𝕊𝔼𝕍𝔼ℕ 𝕀ℕ 𝔸 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 {𝙼𝙰𝙷𝙰𝙱𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝚃 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 𝚃𝚁𝙰𝚅𝙴𝙻}

37. Clearing the Haze

I awoke the next morning to the sound of someone shaking the shackles.

" Come on, the sabha is ready for you."  The guard said, hauling me up to my feet.

We slowly walked into the sabha, where all my family members sat, the ones who knew the truth reflected clear anxiety on their faces, the ones who didn't know the truth looked eager to know what the truth was and the chaotic trio just looked excited to see me die.... So an ordinary day.

" Sivi Raajkumari Devika. You have been called here on crimes of entrapping the Yuvraj of Hastinapur by using black magic. What do you have to say? "

"I'm not Devika. " Was all I said, head held high.

" We're supposed to believe you? "

" Oh yes, for the one standing there next to my husband is Devika. I am Sagarika. "

" Putri, how is that possible? Yudhishthir wouldn't lie. "

" He didn't. I am Sagarika -"

"Kumari, Yuvraj has broken his vow of honesty! He said that raajkumari Sagarika has left the palace. " Duryodhan incited, while my husband  ran the gears in his head, reaching to the only conclusion his mind gave him, that yes, he did lie.

" K-kshama Maharaj. But it is true -"

" Forgive me for interrupting Yuvraj, but if you said what you were going to, then you definitely would have lied. Assuming the fact that you all understand that I am Sagarika -"

" We don't have any proof. " Dushasan added.

" Well, you are going to have to believe me first. Assuming that I am Sagarika, here is what my husband said to you. He said, ' Sagarika will leave for Pragjyotishpur'. He never said I will reach there, or I will actually make it. Yes, I did go out of the palace gates once to ready the chariot, hence I did leave for Pragjyotishpur but I never reached. On the other hand, you never heard my husband say anything more than that. He didn't even say I am not in Hastinapur, choosing to remain silent while the others spoke. "

" So Kumari, what I want to know is why you had to do this at all. "

" Maharaj, I am a Yuvrani, hence the matters of my security need to be taken with utmost care. However, during the Holi celebrations, a masked person with the intent of scaring me tou-touched me , inappropriately I might add. Thereafter when I pulled my husband to our room to tell him, we saw that the whole room was in chaps and disarray. Which is when we planned this. You aren't incorrect. My husband did initially request me to leave with my brother Ajatshatru for Pragjyotishpur, but in the end, I appealed to his mind and we sent a decoy Sagarika, to see if she was attacked or was my husband the target. Our suspicions were confirmed when day before yesterday, they were attacked by the same masked person and was only held off by the soldiers that went with the two. "

" If all this is true, why didn't you tell us? "

"Mahamahim, it was an impulsive idea and plan, we truly assumed that it would be quicker this way, for if we acted with delay, the person would think we were prepared and hence they wouldn't have acted with haste."

" But Yuvrani, what a wonderful story you've made. Or are you even the Yuvrani. "

" Ask my husband. You are so careful of the fact that he doesn't break his vow of honesty, do ask him. He can very well tell you who his wife is and who Raajkumari Devika is. "

Yudhishthir walked up towards me, taking my hand and holding it up to himself.

" I, Yudhishthir am announcing   to clarify the fact that the woman standing holding my hand is my wife, Yuvrani Sagarika, who is the one I took the saptpadi in front of the holy flame, forever and eternity. " He declared, but his eyes were on me.