𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒌𝒉𝒂, a young cheerful girl from Kaliyug, is reborn as the sister of the Pandavas after she dies. She was the apple of their eyes, their soul, their peace.
She was Yudishthir's mind.
She was Bheem's strength.
She was Arjun's eyes.
She...
Indu knew this would happen but that didn't stop her eyes from moistening up. It was her brother, after all.
Arjun came back, riding on his horse. As he climbed off, he saw all the tear-bearing eyes, broken faces. He walked forward as her warm fingers touched the feet of his Jyestha. "Give me the permission to leave, Jyestha." "You don't need to, Arjun! I-it was for a good cause, it shouldn't be considered." "No, Jyestha. A vow is a vow. I shall do what was promised. Please give me the permission to leave. Please." He nodded, hesitantly. As Arjun hugged all of his brothers, Indu couldn't contain her tears. They started flowing down her cheeks, ever so slowly.
Finally, Arjun came to Indu. Wiping her tears with his palms, he said, "You knew this would happen, right?" "H-how would I? I merely forwarded Kanha's message." "Indu, I wouldn't be surprised if you suddenly old me you were from the future, watching us." He joked, though it was partly the truth, she chuckled with him too. Indu wrapped him in a warm embrace as she buried her head in his shoulders. "I'm going to miss you, a lot. Troubling you with Bro Nakul, especially."
He moved on to Draupadi for whom he had no words. And decided to start with, "I'm sorry, Panchali. I couldn't consult you for such a major decision." "No, Don't be. I understand, you've taken the right decision, Arya."
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A Few Weeks Later
Indu sat lounging on a seat beside her brothers. They were in Yudishthir's chamber, along with Agni and Draupadi. The whole day was spent looking through the wedding options for Indu. Everyone wanted her to have a swaymavar, but she didn't even want to get married. So, they decided to go through the proposals sent for her. "Rajkumar Satyadev of Matsya?" The 16th name that day, Yudhishthir suggested. This caused Indu to jump up. "Rajkumar Satyadev?" But I didn't hear anything about this prince in the Mahbharata. New person? "Yeah, do you want to marry him?" "No, Jyestha, tell me more about him." "Fine, He is the eldest son of Maharaj Virat and Maharani Sudeshna. He is about your age. I've heard his face is similar to Nakul-"
"No way! No one's face is similar to this handsome face!" exclaimed Nakul, making everyone laugh. "It's time you forget about being the most handsome, he might look better than you!" Bheem said, ruffling Nakul's hair.
Smiling, Yudishthir continued, "No one knows much about him, but I've heard many people say that he is kind-hearted. He's also coming to Indraprastha a few days after, to meet Bheem; they are friends. Would you like to marry him?"
"Jyeshta! Mein kisi se vivah nahi karna chahati hu!" "Indu, Mata, herself, has strictly asked you to choose a prince or a king." "Why?! I don't want to marry anyone, so I shall not. My purpose isn't to be married, so don't force me to!" Saying so, she dashed out of the room, leaving them to their own thoughts.
"She is right, Arya. If she doesn't wish to marry anyone, as of now, she shouldn't." Said Agni. Funny coming from me. She thought.
"Shika is right, we shouldn't force her." Draupadi joined.
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Anger boiling up, Indu grabbed a sword and a dagger, stuffing it inside a scabbard on her thigh and the sword on her waist. She went to the stable and got out her horse. White, she had insisted to name it due to its white mane and tail. She grabbed it saddle and mounted up on it as is started to walk steadily, initially. And soon, it started dashing faster. Their hair swayed as wind flew through them, making Indu smile.
She rode White until they reached the forests. The ones just near Takshak's forests, but she didn't care. She felt she could protect herself with the sword and dagger, after what her brothers had thought her in the forest after the Lakhshagraha incident.
She sat near the banks of a pond nearby, dipping her feet inside the water. "White, I never really wanted this, you know?
Unknown POV
I was riding my horse near the forests of Indraprastha, when I saw someone on a horse too. And it was strange for I had heard no one enters this forest.
Seemed to be a princess, with the royal clothes. I climbed off Chiraag, my horse, and sneaked nearer to her. She seemed to be talking to her horse in some other language. I could barely make out what she was saying ,except Mata Kunti and a few other names.
Eventually, I decided to talk to her. The fallen leaves beneath me crunched as I walked. She stood up all of a sudden and pointed her sword towards me, which I didn't even know she had.
"Who are you? I haven't seen you around here."
I, finally, saw a clearer view of her face. She had coffee-brown eyes, I noticed immediately. Her honey complexion and black hair suited each other pretty well as if I could paint a portrait of her right now, right here. Her full lips seemed naturally nude-shade. Subconsciously, I'd imagined a smile on it, instead of how they seemed to be pressed into a thin line, now.
"I asked, who are you?" Her soft voice, though commanding as of now, snapped me out of my thoughts. "I'm Rajkumar Satyadev from Matsya. And who might you be?"
"Who were you in your past life?"
Now that's a pretty straightforward question to ask someone when you meet them for the first time.
"I'm not sure. I don't think I talk about that everyday." Sighing, she kept her sword back in the scabbard. "Rajkumari Indulekha of Has-" She paused. "Of Indraprashta."
So, she was the girl Pitashree had suggested to get affiliated with. She stared at me, her eyes cold and glaring at me. It was clear, she was untrusting of me.
"You won't welcome me to Indraprastha?" I asked, putting a charming smile on my face.
"I would, if you would come to Indraprastha. Not the forest right outside it. You're not in Indraprastha . You're just outside it's borders." She said, walking near her horse, who seemed to like my horse, Chiraag.
" A new friendship for the two of us, eh, Chiraag?" I mumbled as I petted him.
Little did I know, the princess of Indraprastha had already grabbed my attention with her agility and intellect.
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Indu POV
Hours after I met him, I was resting in the garden with Agni and Krishnaa, we had become a trio, now, always together. The garden wasn't like the one in Hastinapur, but my brothers tried their best to make it similar to Hastinapur's. Their attempt at trying to make it similar to her comfort zone.
"Indu! Is it true, you met him, right. Does he look better than me?" Nakul asked, dashing over to me. Starling all three of us, he sat beside me on the bench. "No, Bro Nakul, no one's more handsome than you." He sighed in relief and asked, "Why do you call me that? What does 'Bro' even mean?"
"Wait, you call him 'Bro'?" Agni asked as both of them started laughing, leaving Draupadi and Nakul confused.
"Nothing, It means nothing!"
"Tell me, Indu! Otherwise I will-"
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