Another Chance for Lives

Long May You Reign

"I am thirsty." Karenumati says, she must be tired since she has a one year old.

"Nakul, stay with them, I will look for water." Karna toss the sword at Nakul.
Nakul gets up and say, "Wait bhratashree, I will climb the tree and see the direction of the lake."
He climbs up and comes down fast as if it's not his first time doing so.

"It's in the north-east direction, not far. I will come with you." Nakul says but Karna disagrees. "Stay with them." He says.

Not wanting him to go alone I tell Nakul, "Go go. Go with him."

They look at me for a moment, must not want to argue here, he agrees fast. "Stay quietly, keep this sword just in case, we will be back soon." Karna says, handing me his sword.

KARNA

We walk fast, Nakul knows the path properly. He must be good with direction and have good memory. When we reach the lake, we were left awestruck. One of the cleanest and clearest lake I have ever seen but towards the left corner of the lake lies a bed of lotus. It just looks magical. I wish Draupadi had come to see it. Nakul speaks my mind. "I didn't see the lotus because it's in the corner, or else I would have asked Draupadi to go. She loves lotus."

He starts filling the pot with water after filtering it with a cloth, and I did what any sane person would do. I rolled up my dhoti and went to the corner of the lake and pluck the lotus. When I come out of the lake with the lotuses, I give him the lotuses and say, "Here, give it to her."

"Give it to her yourself, she will be happy." He says and refuses to take it. We start walking back quietly. "Panchali will be happy if you guys get married." He says. I look at him, unable to say anything. Did me plucking the lotus gave it away? Does he know how I feel too? He just smiles and say, "Cloth cannot hide the fire bhratashree. I noticed it sometime ago. I don't resent you two. Both of you have been through a lot. Keep her happy bhratashree, we failed her,"

His words makes me feel a lot of things, so this must be how having a brother like. Supporting you even when you are in a position where the whole world will criticize you. I give him a light hug, "Thank you. It must not have been easy to accept this."

"It's fine. Let's talk about it later when we go back." He says.

"Who else knows?" I ask him.

"I am pretty sure Shahdev knows something is up, he's good with this things. But I don't know about others, if bhrata Arjun knows I don't think he would be quite."

I am not good at showing affection, I was never a soft person and I toughen up more to survive in this world. I keep the lotuses in front of Draupadi but couldn't say anything. She picked up one and looks carefully, smiling and playing with the petals. We explore more of the forest, Nakul often climbs the trees plucking fruits. I have never seen Draupadi this happy. She sits down to look closely at every flower she sees. Nakul walks in front with his wife. I follow Draupadi.

"When we go back I will ask arya Shahdev which flower I will be if I wasn't a human, he can read this thing." She tells me.

Nakul laughs, "Panchali, I don't think he can tell that."

"I can also read palm." I lied, sitting down near her.
"Really? Then tell me." She says showing me her palm.

I pretend to read her palm, I was just lying to hold her hand. "You won't be a flower, you will be a bamboo." I tease her.
She throws me a sharp look and slap my arm. Nakul and Karenumati laughs but it must be one of my happiest moment.

"Panchali, should we head back now?" Nakul ask her.

"Let's see sunset." She tells him.

I stood up and extend my hand to pull her up. "Then let's go back and watch from the hill."

Nakul made sure to give us enough privacy, he always walk in front with his wife. I hold Draupadi's hand, at first it was to pull her up but after sometime I didn't let go till we reach the hill. It was perfect timing for sunset when we reach, a perfect spot to watch sunset.

"We will go down and ask the guards to get ready to go, Karenumati also wants to sit." Nakul says and climbed down the hills.

Draupadi just simply stare at the sunset, I bet she forgot about me.
"Is it that pretty?" I ask her.

"It is." She says, still looking at the sun dipping in the mountain ranges.

"The people at my palace says I came out of fire that looks like the burning sun. But I didn't feel the heat even a little bit. They say my brother is like sunrise and I am like sunset, because I am dark." She tells me. "Maybe that's why sunset feels like home to me."

I don't know how I got the courage but I went behind her and hug her from the back. She doesn't say anything, she just hold my arms that's wrapped around her frame tightly.

"Don't give up on me." I beg her. "Please wait for some time."

"I always waited for you." She says. "I waited for you in my swayamvar, I waited for you in Hastinapur, I waited for you in Indraprasth."
She turns to me and touch my face gently with her soft hand. "I could never get tired of waiting for you." Her eyes becomes watery, her nose slightly red.

"Long may you reign in my heart." I kissed the mole on her neck and tighten my grip on her waist. She hugs me tightly and I wish the world would stop now. I feel like I am finally in my place, my home. All those sleepless night, all the prayers, everything was worth it. She's worth everything. I loved her all these time without any hope. But today I feel like the king of the world.

Suryadev goes down fast, must be embarrassed seeing us. I thank him in my heart for always guiding me.

I release her from my tight embrace, "Let's go back. Nakul must be waiting."

When we reach the palace she gathered the lotuses and went back in fast.

Nakul asked me later at night, "Jyesth, how did you fall for Panchali? Was it the swayamvar." Duryodhaan also listens all smilingly.

I tell him how we have met before the swayamvar.

"Oh, so you fell in love when you first saw her in the garden?" He ask.

"No. The first time I sure thought about her a lot but the second time was something special. The first time could be a coincidence but the second time I met her, I knew I was going to fall head over heels for her, it was inevitable that she would mess my heart up. And I was fine with it." I speak my heart.

Duryodhaan and Nakul hit each other and laughs. I am embarrassed now but it is the truth.