Valandhra was sitting on a sofa near the balcony in her chamber. She gazed at the cresent moon while carresing her big belly with her hands. She is lost in God knows what. Bheem entered his chamber with a giggling Kamanshi in his hands.

" Valandhra!" Bheem calls breaking her trance. Her usual serene smile is gone. She mostly remains in her world of thoughts only.

" Arya! It's her time to sleep. Why did you carry her here?" She asked getting up.

" Sleep is far away from her priye. See how active she is" Bheem hands Kamanshi to Valandhra. A smile appears on her face instantly.

" Our daughter will be just like her" Bheem said as the couple sat playing with Kamanshi.

" Who said it will be a daughter?" Valandhra asked. " It will be a son, as valourous as you"

" No! After looking at this little life in your hands, I want only a daughter just like you, prettiest of all" Bheem argues. Valandhra just smiles leaving this baseless argument.

" By the way, which time did the doctor said?" He asked while making faces to scare Kamanshi who only giggles.

" Any time now" Valandhra says with a look which was hard to decipher. But Bheem knew what is it - fear.

" Priye! Don't be scared. Just think of the happiness that will come with our child" he said looking at Kamanshi " I will be there for you at that time as well" his words did something to Valandhra's mood.

" Haven't you seen Bhrata Vishwa's state" she laughs. " Karenumati told me jiji literally threw her own jewelery at jyest and Vasudev when they came in. Yours state will be no less"

" Anything for you and my child dear" he places a kiss on her forehead. That night Kamanshi slept with them only as the couple prepared themselves for coming time.

Sahdev in the attire of a soldier was standing in front of another soldier who stood to guard the prison where criminals are kept. This prison is far away from the royal palace, set atop of a mountain.

The soldier in front of him yawns. It's midnight and most of the soldiers are asleep.

" You can sleep you want. I will guard until then. " Sahdev says.

" There's no need to guard. Who will even think of coming here right now?" The soldier laughs as he sits down and drifts into deep slumber.

Sahdev waits for the time he is sure everyone is asleep.

Here in the deepest corner of the prison, Vijaya sat in uncertainty. Will he come? Will he trust her? Should she say it all? Why will he even come? Who am I to him? I don't even matter for him.

There wasn't any tear in her eyes. For whom should she cry? It doesn't matter if she lives or dies. It won't affect anyone at all. But will she be able to forgive herself knowing she had a chance to punish the culprits but she didn't?

The sound of someone's approaching foot steps made her come out of her trance. A soldier opened the gate of her cell and came in.

" Who are you?" Vijaya stood up straight ready for any attack which she was sure would come. That soldier removed his mask which made Vijaya relax. She collapsed on the ground finding it's Sahdev.

He stood there with his hands behind his back. His usual pose, face straight and gaze intense. " I am all ears" that's all what he said.

Vijaya began her story with an almost expressionless voice.

Almost 12 or 13 years from now, Chandrajeet's elder brother ruled Southern Madr's Kingdom. Maharaj Suryajeet and his wife Maharani Chaya lived a happy and contented life.

Everyone was really happy in their rule. Sudhman himself was a great praiser of Suryajeet and trusted him with all his might. His only problem was that he had no trust in any woman but nobody seemed to have any problem with that.

And then there was the lifeline of Suryajeet and Chaya, their twin children. Vijay and Vijaya.

Vijay was eight minutes older than Vijaya. Both the kids spent their time playing around with other kids. Chandrajeet's two daughters Chandani and Maya were always with Vijay and Vijaya. His wife was Chaya's cousin sister Chavi.

Everything was the best. The brothers, their wife, their children all lived together without any problem. But that was just the upper layer of their family.

Inside it, Chandrajeet was dying to get the hold of Madr and remove his brother from his way. No one even Suryajeet had no idea of his ill intentions.

Then one day, the left wing of Madr's royal palace caught fire. The wing where the king and his family resided. Everything was tried to stop the fire but of no use, it engulfed everyone who came inside it.

' the king and his family died ' news spread like that fire only. Chandrajeet was crowned the king, people thought Agni Dev was not happy with Suryajeet rule. But that wasn't the case. The king was safe, so was his family hiding inside one of the basement of that palace.

The kids kept asking their father why aren't they going out but the father was helpless. How could he tell his children that his own brother their uncle tried to burn them alive? Vijay and Vijaya's left shoulder had a burn mark and that's all but Chaya was loosing her life with every passing second. God knows for how many days they stayed their until the news of their survival reached Chandrajeet.

There's wasn't any dead body in the royal chamber, neither in the kids room. He searched the place again and again for any sign of where his brother is.

At last he was leaving defeated, the fear that he will be caught killing him alive but at that very moment, Suryajeet thought of coming out and was met by Chandrajeet.

