Sahithya stayed in Hastinapur for almost a fortnight. The mourning period neared its end which meant it was time for departure. Sahithya wanted to bid farewell to Yuyutsu before leaving and set off to find him on her own.

Walking through the corridors of the palace, Sahithya was reminded of the tales her grandmother narrated about her present. The great war, the grand dynasties and the fraternal rivalry that brewed between the sons of Dhritrashtra and the sons of Pandu. These walls were a witness to the great tale that would one day become a tale of myth and legend for thousands to cherish.

She marvelled at the intricate carvings that told the history of the Kurus. Paintings of monarchs past and present told the stories of the ancient dynasty's bravery and opulence. Some days, she wondered if it was history, and others, she pondered the myth as if it were narrated to her.

A myth?

Was this a myth or history? She had seen various debates and discussions in her life, and though not an active history enthusiast, she was piqued by them. These were the tales that lulled her to sleep. The tales that filled her with the values of life. She did not know what her answer would have been back then except for her unwavering devotion to Dharmaraya. She could not decide back then, but as she lived her second chance at life, she knew all those tales held some truth if not all.

"Can't you watch where you go!" A gruff voice interrupted Sahithya's chain of thoughts as she collided with the person.

"Sorry," Sahithya said intuitively and looked at the person who shot daggers at her.

Her muscles stiffened, and her skin grew pale. Her heartbeats quickened while her palms were sweatier. She recognised the man.

Karna. Radheya Karna.

The tales she heard about him were all lies- a big fat lie. He was no great philanthropist nor a humble and grounded human from her grandmother's tales. He was a narcissist and sadist who took pleasure in the plight of the Pandavas and their mother.

An attempt at friendship was a mistake!

Nothing helped her calm her nerves as he resembled -

He resembled him mostly. She knew it wasn't him, but that one little naive attempt at a civil conversation a week ago made her fear the man.

Her past came back rushing to her.

She stood still, unable to move a muscle, the noise around her inaudible while she was drenched in sweat and her breath shallowed.

No, she couldn't let the past cloud her present.

She should not. She should not. She should not.

She fought the instinct to cower to Karna's words, swallowing the words of disrespect without resistance.

She fought with everything within her not to cower, yet here she stood, unmovable and affected by the vile words he spoke.

"That's enough, Radheya!" The booming masculine voice made Sahithya snap back to reality.

Surprised. She was surprised to see the person who supported her. An unlikely person.

Shakuni?

He was the last person she expected to encounter at such a vulnerable moment. She took a deep breath and looked around her. Then, she walked towards the practice arena. When and how? Was she so consumed in her admiration for the palace that she did not see where she was going?

She peered at Shakuni, who asked Karna to back off instead of whatever he was blabbering. A young maiden, perhaps a little younger than her, caught her eye. She had accompanied Shakuni and had already been shooting daggers at the Monarch of Anga while passing her looks of assurance and taking baby steps towards her.

"She's a guest and the niece of the former Empress. If not anything, respect her for the family she comes from," Shakuni seethed through his teeth, almost taking a protective stand before Sahithya.

Sahithya's perception of the epic had changed in the few months she lived in Dwapara Yuga. She no longer saw it through the rose-tinted glasses she saw with back then. There were layers the stories never spoke about, and it made her more intrigued about the story than ever.

"Come on, Gandhar raj, she has..."

"I said not another word. Let's do one thing, come along with me to my mansion; let's chat over some food and wine," Shakuni faked a sweet smile as he eyed the lotus-eyed maiden who accompanied him to see Sahithya.

"Are you fine, Rajkumari?" The lotus-eyed maiden asked as Shakuni and Karna went towards his mansion.

"I guess so," Sahithya mumbled. "Thank you so much. I don't. . . what happened in that moment, I was almost paralysed..." She rambled while the unknown maiden shook her head.

