1st Month

On Duryodhana and Bhanumati's special and desperate request,Karna decided to stay back in Hastinapur for the first two months of Arshia's pregnancy.

The news spread like fire in Aryavart and every one prayed for the well being of Anga's future heir.

Yes, Anga's future heir.

Arshia and Karna decided that even if the child was a girl,she would be the future queen of Anga. Of course there was discomfort and dispute across Aryavart because of this decision but Bhishma and Duryodhana solved it in no time,their influence playing a big part in it.

Her pregnancy definitely bought a lot of happiness in her life but with good things come bad things too. Arshia was strictly denied in practicing weaponry for 9 months!

"Karna! Please!" Arshia whined. Karna rolled his eyes and looked at the mirror for the last time, fixing his angavastra. He turned to her and violently shaked his head. "No means no,Arshia" Karna walked past her.

Arshia huffed and followed him.

"What 'no means no'. If I don't practice for 9 months then I will forget everything!Isn't that horrifying!" Arshia whined. "You won't Arshia. You need to take care of yourself" Karna said, without turning around.

Arshia increased her pace and tried to convince him.

"Arya! Please!" Karna froze and Arshia couldn't control her pace. She bumped into his muscular and wide back. Karna turned around,in the speed of light,and grabbed her waist.

Arshia,flustered that his fingers were making contact with her bare waist,tried to push him away. Karna noticed her flustered reaction and forgetting that he was in public,he smirked and pulled her closer. Arshia glared at him and removed the smirk on his face.

"Arya?I thought you were against calling me that" Karna said casually. "How does it even matter what I called you? Whatever,I am going" Arshia took a few steps back but Karna didn't let her leave.

"I am repeating once again Arshia,a no means a no"

"You two have turned so confident!what a fast progress!" Arshia hurriedly took steps back and looked at Duryodhana,who was smirking and Dussahan who was controlling his laughter. Karna turned red in embarrassment.

"Rajkumar Duryodhana! Please tell you best friend to allow me to practice weaponary!I will forget if I don't practice for 9 months straight!" Arshia complained. "Bhabhishree!I didn't let my wife, Bhanumati,leave the bed when she was pregnant with the twins, Lakshman and Lakshmana!How could I advise my best friend something that I even didn't do?" Duryodhana said innocently.

Dussahan burst out in laughter and Duryodhana controlled his laughter. Arshia rolled her eyes and stomped away. Duryodhana gestured Karna to pick her up and drop her to the chamber 'safely'. Karna shook his head but Duryodhana pushed him,not accepting rejection. Karna sighed and put one arm around the back of her knees and one on her waist, picking her up.

Arshia grabbed onto Karna and glared at him.

"Why don't you rest?You have been practicing the same thing forever!Now,go and rest." Karna walked off to the chamber.

Dussahan and Duryodhana high-fived each other.

.

"Angrani, Rajkumari Draupadi is asking for permission to enter the chamber"

Arshia's eyes lit up as she stood up and dropped the flower garland she was making. She nodded excitedly.

"Arshia!How are you?" Draupadi asked as soon as she entered the chamber. She pulled Arshia for a tight hug as Arshia hugged back.

"How's junior Arshia?" Draupadi asked jokingly, placing her hand on her still flat stomach. Arshia replied positively and invited Draupadi to sit down as they chatted away the evening.

.

2nd Month

"Hey hey!Be careful! My nephew is in you!" Nakul said, snatching away the gadaa from her hands. Arshia glared at him and when she was about to argue,Arjun interupted.

"Arshia,if Angraj gets to know that you are even laying your eyes on weapons,then it's not going to end up good for you and even you know that"

Arshia clicked her tongue and mocked "Didn't know you cared about what he thought" it came out a bit more rude that she intended to but that was last of her concerns. She ignored their faces after she said that and sat on the couch, laying back.

"This is truly exhausting!" Arshia mumbled, shaking her legs.

Arjun kneeled infront of her and placed his palm on her forehead. His eyes widened. Arshia side-eyed him and asked what the issue was.

"You are high on fever Arshia!You know this isn't supposed to happen and you should take care of your health!" Arjun complained. He ordered a servant to call the royal doctor.

"You are being childish,bharta Arjun! Wait,no need to call him!" Arshia stopped the servent. "You want me to call Angraj?" Arjun threatened. Arshia glared and dismissed the servent. She gently laid her hand on his arm and assured him that nothing would happen to her. Arjun and Nakul were reluctant at first but they decided to just go with what Arshia wanted and if her fever would worsen,they would take help of the doctor.

.

"What happened?" Yudhishthir asked seeing Nakul's and Arjun's grim faces. Nakul narrated the previous events, resulting Yudhishthir's and Draupadi's faces fall.

"Arya Nakul!Did you agree with her?!" Draupadi asked. "Bharta Arjun did, Panchali!Yell at him!" Nakul said, annoyance trailing his tone. Draupadi glared at Arjun.

"She insisted and I didn't want her to get upset, that's the last thing I would want to do" Arjun said.

