Disclaimer - None of the characters are mine and belong to one of the greatest epics ever. This is just a fanfiction and I have just borrowed the characters. There is no intention of hurting anyone's sentiments - religious or otherwise.
3. Yudhistira.
Meanwhile in a different part of the Hastinapur palace...
Yudhistira finally made his way back to the palace entrance and found that Duryodhana had returned along with Mata Kunti and Maharani Gandhari. The two mothers had huddled around Dushyala and were comforting her. From his vantage point Yudhistira could see that Dushyala seemed to be calming down and her face was becoming calmer as she rested her head on Mata Kunti's shoulder.
Duryodhana was standing with his brothers a little way away. His facial expressions were unreadable for Yudhistira at the moment. Angaraj Karna stood near his friend but his face openly showed his worry and discomfort. The eldest Pandava knew well the enmity Karna held towards Arjun, towards his Phalgun. But the entire situation seemed to have caught him unawares. The conspicuous absence of mamashree Shakuni felt like a godsend in such a scenario. Yudhistira was called Dharmaraj and he followed the ways of Dharma almost to a fault. He was aware that it was his strength and his weakness, both at once. But Mamashree Shakuni deserved no respect and though his Dharma stopped him from openly opposing someone who was his elder, Yudhistira could not help hoping that he stays at his own city of Gandhar henceforth.
Mamashree Shakuni was the reason that the relations between the Kauravas and the Pandavas had deteriorated to the extent that it had. Deterioration did not ably described it. It was a shattering of relations, which culminated when Duryodhana tried to have them killed at Varnavrat. The events after that was one whiplash after another. Getting Khandavaprastha and then converting the same into Indraprasth was their biggest achievement; but it was mainly Arjun's achievement. Arjun and Krishna's achievement and all the Pandavas got to share in the glory. Bheem had proved himself by killing Jarasandha and Yudhistira got to be crowned king and eventually the Chakravarti Samrat.
The laurels rightfully belonged to Arjun again and to Bheem for killing Jarasandha, the cruel king of Magadha; the honour also belonged to Krishna. Their cousin had worked tirelessly alongside his Sakha, his Parth, to make Yudhistira's dream a reality.
But before long Arjun had to leave for a 12 year exile. An exile earned through no fault of his own; it was another strike in the list of Yudhistira's shortcomings. Arjun subjected himself to a tough exile of 12 long years and he earned laurels from cities in every direction. Arjun travelled alone and undertook some of the most perilous paths. He fought against demons, sprites and evil human beings. Arjun earned fame and integrity in his own right. Yudhistira had no doubts that Arjun have had his share of kingdoms offered to him by many a grateful ruler. But he chose to return to Indraprasth where he was nothing more special than a Prince and the commander of Yudhistira's army.
Arjun has spent more than in the forest than he had spent inside a palace, but never had Yudhistira heard his brother complain. He had never held grudges against his brothers and after Draupadi's wedding no one would have resented if he had chosen to revolt. Dharma and mother's orders aside, Yudhistira knew how much Arjun loved his Panchali and how much grief his little brother hid in his heart when she got wedded to all five of them. But grief was the only emotion Arjun felt; he should have raged and revolted but his brother remained unfazed. Yudhistira had carried an overwhelming sense of guilt since that fateful day and the only person he had confided to was Draupadi.
It was during their first night spent together as husband and wife that Yudhistira had unburdened his soul. For a few hours he had let his Dharma take a back seat and had spoken of the unrelenting guilt he faced daily. Yudhistira had asked for forgiveness for himself and for Mata Kunti. While Draupadi's dharma stopped her from comparing or preferring one brother over another, Yudhistira had requested her to unbind herself of such shackles and had invited her confidence as frankly as he had volunteered his. He could recollect her words with all its nuances.
"What do you want me to say, Aryaputra? You know full well the circumstances under which my marriages were conducted. Was it difficult for me? Incredibly so. Was I in love with your younger brother who rightfully won at my swayambara? At that point I had not reached the stage of love but I certainly liked that young warrior who achieved the impossible. Then when I met all of you I was charmed by your camaraderie, the strong bond between the five of you. I did not mind then leaving the palace life and settling down for a much more humble way of living. I had sensed peace and I let myself become ecstatic at the thought gaining such warm hearted and brave brothers in addition to my brave husband."
Draupadi had allowed for some tears to escape the confines of her eyes and Yudhistira sat holding her hands, trying to provide an impartial ear for her thoughts and an open heart for her laments. It had been tough for him, he whose whole life was steeped with Dharma. But he refrained from any parading of his knowledge, refrained from reminding Draupadi of her duties. With her he stopped being the eldest brother, the king, the Dharmaraj and chose only to be Yudhistira.
"We gave you an impossible choice, didn't we?" He had questioned.
