Book 1 of Maharani Devika Trilogy (Previously known as DharmaPriyaa: The Lady Who Loved Yudhishthira)
She struggles to prevent an unwanted marriage.
He is thrown into murder attempts.
But love still found its way, overcoming all the dangers.
_______...
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Kampilya
"You called me, Pita?" A melodious voice rang along with tinkling sound of anklets.
"Come, Putri!" King Drupada nodded at her affectionately.
"Dwarakadheesh, meet my daughter Krishnaa Draupadi!" Pride flashed in his voice.
Draupadi looked in front of her. She saw a stranger sitting beside her father and smiling at her. That smile had something in it, as if a friendly welcome.
"And Krishnaa, He is Krishna Vaasudeva, the Lord of Dwaraka." Drupada added.
Draupadi joined her palms into a namaskara to which Krishna reciprocated.
"You have already heard about Him." Drupada spoke again, "He is the..."
"The famous cowherd of Vrindavana, the slayer of Kansa!" Draupadi said with a smile, "The one who saved Yadavas singlehandedly from emperor Jarasandha's repetitive attacks. Am I right, Dwarakadheesh?"
"Seems like I am quite well-known in Panchala?" Krishna chuckled.
"You indeed are, Vaasudeva!" Drupada smiled, "Welcome to Kampilya once again! To be honest, I was actually waiting for you only!"
"For me? Why, Maharaj?"
"Vaasudeva, you are aware of the purpose of my yajna that gave me these twins. You know that I prayed for a son who would avenge my insult."
Draupadi gave her father a concerned look. She knew what he would say next. It was something that she had listened to umpteenth times since her birth, but could not agree with her father's intention.
"I know." Krishna nodded.
"The insult I suffered left an incurable scar in my heart, Vaasudeva! I can never forgot the way I was defeated and seized by the five princes of Hastinapura!" Anger flashed in Drupada's eyes, "I still feel that..."
"Apologies for the interruption, Pita!" Draupadi intervened, "I have listened to this incident a minimum of thousand times! But I strongly feel that those five princes did not have any fault in it! They were just obeying their Guru's order who demanded an unfair Gurudakshina!"
Krishna's eyes widened as He felt amused, looking at her expression while defending the Pandavas.
"Krishnaa, I do not know why you always say the same thing!" Drupada said, "How much do you know them to say so?"
"I do not know them, Pita. But I have heard a lot about them from you and Bhrata Shikhandi. Gurudev Upayaja too told me the stories of Kuru princes. And listening to them I never felt that the sons of Pandu are such persons who can be disrespectful to anyone, especially to you who is their late father's friend." Draupadi kept on speaking with confidence, "I am sure about this because even you admitted several times that they treated you with respect of a father even after winning."
