A Bride To The Five

Chapter 47

Panchaali gazed at the rows, and rows of books.

It felt like one of her dreams had come true, walking through the aisles, she traced her fingers over the thick leather bound covers.

The rough texture of pages under her fingers was a welcome feel.

The heavy scent of old and new books, making her grin.

Books of all sorts rested on this shelves, from politics, to history, to warfare, on medicinal plants, diseases, cures, animals, farming, and all the titles went.

So much to learn.

Reaching out, she picked up a few scriptures, a few on medicines, some unfamiliar titles that she wanted to explore.

Resting the pile on the couch, she sat down, pulling one open.

Her eyes scanning the pages, registering the ample of knowledge that remained a mystery for her so long.

After a long stretched silence, Yudhisthir gazed up, rubbing his eyes, for awhile he had almost forgot about her, she had been that quite.

The bun had come undone, her hair spilled in dark waves of cascading ocean that surrounded her.

Lips tracing up in a smile, her eyes focused on the pages, she looked serene, a sight that not all had privilege to.

The door creaked open, Yudhisthir pressed his finger to lips, silencing his brothers.

Their gazes moving from their eldest brother, to Draupadi, who sat reading, too engrossed in her book to care.

They four padded their way in, locking the door. Bheem took the seat beside her, she leaned in him, without looking up from her book.

Smiling the second son of Kunti picked his scroll, as all the others returned to their work.

Panchaali frowned, squinting her eyes, at the tongue twister, that the author had placed in the book.

"Arya." Her voice rang, shattering the silence of the room. The pandavas hummed, engrossed in their work.

"What does this mean?" She said, her voice laced with confusion.

"Read it aloud dear." Yudhisthir stated, making corrections, in the tax documents ahead of him.

"tejasvini kṣamopete nātikārkaśyamācaret।
atinirm. . ." Her voice faded, seeing the intricate long word.

That was probably the longest word she had ever seen. Words like this exist? How will she ever learn to read, if this is what words in sanskrit are written like.

atinirmathanādvahniścandanādapi

She gazed at the word, biting her bottom lip, like it was a ghost, and not a collection of letters.

Arjun couldn't hold his laughter in anymore, he chuckled. "She looks so much like Nakul, when Gurudev would give him a phrase to read." He teased, Nakul huffed.

"Give her some credit, she is still better because she is learning to read for past two months, while our dear Nakul had been on his lessons for seven years now." Bheem commented dryly, his eyes lit with amusement.

The others chuckled, nodding their heads.  "That's so not true. I was just busy doing more important things." Nakul protested.

"Like?" The ever curious wife of pandavas asked, "Admiring his handsomeness." Added Sehdev, and a round of laughter filled the room.