LOVE: To Infinity And Beyond

An Inappropriate Proposal

Krishnaa entered the Mahal of the palace meant for the artistes, who were to perform in the function that evening, Nitambini and Malini, both decked up in more gorgeous attires, sticking to her two sides. The guards bowed, the moon shined in its soaring inferiority complex, the diyas flickered as the blue-lotus enticed breeze hit them, the performers went on rehearsing, the melodies of ghungoor and veena and various other instruments further filled the already intoxicated air. "This way", the chief Rajparicharika, in charge of this Mahal, lead way into the chamber of the main dancer of the function. Krishnaa entered the chamber, suddenly and directly facing the mirror, right opposite to the door. The face on the mirror, at first lit up a bit and then, at once, lost all its colour. She kept staring at the Queen's face ,on the mirror, her jaw held tight by her constantly tightening muscles, which clearly would have dropped otherwise. The base of her neck tightened and the shadow there deepened. She didn't even remember to stand, and froze at her place. The mild clattering sound of the heavy nose ring falling on the dressing counter from her frozen hands stunned herself. She gained her consciousness and stood up, slightly bowing and greeting the Queen "Pranipaat', on the mirror, without turning around. Draupadi smiled and nodded in greeting.

The tinkling of hefty anklets approached Draupadi, and the young and indeed beautiful dancer-girl bowed in front of the Queen. Draupadi straightened her up by her shoulders and gifted her a formal embrace.

"You look gorgeous. Hope your talent is even more gorgeous, more than enough to suit the Indraprasth Rajmahal. All my blessings and regards are with you... What's your name, Bhadre..?", Draupadi said in an unclipped but formal tone, her gentle smile further brightening up her unearthly beauty. After a while of dazzled pause, the reply finally emerged, "I am Jayanti.. a mere dancer of your palace. Thank you for the greetings and blessings. But, when some unworldly beauty calls you 'beautiful', doesn't the compliment sound just too fake? " . Everyone else in the chamber, except the Agnijaa, was startled by the 'mere dancer's' less-than-polite reply to the Queen, and the designation-less empress of the hearts of all of the whole Aryavart, just besides her husband, who holds the similar counterpart rank. Draupadi just smiled her dizzying and mysterious smile, as she slowly began understanding Jayanti's heart. Today's eve would really be of some sort... Whatever, she would once again get a chance to poke her dear husband... Well... That's not 'just' fun...

"Only the Almighty knows what she's doing for this long in the Dancers' Mahal!", Satya exclaimed, as a break to Arjun's endless teasings. Krishna paused talking and added, "Indeed... Parth, care to check?" Arjun sat weighing for a while, "Do I need to? Getting kidnapped from the Nartaki Mahal is beyond just improbable..", he concluded with a chuckle, which Satya joined in , but Krishna's expressions remained smooth, serious and insistent, which baffled Arjun to so extent. His chuckle dissolved, and his gaze fixed on Krishna for a moment before he finally nodded and got up. Satya couldn't grasp any fragment of this silent conversation between the two Sakhas and her incredulous gaze travelled from Arjun's leaving figure and Krishna's marble smooth face.

The guards announced Arjun's entrance in the Mahal, making Krishnaa smile smugly, yet again in a while. She and Jayanti were still locked in each other's gazes, Krishnaa was trying to measure the daring and desperation of the girl, while Jayanti was often losing herself as well as her train of thoughts in the hypnotizing liquid blue-bronze eyes of the Queen, but for the sake of Krishnaa's queries and clipped conversations on jewellery, dance forms, music, Jayanti has been saved from losing her sanity.
"Krishnaa ..", Arjun's stealthy voice rang above all the buzz and silence alike, his tone wrapping around the name like a loving caress, like he would die a thousand times before even letting anyone harm the name, as if his heart beat at the magical energy of that word, as if that word was the central axis of his universe.
Jayanti regained her senses, and the facts being announced through that one word lanced through her heart, and her semi-conscious mind. She looked up at the doorway to see the technical Heir of the Heavens step in. His face, at first a mask of confusion and disturbance and worry, slowly relaxed and smoothed and an invisible smiled seemed to swell in his heart. She could only and correctly guess the reason of the washing relief-- Her scent, his love's scent. That was the only one aroma which can make the Purshottam nearly his sense of being. He breathed in and out, in and out, the perfume washing through him, with wave after wave of relief and bliss -- the unknown bliss which her scent has been providing him since the moment he first caught it. He slowly approached and then stood beside her, his one hand at the back of her blouse, sending an anonymous but familiar shiver down her spine.
"Arya...", Krishnaa shifted her eyes from Jayanti to her husband's ever-passionate hazel orbs, the word leaving her mouth like a worship stuti, her devotion and love oozing out of it, "This is Jayanti... The main dancer of today's eve..", she quickly introduced him to the dancer. Jayanti was receiving double shocks in a day. The man standing in front of her seemed like the appropriate male counterpart of this lady, a similar dusky complexion, hazel eyes countering blazing blue ones, his tawned, toned and tanned lion-frame showcased how She was sculpted by Agnidev himself,  just for Him. Jayanti couldn't shift her gaze from the spectacular couple, their phenomenal personalities giving off a glowing aura.

No.. if she keeps staring at them for one more moment, she'll totally lose her resolve. She immediately dropped to her knees, and at the nick of time, Krishnaa ordered "Parihaar..", and immediately the chamber was evacuated. Jayanti spoke, her voice trembling, but her resolve strong, "I have fallen for the Prince... Pardon me, if you can, Queen, but I had to place this inappropriate proposition of my love in front of him." Her voice finally faltered and muted. Krishnaa looked up at Arjun, his eyes absolutely bewildered, his hold on his composure loosening more and more with every passing moment. Krishnaa touched his arm lightly, her touched calming down the fire raging inside him. After a moment's deliberation, he finally spoke, "Jayanti, I hope you have already heard of the other six stories, and you probably know about my feelings quite well, and you know my reply too. Thus, there's practically know point in this proposal. I bless you as a father-figure that may you prosper in life, and may your talent just keep on glistening and never leave your side, may you find the love of your life and get out of this infatuation at the soonest possible..." Jayanti had no power to raise her head, which she kept bowed, but her eyes moistened as she accepted the blessings with all her heart.

Arjun almost dragged Krishnaa by her hand hurriedly iut of the chamber, and in a few minutes, out of the Mahal. Once out, he could no longer hold onto his sanity and temper and picked her up in his arms. Krishnaa kept shooting silent protest with her eyes, while her cheeks warmed up. Luckily, no one was out here to throw glances at them.... Straight to the Jal Mahal... Arjun finally let her down in the central altar. "Arya..!", she finally gasped, but his lips urgently sought hers, and she knew what he meant.
After a while, she broke off and took his face in her hands, "I trust you and I love you... To no limits... Okay?? No needs to worry. I was there, waiting for you only... I haven't minded a single thing... It's alright.. everything is as perfect as it had been before the rendezvous. Perfect... We are together and therefore, perfect.. " Her words straight entered his heart, soothing it like always before...