Love & Betrayal

~ Revelation

"Maa!" Prativindya called then laughed as vrishsen tickled him. They both were sitting on the bed outside the house while draupadi was washing the vessels. She chuckled at the children and continued her work. Once she was done, she kept everything inside the house and came to the children. Prativindya stood up and leaned on her back wrapping his arms around her neck. Draupadi kissed on his cheek as she pinched vrishsen's cheek. "You both are getting naughty." She commented as they both started buttering her with their cute antics.

"Bua, pitashree is talking about going to nanashree. Will you come with us?" Vrishsen asked as draupadi smiled at him and answered. "I didn't thought about it vrish. Will tell you later. But where your nanashree is?" She asked suddenly remembering that she doesn't know about this.

"Indraprastha!" Karan told as they looked towards him. Draupadi narrowed her eyebrows not knowing about it. "I never heard about this kingdom." She told. Karan came and sat there. He asked vrishsen to go inside then took prativindya in his arms and answered to her. "It is pandavas kingdom."

The sudden mention shocked her as she snapped at him with shock. Her heart started beating rapidly as she couldn't form a word. "Pandavas? Th....they are dea....d...."

"They were assumed to dead. After two years of that incident they had returned and with many internal fights mahaamahim and mahamantri managed to give them the right. Maharaj divided the kuruvansh into two part. Hastinapur for duryodhan and khandavprasth for yudhishthir. Later it was named as indraprastha." Draupadi's breathe stopped as she heard his name. Her body began shivering as she felt a sudden pain in her heart. All these years she thought him dead but he was alive. Everyday she mourn for him unknown from the fact that he was there.

"Malini!"

Karan called her seeing tears in her eyes. He saw prativindya curiously looking at his mother and was getting tensed. "Vindya, putra go your bharata has brought sweets for you. Go there." Prativindya agreed like a good child and went inside the home. "Bhrata......i have some work....." She told and decided to distract herself but before she could his words shocked her more.

"Draupadi!" She was shocked to here this name after so long. Why did he called her with this name? Does he know something? No how could he? None know her. "What are you saying bharata?" She hesitated but managed to say.
"Don't pretend anymore behen. I know who you are from the first day itself. I know who vindya's father is and also that his mother is the princess of panchal. But I don't know the reason behind her living this life hiding from everyone. What was the reason to keep your own son away from his father? Please tell me malini. I respected your decisions but you have to face this one day. What will you tell to your son when he will demand for answers from you? He's supposed to be the heir of maharaj yudhishthir and you are forcing him to leave a commoner's life. It's injustice." He told which made her weak. She sat down and let go of her tears.

"I didn't know he was alive. I always thought that he is dead." That's what she could speak. Karan sat near her and kept his palm on her head. "Now you know. You should give a better life to your son, he has the right."

"With which right should I go to him? What will I say? And why will he believe my words? He abandoned me from his life years back." She told but karan didn't say anything.
"I'm no one to advise anything malini, but before anything you should think for your son. He doesn't deserve this. Whatever it is, it's between you and yudhishthir. That child shouldn't suffer." He told and started going but stopped hearing her voice.

"I want to see him once bhrata. Will you take me there, please." She requested as the uneasiness captured her heart. Karan understood her feelings and nodded. "We are leaving tomorrow. Take some rest."

...........

The night was hard for her. She was sobbing for letting go the pain, her heart knew that he is alive now. She saw the bangles in her hands and remembered the time when he made her wear it.
How happy they were at that time. She had dreamt so much and now after knowing about him alive she again started hoping that they could have a life together.

Never! Did you forget what he did? He betrayed you. Played with your feelings.

She suddenly thought and it made her more vulnerable. "I didn't forget anything but I want to see him. I want to confirm that he is there. I will see him from far away and then come back." She told to herself and laid on her bed. She was silently sobbing when her little son climbed on the bed and sitting before her wiped her tears. He used both his palms and cleared her face then kissed on her cheek.
"Maa, I'm sorry. I won't trouble you again. Please don't cry." He told sadly as his mother hugged him and cried in his arms. Little prativindya let his mother cry as after some time he caressed her head like she does whenever he cries. "Your vindya is here maa. You don't have to cry." Draupadi smiled and at the same time cried as she remembered his father. He resembles so much of yudhishthir. His acts, calm face, mature words. Everything was like him. Living away from him also, she never was away because she had his little reflection with herself. If not for him then maybe she wouldn't have lived.

"I just want my vindya near me. Never leave your mother putra. I will die without you." She said emotionally as her son hugged her and hid his face in her chest telling her that he is near her only.

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How is the chapter? Which is your favorite part? And what will happen next? Tell me in comments.

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