In the sky, a huge bird was flying. In its claws, there was a child—a human child who was crying for help.

"Bhabhishree, what is this?" asked Vritika, a shocked look on her face. She clutched Gaurav to her chest, who was still miraculously sleeping.

Advika's brows furrowed as she looked upwards towards the bird. Something was amiss. She was sure of that. A glint of red caught her eye, making a knowing glint appear in her eye.

"Bhabhishree, Vritika? We heard a scream and a cry for help," called Kalyani as she came out of the hut. Draupadi was also standing, leaning on the hut wall. Her brows furrowed.

"Look up, jiji. A bird is taking a boy away," said Vritika, gesturing towards the sky.

Kalyani and Draupadi's eyes widened as they saw the bird and the child.

"We should help the child," said Draupadi immediately.

Kalyani and Vritika nodded along.

"No!"

All three of them turned towards Advika, who looked towards them with a stern look.

"But bhabhishree..." protested Kalyani but fell short in front of Advika's stern glare.

"You three will do nothing regarding the boy. I will go. Your first duty is to make sure the children here are safe. I have a bad feeling," said Advika as she gave Harshada, who was sleeping soundly in her arms, to Kalyani.

Thankfully, Harshada did not stir from her sleep.

"You shouldn't go alone, though, Bhabhishree!" said Draupadi, her concern clear as day.

"Shant behena! Nothing will happen to me. I will be fine. You will stay inside with the children. Kalyani, the children and you, Draupadi, Vritika, will stay within my hut, as the window is strategically placed. You can keep watch of the entrance from there, but no one will see you."

Advika gave out instructions one by one. All three of them nodded in acknowledgment.

She told Kalyani to follow her to the entrance.

"Kalyani, be very careful. I have a very bad feeling. This entire thing sounds like a trap to me. I will create a sightless barrier around the ashram. Anyone who has bad intentions toward any person of this ashram will not be able to enter. You are free to move out. Do not come out until I return. Alright?" said Advika with a stern look.

Kalyani nodded as she watched Advika leaving the periphery of the ashram. A beautifully crafted bow appeared in Advika's hand. She stretched the string to its maximum tension, and a divine arrow materialized. She released it, and it dissolved into a huge dome covering the entire ashram before disappearing into the earth.

Advika gave a nod to Kalyani before turning to leave.

----------------------------------------



Advika's POV:-

I don't know why, but I feel a ploy at work here. I hope the children and the girls are safe.

I looked at the sky. The bird was flying over the plains now, and I followed it, my mind going back to what I had noticed earlier.

A red tint. I couldn't see clearly, but there was a red tint in the eyes of the bird. That meant the bird was an Asura (demon) in disguise. A shape-shifting Asura. Or an illusion! It could be either.

I wondered why the boy would be kidnapped. Was it a diversion? Possible. But why? For whom? I am glad I kept the protection. It will help them at least. Nakul should arrive by then.

I kept looking upwards and following the bird. I noticed that the bird's eyes were completely red. That meant it was an Asura. If it was an illusion, then the entire thing would have a slight red tint.

My eyes widened as I saw that the bird was now heading towards the mountains. I cannot let that happen.

Quickly arriving at the clearing, I called forth an ordinary arrow. As the arrow materialized, I took aim and released.

The arrow struck its mark. The claws of the bird weakened as the arrow stuck in its neck. A cry left the lips of the bird, and the boy fell from such a height. Before I could create a net with arrows, a figure jumped up from the ground and caught the boy. I looked towards the figure to find Karna! Arjun was standing nearby as well. He kept the boy on the ground when I reached them.

"Advika? What happened?" asked Karna, while Arjun came forward.

"This child was being carried by a shape-shifting demon, as far as I could understand," I answered.

"It was a diversion, as far as I knew," said a weak voice.

All three of us looked towards the child.

"Are you alright?" I asked, as I kept my bow beside me, before cupping his face.

"Yes, thank you. I don't know much. But I was abducted by that demon to create a diversion. The powerful demon Maritik wanted a woman named Advika because he had seen her once near this area. He apparently fell in love with her. He also had a friend called King Jayadratha. I don't know what he wants, though," said the boy.

