LOVE: To Infinity And Beyond

Politics

The next morning dawned beautifully on the new couple, who were now in their chamber in the palace. Last night the Gudakesha had stayed up and finally made sure that they returned to the palace by midnight.
"Your faces look so bright today huh....! What's the matter??" a naughty Satya teased, as soon as Arjun and Draupadi entered the Shiva-Shakti Mandir in the morning to attend the pooja. Draupadi blushed and decided to keep mum while rolling her eyes at Satya, since all the elders were there, too. "Arrey Satya.. Actually, yesterday you told Krishnaa such good things about me, just opposite to my predictions, that in the evening, she kept on praising me and my deeds. And that immense positivity is reflecting on our faces." , Arjun was too smart with his words to easily outsmart even the smartest. Satya nearly choked, while all the others laughed hard.
Devaki requested Arjun and Krishnaa to do the Aarti and seek the blessings of the deities, since the pooja was mainly arranged for them.
Arjun and Draupadi were to leave the next day morning. So, that day the whole of the royal family celebrated their presence. Satya had arranged for a cultural function in the afternoon. She insisted Arjun to play the Veena. Arjun refused, he wasn't in the mood right away. "Okay, Parth.. if you play , Sakhi will sing. I promise you on Sakhi's behalf..." Arjun found it really tough to resist the temptation of listening to that woman sing, whose mere words hear like the sparkling of some mountain stream... He really wanted to hear the nightingale... Krishnaa was very much hesitant. But Arjun readily agreed and finally persuaded her to sing.
The two began weaving their magical realm of music on the central dias. Arjun's veena reached it heights... Krishnaa's voice was so versatile, so sparkly, so tempting, so perfect and so .. nightingale like... She worked the minute clefts and surfs in the melodies, matching the rhythms perfectly with the Veena's magical music... The song soon reached its climax, almost numbing everyone's senses. The song ended, and everybody had tears in their eyes due to the intensity of the music. They even forgot to clap. Krishnaa and Arjun opened their eyes slowly and once again the hazels and blues met exchanging another set of vibrant rhythms, but silently.
In the evening Satya was praising their performance like anything while chatting with Draupadi in her chamber.
Meanwhile, Krishna decided to offer a piece of urgent and vital advice to his Parth. "Parth, always remember that great people often need to sacrifice their smaller selfish interests for greater interest of the world..." Arjun was as baffled by his words as ever. There was only one person who could understand Krishna's words clearly at one go, Krishnaa. He looked up at Krishna in wonder and confusion. Krishna came closer to him and sitting beside him, kept his palm on his shoulder. "Strengthen yourself. Prepare. There are wars ahead. However the biggest war would be to tolerate the pain of your separation..." Arjun could easily guess that "From WHOM?" part. His eyes turned dewy. Some mere war won't make Madhav say this. There was more to it, which his Antaryaami Sakha won't tell him right now.

The next morning Arjun and Draupadi set off. The whole Yadava family was quite melancholic to bid farewell to them. However Krishna knew that they had to meet again, pretty soon.

The convoy reached Hastinapur in ten days. Duhshala was again charged up by her Bhaabi and Bhaiyya's return. That evening itself, Dhritarashtra called an important Sàbha. Arjun was in no mood to attend, but his Krishnaa and his sense of responsibility compelled him to.
As Arjun came in, he found that everyone was already there in the sabha, all the Kuru men. His eyes asked Nakul for a clue. However, Nakul himself was absolutely clueless.
"I actually wanted to announce to all of you that my son, Duryodhan, is going to attend the Swayamvar of Utkal Rajkumaari Bhanumati. This is an open invitation to all the princes here. If any you want you may accompany him." As per Shakuni's plan, the next step was to hit Arjun's male ego and make him come to the Swayamvar. Whether he won or lost, either there will be a huge drift between him and Draupadi or he will have to suffer a huge insult. "Putra Arjun, would you like to try to increase our glory any further??"Dhritarashtra provoked. Arjun was quite shocked. How could someone even give him this proposal just a few fortnights after his marriage??
"No taatshri. Winning a lady's hand in marriage is not like winning a trophy in a race. That increases a person's strength and individual glory, but I rather don't see it as a way of increasing national glory. There are better ways to it..." Arjun replied bold, intelligent and frank. Dron, Bheeshm and the other Pandava brothers felt proud at his smart words. This was Duryodhan's cue to begin his part of the script. "Ohoo.. Aren't those words too noble for you to pronounce , Arjun?? The real reason is that you are scared to be defeated." Duryodhan spat his wicked words like poison. Arjun retained his calm. Hadn't Madhav already warned him of this..? "We all know the victory probabilities of all, pretty well, Bhrata Duryodhan. And as far as I remember the latest events... You should better not invite me..." Dron smirked at the foolish Duryodhan. His Shishya was a lion, too difficult to be distraughted by these jackals.. "Pranipaat..." Arjun saluted the Sabha, and the Pandava brothers left in unison.
Back in his chamber, in Krishnaa's presence, the brothers sat in serious discussion. "I think these were the filthy politics Madhav had warned me of. I would prefer to adopt his solution, only. We should separate out... " Arjun informed, gravely. Krishnaa was in support of her husband, and Sakha.
The brothers looked up at Arjun. "But that's not so easy. We will have to get the consents of all the elders, and make sure that Taatshri is giving us a part of the kingdom..." Yudhishthir said.
"I know.. many complications are there... Still ... We should try our best..." Arjun replied...