|| DRUNKEN MAHAPRAPANCHIS OF IF CC#2 || *IO* - Page 29

Karna and Balarama are twelve, Yudhishtir is eleven, Bheem and Shikhandini are ten, Duryodhan and Krishna are nine, Arjun, Dhristadyumna and Draupadi are eight, Nakul, Sahadeva and Dussassan are six.

Dussala is two.

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"Aaaoowwchch!" Nakul screamed. "Jyesht, Arjun is trying to kill me!"

"What?! No, Jyesht, I never touched the little pipsqueak! Liar!" Arjun cried as he reached for Nakul's head to deliver a smart smack.

"Yes you did. You kicked me! You're trying to maim me!"

"Why would I maim and kill you at the same bloody time?!"

Nakul scrunched his nose as he considered this.

Karna sighed. Life in the Kuru household was never peaceful, not even at the dining table. Or especially at the dining table. Most of his younger siblings and cousins were forever embroiled in some squabble or the other. They suspiciously resembled the vegetable vendors at the subzi mandi selling ten rupees wala hara dhanya; noisy and relentless. And that night was going to be worse, what with the Panchal and Yadav contingent present. They had come over for a slumber party that Kunti-maa had arranged.

Karna disliked sleepovers between the three households with passion. It was already difficult dealing with a hundred and five brothers and one baby sister who wasn't in the least docile. Add to that combination, the furtive Dhrishtadyumna, bossy Shikhandini, and positively megalomaniac Draupadi and life was impossible. Balarama was alright, he helped Karna and Yudhishtir keep the others in line but Krishna and Subhadra were another story altogether! Krishna was the king of kaands, and Subhadra was full of munchkin evil. Pitamaha had already summoned him to his study to tell him, "Strictly NO monkey business Karna." He was to keep everyone out of trouble as usual.

"Arjun, don't kill Nakul," he said, already bored. "Nakul, don't aggravate Arjun." Normally he would have believed and fervently defended Nakul because Arjun could be an annoying little shite sometimes, but it had to be said that his youngest sibling was a certified drama queen.

"But Jyesht-"Arjun started.

"Arju-"Karna trailed off as he noticed Draupadi giggling and Krishna making frantic shh-shh motions. Ugh, these two! They were such...No. Don't swear Karna, don't swear.

This time Balarama sitting next to Draupadi sighed.

"Eat your ice cream!" he said, unceremoniously whacking Krishna's head.

Kunti walked in with the air of an unburdened woman. And why not? She had cleverly arranged the sleepover so that she could demand some "me" time from the mostly distracted Pandu. And anyway, there was nothing her Raja Beta couldn't solve. And he has Yudhishtir, Balarama and Duryodhan to help him, she convinced her guilty mind.

"Right, ground rules for tonight, children: No fighting. No complaining. No more sugar; Krishna, no more butter for you. Play nice like acche bacche. Bheem, Arjun and Duryodhan, calm yourselves. Stay out of trouble. And Draupadi, try not to set things on fire," she said ticking the list off her fingers.

A cacophony of yes Maa's, okay chachiji's and of course bua's (this last from Subhadra) resounded as she left the room.

"Right, so who wants to hear scary stories?" Duryodhan asked the younger children making what he felt were scary (but actually rendered him a little off) faces.

"You're such a crack Duryodhan. If you tell them scary stories they'll do susu in their pants!" Shikhandini informed him rolling her eyes.

Dussala sitting in her baby chair flung baby food at Arjun's face, as if seconding Shikhandini.

And so it started.

The children had decamped to the lounge where scattered cushions and colourful blankets now dotted the scenery.

"Right, so this is the game you lot! Basically like hide and seek but with a twist!" Bheem said. "Everyone has to hide and one of us has to look for the rest. In the darkness."

"What?!"

"As if!"

"Scared Dussassan?"

"Don't worry Karna. I'll protect you."

"No thanks, Draupadi."

"Okay ready?" asked Yudhishtir. "And the bakra will beee...Dhri! Go on Dhrishtadhyumna! Go count."

As the fated Dhri tottered away to his "counting corner" to count to one hundred, the rest ran in confusion. Sahadev switched off the lights.

The lounge was dark and there was very little moonlight over the area. Duryodhan held Nakul, Sahadev and Vikarna back against the couch.

"Don't move," he hissed urgently at the three.

Dhri scrutinized the lounge in the darkness.

"What stupid games this Bheem comes up with! Andhere mein koi hide and seek khel sakta hai kya? Mad only," he muttered viciously.

A sharp squeak came from his right.

"Draupadi and Krishna! You're out!"

"No, but how did you kn-"

"Draupadi," Krishna said with importance. "It's over."

As Krishna and Krishnaa helped him, Dhri caught Yudhishtir, Arjun, Dussassan, and Yuyutsu.

With their help (Arjun was always useful at locating things in the darkness) he found most of the others.

The only ones left were Karna, Dussala, Subhadra, Bheem and Shikhandini.

"Are they dead?" Dussassan asked Yudhishtir with big eyes. Sahadev smacked his forehead. Why, oh why, was he surrounded by such daft people?

Yudhishtir reassured Dussassan that they weren't that lucky, while Arjun covertly made his way toward the kitchen.

"Wait Arjun, what are you doing?" Duryodhan asked him.

"There's only one place Bheem can be," he said solemnly.

"In the pantry!" Nakul giggled at his own rhyme.

Sure enough, Bheem and Shikhandini were in the kitchen. Bheem had very acrobatically balanced himself on two separate counters and was trying to reach a very large jar of jammy dodgers, while Shikhandini dictated instructions.

"Out!"

"But where's Jyesht?" Arjun asked.

"And Subhadre?" Balarama wondered.

"There's a monster in the living room!" Vikarna cried frantically as he ran towards them. "I think it's a chudail! Or a daanav! Or a daayan!" he said with panic in his voice. Hugging Yudhishtir, he piddled. Yudhishtir pulled a martyred face.

But Vikarna was right in thinking that something supernatural was present. A noise never heard before in Hastinapur House resonated steadily; that of a female grunting in extreme agitation.

Balarama and Krishna however, knew the source.

"Subhadra," they reconfirmed nodding at each other.

They followed the noise to the living room where Karna was spread over the floor hugging Dussala with one arm and Subhadra with another. All three were sound asleep.

"Such a chor this Subhadra is!" Draupadi fumed quietly to herself. "First Arjun, now Karna."

Dussassan catapulted himself on Karna's face promptly awakening him. "I'm so glad you're alive Jyesht!" he cried giving him wet kisses.

Karna groaned. Subhadra snored. Dussala sucked her thumb.

The subzi mandi atmosphere continued for another ten minutes till Pitamaha came out of his sanctuary of a study to yell, "Sleep NOW!"

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