A Bride To The Five

Chapter 6

The pandavas turned towards Panchaali, stepping towards her. Kunti not far behind, but they watched as Panchaali stumbled back, as she swirled around and marched towards the guest palace,  the maids guiding her.

A crack seemed to have followed in between, like a division that separated them from her. They wanted to follow her, but they stopped as Kunti held her hand out,  ceasing their advances.

"What's would you tell her that you think would ease her pain?" The question slammed in their face like a cold slap of reality, they gulped turning to their mother, who had a broken expression on her face as she turned to face them.

"What would you tell her that you think would fix the hurt that the words spoken here today have caused her?" She asked,  her voice heavy with emotions.

"This world is going to create a path of not just thorns but, of burning coals for her. The path of righteousness that this young girl has chosen would light the world for sure, but in the process would only burn her till she is nothing but ashes." The words burned her, it hurt to speak them, but that was the truth, and no matter how sour it was, it was necessary to be spoken.

Her heart cracked, it bleeded for the young girl, the one she had condemned  to hell unknowingly.  Her few words, and the poor girl had her path filled with so sharp thorn that would steal her soul.

Shred it. Till she was nothing but the skeleton of her former self.

"But that's the thing mata, fire doesn't turn ash. It blazes, and blazes bright, it turns every impurity to dust,  it reigns over it, yet is the purest of all." Yudhisthir began, the wise calm smile on his face, he was sure of it.

Not an inch of doubt lingered on his face.

"It has the capacity to burn everything, true. But, so is the truth, that it is the fire that feeds, that gives us life by letting us cook. And, after death, it  paves our way to the afterlife." Bheem continued on, his words laced with a wisdom that was beyond his years.

"It is fire, that weaves the relationship of  a husband and wife. It is fire, that is holy, and is present in every yagn and havan. Without it no holy even is complete. And Panchaali? She is born of it, rules on it." Arjun added, his voice had a shy hint of pride, sure he still struggled with his relationship to the girl, but did that mean that they won't grow together as partners?

Of course not, he knew someday they'll be closest to each other. They'll each share a unique bond with her, he was sure of that.

"The society that undestimates the fire in their kitchen, often that all it takes is a flame to turn their lives in nothing but ashes." Nakul reminded.

"Panchaali is pure, liberated, and a wise woman, they can try to cage her,  shackle her and hide behind the walls of the society.  We, pandav brothers, we will define the relationship of a man and wife again." Sahadev explained, his voice wasn't really loud, but, one could hear the surety ringing through it.

As his dark orbs gazed at his mother, whose glassy eyes met his, a faint smile on her lips.

"This relationship that we all have been bound in is unique,  true. Doesn't mean it can't be beautiful.  Every relationship is like a growing plant that needs the nurturing touch of love. The caress of friendship, it needs to be watered with trust, for it to bear the life long fruits of partnership."  Yudhisthir's thick voice rang through the place with a smile on his face.

"We'll break every shackle that the society will try to entrap her in. This relationship that we have began as friends, I don't know that if we'll ever be the normal husband and wife,  but yes,  trust me when I say this, that we will be her strongest of pillars to rely on." Bheem promised, beaming as he kept his hands on his mother's shoulders.