PORTAL OF ESCAPE

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The morning went normal as duryodhana wear all his ornaments again, untying his hair from the ridiculous bird nest style while they put the roots in the corner and the burnt root ashes, aside.

They all walk out of the staying place as Sahadeva took a glimpse behind to find duryodhana coming out of the hollow tree while bhima pushing the ashes away before their eyes met making them immediately look away while Sahadeva expression changed into confused one.

They both are behaving very.......very much different from usual behaviour, starting with usual fight, they jumped into bickering and now they can't even look at each other like...............what is happening in here? And Sahadeva doubt if anyone even noticed it or maybe everyone noticed it? Who knows?

They all walk for a while with bhima and yudhishtir in front while nakula and arjuna behind them and Sahadeva with duryodhana some stsps behind everyone. Walking silently with the only sound of rustling of leaves and birds chirping with ocassional sound of gusty winds.

It was calm and nice until Sahadeva noticed that duryodhana's step has slowed down and that, he is behind Sahadeva making Sahadeva turn around only to find duryodhana gasping lightly as he crouched down. Glancing at his going moving forward brothers, sahadeva went towards duryodhana only to panic when duryodhana started punching on his chest as he immediately grabbed duryodhana's hand while muttering "don't punch, it will only hurt more" knowing that duryodhana would not like it if everyone get to know about it even though they already knows knows.

After a while duryodhana's chest pain soothed out as he take deep breaths while Sahadeva kept rubbing him chest from one hand while other is grabbing duryodhana's hand. Duryodhana get up with Sahadeva to look in front finding everyone moving forward normally as they silently started walking while duryodhana has his both hands clenched tight with his head lowered making Sahadeva upset but he knows he can't console duryodhana in any way as it will only make duryodhana perturb more so he just stayed silent while walking right beside duryodhana.

They all walked until duryodhana started coughing as they decided to take a break but immediately went into alert mode when they hear footsteps sound with light muttering.

The voice became more clear as the footsteps sound come closer until their eyes widen when they see who came from behind the trees, looking at sky while complaining "-is so stupid! I am gonna kill me, I swear! Just I found you-" until he look down only for duryodhana to whisper out "Ashwatthama"

The murderous glint shining in the eyes while he head tilt like he is observing his prey before he predatorly walk while asking "you are alive?" to duryodhana who is standing there freezed.

"you bloody rascal, took us more than a month to found you. Do you even know what you were doing, you stupid!!?" Ashwatthama roared, shaking duryodhana by his shoulder while the five astonished Pandavas stand aside until they hear more footsteps only to find karna coming towards the group "I knew you were stupid but right now, you seriously just wronged me who defended you from Mata Gandhari at that matter"

Duryodhana upon hearing karna's voice, perked up while ashwatthama stepped back a little as karna came in front "Karna! When did you came back?" making karna tilt his head blankly as he replied neutrally "the day you left to find me" and if this didn't made everyone there shocked except ashwatthama.

"what?" Duryodhana exclaimed while ashwatthama nodded as karna turn around circling his arm in the air before a portal open making them all in aww.

"you all had enough of the fun, now enter inside" The calmness and no emotion in karna's voice made everyone scared except Ashwatthama who stare at them before entering the portal, showing them that they can enter as they all look at karna who is ...

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"you all had enough of the fun, now enter inside" The calmness and no emotion in karna's voice made everyone scared except Ashwatthama who stare at them before entering the portal, showing them that they can enter as they all look at karna who is looking at the forest, not even glancing at them making them gulp before duryodhana stepped forward entering the portal, followed by Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, bhima, yudhishtir with last being karna as the portal closed and they all find themselves standing at the entrance of Hastinapur palace. It was all silent until Pitamah who was walking through the corridor noticed them, immediately walking towards them but not before yelling to let everyone know that they all are here.

Mata Gandhari, Tatashree Dritarashatra, Rajmata Kunti, Mahamantri Vidur, 100 Kauravas including yuyutsu, Rajkumari Dushala, Gandhar Raj, everyone came outside, surrounding the five Pandavas and eldest Kaurava as ashwatthama and karna stand behind everyone.

"do you know you all were gone for one and half month. If it weren't for karna and ashwatthama....." They hear Mata Gandhari saying as their eyes widen before Sahadeva says "but we only spend one week and two days there" to which they hear a reply from behind "that's why it is called Maayavi Jungle. I also spent only one week there but one month here" turning around they found it is karna who has no emotion inside his eyes as he stare at duryodhana who avert his eyes somewhere else, not wanting to meet his both his best friends eyes.

"you all should fresh up now, the lunch time has already started" Mata Gandhari says as she turn around to leave with her children and duryodhana before they hear Kunti saying "thank you so much putro" making the Pandavas look at kunti whose eyes are filled with longing while looking at karna...................How did they never noticed it?

Karna and ashwatthama bowed his head lightly, accepting the gratitude politely before both him and ashwatthama went inside as kunti also told pandavas to come so they all went inside too.

They all bathed before eating as duryodhana enter his room to just go to his bed until the door of his room opened as he turned around to find his two best friends entering inside while closing the door from inside.......Ah......

"let's start"

Indeed, let's start and End this soon too...........or maybe end him.

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