I blinked. What? When did this demon see me? And Jayadratha? Isn't he the husband of Dushala? What is he doing with the demon?

I looked at Karna and Arjun's faces. While the former had a blank look, the latter looked furious.

"Where do you stay? Do you know the demon who was the bird?" I asked, trying to compartmentalize for now.

"Yes, that was Maritik. I stay near the village of Kamakhya!" said the boy.

"Arjun, anuj, take the child back home. His parents must be worried," Karna ordered, while I got up with my bow. Arjun nodded and gestured towards the child to go with him. I smiled as they left.

I felt an intense gaze on me. I looked at him and saw the concern in his eyes, though he had a blank face.

"I am fine. We should go back; the children and the girls are alone."

He nodded as his blank face dissolved. He pulled me into a hug before we left towards the ashram.

"It's a good thing that you killed that demon. Otherwise, I would have slaughtered him myself!" I heard him mutter to himself. I shook my head to myself.



---------------------------------------------------



Both of them returned to see a figure in black clothes, with golden ornaments, loitering around the ashram's periphery – Maharaja Jayadratha, the King of Sindhu.

Advika smirked, while Karna raised an eyebrow. Karna was about to move forward to intercept him when Advika's hand on his wrist stopped him. He gave a questioning look to her, who simply gestured for him to watch.

"Why can't I enter? What is it that is stopping me?" they heard him mutter to himself. He tried to cross the periphery, only to land on his back, facing the backlash.

He got up again to try once more, only to land on his back again. "Uff!! What is this? I am supposed to kidnap the children or any of the women. That Advika isn't here as well; I saw her leaving after that demon Maritik. I need to hurry! They can come back anytime," he muttered to himself, unaware that a pair of people had heard him.

"Is that so?" asked Karna, his voice low and dangerous. Advika was beside him, a frown on her face. The bow nowhere in sight.

Jayadratha froze in his place. He was too much of a coward to turn around and confront the very familiar voice. His brows were wet with sweat as he thought of how to get out of this situation. Without a second thought, he made a run for the forest. As he passed the tree that marked the beginning of the forest, he found himself unable to move.

He looked towards the tree to find a dagger pinning the loose end of his angavastra to the tree. He turned around fearfully to find Karna standing there, a cold glare on his face. Advika also stood there with a blank expression.

"You deal with him, Arya! I will check on the girls." With that, Advika entered the ashram with ease. The protection dissolved almost immediately. Karna evoked an arrow and created a divine binding around Jayadratha, ensuring he couldn't run away. He entered the ashram, leaving the coward there without sparing the terrified King a glance.

-----------------------------------------

When everyone came back, the entire story was told to them. Let's just say every single one of them was furious. All of them were very overprotective when it came to the kids. Bhima wanted Jayadratha's head on a silver bejeweled platter. Ghatotkach, who had come with his father and mother, was also nodding along.

"That is an amazing idea. Just send the head as a gift to Hastinapur," muttered Vandita, agreeing with her husband and son.

Yuddhisthir sighed. He agreed with them, but this would be too severe of a punishment. "He had not actually harmed them. We can't punish him on that basis. He is also our Dushala's husband. Killing him will make our sister a widow," he said, the ever-voice of reason.

"If you can't cut his head, shave off his hair!" said Advika as she came over to sit beside Karna, who blinked at her suggestion, a thoughtful look on his face.

Everyone seemed to be pondering over her suggestion. A dread-like feeling crept up Sindhuraj's spine. "You can't do that!! I am the ever-powerful Sindhuraja! I will wage war against you," said the man with false bravado.

"Very nice of you! We will have fun killing you as well," said a sarcastic Advika, with a dismissive glance.

Jayadratha's blood boiled at her dismissive tone of voice. "It is decided. Shave his head and send him back to his Kingdom. Jayadratha, we are leaving you alive today! If it was anyone else, they would have died by now. Be thankful, it's your hair that will be shaved, not your head," warned Karna, while all of them got up. Nakul, Bhima, and Arjun hauled the bound man up.

"I will remember this insult!! I will avenge this!" he screamed at them, which only got eye-rolls in return.

Jayadratha vowed to make Advika pay for suggesting this humiliation of a bald head.