Nakul felt like he was being strangled with all the jewellery that he wore, "Seems like Lakhan is smitten with our Niharika, see all the jewellery he has brought for her." Rukmani commented making pandavas cover their laughter as coughs, "And why wouldn't he be? Our Niharika is so very beautiful." Stated Satya as she took some kajal from her eyes and put it behind Nakul's ear, who was mentally coming up with hundred ways to strangle Lakhan. "Oh yes, the prettiest. " Panchaali agreed as she clipped a gold chocker necklace in his neck.

"See the glow of the bride." Arjun stated as he entered in with a thaali of sweets, "Oh yes, her heart must be thumping wildly with joy." Added Sahadev who sat on the floor playing with Printha. "It's alright,  we all have gone through this phase." Rukmani assured as she rubbed his shoulders.

He wanted to scream out loud, he was a man! A man! A married man with three kids! He looked at his wife who was dressing him up for this stupid ritual, the irony, he thought as his eyes met hers making his wife smile, she laid her chin on his head.

"I have heard that the time between the engagement and marriage is very special, the love between the bride and the groom flourishes in this time." She whispered as she gave him a soft smile, Nakul wanted to kick himself, why couldn't he just shut up and pretend to be dau's wife, it would have been way better than this. He wanted to smile at his innocent girl's sweetness but his idiocy had him gritting teeth.

"Oh Panchaali, their love is at it's final stage, love at first sight you see." Bheem added making the pandavas bite back a laugh as Nakul glared at his brother. "Stop teasing the poor girl, get her out here for the ritual." Yudhisthir said as he gave Nakul an amused smiled, who pouted looking at his elder brother.

****
Nakul forced a smile as Lakhan sat next to him after the function, "you are the most beautiful." He complimented Nakul, who wanted to roll his eyes, he is the most handsome man, not woman and the day he doesn't have to pretend being a girl would be the end of this idiot. "Are you happy marrying me?" He asked as he slowly travelled his had to Nakul's, who wanted to snap his neck.

"Yes." He whispered timidly to Lakhan as the two sat under the tree, the idiot had requested the entire family that he wanted to spend some alone time with his wife, also known as Nakul, who was a man. The pandavas, Krishna and Dau had a good laugh about it while the ladies of the house just came him suggestive look, he didn't really know what was worse, and now sitting with this idiot he was bored out of his mind.

Lakhan kept on talking making him want to pull his hair, he felt Lakhan get touchy feely with him, Nakul wanted to pull his hand back as the man next to him began tracing his fingers, he shuddered in disgust, he pulled his hand back and turned around.

"Aw is my beautiful girl shy?" Lakhan said huskily making Nakul grit his teeth, if he didn't shut up he'll be loosing some teeth, "Don't worry darling come give me a kiss." He said as he wrapped his arms around Nakul, who froze, kiss? And this loser? He wanted to vomit.

He wrapped his arms near Nakul making him freeze, no way in heaven is he going to kiss this moron. He doesn't swing that way! He thought as he pulled away, the idiot didn't get the clue as he wrapped his hand around his palloo. Nakul wanted to bang his head on the nearest tree, he wanted nothing more than to kick this man where the sun doesn't shine but held back. He just rolled his eyes thinking about the reaction of this man, the day he realises that his so called fiance is actually a man, a married man with three kids and is a royal, royals that this moron detest.

"You are so shy." He whispered making Nakul roll his eyes, shy? And him? He was trying to spare this idiot but this one seemed adamant on dying. He pulled his palloo making Nakul squeak like a girl, has this idiot lost is mind, "oh don't be so shy. " He whispered creepily making him shudder in disgust. This man was asking for a beating, Nakul thought as he felt him wrap his hands around his waist, he felt like an helpless damsel.

The whistling of air was all the warning he got, he pushed Lakhan away just as a huge sword came frying towards them, embedding in the tree behind them. Lakhan's heart beat wildly in his chest,as he looked at the masked men who came rushing out of the forest.

"Don't worry I'll protect you Niharika!" Lakhan stated as he stammered, his voice breaking as fear wrapped around making him gulp,  Nakul rolled his eyes, "yeah right." He said sarcastically as he folded his arms and stood back.

Lakhan's hand wrapped around his sword as he pulled it out, Nakul rolled his eyes as he watched his hand tremble as he looked at around twenty men who surrounded them with their various weapons.

Lakhan roared and attacked a man who kicked him in the gut making him double over in pain, he stood up and growled, a man moved towards Nakul making him yawn, "don't you dare step closer to her." He growled making Nakul shake his head in resignation, he can't let this idiot die.

The man raised his leg to kick Lakhan, Nakul kicked on Lakhan's leg making it swing out and kick the man right in his stomach, Nakul wrapped his hand around Lakhan's wrists and made him push the man while simultaneously hit him in the neck making the man fall on the ground.

