"Wait!" The man hissed at Drisana as she was going to attack again. He removed the cloth wrapped around his face.

"Dhristyadym?" Drisana was confused seeing him there. He wasn't supposed to be there. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to be at Hastinapur right now."

"I was going there only. But I have a message for you." Dhristyadym said.

"What?" Drisana asked. Dhristyadym had been working as her eyes and ears at Hastinapur. As to how and why, that was another story.

"Gandharraj is coming back to Hastinapur for Vasantotsab. Duryodhan and his brothers are already there. The activities in Vrikasthala indicates it won't be long now." Dhristyadym informed her in a grim voice. Drisana nodded. Finally everything was falling into place.

"Are you sure about it? We shouldn't warn the Pandavs?" Dhristyadym asked her again. He couldn't understand why she didn't want to warn them.

"They are intelligent enough. We don't need to. As for Gandharraj, I've been waiting for his comeback for a long time. What about bhrata Karna?" Drisana inquired. The only thing she was worried about was Karna. The time frame was slight. She had to be precise.

"He is also coming." Dhristyadym replied.

"You didn't need to come here yourself." Drisana remarked. He could have sent someone else to inform her.

"I wanted to see you myself. Also I'll be hunted by a certain someone after going to Hastinapur. Why not give him a solid reason?" Dhristyadym said with a smirk.

"You shouldn't have sent that marriage proposal if you didn't wanted to be hunted." Drisana said irritated.

"Can't fault a man for trying out his luck, can you?" Dhristyadym said trying hard not to laugh. Drisana rolled her eyes.

"You should leave." She said and left him.

As she came back, Subhadra asked where she went. Drisana evaded her questions and after roaming around for sometimes, they all went back to the Palace.

Yudhisthir stood at the balcony of his room looking at the night sky.

"You're late." He said. He didn't need to see to know his wife had finally come. It was their daily routine. No matter how much they were busy throughout the day, this time was reserved for just the two of them.

"Sorry. I was watching over the preparations one more time." Devika replied. As she stood beside him leaning towards him, she kept her head at his shoulder sighing in contentment. The whole world could go wrong, but she needed just this to feel at peace.

"You're taking too much tension. Everything is going to be fine." Yudhisthir said planting a kiss on her head.

"I just don't want to make any mistake. Jyesth Mata is so excited. After so long Mamashree is coming back. I don't want her to be disappointed with anything." Devika said. Gandhari needed no reason to taunt her more. Devika's presence was enough. She didn't want to spoil Maharani Gandhari's happiness over the festival. That's why she was being extra cautious.

"How's Mata?" Yudhisthir asked. He hadn't met her after this morning. Kunti's health was not well these days. Nakul and Sahdev remained beside her most of the times.

"She's much better now. Don't worry. She'll be absolutely fine in a few days." Devika replied.

"She shouldn't have returned from Dwarka in that bad weather." Yudhisthir said.

"We're all here to take care of Mata." Devika reassured him with a smile.

On the other side of the Palace, Bheem was looking for Nakul again. He found him in his usual place, in the palace garden. He sat petting a penguin.

"Nakul, I've been searching for you for so long. Why are you sitting here again?" Bheem asked frowning. He knew Nakul came here to sulk in silence.

"Why were you searching for me? Don't tell me you're hungry again after the amount of food you consumed earlier." Nakul said avoiding his question.

"Mere vojan par najar rakhte ho. Lajja nehi aati! (You keep watch over my food. Don't you have shame!)" Bheem said.

"Aap vojan grahen karte hai to aakhe aapne aap bahar aa jata hai. (When you eat food, eyes automatically comes out.)" Nakul said suppressing his smile. He knew what was coming next. And as expected in three seconds, Bheem took his head into a headlock.

"Murkh, tumhe to mein bad mei dekhta hu. Pehle Arjun ka kuch karna parega. (I'll see you later idiot. First do something about Arjun.)" Bheem said releasing him.

"What he did now?" Nakul asked.

"He has again come to my room." Bheem said pointedly. Arjun only got overwhelmed with love for his bhrata Bheem when Draupadi kicked him out and he needed a place to spend the night. As Nakul was shaking his head, Arjun came over there.

"Bhrata Bheem, where have you disappeared suddenly? Our game is still incomplete." Arjun said showing his teeth. Bheem and Nakul stood side by side staring at him.

"What?" Arjun asked nervously.

"What you did this time?" Nakul asked.

"I did nothing." He said denying. He didn't want to give his brothers another reason to laugh at him. He remembered what happened earlier.

Draupadi came holding two clothes. One blue and one orange.

"Arya, tell me which one should I wear tomorrow to welcome the guests?" She asked excitedly.

"Wear the orange one. It looks better on you." Arjun said smiling at her.

"Why not the blue one? Does it not look good?" Draupadi asked frowning at the blue cloth.

"It's good. But the cloth is heavier and it looks swelled when you wear it." Arjun said. Five years of marriage hadn't taught him what to say and when to shut.

"You mean I look fat in it." Draupadi said directing her frown at him.

"No. The cloth looks fat when you wear it." Arjun said smartly. Why he thought it smart was anyone's guess.

