During the Cacophony-||10||

                                    

                                          
Duryodhan's dead.
                          
As Bheem struck his mace back on the floor, all the other brothers had a sigh of relief. Ashwathama and Kripacharya hid behind the peepal tree, looking at their own destruction in dismay. They saw the Uppandavs, riding their horses towards their fathers against the backdrop of the setting sun. The youthful sons of the Pandavs were smiling all wide and large- talking to each other. Ashwathama's veins burst in uncalled anger, as he looked towards them - 'If not their fathers, then them.' Kripacharya, who hadn't noticed the entity Ashwathama had pointed out to - looked away. 'Kripa is waiting for you, son. Let it be. Let's return to our place. We have nothing left!' 
'Stop talking like cowards Mamashree. The war isn't over yet, who said that? These five brothers killed my friend. They killed my father. And you want me to keep lull?' Ashwathama's incompetence of thoughts was held by Kripacharya.
                          
The death of his brother-in-law was a major blow to him. His sister now remains a widow. And now Ashwathama talks of revenge. 'This war is a fruit of an ill-feeling dear, don't nurture it more! it has already taken lives away.' Ashwathama narrowed his gaze towards his uncle. What were his plans? In a moment of uncertainty, Ashwathama traced the lines of ageing on his forehead and across his eyes. 'Keep vigil, then. I don't expect much!' Ashwathama spat, walking ahead, avoiding gazes of helplessness and of-course hopelessness.
                          
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'Over now, isn't it?' Bheem pressed his head against the shoulders of Yudhitir. He smiled to himself. Balram and Krishna stood behind, talking to themselves and then looking around. 
'Where are the rest of them, who's gonna take Duryodhan away. Try as I might, I still see him as my student.' Balram remarked.
'I could have taken him away, only if Ashwathama and Kripacharya wouldn't have been there. It shall be wrong on our part, to deprive them of the last meet. Dau! I understand your emotions. Duryodhan's soul would be fine, it's the flesh that remains here.' Krishna signalled everybody to walk towards the tents. 
                          
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Conch shells and trumpets blew hard, in the Pandav tent. As the five warriors walked ahead, Uttara, Subhadra and Kunti stood on the entrance. Kunti's eyes depicted a mysterious mixture of wanness and satisfaction. Her age has always tested her, even now as her sons stand victrious- she is still to witness the cries of hundreds of women, widowed and a Queen, who isn't a queen anymore- Gandhari.
                          
'Pranam Mata!' The Pandavs bent in a hail,  to their mother Kunti. 
'I am proud of you all, sons. During this time of pomp and show- keep in mind the humility your souls have been adorned with. As a widow, I can hear the cries of thousands of others- who have imprinted my likeliness in their presents and future. The laugh of relief and the clinking of celebration shouldn't disturb their wails.' Kunti's address was absorbed by each of them. It's not new for them to see their mother, saying all that stuff- at a joyous hour. A joyous hour, she didn't experience for heaps of years or maybe doesn't want to.
                          
The uppandavs stood behind, listening to their grandmother in a bored fashion.
                          
Sutsom, moved his neck in every direction looking for something, 
'Mangoes, Bharata Sutsom?' Shatainik rolled his eyes, at his younger's love for food.
'Don't kid me, Brother. Now is not a  nice time you see!... Aaaaa!' A pinch on his back made Sutsom scream like a touch-me-not. Shrutkarman who had already performed the deed, stood clutching his lips for quietness.
                          
'Who did that?' Sutsom, turned around in his anger. 
                          
Kunti pokes her face between her son's son. 'Ahm!' she reverted. At this Nakul lost his demeanour he was trying to maintain since long. 'What do you think, Bharata Arjun? Will they be saved?' Nakul's voice held serious concerns. At this Yudhitir looked up at Prativindhy, who held a don't-see-me-like-that face. As accustomed to this situation the eldest Pandav was, he decided on keeping quite. ' Sutsom is right! I heard them poking fun on his love for mangoes...' Bheem answered before Arjun could keep his thoughts. 'Shrutkarman.' Arjun remarked 'Could laugh anytime now. And that is not a good thing!' Arjun sighed looking at his youngest son, who made a try of extracting fun during their mother's serious address.
                          
