A String Of Pearls

The Last Of The Good Times

It was halfway through the fourth year of their marriage that Bhanumati found herself pregnant. The whole Kingdom celebrated the news. Duryodhan had never looked happier.

She and Vrushali di took great enjoyment in ordering their husbands to do things for them together this time, because as it turned out, Vrushali di was pregnant again , with her seventh child.

"No more." She promised weakly. "It's exhausting."

"Well it's not like you planned all seven of your pregnancies, did you?" Bhanumati asked, smirking. "They just happened , I presume. So... if you continue enjoying yourself the way you clearly have been, don't be so sure this will be the last one, di."

She laughed as she earned herself a swat from an irate Vrushali for her comment.

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Giving birth was quite possibly the worst experience one could have. Bhanumati would like to see any of these tough manly men experience the pain and live through it. She had a newfound respect for Vrushali di for managing it six times and still having the courage and strength to do so again.

Bhanumati was quite sure she was not so strong though. Once was bad enough for her.

But as bad as giving birth might be....the joy she felt after that when she looked at her children for the first time was beyond anything she had ever imagined she could feel.

Oh yes, children. Twins.

As she looked at her babies, she felt a sense of fierce protectiveness curl over her. They seemed like the most precious things in the world with their tiny limbs and wheatish colour and all the crying. She did not know what she would do if anything were to happen to them. She didn't think she would be able to survive. She internally shook her head to clear it of such ridiculous thoughts. They had just been born for gods sake! What could ever happen to them? Nothing. Nothing would happen. How could it when they had Duryodhan and even more, Bhrata Karna and Pitamaha Bhishma to protect them? It was just a mother's useless worry.

When Duryodhan first took in his children, he all but melted into a puddle.

Bhanumati could already tell that if they wished to do so, they could easily have their father wrapped around their tiny fingers. They would be the only ones to ever manage such a thing in regards with Duryodhan.

Her twins were named Lakshman and Lakshmanaa.

Bhrata Karna had raised a sardonic eyebrow.

"Won't that be sort of confusing?"

Duryodhan who had a hundred siblings, many of whom had so many similar names much to the frustration of everyone who had not been born into the family could not see the problem, and shrugged.

"Lakshman and Lakshmanaa. What's there to be confused about?"

Bhanumati rolled her eyes while Vrushali di muffled her snort.

(The names were kind of nice, so Bhanumati didn't protest.)

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Lakshman talked first and Lakshmanaa walked first.

Duryodhan and Bhanumati had gone out to have a night to themselves and Bhrata Karna and Dussashan who now had a baby boy of his own had been playing with the twins.