Drisana looked at Daiwik with a frown who was enthusiastically describing the beauty of Dravida to Subhadra. They were walking along the seashore of Dravida. It was a beautiful morning. So they thought to visit the seashore and the woods surrounding it. Krishna and Rukmini was ahead following behind Balaram, Dheemant and Dhritimat. Himani, Poornima, Shubhaprada and Revati were beside her.

Daiwik had been bewitched by Subhadra since she came here. And why not? With her high-spirited nature and eternal beauty, she caught everyone's attention when she was in a room. But she was meant for someone else, wasn't she? Drisana didn't want Daiwik to get a heartbreak.

From what she remembered, Subhadra fell in love with Arjun and was going to marry him. Even though the same events weren't going to follow, could her falling in love with Arjun change? Was she not going to marry Arjun? There was still a chance she might.

As for Arjun, he seemed devoted to Draupadi. She couldn't imagine him wanting anyone else. He could handle one wife barely let alone four. Draupadi kept him on his toes. So, would he fall for Subhadra? And if not then where would be Subhadra in these new turn of events?

Well, she needed to focus on her own love story first. As she saw the penguins waddling afar, she smiled. Though penguins seemed stupid and clumsy, they were rather intelligent. Her thoughts went to that night when Nakul came to meet her in Dravida for the first time.

"You shouldn't have done this. You said you'll take care of yourself for me. Is this how you were taking care of yourself?" Nakul scolded her as she was hiding her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry. But it's your fault too. Why weren't you here to take care of me?" Drisana said childishly, not lifting her head. Nakul smiled at that.

"Now that I'm here, I'll take care of you. And if you do such stupidity again, you'll get punishment." Nakul said.

"You won't leave me, will you?" Drisana asked lifting her head to look at him.

"No. Never. How can I leave my Hridaya?" He said wiping her tears. Drisana smiled for the first time and embraced him again. They stayed like that until they heard someone entering.

"Putri Drisana, where are you? Why is it so dark?" Drisana recognised her mother's voice. Drisana went inside hurriedly as Nakul remained in balcony, hidden from view.

"Mata, what are you doing here?" Drisana asked nervously. It wouldn't turn out good for Nakul if someone saw him.

"Can't I come to see my daughter?" Mangalya said looking at her daughter emotionally.

"It's not like that. You can come anytime to meet me. I meant it's quite late. You should be asleep by now." Drisana said.

"How can sleep come to me when my daughter is not well? You're sitting here in this darkness shedding tears in pain. You have lost your smile, your spark. I can't bear to see you like this, putri." Maharani Mangalya said with tears in her eyes. After so long she got her daughter back, only for her to lose her smile.

"I'm sorry mata. I didn't want to hurt you. Please forgive me." Drisana realised that her family was also hurting because of her. When we're in agony, we make others suffer too either intentionally or unintentionally.

"You don't need to apologise. I understand. You love him from the core of your heart. But putri, we love you too. We've just gotten you back. We don't want to lose you. And it hurts us to see you like this. Please don't be sad anymore." Mangalya tried to make her understand. This might not be easy but she had to forget him for her own good.

"Mata, I'll not hurt you anymore. Please don't take tension for me. I'll be fine. I just need some time." Drisana said to assure her. Now that Nakul was here, she could think with a clear head. Maharani Mangalya caressed her head a little and left after a while at Drisana's insistence. As she left Nakul came out from his hiding spot. Drisana drank into his sight again. He was standing before her after so long.

"What should we do now?" She asked him as he took her in his arms again.

"Come with me." Nakul whispered. His voice gentle but firm too. Drisana looked at him surprised. He was serious. He wanted her to come at Hastinapur with him.

"But what about the others?" Drisana asked. It wasn't so easy. Yudhisthir wouldn't approve. There would be consequences.

"They have to accept." Nakul said with a hardened expression.

"If they don't? I don't want you to fight with your brothers for me. We can make them understand. We can." Drisana said desperately. There had to be another way. "Bhrata Krishna! He can help us." Krishna would help them for sure, wouldn't he? He could talk to her brothers.

"Hridaya, he has already refused. Jyesth asked him to talk to your family on behalf of us. He won't help us." Nakul informed her grimly.

That got Drisana's attention. Not the emotionally weak wreckage girl's, but the calculative manipulator's who locked her emotions and looked over a situation with a calm head.

"He refused?" Drisana asked as she got out of his arms and stared at him thoughtfully. Nakul could sense the change in her. His tigress was back. The one who promised him that she wouldn't hesitate to do anything for him.

"Yes." He replied with a smile.

There must had been some solid reason for his refusal. She had to meet Krishna before taking any decision. Krishna didn't do anything without a reason. If he refused to help, there must be something that Drisana failed to see.

"I want to go to Dwarka to meet him. Before doing anything I need to talk to him." Drisana said. Nakul frowned at that.

"What's there to talk? He won't help us. I'm taking you with me right now. " Nakul said. He was not going back without her.

"I want that too Nakul. I want to go with you. But think carefully. Jyesth Yudhisthir, Pitamah, Maharaj Dhritarashtra, no one will approve me going there like this and my family will be hell furious. Even though we forget about their approval, they'll be hurt and we both don't want to hurt our families, do we?" Drisana said.

"Then what should we do? Forget each other to please them?" Nakul asked angrily.

"That can never happen. I won't let it. Trust me. If we have to run away far from both Dravida and Hastinapur, we will. But before that we have to at least try to make everything right. Otherwise we both will live in guilt." Drisana said holding his face in her hands. Nakul took a deep breath closing his eyes before nodding.

"How will we contact?" Drisana asked after a while. She needed a way to contact him without her family knowing.