Nakul got annoyed, he couldn't fight properly with his lehnga and this idiot so he swung his hand out,hitting Lakhan right where his neck met his shoulder and he instantly lost consciousness.

Now that Lakhan was no longer conscious Nakul changed into a man, the men around him screamed, "This woman is a ghost!" And ran, "for the last time I am not a freaking WOMAN!" Nakul shouted frustrated, as he watched the men ran, he sighed annoyed and they called themselves warriors, he thought as his gaze fell on Lakhan, who lay consciousness. He wanted nothing more than to live him alone there, let the wild animals feed on him, but his damn duty didn't permit him to do so. He picked the man on his shoulder as he converted himself into a woman and began walking home.

"Nakul! What is wrong with you?!" Bheem whisper yelled as he watched his brother carrying a man well over six feet on his shoulder in the form of a woman. The image was damn hilarious but he held his humor in.

"Taking this moron in before he dies out there from hypothermia." He grumbled, "put him down." Bheem ordered, Nakul shrugged as he let the man fall down on the ground with a loud thump, "I meant carefully." Vrikodar grumbled as he sighed at his brother's annoyed behavior.

"Why are you so angry?" Bheem asked, "oh why should I be angry? Maybe because he tried to be all touchy feely with me,oh wait I'll give you a better reason bhraatashree, maybe because this scoundrel tried kissing me!" He growled and Bheem couldn't hold it in as he bursted out laughing,  "Come on Bhraatashree it's not famous." He whined making his brother laugh, "Oh anuj it is." He gasped in between his laughter. Nakul sighed annoyed as he rolled his eyes heavenward, when will this stupidity end...

***

The moon shone brighter, a few weeks had passed since her dream with Arya Bheem, Panchaali felt restless. Her mind going back to her husbands', she could never completely relax as all the while her mind would circle around them.

She didn't really know what to do with herself as she lay there on the bed thinking about all the things that had happened, how destiny had weaved the fabric of her life with love, care, pain, and happiness. Each strand that the fate had chosen to weave her life may at times given her pain but with them by her side she could take everything, her aryas. She loved them so much, her heart like always skipped a beat at their thought.

They were just so perfect, initially when she had married them, she wasn't sure what she would be stepping into, a relationship with five men? Not something that people would call dharma but it was her fate, and she wouldn't have it any other way. 

Tears glazed in her smile as she caressed Prativindh's hair, her first born, her baby who had made her realise what motherhood was, he was the one with whom she had been birthed again as a mother. The pandavas had made her  a woman from the silly girl that she had been, a childishness that she only ever showed when she was around them, they made her feel safe and secure like nothing in this world could ever harm her with them around. She pressed her lips to her son's forehead, she could feel that the temperature of her body was slowly increasing, she was sweating.

Maybe she needed to lay down a bit, she thought as she pulled herself down and laid there, her eyes shut. Time slowly passed as she turned from one side to another, sleep was no where near close. She felt suffocated in the room, like she couldn't breath so she got up from her bed. Maybe fresh air would help her, she thought as she slowly walked out of the room and to the small clearing behind the house, she sat on the rock breathing in the night's cool air as the soft breeze played with her loose curls.

"Can't sleep?" Sahadev asked as he walked out of the house almost tripping on his red lehnga, he wanted to groan, he didn't understand how Panchaali managed to wear this death trap and yet moved so elegantly like she was gliding instead of walking, he was even more shocked that she had actually fought so many men in her white lehnga, like how did she manage that? Women really are some magical creatures, soft, dainty but mess with them once and they'll make you regret ever being born.

"No just wanted to take some fresh air, and you?" She questioned as she turned to look at him making him snap out of his thoughts, "Same." He whispered as he watched mesmerized as one of her curls came on her face due the breeze, he watched dazzled how her soft fingers touched the curl of her hair and put it behind her ear, he sighed, he really missed touching and caressing her soft luscious skin, that felt like silk, he missed hearing her moan as he would kiss her. Hearing her talk to him about every little thing, he smiled sadly only if he could just lay his head in her lap, it would ease his heart.

His chain of thoughts broke as he watched her face grow paler, worry pulled in his pit of stomach, he watched as she put her hand on her mouth and rushed to the nearest bush and began to puke, he ran towards her, concern shining in his eyes as he held her hair away from her face and rubbed her back as she puked.

After awhile she moved back, his hands wrapping around her to support her dainty figure as she stumbled a bit, her head lay on his chest as she breathed heavily, her skin was scorching hot, she was burning in fever. He looked at her worried as his arms wrapped around his wife and picked her up bridal style as he carried her in the room where all the pandavas lay, what was wrong with her. . .

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