Pandavas & Panchali: An Eternal Love Story

29. The Terrible Vow

Panchali and the Pandavas didn't realise how a month had already passed since the time of their marriage. Someone had said it tight. If the days are blissful, time would fly away more quickly.

The time had finally come for Subhadra and Dristadyumna's marriage. Subhadra, who was staying with Panchali until a week back, returned back to Dwaraka for her marriage. Panchali was supposed go along with Subhadra but couldn't as her husbands didn't allow her to go.

It was known fact for the whole of Aryavarta that the Pandavas were very possessive and protective about the ones they love. Being the wife of theirs, Panchali topped that list.

As Panchali ordered around her handmaidens to pack hers as well as her husbands' clothes, jewelleries and other stuffs, she thought about the time when she had asked for their permission to go to Dwaraka. However, they dismissed her plea quickly.

One week back.

"Arya, why can't I go? Rukmini, Satya and Revati jiji would be needing my help. Also, Devaki Mata would want her other daughter by her side, as Subhu is getting married." Panchali tried to explain it to her husbands, who were busy in reading some scrolls.

"Priye, we can't let you go there without any of us accompanying you." Yudhisthir said with a tone of finality.

"My families would be there. Govind, Dau, my two Jyesths- Satya and Dyumna and my Shikandini jiji will be there as well." Panchali tried to convince her husband.

"But, we won't be there." Arjun pointed it out, as if she didn't know about it already.

"But-" Before Panchali could say something more, Bheem shushed her with his finger. In return, Panchali just glared at him.

"Priye, you know it right that we can't stay without you for even a minute." Bheem asked her, although it was more of a rhetorical question.

Panchali nodded and didn't say anything else. She was angry and she wanted her husbands to know about it.

"Shree, just wait for a few more days. We will be done with our work till then and we can go to the wedding together." Nakul offered.

Panchali gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"Come on, now give us one of your beautiful smiles, dear." Sahdev requested her. A sulking Panchali wasn't a sight that he'd like to witness.

"Nah, I won't. If I am going to miss out on all the excitement of the pre-wedding celebration, my husbands can miss out on this at least." Panchali huffed in annoyance and came out of their chamber.

"Kalyani."
"Nitya."
"Krishnaa."
"Shree."
"Ayonija."

The five of the Pandavas called her out at the same time but she didn't pay any attention to them.

From their chamber, Panchali directly went towards her Pitamah's chamber. As a wife, she knew that she cannot disobey her husbands or go against their wishes. However, what she can do is that she can use her Pitamah as a shield. He would definitely understand her.

As Panchali was going towards the meeting room where Bhisma and Vidur were busy doing some discussions regarding some matter of the kingdom, she was stopped in her tracks by none other than Sindhuraj Jayadrath.

"Namaste, Bhabishree." Sindhuraj greeted her with a smile. Although he had a smile on his face, his eyes were literally checking out Panchali.

Oblivious to his nefarious intentions, Panchali greeted her sister-in-law's husband with a polite smile.

"Namaste, Sindhuraj."

"Are you going somewhere, Bhabishree? You obviously seem to be in some hurry." Sindhuraj asked while still checking her out. This time though, Panchali noticed it. She didn't like the way he was eyeing her. She felt uneasy and uncomfortable in his presence now.

"Ummm yes, I am going to meet Pitamah. I need to discuss something with him." She didn't want to say what she wanted to discuss about to him. He wasn't a part of her family directly, after all

"You want to go to Dwaraka, right?" Sindhuraj smirked.

Panchali had an astounded look on her face hearing that. Was Sindhuraj eavesdropping on her and her husbands' discussion?

Sindhuraj cursed himself for saying it out so easily. Of course, he had heard their discussion.

"Ye-yeah, I want to. My Aryas, will take me there." Panchali stuttered.

"Or I can take you there." Sindhuraj offered. His smirk was replaced by a lecherous smile now.

Panchali cringed inwardly seeing him behave like that. He was Dushala's husband and the king of a big kingdom like Sindh. In a few months, he would become a father. Yet, he was here, trying to flirt around with his brothers-in-law's wife.

"No, you don't need to." Panchali rejected his offer straightaway. "If you don't mind,  I need to go and see Pitamah now." Saying that she excused herself and was about to go when Sindhuraj grabbed her right wrist, with the motive of stopping her.

However, in the next moment, he withdrew his hand quickly, as he felt a burning sensation on his hand that had dared to touch Yajnaseni.

"I am Yajnaseni, Sindhuraj. Blessing of Agnidev. No one except for my husbands can touch me against my will." Panchali gritted through her teeth as she looked at Sindhuraj furiously. Her eyes shining like the bright yagna fire in anger now.

Giving one last furious look, Panchali went away from there, leaving behind a seething Sindhuraj behind.

"Oh, Yajnaseni. As Pandavas' wife and the Yuvrani of Hastinapur, you've too much of arrogance. You may be the most beautiful woman of this universe, but I am the most powerful man too." Sindhuraj said it to himself. What he didn't realise at that moment was that he was the one who was talking with all the arrogance.

"Today, I vow to take revenge on you as well as your husbands. I will make you regret about this moment, when you said those words to me for life." He took a terrible vow that was going to be a cause of the great change that was about to befall on Aryavarta and went away from there.

Gandharaj Shakuni, who was also present there at the moment, witnessed everything He saw how Panchali threatened him and what was Sindhuraj's reaction to it. He did a happy dance in his mind for he had finally found one of the key players in his dirty game.