"It's okay, relax. It's done. He's not here, alright. It's just the two of us now," she said. " I'm Dhriti, Gandhari Dhriti, the daughter of Gandhar Raj Shakuni," she introduced herself.

Sahithya felt the warmth that exuded from Dhriti. She was surprisingly different from what she had expected of a child of Shakuni. Not that she knew he had a child, let alone a daughter.

Dhriti cocooned Sahithya in a warm embrace, whispering sweet nothings to soothe the latter. Brushing her curls every now and then, she assured Sahithya that it was all done.

Sahithya calmed herself in Dhriti's embrace. She collected herself and broke out of the hug.

"I think there's still a few hours before we leave. There's time. Do you mind joining me for a stroll?" Sahithya offered Dhriti.

"Sure."

***

The maidens of Kuntibhoja and Gandhar walked along the riverside in the eastern wing of the palace complex. They walked in comfortable silence and admired their surroundings.

The magnificent trees and floral shrubs made the place look like heaven on earth. The scent of fragrant flowers relaxed Sahithya while Dhriti hummed a tune that calmed her heart.

"How did you reach there?" Sahithya asked as the two of them settled on the grass and overlooked the flowing river.

"Reach where? The arena," Dhriti smiled and wrapped her uttariya around her torso, " I just happened to be with Pita, and then we saw what happened with Angraj, so we stepped in," she answered.

"Hmm"

That was all Sahithya could say and again fell into silence.

Life was like a river; it kept flowing and stopped for none. She kept moving while not knowing what was ahead of her - rocks, orchards, scenic forests or even the ocean.

" Don't overthink it. Everything fell into place at the right time," Dhriti said softly, sensing Sahithya's tense thoughts and inching a little closer.

" I'm not actually. I was thinking how the river and life are so similar," Sahithya mused.

" That's indeed true," Dhriti agreed

Silence fell again. The girls did not have much to talk about and preferred silence over a forced conversation. Occasionally, they stole glances and smiled at each other as they basked in the warmth of the early morning sun.

"There you girls are, and here I was, scared," Yuyutsu panted between his words as he reached the river banks.

Sahithya looked bewildered at his arrival while Dhriti passed a warm smile.

"Scared for what, Bhratha Yuyutsu?" Dhriti feigned oblivion, reminding Sahithya of Keshava, who might behave the same way.

"The arena. And you did not bother to..." Yuyutsu hugged Dhriti, who had now walked up to him, while Sahithya let the two converse. "You did not tell me what was happening. Do you realise how tense I could be when you're in the vicinity of the sons of Dhritarashtra or Angraj?" Yuyutsu poured questions of worry and concern.

"Bhratha, we're all fine, and Pita handled it well," Dhriti chuckled at Yuyutsu's worried frown, which only narrowed at the mention of her father and scanned her head to toe. "Your father is the last man I trust when he's around Duryodhan or Angraj. He's some way or the other manipulated by them, and he gives in to their whims," he huffed, making Dhriti move out of the embrace and raise a brow at him.

"Don't scare him, Gandhari. He seems intimidated by your eyes," Sahithya commented as she looked between the two. 

"You know what I meant by that, don't you?" Yuyutsu asked sheepishly and found himself hiding behind Sahithya while Dhriti looked for something to throw at him and huffed.

"Should I?" Dhriti wondered. "I'm not as intelligent as you," she pouted at Yuyutsu.

"But intelligent enough to convince your father for a Swayamvara over an arranged match," a smug smile took over Yuyutsu's features.

"Swayamvara? What Swayamvara? I want to know it all," Sahithya diverted them from their little squabble.

"Even I'm not sure what condition Pita is going to set. But I'm sure he'll win. He will win." Dhriti's dreamy and hopeful smile made Yuyutsu and Sahithya look between each other and then the speaker of these words.