"There was no choice Arya," Draupadi had replied, the words simple yet impactful. "The only recourse for me was the path I finally chose to walk upon. But you need not hold any guilt over the workings of time and fate. I have accepted my marriage with all of you and I have done so with a free mind. "
"So there was no coercion?" Yudhistira had allowed his voice to portray the guilt he always felt.
Draupadi had chosen to avoid the question but her pained smile had said it all. The rest of their first night had been spent with more confidences being exchanged and when at last dawn was breaking over the eastern horizon, Yudhistira had found himself a new friend.
As he stood at the palace entrance, he continued to feel the familiar stirrings of guilt. Yudhistira had never spoken to Arjun regarding the trials his younger brother had faced all his life. He had come forward as always being busy with the administration of his empire, when it had been Arjun's and Bheem's capability on which Indraprasth stood tall and successful.
"Jyestha Bhrata!"
Yudhistira started; Dushyala's voice. She still sounded weak and shaken up but much steadier.
"Dushyala!" Duryodhana had moved forward at his sister's voice and was now standing in front of her worriedly. "How are you now? What happened?"
Dushyala shook her head and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "I need to talk to Jyestha Bhrata, Bhrata Duryodhana. H-He needs to k-know..."
Duryodhana frowned and a dark look passed his face. He would have interrupted further but Yudhistira stepped into the midst of the conversation; he needed to know exactly what had occurred with Arjun and Dushyala. Duryodhana did not move away and Yudhistira had to stand shoulder to shoulder with his cousin; it was a weird show of pretentious support. Yudhistira could not remember the last time even this visual display of support existed between them.
"Jyestha Bhrata!" Dushyala sprang up and dislodging Mata Kunti's hand from her own moved towards Yudhistira and into his comforting embrace. The eldest Pandava tightened his arms around his sister as he felt her break down into sobs once again.
"Calm down, dear Dushyala. Now...now...." Yudhistira soothed. He could feel Duryodhana stiffening next to him. It took a moment but Dushyala finally calmed down and moved away a little. Her hair was dishevelled and her kajal had run over due to her tears. Yudhistira lovingly wiped away her tears and caressed her bowed head.
"What happened Dushyala?" he asked gently. "Where were you and Arjun? What happened to him? Arjun is still unconscious..."
Dushyala looked up at Yudhistira and then averted her eyes. Fresh tears made its way down her face. "I-I wanted to get some r-rare flowers for the Shiv Pujan, Bhratashree. The flowers could only be found near the waterfall in the forest. Bhrata A-Arjun..." A whimper escaped her. Yudhistira continued running his hands affectionately on her head. A moment's silence and she continued, "Bhrata Arjun found me going alone and insisted on accompanying me."
"Of course he did, dear. It is obvious that the two of you were attacked, but how?"
Dushyala nodded. "I had already gathered the flowers when Bhrata Arjun first caught sight of the man."
"What man?" Duryodhana interrupted, His eyes had narrowed with suspicion and he met Yudhistira's gaze.
"I-We did not know." Dushyala stammered. "He just came out of the deeper area of the forest, from behind the waterfall. Bhrata A-Arjun pushed me behind himself and asked the man who he was and what was his requirement." There was a pause and then, "He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have shielded me." Dushyala's sobs renewed.
Yudhistira shook his head, looking grim. "Phalgun did what and as he should have. You are our dear sister and your security is of the utmost importance to us. But what happened thereafter?"
"Phalgun?" Yudhistira could hear Angaraj Karna's questioning voice.
"That is another name given to Arjun; mostly used by Bhrata Yudhistira." The whispered reply came from one of the Kaurava brothers and made the eldest Pandava smile for a moment.
Dushyala continued, "The man was strange Bhratashree. He did not speak initially. Bhrata Arjun questioned him most politely. The man wore austere garments and looked like a sage but he was armed. Bhrata Arjun was not carrying his Gandiva but he had his daggers with him. But..."
"But, dear child?" Mata Kunti prompted gently. Her countenance was pale and Yudhistira knew that his mother was torn between going to Arjun and staying here to support Dushyala; she faced the same duality of decision as he did.
"The man asked Bhrata Arjun to move away, said that he had no enmity with him. T-That all he wanted was to destroy the Kaurava princes a and princess."
"What?" Duryodhana roared. "Who dares to even talk of harming the Kauravas in Hastinapur? Where is that imbecile? I will..." Duryodhana made a movement towards the gate of the palace as if he intended to rush to the forest and to drag out the stranger.
"Bhrata Duryodhana!"
"Duryodhana!"
Dushyala and Yudhistira spoke up at once; one pleadingly and one with authority. Duryodhana turned angry eyes towards Yudhistira and moved a step forward menacingly.
"You dare to command Me...."
"Calm down, Duryodhana! And yes I do dare command at this moment" Yudhistira did not let the crown prince of Hastinapur finish his tirade. Moments were passing and he had no patience to deal with Duryodhana's insecurity now. "Let Dushyala finish." It was a Chakravarti Samrat speaking and even as Duryodhana bristled, he did not interrupt further.
