The Court proceedings were just coming to an end. The scenario had been the same as it had been since the court had been opened up for petitions again after the war. Most of it had consisted of widows, both old and young, and unmarried young girls who had lost fathers or brothers, looking for support.

So many women and children had been left floundering, their lives ruined, and Arjun knew it was all their fault. It was heart-wrenching and exhausting to sit in court and watch as these women and children all looked at them with eyes that were either dead or resentful. He didn't know which was worse.

This Kingdom had once loved them. Loved him. But all that affection was another loss of the war. Now all he saw in the once vibrant people's eyes was pain and defeat and resentment for them.

Tatshree Dhitarashtra had agreed to be present for the Court proceedings, thinking that maybe seeing the old King might ease the people into being more upfront about their troubles with the new, conquering one.

They had been just about to wrap up, when suddenly about a hundred widows swept up into court.

Royal widows.

Bhrata Yudhishtir stood up in shock. Arjun felt the same and looking around at everyone's faces he could tell that so did they.

They were all their sisters in law.

"What brings you all here? What can I do for you all today?" Yudhishtir asked.

Bhanumati stepped forward.

"Samrat Yudhishtir," she said, bowing her head. "I speak for myself and all my younger sisters in law when I say this."

There was a pregnant pause as they all held their breaths.

"We all seek permission to take leave from Hastinapur."

There was complete silence in the Sabha.

"What?" Yudhishtir asked, feeling completely wrong footed, just like the rest of them.

Bhanumati sighed.

"This palace has become too suffocating for me and my sisters. All our husbands are dead. Most of us have lost all our children as well, save for those of us lucky enough to have borne daughters." She smiled sadly.

"But the daughters were very few and they have all been married off. We are all alone. We have nothing left in this palace for us but ghosts. Please let us leave."

She folded her hands in front of her.

Arjun didn't think it had been possible for his heart to break even more. But he had been proven wrong. Would their family keep on breaking even more?

Dhitarashtra stood up then.

"What are you saying, daughter?" he asked aghast. "Have you no pity for your old parents? Have you told Gandhari of your plan? Are you truly going to leave us alone here?"

He got up from his throne and quickly stepped towards his eldest daughter in law.

As he placed his arms on her shoulders, Arjun could see the pain in her eyes.

"We have lost our sons, now will you leave us alone as well?" Dhitarashtra asked with tears in his eyes as he turned his face towards all his daughters in law.

And it stung. It stung, that even with the five of them and Draupadi and Subhadra and their mother and Kakashree Vidur and Kakishree Parashivi and Uttara, their Tat and Taishree would consider themselves all alone.

It was petty jealousy though, Arjun knew. That part of him that had always sought for his Elder uncle's unconditional love since their father's death but had never received it.

Tatshree and Bari Mata had lost all their sons. Of course they felt all alone in the world. Just like... just like them. But at least the Pandavas still had each other.

But Arjun still didn't know what he would do, if Uttara just decided to up and leave one day. He was certain he would completely shatter.

"We don't want to leave you," Bhanumati said desperately.

"Come with us father. We'll take mother as well." Chandramukhi said, stepping up.

No, Arjun thought desperately. Anything but that.

"Please," Bhrata Yudhishtir said, sounding just like Arjun felt. "Please don't ask this of me. Please don't do this. We all have our ghosts. But please don't leave us now."

Bhrata Bheem looked like he wanted to say something, but he wisely kept quiet, knowing that anything he said would only exacerbate the situation.

Arjun stepped down from his throne.

"Bhabhishree please," he said, joining his hands before Bhanumati. "Please don't do this to us. We know we have caused you a lot of pain. Both sides of this family have caused each other so much pain. This war has taken so much from all of us. All of us have also lost our sons," Arjun said, gesturing towards himself and his brothers.

Bhanumati's eyes seemed to soften a little at that so Arjun took it as encouragement.

"Please don't leave us now. Please don't fracture this family any more than it already has been."

Chandramukhi spoke up then.

"It's not just our decision. All of our sisters must agree."

Bhanumati nodded.

"When have we ever disagreed with you Didi?" Mridula said.

"It is your life." Bhanumati said. "It is your right."

"You are our guiding light, post this war. We will follow you."

Bhanumati sighed and turned to look at the men again.

"It seems even after I have lost almost everything, I am not to have peace. Very well then, I shall stay here."

Arjun felt his heart drop in relief.

"But bhabhishree," Sahadev spoke up, "Where were you going to go in the first place?"

"Were you going to return to your pre-marital Kingdoms?" Nakul asked.

Bhanumati laughed bitterly. "Hardly. As if there's anything even left of my kingdom, or those of my sisters, or most of those who supported the Kauravas."

She graciously did not put any direct blame on the them. Arjun didn't begrudge her the bitterness.

"No," she said. "No, we were going to Anga."

Arjun felt as if an arrow had just pierced his heart.

Of course. It made perfect sense. Duryodhan and the Angaraaj-- their brother, had been best friends. Of course it would make sense for their families to be so close as well.

They hadn't been so lucky.

"I had already written to Angarani though, so I will have to write to her again, informing her of the change in plans. She will be upset. She and Vrishaketu had hoped to see us."

His eldest Bhabhi. His nephew. He knew nothing about them. He did not even know how Angarani Vrushali looked. Vrishaketu's face he knew only because the boy had fought in the war as well.

Another realisation struck him like lightning. Vrishaketu was the only sole male survivor in his generation of the Kuruvansh who had fought in the war.

And, Arjun also realised with dawning horror, that just like Karna had aided in Abhimanyu's death and killed Ghatotkach, Arjun had killed Karna's sons. In fact, Arjun had done even worse.

He had killed three of Karna's sons. And Bheem had killed one. And Nakul three more. And Satyaki another. And Arjun had killed Vrishasena, slowly, cutting of his limbs before severing his head, right in front of Karna while he was too far away to do anything to save him, as revenge for Abhimanyu's death. Oh gods. Oh Gods.

Arjun wished he had died in the battlefield as well. At least then, his going to heaven would have been ensured. Now he was sure he would not even find place in hell.

It seemed he had zoned out, so he only caught the last bit of Tatshree's sentence.

".... don't you invite Vrushali and Vrishaketu here for a while?"

Arjun's heart stopped. He turned to look at his brothers who also all seemed to be panicking. Clearly, none of them knew what to do when faced with the prospect of meeting their dead elder brother's wife and only remaining son.

But this was the first time Bhanumati had ever voluntarily spoken to any of them. She also seemed inconsolable, just like their other sisters in law.

So Yudhishtir swallowed and nodded shakily.

"Yes. Yes, of course. Bhanumati, please invite them here."

The tiniest bit of life seemed to return to her eyes at that.

There was nothing else to do. It would be nothing short of utterly disrespectful if they refused her this, simply because they were to afraid to face their bhabhi and nephew.

And it would be utterly disrespectful to their brother, if they did not even bother to check up on his wife and last remaining son. As it was, they should have done it before, but it had shamefully enough, not even occurred to any of them.

But Arjun was afraid. He was nothing short of terrified. Vrushali and Vrishaketu were bound to hate them, he knew.

But most of all they would hate him.

He had killed more of their family than anyone else, even Nakul.

He had killed three of his nephews and... and he had killed his brother.