He without any mercy took his sword and charged toward Suryajeet.

The kids wailed, their little brain unable to handle all this. Their father fought like a warrior he was, the anger of his wife's death, the grief enraged him more. Yes! Chaya died scumbing to her injuries.

Chandrajeet knew he can never win from Suryajeet so he chose adharma again. He picked an eight year old Vijay in his arms and placed the sword on his neck. Suryajeet dropped his sword begging for his son's life.

Chandrajeet grabbed the opportunity and killed Suryajeet, piercing his sword through his chest. But at that moment of death Suryajeet shouted at Vijaya " RUN!"

That poor girl did with all her might, she ran without any destination, tears streaming down her eyes, her little feet pained from so much running, her eyes were red .

Before leaving the royal palace forever, she just heard one thing, her brother's bone chilling scream and then she was gone. She don't know where she was when her body finally gave up and she fainted.

The moment she woke up, she was in a hut, a elderly lady treated her wound and fed her. Vijaya never told her who she in reality was neither she asked because she knew Chandrajeet will be searching for her, to kill her. She was still inside Madr and death loomed on her head so one night when that woman was sleeping she ran away.

Then she stumbled onto that group of goons, they were not sympathetic nor caring like that old lady but they fed her whenever she felt hungry and took her in their groups.

For the next twelve years or so, Vijaya spent looting people with them. They used her as an easy medium to gain people's trust and she helped them because she had no other place to go.

But when she got a chance to live a respectful life even as a maid, she was tempted and accepted it thus becoming a maid in Indrprast but destiny brought her again to Madr, the place where she lost her everything.

Sahdev listened as she narrated the incident like it don't pain her anymore but her eyes showed how much it do, there wasn't any tear in her eyes but Sahdev saw her heart bleeding, she narrated this whole incident like a story as if she wasn't it's part, as if she isn't Raj Kumari Vijaya but a mere dasi singing bards of what happened in Madr years ago.

" Why did you remain silent throughout this? You could have told any minister or any soldier" he asked with that same look, somewhere hurt he was. Was he? For what?

" No one could help me even after wishing to. The only person whose authority was higher than Chandrajeet was Sudhman but he would have never trusted me. He hates women for some unknown reason always quoting stories from the past when men trusted women and suffered . I had no other option than to hide " she replied in the same expression less way as if it don't pain her anymore.

" And you never returned?" He asked walking a little closer to her.

" For whom should I return Raj Kumar. My family was gone so was my identity. Even if I wanted justice how would have I achieved it? I just wanted you to leave with the image of real Vijaya not the one I showed to you. I wanted you to know I wasn't wrong, time was "

" Why did you need this validation in my eyes?" He asked and wished to get an expected answer.

" I don't know " she replied" may be because you trusted me, be it for once only, maybe because you saved me " her eyes were not looking into his anymore.

" So this is who you are " he said sitting down matching her level. Her eyes fond his and she saw....pain in them.

" I left that identity behind " she replied still trying to decipher what's going on in his mind.

" I wish you would have told the truth to me before" a lone tear escaped from his eyes as he stormed away leaving her confused.

Was he crying? For what? Do I matter for him this much?

" Nothing would have changed after that as well Raj Kumar. " She whispered to herself as tears formed in her eyes.

Aanyati sat in her chamber after putting Yom and Yojak to sleep just when Yudhisthir arrived.

Without sharing a word, he pulled her and made her sit on his lap as he burried his face in her bosoms, calming his senses, resting in his personal heaven.

" Arya!" Aanyati said softly suprised of his behaviour.

" Don't say anything right now priye. Let me rest in your arms " he said matching her soft gaze full of love. Aanyati kissed his eyes as he again buried his face in her bosoms.

The moment he let her go, she realised how tired he is. His eyes are swallowen and muscles tensed.

" Who told you to exhaust yourself this much huh? " She scolded adding Turmeric to his milk which was placed on his bed side. " A person should look onto his health first"

Yudhisthir again pulled her to himself, placing his one hand on her waist and other on her face. He kissed her passionately, it was a slow kiss full of love and adoration.

" See now I am all right" he smiled making her blush.

" Ooohh" a sound made them turn just to find Yom and Yojak wide awake. Yojak gazed at them, his eyes wide as if he just registered a big fact. Beside him Yom was sitting with his hands on his eyes again saying something in his infant's lauguage.

" Have a look at your shameless son Dharmraj" Aanyati complained while Yudhisthir chuckled.

" See his brother priye! He has closed his eyes" Yudhisthir laughed more now holding his stomach.

" Only Yom can filter some senses to his rascal anuj " Aanyati scoffed. Yudhisthir picked both of them in his arms cradling them until they fell asleep again....