'Who did what?' Kunti again asked the Uppandavs. 
'Somebody pinched me, Grandmother.' Sutsom's complaint came unhindered.
Kunti looked at the look-alike of Bheem, who seriously took after his father. 'Whoever did that, must apologise.' Kunti looked at the other brothers standing behind. 
                          
'I apologise grandmother. Shrutkarman looks for fun at the wrong moments.' Prativindhya came forward. 
                          
'Better, then.' Kunti walked towards her tent in desperate laziness. 
                          
'Honestly, you knew it was me?' Shrutkarman was a bit flabbergasted. 
                          
'Look at your face, Pumpkin!' Prativindhya spat.
                          
'And I am gonna smash it sooner.' Sutsom's wrath was enticed.
                          
'Much sooner.' Draupadi came with a plate of diyas and kumkum. Sahdev smiled looking at his wife, who has achieved another feat for looking like a maiden. 
                          
'I wonder if you want to be young forever. Stop looking, like our daughter Panchali!' Sahdev's comment made the other brothers chuckle. Panchali blushed at his remark. 'I don't see you all ageing as well' She proceeded to welcome each of her husbands in chronology.
                          
'Mother, your youngest needs some classes on timings.' Shaitainika mumbled as Drauapadi put a tilak on his face. His features were sharp and defined just like his father. She had heard of him being an amazing co-general to her brother Drishtdhyum- who stands beside, kidding and making fun with Prativindhya. Nakul laughed loud at his son's remark, as Draupadi rolled her eyes 'Like father, like son'
                          
Subhadra went ahead with Suthanu trailing behind. "Bharata Shree!' Suthanu hugged Prativindhya. 'Missed me?' Prativindhya smiled at his sister. 
'No!' Suthanu teased him. 'I missed each one of you!' She looked at others. Soon she could hear, the laughter of relief from the tents. At this Suthanu smiled, in mist and warmth. There was a part of her which couldn't help,but curse the absence of some of the most important people in her life and a part of her which dearly thanked god that its all over- finally.
                          
'Where's Pragati?' Shrutsen asked while walking with his mother Subhadra. 
'Oh! she is making Uttara, eat her food.' Subhadra's voice tried not to quiver. At this Shrutsen held her hand tight. 'We shall come over it.' He didn't want to say much- he knew it was difficult for all of them to cope up with the loss of Abhimanyu. 'Mother, I love the way you make Kheer. I am eager to taste it.' Shrutsen looked at Subhadra's rejuvenating smile. 'Sure!' She said as she felt complete- the five sons, she didn't mother, but were they any less?
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'I assume, Shaitaika is your favourite, amongst us!' Prativindhy remarked. Drishtdhyumn nodded with a glass of water still in front of his lips.
                          
'Such a clear bias! How do you do this?' Bheem laughed.
                          
'It's easy PitaShree. Bharata Shaitinika would tag along with uncle Dhritdhyumn, all day long. They share so many commonalities, that sometimes I felt that they were going to banish all of us from Kampilya! Their love for strategies made us question our intellect!' Sutsom remarked. 
                          
'Bharata Shree seriously, you never changed!' Draupadi remembered days when he would lose interest in her talks in barely five minutes into them. 'Don't forget that I saw you cracking jokes, with brother Shikhandi- a day before my swayamvar. You said I was being a fearful and a lanky princess- mocking the fire I took birth from.' Panchali sighed on an old memory.
                          
Arjun was incredulous to this- Panchali and fear?
                          
Drishtdyumn's face had drained colours. 'you heard that?' He questioned. At this Nakul and Sahdev gave out a laughing shriek joined by other brothers. At this Draupadi too gave out a laugh. 'It's fine, brother. Having a twin has its own perks.' Draupadi calmed the environment.

                          
Laughs and fun and frolics
Amidst the serenity, there stood two people
gauging their own defeat
tears of revenge strained their cheek
'I hope a similar fate to them!' 
was their only scream!
                          
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PS- 
Such a big cast is a job- a big one, really!
                          
I can't write Uppandav's death. I guess I don't know what's wrong with me. But its like,I have started loving them a lot- aaaa veeerrrryy much lot- I don't know!
                          
How did you like the chapter?