"Jyesth,you should convince Arshia. She respects you the most after all" Yudhishthir nodded without hesitation. He folded the scrolls and headed towards Arshia's chamber.

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"Bhrata Yudhishthir?Why does he want to meet me?"

Arshia thought.

Theast two months,she had seen Yudhishthir the least. They passed small smiles when they passed eachother in the halls and Yudhishthir may have asked about her pregnancy just once in these two months.

"Yes,bharta Yudhishthir. You wanted to meet me" Arshia asked.

"I heard you had a fever. Arjun and Nakul told me. It's not healthy for you to ignore your health,Arshia. Think about your child please" Arshia sighed in annoyance.

"Bhrata Yudhishthir,if I felt that ill..I would have myself gone to the doctor. Bhrata Arjun and Nakul must have exaggerated it anyway"

The conversation went on longer than Arshia execpted it to go but it felt heart warming to Arshia that he cared so much.

.

Today was the last day of Arshia staying in Hastinapur and no one was ready to let her leave.

"Putri,why not a little longer?" Bhishma asked, carreseing her hair.

"Arya must have work in Anga, Mahamahim. I don't think it is good to leave our kingdom for such a long time. I will visit once when this child is born,I promise" Bhishma nodded and offered his blessings.

3rd month

Comfortably settled on her bed,she stared at her stomach which was slowly growing. She carresed her stomach,a smile making up her face.

"Putri Arshia" An elderly woman voice called out. She looked up and widened her eyes to see Radha and Adhiratha. She hurriedly stood up from the bed and walked to them, seeking their blessings.

"May God bless you dear" Adhiratha and Radha,both,said.

"Shall I call Arya?" Arshia asked.

"No dear,he already knows. We wanted to spend time with our daughter who is pregnant with our grandchild" Radha said sweetly. "Why are you two standing? Please sit" Arshia led them to twin chairs and ordered food for them.

"Putri, don't tense yourself so much. We are like your mother and father" Adhiratha gently spoke. Arshia nodded and sat in a chair, facing them.

"How's my grandchild treating you, sweetheart?I hope he or she isn't troubling you too much" Arshia laughed at Radha's comment as she shaked her head.

The third month passed with Arshia being heavily pampered by her in-laws and Karna practically being ignored throughout the month,not like he minded because she was and will always be the top-most priority.

4th month

Karna laid on the bed with his right arm wrapped around Arshia and his left hand on her stomach. He carresed her stomach,a feeling of excitement washing over him. He would be a father in 5 months! How exciting is that!

Soft and low snores left her lips. The moonlight couldn't get the opportunity to fall upon Arshia's face because it was being covered my Karna's muscley figure. She suddenly stired in her sleep causing Karna to open his eyes. She opened her eyes and suddenly pouted.

"Karna,I want something sweet" Arshia lowly said. "Sweet?At this hour?" Karna asked astonished. Arshia put her hand over his, which rested on her stomach,with her pout increasing. Karna stood up from the bed and searched the room to find something sweet. His eyes fell on laddoos,a whole bowl of them lying in a deep corner. The laddoos that Arshia denied to eat a few hours ago because she didn't want to.

Grabbing the bowl,he headed towards Arshia and sat on the bed. Arshia sat up and stared at him with her sleepy eyes, making sure he knew she appreciated her making such efforts. Karna placed th laddoo against her lips. Arshia kept her hands just a little forward from under her chin,to make sure none of the laddoos fell on the bed.

It happened very often and Karna was used to it. It warmed his heart when the relief and happy expression took over Arshia's face when she felt her hunger being satisfied. How her eyes shined after feeling the sweetness or sourness,depends on what she craves,hit her taste buds.

Arshia put her hand over her small bump and nodded childishly at Karna, indicating that her hunger was satisfied after eating 3 laddoos. Karna smiled at her and kept the bowl on a small table, beside the bed. He stood up and went to Arshia, picking her up so that she could wash her hands and mouth.

.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Karna playfully asked, picking her up after she was done washing. Arshia giggled and shaked her head, refusing to answer his question. She encircled her arms around Karna's neck and kept staring at him while he held a smile back.

Hearing distant sounds of footsteps,Karna halted. Arshia looked around for any possible intruder. Then,they heard a voice very similar to them

"Putra Karna and Putri Arshia are not in their chamber?!"

It was Karna's mother,Radha.

Arshia indicated Karna to put her down as he obeyed and the two walked to Radha.

"Mata,what happened?Why the sudden need of us in such an awkward time of the night?" Karna asked,tensed for his mother. Radha shaked her head and sighed in relief seeing Arshia beside Karna.

"It's nothing,Putra. I couldn't sleep and I thought of asking if you two were alright" she assured.

"Matashree,you should sleep. It's not healthy to be awake at such an hour" Radha nodded and made her way back to her chamber.

"Shall we sleep now,dear Arshia?"

Arshia smiled and raised her hands up, telling him to pick her up. Karna looked at the guards,who were having a tense and hard eye contact with the floor. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up to enter the chamber.

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