|| ArjunaPriyā: Flames On The Waves || ✔️

|| Ashtadhikashatam: The Challenge And The Shringar ||

"Bhaginipati, we need your help!" Yudhamanyu appeared in Drupada's chamber, almost running at a lightning speed as he reached Arjuna. "Please come to our aid, Bhaginipati!"

Arjuna and Drupada exchanged baffled glances as the former exclaimed, "What happened? Is there any battle threat?"

"No, no, Bhaginipati!" Yudhamanyu laughed at the expressions of his father and brother-in-law. "Mata instructed us to present jewelry to our sister for the Simantonayana. But we do not want to make any mistake in that, we want all the ornaments to be perfect for the occasion. The duty of giving jewelry is ours but you have to help us select the best ones. Otherwise, all eleven of us brothers have different opinions and we have been arguing with each other for a long time about them. Please save us, Bhaginipati!"

"Yudhamanyu!" Drupada reprimanded, though he was trying hard to control his smile. "Don't trouble him so much!"

"Choosing ornaments for his wife cannot be any sort of trouble, Pita. We are his brothers-in-law, we have all the rights in the world to trouble him too, isn't it, Bhaginipati?" Yudhamanyu looked towards Arjuna mischievously.

Arjuna blinked, realizing the reality that the Panchala family was not going to leave a tiny chance to tease him throughout the Simantonayana event. They seemed to have planned it all beforehand. He could imagine his future where he would be surrounded by his eleven brothers-in-law between all the guests in the celebrations, showering him with playful remarks and he couldn't help but go scarlet if was about his Krishnaa. Ironically, only Krishnaa can save him from that!

"You can try as much as you want to, Yudhamanyu, I have my savior!" Arjuna raised his eyebrows confidently.

"Don't expect our Bhagini to save you, Bhaginipati. She's our beloved sister!" Yudhamanyu claimed, smirking.

"Let's see! She's my beloved wife too, she won't let any trouble fall on me!" Arjuna responded, winking.

"Using the same love for which you are getting teased, for your protection as well?" Yudhamanyu quipped.

"Because I mean it when I say she's my everything. My adoration for Krishnaa may make you pester me with her mention but her adoration for me will save me everytime, trust me!"

"Let's wait and watch what happens when everyone is there!" Yudhamanyu challenged as Arjuna shook his head in mock-exasperation before approving.

"Mahadeva, what kind of a competition are my sons and son-in-law starting!" Drupada pronounced, joining his palms and looking up toward the sky with exaggerated expression, causing both Arjuna and Yudhamanyu to chuckle.

"Will you help us with the jewelry though, Bhaginipati?" Yudhamanyu requested again as his brother-in-law nodded his head positively. Taking leave from Drupada, they both left the latter's mansion and proceeded to the place where Yudhamanyu's brothers were waiting for them.

With an overdose of teasing from all of them, especially from Dhrishtadyumna, Arjuna managed to choose the jewels for Krishnaa. He chose pearls and gold as he knew that heavy jewelry wouldn't be comfortable for her at this time. No matter how annoyed he pretended to be when his brothers-in-law reminded his love for their sister every now and then, he was no less than overjoyed and they too knew that very well.

________

It was the day of the Simantonayana and all the guests had already arrived at the royal palace of Kampilya. Pritha and Prishati were hustling around the festive chamber to arrange everything in place, whereas Drupada and his sons, as well as Nakula and Sahadeva were chatting with the guests. The children of the Panchala Princes as well as the Panchala Princess were running around the hall, increasing the glow of the surroundings.

In Krishnaa's personal chamber, her sisters-in-law helped her bathe, dressed her up in the beige-colored silk that her mother gave and were drying her long hair by placing it above the sambrani pot, along with the handmaidens who assisted them with the necessities. There was a gentle knock on the doors which took all of their attention, and Krishnaa's heart skipped a beat.

She knew who it could be.

One of the handmaidens went to open the doors and returned to the dresser where Krishnaa was seated after a while. "Rajakumari, Rajakumara Arjuna is requesting for ekaanta!"

"But her shringar is incomplete-" Shikhandi's wife was about to reason when she was cut in between by Dhrishtadyumna's wife.

"Bhrata Arjuna will look after the rest of the shringar. Our work is done!" She giggled as Krishnaa shut her eyes and blushed hard. All the other women including the maids cleared the chamber before Arjuna entered.

Krishnaa observed him from the mirror as he walked towards her slowly, draped in pure white and decked with ornaments of diamonds. She adored his beauty and his resplendence with her gaze and when their eyes were about to meet through the mirror, she pushed her gaze downwards. She knew that she must be looking enamoured at that moment and didn't wish to be caught.

Arjuna watched his wife's reflection in the long mirror, her dark, lovely face beautified by the red-white intricate tilaka on her forehead. "Krishnaa..."

She raised her eyes at his call, her large, kohled lotus eyes expanding and her delicate eyelashes fluttering, making his heart flutter along.

"Let me adorn my queen for her Simantonayana," he whispered, standing behind Krishnaa in front of the mirror. "I have been wanting to adorn you for a long time and there's no better opportunity than this one."

She hummed, allowing her gaze to meet his tender one through the mirror. He picked up the wooden comb from the dresser and taking her hair into his hands, he started combing her curls gently and carefully.

"Natha..." she suddenly turned back as if she remembered something. "You have to part my hair during the ritual too, you know that right?"

"Of course I will, that's for the safety of you and our child during the labor," Arjuna smiled as he continued combing and bringing her extra long hair together. "This is different from that, Priyaa, I'm doing this out of love."

She let out a soft sigh as he tied her hair in a beautiful bun and put the jasmine garland around her hair. Both of them looked up at the reflection at the same time as their lips curved up. He picked up the box of sindhura and taking a pinch of it into his fingers, he smeared it on the parting of her hair as she closed her eyes, cherishing his love.