared at her son with pride and utter bliss.

"Prativindhya" Yudhishthira repeated sadly as others followed him.

"It is a beautiful name." Arjun said as he took the boy from the priest and rocked him softly.

Yudhishthira flickered his eyes to hold back the tears. He held the jar of her ashes tight, why did he feel like he was the only person unable to be happy? Why did no one else understand when he told them about that chilling look in her eyes? If only they too had seen her, he didn't know whether to be happy that he at least got to see her, to hold her or be upset that no one else except him saw her.

Why did every good in his life come with pain?

~~~~~~'

Few days later

Came spring, the season for the yagna. The very earth, the rivers and hills, the winds and mountains were alive to the news: after an age, an emperor was to be crowned, one sovereign ruler for all the sacred land. In Indraprastha, the royal guests began to arrive. A thousand kings and their legions came to the city, bringing lavish gifts.

The Kuru princes from Hastinapura arrived in some grandeur, their train resplendent. But the Kauravas brought only moderate gifts for their cousins, who had once come out of the jungle like orphans, when Pandu died. That, perhaps, was how the Kauravas always thought of the Pandavas: as poor cousins, upstarts who had taken from them, the king's sons, what was rightfully theirs. Duryodhana and his brothers came expecting to find that every splendid description they had heard of Indraprastha, the Mayaa sabha and the rest, was a huge exaggeration. Indraprastha was more than they had heard or imagined; it was like a city of the Gods.

When the Kauravas arrived, Krishna, who was responsible for the miracle in the wilderness, was there to welcome them with his disturbing smile.

Krishna had said to Yudhishtira, "Make sure your cousins from Hastinapura feel welcome, so they aren't envious of you."

The trusting Yudhishtira had asked, "What shall I do to make them feel welcome?"

"Let them be given vital tasks, like your own brothers. Duryodhana, especially, must have an important charge."

"What charge shall I give him?"

Krishna had replied, "Why not charge of the treasury? It will make him feel like one of us."

Yudhishthira went to meet them. He fell at Bheeshma's feet, Drona's and Kripa's and sought his elders' blessings.

He asked Duryodhana if he would take charge of the treasury; and Duryodhana could not refuse the honor. Dusasana was given charge of feeding the guests, Sanjaya of protocol, receiving the visiting kings and assigning mansions for them to stay in and places to sit at the yagna. Kripa was to distribute gifts to the brahmanas and kshatriyas who came and the common people.

Every member of the party from Hastinapura found himself with an important charge and many were pleased to be treated like part of the family. Bheeshma and Drona were given the reverence due to the elders of the clan: they had overall responsibility for the arrangements. Even Shakuni was treated with regard.

But when Duryodhana inspected his charge and saw the extent of Yudhishtira's wealth, he seethed with an envy that threatened to derange him. Of course, he showed nothing of it and threw himself into his task. Krishna, who saw into his heart, saw the agony he was in and smiled to himself. By getting the noble and at times, naïve Yudhishtira to give Duryodhana charge of Indraprastha's treasury, he had sown a seed that would sprout into a horrific war.

~~~~~'

In the daze of that chasmal vision, the man to be crowned emperor today sat on the He saw the goodness, the patience, the calmness on that face, the very quality that would cause the gruesome war.

Beside yudhishthira was Draupadi She looked too beautiful for this earth, she mmust have belonged in a rarer realm, or in the lost past of the world when beauty like hers would have found some comparison. Now, she was alone in her stunning loveliness, like a full moon among dim planets, peerless by a long way: she, the empress of Bharatavarsha.

The Kauravas smoldered with the envy in his heart. Krishna glanced at Duryodhana, watching the Kaurava trying to mask the monstrous hatred that shone so plainly in his pale eyes for a moment.

Dhriti saw into Duryodhana's heart: Dhritarashtra's violent son imagined himself killing Yudhishtira and, drenched in his cousin's blood, he mounted the emperor's throne. He saw Panchali become his queen; he held her naked in his arms.

Arjun stared at the one face in which all the darkness of the human soul seemed focused—eyes that mirrored a heart so cold, so malevolent, that even someone as valiant as arjuna, who had seen plenty of evil men in his time, shivered seeing the malice filled face of shakuni.

They were nearing the end of the sacrifice when Yudhishthira had to honour someone with the puradosa- he chose krishna.

Suddenly, a sneering laugh rang out, desecrating the sacral silence like a curse. Sishupala was on his feet. Every gaze turned to the pale Bull of Chedi. His eyes on fire, he raged, "What foolishness this is!"

He sat down, trembling. Stunned silence for a moment, then, before anyone else could speak, Sishupala jumped up again. He turned on Yudhishtira, "Cousin, either you see more deeply than the rest of us, or you are blind. How can you give this cowherd the purodasa in this sabha? I thought the Pandavas were princes of dharma and could never set a foot wrong in anything you did. Ah, what have you done today?"

His lips twitched, his voice was somehow bestial. "The cowherd is not even a kshatriya! Look around you, Yudhishtira; can't you see these illustrious munis and these rulers of the earth in your sabha? Yet, you honor this upstart, this nobody, before any of the others? Why, this fellow should not be here at all!" he went on insulting krishna as arjuns tried to catch yudhishthira's eyes so he could get permission to silence the person who dared to insult krishna.

Bheema had turned red with fury. Arjuna tried to catch Yudhishtira's eye: so he could silence Sishupala with an arrow through his mouth. Sahadeva and Nakula had their hands on their swords. But the object of Sishupala's tirade was a picture of calm. The smile never left Krishna's lips; his black eyes were still full of good humor.

He raised his finger as the celestial disc came to his hands and in a swift move, shishupala's bodyless head lay at krishna's feet.

The rest of the yagya was completed peacefully as yudhishthira was crowned the sorveign emperor of the aaryavart.