Unwanted Bride

Prized Weapons

KARNA

I wait outside the door, waiting for Draupadi to get dressed. I was told to give her a tour of the palace training compound of the princes and where we store our valuable weapons. She comes out of the room and seems to be surprised to find me waiting. Her bangles and anklet jingles. "Lets go, shall we?" I ask.

The palace training compound is almost empty today. I find Duryodhaan and Bheem talking about some mace fight and Aswathama talking about horses with Dusassan and Shahdev.

"Is bhabhishree here to check out the compound?" Duryodhaan comes up to us, folding his hands in front of Draupadi. I laugh, its funny to see him being so polite. Even though we are cousins, our relationship was more of a friend.

"Who all are outside the capital?" I ask him.

"Most are, many are in the border." He answers.

I show around the place, the front side, the back side. I took her to the room where we keep our treasured weapons too.

"This mace is Bheem's and the other is Duryodhaan's when they first compete against each other. That is Nakul's sword." I introduce the weapons to her. Arjun's stuff is not here. He locks it away in a room. There is an empty space in the room. It would be mine. Draupadi look at the empty space as if she understood its mine. She must be wondering why my spot is empty when I clearly have the 'Kindhura'. The bow I lifted on her swayamvar. Any other person would have had golden frame around it. Before I could tell her that I keep the bow and remaining 4 arrows in my other chamber. I usually sit there to work away from distraction and I pray to Kindhura whenever I go there, she walks away.

We come to the field, everyone is busy doing their own things. Some are shooting arrows, some are practicing their throw and as we look around we find Duryodhaan and Bheem on the ground, practicing mace fight. We stop and look at them for sometime but it becomes intense.

Draupadi looks at me confused, "Are they still practicing?"

Before I could respond, I find Aswathama stopping them, we also walk fast towards them.

"What is this behaviour both of you?" I demand to know, already tired of their silly fight.

"Nothing much, we were just.." Duryodhaan tries to explain.

Bheem interrupts, "Lets talk later, we are not alone." He is right, it won't be right to talk about this in front of Draupadi.

"Bhratashree, we heard you lost twice." Bheem says.

"I wasn't rolling the dice." I defend myself.

Duryodhaan joins fast. "He lost twice to bhabhishree." Arjun has also arrived but he stays quiet. I tell them clearly, "I was not playing properly, or else do you think I would lose? Never."

"Its decided then, lets have a rematch." Duryodhaan says.

"Gambling? Here?" I ask.

"Why not?" He calls out one of the guard. "Make space to play dyut."

I refuse, "Your bhabhishree won't be comfortable. She must be tired too. She doesn't even know how to play."

"It's fine. Lets settle properly this today." Draupadi's words surprises me.

The staff made the arrangement quickly and I sit opposite to Draupadi. Only we are playing, others are watching. I notice Arjun standing behind Draupadi.

My brothers cheers on me as I roll the dice. Even if the right number comes up, I always mess it up. But my skill is not to be blame entirely. Draupadi stares so intensely whenever I am about to make a move. My checks burns up from her stare. And damn, she looks good when she rolls the dice and throws it, he bangles crashing into each other. She looks at my lips and then at my eyes, giving me goosebumps. Her unfazed expression makes it hotter. In no time, I loss again. She smirks and gets up.