ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇꜱ | Republished ✓

53. The Dice Game & The consequences.

Advika's POV:

I sat in my study, with a cloth in front of me and an ink and quill. I needed to contact Subhadra who was in Panchal, so I was trying to write a letter. Subhadra's unexpected marriage to Dhristadyumna had made the trio, that is, Indraprastha, Dwarka, and Panchal, grow even tighter bonds among each other. With it, the politics of Aryavart also changed, with three powerful kingdoms grouping together. No wonder the Rajsuya Yagna was a landslide success.

These 12 years had passed with true happiness and laughter in our lives. None of us were truly worried about anything other than trivial matters.

Truly, now I am thinking that court politics and kingdom problems were trivial matters. They were, at least, in front of the problem that will come at us or rather has already arrived with the invitation. I won't say that I have forgotten about Kanha's warning during the marriage of my brothers-in-law. But I may have gotten complacent regarding that small chit of paper which held the main problems of my life.

Now, the arrival of that cursed invitation had made me rise again. Made me feel that protective sense, which always rears its head in regard to my family, which has grown in these 12 years. A knock on the door made me look up from the letter, which I was writing.

"Come in!" I called, whoever it is. A head poked in, which had a small crown on the head. My son. I felt a small smile spread on my lips as I gestured him to enter.

"Uh.. maa, are you busy?" asked Advait, looking a bit sheepish, probably thinking he disturbed me or something like that.

"No, why?"

"Well, Aparna wanted help with her swords lesson," said Advait, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I see. I will be there in 10 minutes. Tell her to practice till then. Are you all in the practice arena?" I asked, as I focused my gaze on him. He nodded his head positively.

"Who is helping you, putra?"

"Kakashree Sahadev and Chote pitashree, ma," he answered. He calls Yuddhisthir, Chote pitashree, and Yuddhisthir's face had been a sight to see. He had looked so shocked and pleased, as if someone had given him the duty to rule Swargalok.

"Maa, may I go now? I wanted to practice a bit more!"

I nodded. As he left, I wondered how the suggestion of sending the children to gurukul would be received by others! Well, Gaurav, Jyoti, Bhavya, Devansh, and Harshada can't go, as they were babies or toddlers, in Gaurav's case, but the rest can. But these musings were for another day, as I got up and left the letter to dry, so that it could be sent off when I get back. Another letter to Kanha will have to be sent too, not that it was required. I know he would come when he is needed. But it won't hurt to send one, I guess!

As I walked towards the arena, I wondered about the future I knew can happen. I clenched my hand at the thought of such humiliation.

After all, with the invitation, the storm has come to our door after the calm of 12 years.

------------------------------------------------------

Advika's POV - [After 2 days]

I walked the well-worn path that led towards Gurudev's ashram. Since the completion of the Rajsuya Yagna, Gurudev had stayed nearby, at my insistence. This morning, my family left for Hastinapur, but the children stayed back. Subhadra and Kanha had arrived after receiving my letter. I entrusted the safety of the children to them as I left to meet Gurudev Vashishth.