The rest became history and Arjun got politely and respectfully kicked out of his own room.

He came out of his thought as Bheem shaked him.

"Thank you Arjun." Bheem said to him seriously.

"Why?" Arjun asked confusingly.

"Because after watching your condition, I'm never going to marry. Me and my food, we're happy together." Bheem said smiling in contentment. Arjun and Nakul looked at each other before bursting in laughter.

"But if someday someone snatches your food?" Arjun asked. Nakul looked at him with raised eyebrows. To separate food from Bheem was ahead of impossible.

"Aisa koi dharti par janm hi nahi liya hai, jo Vrikodar ke hat mein aaya khana chin sake. (There's no one who can snatch food from Vrikodar.)" Bheem said arrogantly.

"What if someone does?" Arjun asked again.

"I'll marry the person regardless of man or woman." Bheem said. Nakul's eyes were round so was Arjun's.

"Then I hope someday some man actually accomplish this. Just imagine how bhrata Bheem will look marrying a man." Arjun said dreamily as Bheem frowned. Bheem shuddered at the visual. But shaked the dreadful thought at once. That couldn't happen. As Arjun and Nakul both were suppressing their laughter, he understood they were pulling his leg. Before he could catch them, both started running.

The next morning, Sahdev was tensed as he had a strong premonition about the upcoming days.

"What's the matter, Sahdev? You're looking worried." Nakul asked him.

"Nothing. Have you checked Mata?" Sahdev asked without revealing his bad feelings.

"Yes. She's good now. She'll be able to attend the ceremony." Nakul replied.

"Any news from Dravida?" Sahdev asked casually. In these years, numerous attempts had been made by Yudhisthir to bring Drisana back. But her family stood firm. Not letting them even contact with her. But Sahdev knew Nakul contacted her. Though he didn't let anyone know of it, Sahdev was sure he even met her. No way his brother would remain silent doing nothing when it came to Drisana.

"Why don't you ask Jyesth? He is the one keeping tabs on Dravida." Nakul replied without showing an ounce of emotion. Sahdev shaked his head and went away.

Nakul had thrown a fit when he heard about the reply from Dravida. They didn't want them to even look at Drisana. Hell would freeze over before that happened. His brothers tried to calm him. But that wasn't something achievable without his Hridaya in his arms. He pretended though. As Yudhisthir told him to keep patience, he replied in affirmative. But didn't disclose his patience would last only till he reached Dravida. The next day he left in the pretence of calming himself among nature. But his destination had been Dravida. It had been much dificult and risky to enter the Palace of Dravida in the disguise of a soldier. But when you're in love, you stop caring for the risks. He didn't care if he got caught and thrown into the dungeon or worse dead at one of her brothers hand. He didn't care if it started a war between the two kingdoms. He only cared for his Hridaya. He only wanted to see her, to take her in his embrace, to smell her, to feel her, to hold her. And so he found his way to her chambers. Sneaking inside, he could never forget what he saw. He felt like his heart stopped in that moment. His Hridaya was standing on the railing of the balcony in dishevelled state with eyes closed and arms spreaded wide. She could fall at any time.

As someone pulled Drisana from the railing, she was ready to scream. Earlier she had forbidden anyone from entering her chambers. She wanted to be alone. She was tired, irritated from everyone's attempt to make her happy. Why didn't they understand? There was no happiness, no colours, no peace, no relief without him. She couldn't even take a breath easily and they wanted her to be happy, to smile and laugh, to talk normally, like they hadn't separated her from her very essence. Even her mother didn't understood her. She was so angry, so bitter that she had snapped at her nephew, Prathamesh too.

So she wanted to remain alone. In the darkness of her room, she found solace as she stood at the railing feeling the air blowing and bringing the memories of the time when she stood on that boat in Panchal with him. But as she got pulled back from her memories, she opened her eyes with anger and pain in them, but that changed into wonder and awe as she looked at him. He stood in front of her. Her Nakul.

She looked at him. His eyes that held love and concern for her, fear of losing her lurked beneath. She knew it was another one of her hallucinations. This wasn't the first time she had them. But she didn't want it to end. She wanted to remain in this hallucination, in his arms, with her Nakul.

"What were you doing? How can you be so careless? Have you forgotten your life is not yours but mine only?" Nakul said shaking her, bringing her out of her stupor. First time he saw her after all these months and she was risking her life without a care.

"You're real." Drisana stated stammering. She couldn't believe, was afraid to believe it wasn't a dream again.

"Yes, my Hridaya." Nakul understood her. She wasn't the only one hallucinating. He wasn't the only one needing her. They both were annihilated in love.

Drisana embraced him tightly. She couldn't speak, couldn't comprehend what was happening around her. The only thing she anchored herself into was him. Her tears were flowing uncontrollably. Tears that were of her fear, tears of her relief. She wasn't sure she could be in his arms again. But here she was.

Nakul held her close to him. Assuring her he was there, assuring himself she was his. This moment was precious to them. This moment that spoke of their love, their separation, their desperation, their pain and their happiness too. They didn't knew what was ahead. But no one could snatch that moment from them.