Dhriti had already set her heart on a man and hoped - not hoped, but believed he'd win her hand. Sahithya could not help but wonder about the mystery man. Was he the one from Dwarka whom Dhriti was caught stealing glances occasionally until he left abruptly a few days ago? It should be him, the famed flautist who wore the peacock feather and uttered the sweetest words.

"Whatever it is, I'm happy for you," Sahithya said softly as she hugged Dhriti. And you, Rajkumar, should know how to behave with your sister." She pointedly looked at Yuyutsu, making the man pout at her. "Those innocent faces may work on anyone else but not me. I'm immune to them," she declared.

A lie. She was not immune to any action of the Prince. The slightest movement of his muscles made the butterflies flutter. His mere presence did something to her heart - something she did not name or did not want to.

It was all in those emerald eyes that looked out for her well-being this fortnight. As she stepped into the palace halls, those eyes followed her, assuming she had never noticed, but she did. She never spoke a word about it, but she was thankful for the friend who always had her back.

Was that creepy? Maybe to others, but she did not know what to name it for her. It was not that they never spoke. They did, starting from short conversations to kill the awkwardness and comfortable silence between them, but they had come a long way. He was a true friend among the few men she was comfortable around. Yes, she felt safe around him, and he always checked on her, just like he did now.

Of course, he came for Dhriti, too. But he came to check on her, too.

He came for her, and that felt -

That felt special. She was important to him, and being significant in someone's life felt just right.

"You, too, are not immune, Sahithya," Yuyutsu said cheekily and ducked as she raised her hand playfully.

"I am," Sahithya defended herself, ignoring her racing heart. 

"Never lie to your heart, sweetheart," Dhriti said to no one in particular as Sahithya looked away from both Yuyutsu and Dhriti, flustered and her cheeks in the shade of a light pink.

"No one's lying. No. One. Is, " Sahithya emphasised, earning more chuckles from Dhriti and a smug smile from Yuyutsu. "Anyways, I'm running late. I'm sorry that this session has to be cut short," she said as the playful looks from Dhriti and Yuyutsu made her more flustered. She also saw Vishal coming towards the banks from the corner of her eyes and got up to leave.

"And in case I've not introduced myself before, I'm Sahithya. Sahithya Shyama Krishnan," Sahithya yelled out and bit her tongue, realising she had introduced herself like she was in Banglore. I mean Princess Sahithya of Kuntibhoja," she corrected and ran towards her brother Vishal before anyone asked any questions.

"Are my ears ringing?" Yuyutsu whispered as he understood Sahithya's words and could not stop her from asking for further clarification. Dhriti smiled all-knowingly and patted Yuyutsu's shoulder.

"You'll know its meaning with time. Till then, let it be," Dhriti said cryptically, leaving Yuyutsu to his thoughts.

******

There goes the fifth chapter!

First and foremost, Sahithya is not a know-it-all about Mahabharat. She knows little and has mostly relied on oral narrations for her knowledge. As you've seen in this chapter (and also in the upcoming chapters), I will delve into how Sahithya truly thinks, and it's not going to be perfect.

The next important part is Dhriti, Shakuni's daughter. So here's a little fun fact, Dhriti is very much a canon character in the Mahabharat and is indeed Shakuni's daughter who later goes on to marry Krishna. She is often referred to as Gandhari in the Harivamsha, but there's very little info in the texts, enough to pique one's interest. Also, Dhriti is a name I gave her as I felt it suits the character I'm building for her. She is a canon character but would require some building like an OC.

Last but not least, if it's not clear by now, I'm making it clearer now that I'm delving into some of the lesser-known aspects of lesser-spoken parts of the epic through this book. The main events are mostly mentioned but not necessarily depicted. The major portion of the book will deal with Sahithya and Yuyutsu's personal lives, parts of their roles in the epic till the war and later transition to the possible political role they will play post Kurukshetra. This book is mostly about Sahithya and her love interest Yuyutsu.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

Until then take care and see you guys in the next chapter.

Love Siya.