Empire of Righteousness

Chapter 20 : The Bond of Souls

"Putri, that's not the issue. The bond formed. This bond is really intimate. And it doesn't even take place if they are not husband and wife. Then how did it formed between our Panchali and a Brahmin?" Nakul gritted his teeths.

"Panchali is very quick. How did she not notice this?" Yudhisthir whispers.

"Panchali has Suthanu and Prativindhya's wedding in her mind. Definitely slipped," Arjun reasoned.

"Jyest, I don't like how this is going," Sahadev said.

Four of them turned towards him. The last time he said this was before Dyut Sabha.

"Sahadev, what are you saying?" Arjun asks in fear.

They never felt such strong jealousy or insecurity before. Even when she sat beside the bed of that Brahmin, it felt intolerable for them. Why is that? Why are they getting such feelings when this Brahmin appears?

Draupadi frowns. Yes, they are ignoring her. For the last few days her sons are acting really strange.

"Yuvani, do you know what they are after?" Draupadi whispers to Yudhisthir beside her.

"No, Maharani. I am not aware," Yudhisthir whispers back.

Draupadi frowns, "I am not worried about my Prativindhya, Sutasoma and Shrutasena. But if the rest in quite, it's definitely something strange."

Arjun suddenly felt proud that his sons make their mother as restless as he made his Mata.

"Nitya, you sure Satanika isn't doing anything?" Draupadi asks again.

"I am positive, Maharani," Nakul hid his smile.

It was late at night when the Pandavas were presenting her some important documents of the palace. All her sons and Suthanu entered together.

"Loking at you all I suppose you have something to tell me," Draupadi narrows her eyes at them.

Satanika grinned and came forward. Shrutasena and Shrutakarma was carrying a huge thing which is hid by a clothe. Abhimanyu ran to his mother and sat beside snuggling her chest. Draupadi immediately wrapped her arms around him kissing his head.

"What have you done?" Draupadi asks Abhimanyu with a warm smile.

"We all did, maa. Happy Birthday!" Abhimanyu exclaims.

"Happy Birthday, maa," others joined.

Draupadi was bewildered for a second. She isn't born of a woman's womb. She has no birthday.

"Putro, I don't have a birth date," Draupadi says smiling.

"We know maa. You are Agnisuta. That's why we made the day you appeared from the Yagna your birth date," Prativindhya kneels beside his Mata.

"We prepared a gift for you maa," Sutasoma says.

Satanika lifted the clothe. It immediately made Draupadi cry.

It's a picture with her children and her sakha. She is sitting in the middle with Abhimanyu as usual wrapped in her arms. Suthanu and Prativindhya on her feet. Sutasoma and Satanika on either side of her. Shrutkarma beside Abhimanyu and Govind. While Shrutasena beside Prativindhya. They look so happy.

"Maa, Bhrata Satanika has been drawing this for a month. How is it?" Shrutkarma asks excitedly.

Draupadi shook her head too emotional to say anything.

"Come here you all," she calls her sons.

Everything grinned and hugged their Mata. Draupadi was crying and didn't hide her tears anymore. Her tears are not of sorrow but they are the proof that she is happy.