"Sending pigeons won't work. I've already tried to contact you that way. Your brothers caught them and send back a message not to try that again. Training birds to find you specifically will take time and still there will be risk of getting caught as they are keeping watch for that." Nakul replied in a sour voice. He hadn't even met her brothers yet. God only knew what would happen when they were face to face.

"What then?" Drisana asked, worried. She needed a way to contact him safely.

"Let me think. When do you plan to leave for Dwarka?" Nakul asked.

"As soon as possible. Maybe in a few days. How long are you in Dravida?" Drisana inquired. She wanted to spend some time with him, in his presence.

"As long as you're here." Nakul replied softly looking at her eyes. These eyes of hers pulled him in whenever he looked at them. He got lost in them, but found himself too in their depths.

Next few days, Drisana acted almost normal around her family. They were happy to see her in a better condition. Nakul was still in Dravida and met her in secrecy. One fine afternoon, Drisana thought to talk to Maharaj Drishadvat about going to Dwarka as they were sitting in the living room.

"Pitashree, I was thinking of going to Dwarka for sometime. The change in scenario will help to lighten my mood. What do you think?" Drisana asked meekly.

"Of course, putri. If you want to visit, then you may go. Dhritimat and Dhikshit will accompany you. I'll tell them to arrange everything." Maharaj Drishadvat replied seeing no reason to deny her request. Drisana smiled getting approval from him easily. She thought it would be another battle to go to Dwarka. She didn't mind her brothers accompanying her. She knew it was not safe for her outside. She later met Nakul to give him the news. Nakul also left Dravida as Drisana set out for Dwarka to seek answers from Krishna.

"Isn't he being too much hospitable to Rajkumari Subhadra?" Dridhaksh asked coming beside her. Drisana looked at Daiwik sighing.

"I hope he doesn't get his heart invested at the wrong place." Drisana said.

"Let's spoil his fun, what's say?" Dridhaksh said looking at her mischievously. Drisana smirked but her face paled at his next words.

"And by the way Drisana, tell your Paksi-premi (bird-lover) to come soon. Me and my arrows both are waiting to welcome him." He said showing his teeth and handing her a small vial that contained something. She knew what it was. A letter. From Nakul. For her. She looked nervously at the penguin that waddled a little far from her. He was supposed to attack and run for the waters if anyone else other than her touched the vial tied around his neck. How the hell Dridhaksh managed to get it?

She got her answer as she watched the penguin waddling towards another female one. Flapping his flippers and making weird noises. Well, no matter the species, females always got the attention.

Dridhaksh was the only one among her brothers who knew about her contacting Nakul. If he was waiting with arrows, what would the others do with Nakul when he finally came?

"Rajkumari Subhadra, how are you finding Dravida this far?" Dridhaksh asked as he came close to Daiwik and Subhadra. Daiwik could see it in Dridhaksh's smile that he was upto something.

"It's beautiful Rajkumar Dhikshit." Subhadra said smiling.

"It's Dridhaksh. Rajkumar Dhikshit is my elder brother." Dridhaksh corrected her resisting an eye roll. She couldn't even remember their names correctly. It wasn't that difficult.

Well, not much.

Okay, but still.

"Sorry Rajkumar. I'll remember from now. Promise." Subhadra said apologetically.

"It's okay, Subhadra. You don't need to apologise." Daiwik said sweetly.

'Oh! They are on first name bases now.' Dridhaksh thought watching his brother's too bright smile.

"You're so kind Daiwik." Subhadra said.

"Yes, he is. He is sooooo kind and a very good swimmer too. You know he used to come here alone and swim everyday at the ocean." Dridhaksh took a short pause looking at Daiwik. "Without clothes."

Subhadra's eyes got round as Daiwik started coughing.

"In fact once monkeys stole his clothes and he came back at the Palace wearing banana leafs." Dridhaksh so generously shared Daiwik's childhood prowess. Subhadra along with the rest started laughing.

"Aur jab aap per ki dali mein sote huya achanak sarp ko dekh niche gire the, chikhte-cillate hua? Kya lag rahe the aap gobor mein lat pat, bhrata Dridhaksh! (And that time when you were sleeping on the tree branch and got afraid suddenly watching a snake, you landed right on top of cow dung screaming, you were also a sight to behold bhrata Dridhaksh.)" Dridhaksh was glaring at Daiwik as he smirked. Dhritimat was laughing out loud at both of them.

"Why are you laughing bhrata Dhritimat? Should I make you count how many times you fell and which places you fell when you glued your eyes to books?" Dridhaksh asked frowning at Dhritimat.

"Too many times. You'll get tired Dridhaksh. Yaad hain jab yeh aapni kitab mein magn ho kar calte calte sidha mu ke bal kichar mei gira tha, aur jab mahal mein bapas aaya to sabko laga voot hai. (Remember when he was walking while reading his book and landed on mud. Everyone thought he was a ghost when he came back.)" Dheemant said laughing.

"And what about you bhrata Dheemant? Remember how you used to scream all over the Palace when dasis came to take you for bath. What were you saying, yes I remember.

'koyi to mere ejjat ki raksha karo'(someone save my dignity.)"

Dhritimat emitted in Dheemant's dramatic voice. Dheemant hated to bath at childhood and his antics were quite famous in the Palace.

"Arya!!!" Himani & Poornima gasped together. Dheemant was glaring at Dhritimat.

Just then Krishna came with a Gulmohor flower in hand and placed it in Rukmini's hair who in turn blushed.

While the women's were looking at the couple with admiration, the men's were busy in calculating the height of the tree. Their husband's intuition was on full alert. Just as they expected, after admiring the couple for a few moments the wives started to turn towards their respective partners. Balaram and Dhritimat were looking at the opposite side of their wives. But Dheemant was trapped. He was looking upwards at the sky. Suddenly he found the formation of clouds very interesting.

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