Natyam | A Mahabharata Fiction

14.

My life became a thousand times more dramatic as I stepped through the doors of my new palace.

I had taken only a few steps forward before I looked up.

And there they were.

The people that history would remember for the rest of time. Or maybe History unto themselves.

I had met them, seen them earlier; but this was the first time I could behold them in all their glory.

Yudhistira. The keeper of dharma.
The king—renowned for his sense of righteousness—gave me a smile. The crown glowed on top of his head. It was beautifully crafted, the diamond on top shimmered. Unreal.

Panchali. The most beautiful woman in the world. Fierce, much like the fire that had supposedly birthed her. The red sari that she wore was much like a flame. She studied me. As did I. She was beautiful. Much like the Greeks' Helen, men would go to war in her name.

Bheem. The strongest man ever.
He did look the part. Everywhere I looked, he was packed with muscle. Powerful and daunting. I could see why Duryodhan wanted to poison him. Bheem could lay waste to the Hastinapur palace.

My eyes skipped over to Nakul. Good heavens, he was handsome.
His face was a painter's delight, sharp and crafted to perfection. As was the rest of him. His sheathe glowed from where it hung at his waist. So there was more to him. And when he smiled at me, there was a twinkle in his eyes and mischief on his lips.

Sahdev. Last but not the least. The knowledgeable one.
All of Sahdev's posture was a poised and calculated stance. It looked like he thought about how he would stand in front of someone too. It was in his eyes that I found a bit of wisdom, for they seemed old and weary. His eyes saw through everything and everyone. The smartest of the lot. He dipped his head in acknowledgement. As did I.

I looked to Arjun, now by my side.

Arjun. The ambitious one. The man who persevered. Chasing down glory and fame.

I closed my eyes. I remember thinking how I would cope with these people. What the cost was to be a part of this revolutionary family. How would history remember me? What could I offer to this family? I closed my fists and focussed inward.

Satyadhaara. The string of truth. The cold and harsh truth. This is who I am. I was dance and music and rhythm. I vowed I would never let their identity mix with mine. Or at least not let my core values be swayed by them. Much like a chameleon, we adopt the traits of those who reside in our environment. But a chameleon is still a chameleon, not the tree whose colour it adopts. I would do the same.

Satyadhaara. The name rung in my ears as I opened my eyes and smiled. My new family smiled back at me.

*****

Later. Later I would realize that being a 'somebody' is a terribly lonely thing to be. Why else do you think were the Pandavas alone? Did they have any friends? Eh, debatable.

But Arjun and Draupadi had Krishna, you would argue. Wasn't Krishna a 'somebody' too?

You see, once you enter a field of superiors or an area of talent where your skill or connections are higher than those of the common public, you get cut off from the common public.

Similarly, when I married Arjun, I moved into a new and higher sphere of competency and fame. Even among the royalty of Aryavarta, I left behind the rest of them. And it happened so easily, it was like stepping out of one's clothes. Later, I would feel alone. And after that, I would be at home.

For a while there would be friction between the sister-in-law who stood before me but later, we would find peace in each other. There would be relief in finding a strong woman. A sister. And in the rest of them, I would find a brother. Bonds that would never break. We would be a household that could manage a smile even in the toughest times.

In the coming years, I would chuckle with Nakul and Sahdev, tease Bheem and argue with Yudhistira. I would spend time with Draupadi, laughing and teasing.

But for that moment, my first test was acceptance. To be accepted by my new family. I must say, it happened with a fair amount of ease except with Draupadi.

You see, I was older but her status was higher. So the question was how would we address each other. It was a minor irritation for my new sister-in-law as her husband pondered over the matter. It amused me greatly to see her delicate nostrils flare as Yudhistira made a decision. Her flaring nostrils and my amusement suddenly reminded me of my age. The feeling was, put lightly, slightly reprehensible.

I still remember the waves of irritation that the queen radiated. Powerful and vehement.

Yudhistira smiled as he told us. "For the two years that Draupadi will play the role of wife for Bheem and I, Mrinali will have to pay her respects to her. For the year that these two share a husband, they may call each other by name. For the two years that Draupadi is Nakul and Sahdev's wife, she must pay her respects to Mrinali as the elder sister-in-law."

Arjun's fingers tightened around my forearm. He grinned my way, clearly pleased. I sent a quick smile his way.

And as his—our—family began to leave us, I called back to Draupadi.

She turned, high and mighty. Surprised that I had dared to call her. Even now, while narrating it, I can't help but roll my eyes and smile.

She came up to me, with raised brows.

"Please call me by my name. I do not with to get into a silly tussle of age and rank with a new sister. If you would prefer calling me by my name, so be it." I told her.

Her eyes widened, mouth opening in a small gasp. This was not what she had expected. From the corner of my eye, I saw Arjun looking on. His lips curled into that delicious smile as he watched us.

The queen gazed at me, gave me an imperceptible nod and began to walk out, following her husbands. I watched her leave. When she was at the threshold of the door, she looked back and smiled. And I knew why they called her the most beautiful woman.

Still smiling, she said, "Call me by my name too, sister."

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Heart beating wild at making a new relation, I grinned her way and nodded my assent. Her smile widened and she left us. Leaving me and my husband alone, at last, in my new home.

*****
Guess who's back? Back again!
THAT'S RIGHT! MRINALIIIII

I'm terribly sorry I couldn't upload this chapter earlier, folks.
I was flooded with assignments. I'm sure you can sympathize ;)

Anyhoo, that was the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, do vote and comment!

And have a lovely day/night, wherever you are! See ya next Monday!
(Or sometime soon!)

Love.