Dushyala now took hold of Duryodhana's hand and turned pleading eyes towards him. This worked to calm the short tempered prince, Yudhistira noted gratefully.
"How did Arjun get injured, Dushyala?" Now Queen Gandhari joined the conversation and she was quick to get to the point.
Dushyala took a deep breath and continued. "T-the stranger, Maa. He aimed his arrow at me and then proceeded to chant some incantations. Bhrata Arjun was keeping me shielded as much as possible. Then the stranger proceeded to say how he had taken a vow to kill all of King Dhritarashtra's and Queen Gandhari's children. That he had amassed enough strength and boons which he had concentrated on his one arrow. The when the arrow hits even one Kaurava, it will ensure the destruction of the entire clan. Because, as the stranger said, we all were born from the same mass of flesh and we are connected for life."
Dushyala paused to breathe and Yudhistira frowned. He looked over at Duryodhana and the other Kaurava brothers who were present there. Dushyala's story was getting stranger by the minute. Who held such a grudge against the Kauravas?
"T-then he again muttered some incantations and this was when I finally took a look at Bhrata Arjun's face. He looked terrified, and I-I have never seen him look terrified before." Dushyala sniffled and wiped at the fresh tears which had appeared. "Bhrata Arjun tried to question the stranger further but the man was unresponsive. Bhrata made it clear to the man that there was no way he would let him attack me as long as he stood. He did not have his bow with him but still erected a shield around us. However the stranger remained unfazed and again asked Bhrata to move away. Suddenly-suddenly there was a storm..."
"Storm? What storm?" Yudhistira frowned and asked. The weather had remained exceptionally clear the whole day and there had been no sightings of any storm.
Dushyala nodded. "There was a storm, Jyestha Bhrata. I was temporarily blinded by the dust and debris flying about. But I could see Bhrata Arjun stand undaunted. The stranger did not look surprised. Now he addressed Bhrata by name and said that he had no intent to harm a Pandava prince, that his enmity lies with the Kauravas." Dushyala now looked at Duryodhana and continued, "Bhrata Arjun did not relent. H-He said that he would not let any harm come upon his siblings from this stranger as long as he stood. And then..."
"You would try to save Duryodhana and his brothers? After all they did and are still doing to eliminate you Pandavas?" The stranger's eyes had flashed with fury and Dushyala had caught hold of Arjun's angavastra in fear.
Arjun had replied sternly, "That is between us and nobody else. We all belong to the Kuru Dynasty and there is no way that I will let you shoot that arrow at Dushyala...or even at any other Kaurava in my presence."
The stranger had laughed weirdly and the next moment the air had moved faster and the earth had shifted on its axis. There was a small storm building up in the clearing and Arjun had yelled at Dushyala to stay behind him. But Dushyala had panicked and moved away from Arjun and before she could register anything more, had found herself face to face with the stranger.
"This arrow will ensure the complete demolition of the Kaurava clan," he had smirked cruelly. "It is the gift of my utter devotion and penitence. One drop of Kaurava blood... That is all it needs..." The man sounded mad yet there was backdrop of sheer determination in his eyes. Dushyala had not doubts about the truth behind the man's words. The arrow was nocked, the bow string pulled and then let go. Dushyala had closed her eyes in terror.
There was a soft groan, almost lost in the sounds of the environment. But Dushyala had heard and recognized it; Bhrata Arjun. Dushyala had opened her eyes to the frightening scene. Arjun again stood in front of her and a arrow had embedded itself in his upper chest; the arrow the man had targeted at her. The prince was trembling as if being assaulted with some unseen force and Dushyala had finally dared to look up at the stranger; there was a confusing mix of regret and rage in his gaze.
"Why?" He had croaked out and had taken a step towards them when Arjun had shot his dagger at him with lightning fast speed. Even injured, Arjun's aim had been accurate and the dagger had hit the chest of the stranger.
After that, there was not much that Dushyala remembered. The strange man had fled the scene, the wound on his chest bleeding heavily. But she remembered his parting words, "Why seek to ruin your own future, Arjun? Why did you put your life in danger? It was never my intention to harm a Pandava but now your life may be forfeit. And all for the people who will kill you, have you destroyed if given half the chance. Is it generosity or sheer stupidity?"
His countenance had grown fierce again. Dushyala had found herself cowering and again holding unto Arjun for dear life.
"The Kauravas will not be spared. Your impulsive sacrifice will go in vain, Arjun. It will all be for nothing."
The words were a vow and the hardened edge in them made Dushyala shiver as she recalled them back at Hastinapur, even when safe inside the palace walls and surrounded by her family and loved ones.
Comments and Creative Criticism is highly appreciated. I will try to update at least once a week. Thank you.