A Bride To The Five

Chapter 48

"Ayushman?" Duryodhan asked confused, entering in his room, who sat hurdled on his bed.

"You! You are my enemy not my best friend!" Grumbled the prince of Saurashtr, rubbing his sore neck.

Duryodhan raised his brow, a smirk plastering on his lips.

"Well, I think you came face to face with Pandavas dark side." He concluded, flopping on the bed, beside his friend.

Ayushman's jaw dropped, "You! You are one big asshole. The biggest to ever be birthed on this planet earth!"

"Didn't you feel one bit of regret sending a handsome face like mine to get killed?" He grumbled, glaring at Duryodhan, who pretended to think.

"Nope!" He said popping the 'p'. A smirk playing on his lips.

"And as a shameless man you are saying 'no' as well. Arey, at least lie to me man." He snapped, complaining as he sat on the ground folding his legs.

"Being brother of great Dharmraj, I never lie!" Stated the eldest Kaurav, humor tainting his words.

"And that was the biggest lie of this century." The prince of Saurashtr dead panned.

"Oh come on. You are behaving as though you never saw this side of them." The husband of Pauravi muttered, gazing at his friend.

"Well it was never aimed at me, so pardon me, if I nearly died, awhile back." Complained the prince, Duryodhan sighed sitting up, facing him.

"Look I can they be a little intese-"

"A little?" Ayushman challenged.

"Oh okay, okay. I know they can be pretty intense, but they will never harm you. Because you are like a brother to Panchaali." He explained gazing at the prince of Saurashtr.

"Hurting you, would cause her pain, and that is something I can cross my life on, my brothers won't ever hurt her."  He assured, giving Ayushman's shoulder a squeeze.

"But the problem here is, that they don't really know, that I am her brother!" He snapped, fuming at the man ahead of him.

The eldest brother of Dushasan chuckled. "But they sure know you are important to her."

"And that is the whole point why they nearly gave me a one way ticket to hell." Groaned the prince of Saurashtr, falling back on the ground, gazing at the ceiling.

"You and I, we both know. You are not going to leave. So, I don't know why I am trying to convince someone, who is already convinced to begin with." Stated the husband of Bhanumati.

All he got was an answering hum.

"You are right, I am not going to leave. Because for the first time in my life I have seen someone love Panchi so utterly and crazily." He began, a genuine smile making its way on his lips.

"You know back in Panchaal, she was always so seculed and distant. She was a part of the family, yet lonely. " On he went, a sadness looming in his eyes.

"Except me, the queen and Dhri, I never saw anyone make a real effort to bind with her." Duryodhan frowned hearing the words, how can someone not like Draupadi?

The idea seemed so bizarre to him. Draupadi was impossible to be hated.

"But here, Drau has made a life for herself, earned a place in this family.  And have been blessed with husbands, who love her so utterly." A glint of joy lingered in the eyes of the prince of Saurashtr, genuinely happy for his friend.

"From the very start, I and Dhri, always worried because she was so innocent, she would get so easily manipulated and hurt."

A distant look marred the face of Ayushman, he chuckled recalling all the measures, he and Dhri had taken to protect her.