A week passed and a lot of things happened in Indraprastha after Drishti arrived. Draupadi gave birth to Bheem's son, Sutasoma. Again Drishti didnt like the giant name on a small baby but again she convinced herself by coming up with a nickname for the newborn.
The next day of Drishti's arrival in Indraprastha, a victorious Arjun returned too and he couldnt help but wonder why was the future girl so sad and quiet, he didnt say it out loud but he was missing the loud and chirpy Drishti.
This time at Sutasoma's birth despite being in Indraprastha not everyone was present. Bheem was instantly informed of his son's birth and was sad that he didnt get to meet him first.
Then there was the other news that both Nakul and Sahadev have gotten married due to a political alliance. Nakul married to a princess named Karenunati while Sahadev married his maternal cousin Vijaya. Both the women had to stay back in their homeland due to Draupadi's condition to all the Pandavas, none of their other wives would live where Draupadi would.
Subhdra was an exception though, but that still didnt mean that Subhdra was freed from all the conditions, from time to time she had go back to Dwarka.
Drishti didnt like whatever was going on, marriages were seen merely as a political association where the people coming into that alliance were barely given any choice or say.
Snowy came flying in the open hallway where Drishti sat the evening time watching the sun set alone. Seeing his owner like that saddened him as well but there was nothing he could do. What she actually wanted wasnt in his reach.
Rotating his head three sixty degrees, Snowy's eyes halted on a person who was seen approaching in their direction. He recognised the man to be Arjun. The one Drishti used to talk about being highly egoistical and rude but it had been a long time since she last talked about him which made Snowy wonder if Drishti had forgotten her hatred towards the man.
Before Arjun could come and sit behind Drishti, Snowy flew away. Arjun watched the bird fly away so abruptly with a shake of head as everything related to Drishti was just so dramatic and interestingly weird.
Turning back to Drishti who was sitting silently alone and didnt even realise that someone came and sat behind her. She was just too lost in her thoughts to care of her surroundings.
He didnt like seeing her like that and it had been a really long time since he had started noticing her happy, bright and soulful demeanor was turning dark and grim. She wasnt being her older self.
"Drishti?" He spoke and saw her flinch, she turned around abruptly and a small smile of surprise tug at her sad face. "Oh Arjun, when did you come?"
"I've been sitting here for a while," He said watching the bags under her eyes, "But you were just too lost in your thoughts."
For a moment her eyes casted down weakly, before she looked up after masking her face with fake happiness, "I was singing a song in my head while watching the sun set so maybe I didnt realise when you came."
"Really?" He asked testing her how much could she lie.
"Really." She nodded avoiding his gaze.
"Drishti." He made her look back at him, "I have asked the same thing to you earlier and I am going to ask you again, what is it that is troubling you? You dont seem happy, what is making you sad?"
"I am not sad." It almost burned her throat to say that with her cracking voice.
"Oh trust me, I am not blind." He said.
"I am not sad, Arjun, really." She said stubbornly and was about to get up and leave but he stopped her sitting beside her quickly and blocking the way for her to leave.
"Sit." He said softly and found herself obeying to that tone which always made her feel weak and vulnerable.
She sat back turning to the setting sun while he sat beside her. Both remained silent the whole time until the sun was completely down and it was starting to get dark.
Just that question being asked to her repeatedly had not put her on the edge of breaking down again. Ever since she came to Indraprastha not much attention was given to how she was feeling, Subhadra and Draupadi did ask if she was alright but they never forced her into answering it and that made her feel better as she was escaping her own feelings.
Until now. As the man sitting beside her knew she was not being moody and was genuinely sad. It did surprise her too that out of everybody he was able to read her correctly. It really did amaze her.
As now it was dark and she was freed from the insecurity of being seen breaking down, Drishti softly whispered to him without looking at him, "I am sad, Arjun."
While looking in front of her where the sun had set, she felt him turn to her, "Why?"
She stayed quiet, not because she didnt want to tell him about it, but because she didnt even know how to tell it to him. Where to even start? She didnt know if she'll even reach an end while talking about her feelings. Or she'd always have to bottle them up inside her?
Her lips quivered wanting to say something but not being able to, her eyes wanted to answer as well only causing the tears to resurface them.
He could see how she shuddered while struggling to say something and it scared him. She scared him. There was definately something that was hurting her so bad that it wasnt even letting her talk about it.
"Drishti-" He began in her direction but was interrupted by her turning to him and laying her head on his shoulder as she could not hold the tears any longer.
It shocked him seeing the girl who just sat as silent as an ocean a few moments ago broke down so easily as she was on the verge of it already. Even the soundless choked sobs that she was letting out were more painful than anything that he had heard.
He sat there awkward and stiff while she sobbed incoherently, "Why- why does it always have to be me? Why should I always give up on what I want? Everybody I love- leaves me, my parents, my grandparents, even him, why? What did I do wrong? As much as I want somebody to stay forever, the more they just go away! You know when I was ten, I had a small puppy and I loved it more than anybody I couldnt imagine losing him but within just an year he died due to illness, then my parents left and then my grandparents, everybody leaves! Why doesnt anybody stay?- why do they always have to leave me?"
One of his hands caressed her softly from behind while the other one was in her grasp as she cried. He couldnt understand the half of her vent but he was clear she was depressed about someone leaving her. But who could that be? He didnt consider it the right time to ask who that was seeing her condition, the only needful was to make her stop crying somehow.
"Its okay, Drishti-"
"It is not okay!" She cut him, "Its is not okay to leave somebody when you know they cant live without you! You should never step into someone's life if you are going to leave one day! No body realises what happens after they leave someone whose whole time went by cherishing their presence. I never asked anyone to come and make me attached to them then why should I suffer? Why am I the only one who has got nobody like literally nobody?"
"Its not true Drishti," Arjun said softly with a frown, his fingers wiping the tears from her cheeks, "You are not alone, you do have people who care for you."
"Where are they?" More tears left her eyes, "I dont see them! Where are they? What are they doing when I am crying like an idiot over here?"
"Wiping your tears," He offered a small smile making her halt, she blinked staring at him. He again wiped her tears, tugging her fallen strands of hair behind her ear, "I dont know if its true or not but I have heard that whenever you feel low, god always makes sure you are not alone to bear it on your own, just like I am sitting here with you. I have been noticing you were depressed and all it needed was once to be taken out."
Drishti couldnt help but stare at him, she didnt know what to say to that and whatever he said made her breath hitch for unknown reasons. Maybe for one, he was sitting really close wiping her tears and two, the look in his eyes was stirring something in her. Her heart was beating rapidly.
"That means you are here for me?" She asked, her eyes curiously boring into his. He shrugged with a small smile, "Ofcourse."
"But everybody leaves."
"I wont."
She felt the smile on his face mirror on hers, she couldnt understand why was she suddenly smiling after wailing like that. It felt absurd but she could feel the pain dissolve or lighten.
"Why would you even stay?" She asked suddenly going all playful, "Its not like you are in love with me or anything or your four wives will kill me easily."
With that she burst out into laughter at her own joke while he felt his stomach twitch staring at her laughing face. He frowned at what she just said, it made him feel uneasy for some reasons.
She obviously joked but it put him to an edge suddenly. The cool breeze hit him making him shudder at his own thoughts. What she asked was right in a way.
Why was he there for her?
Why would he stay for her?
Why did it hurt him when she was hurt?
All of those questions perplexed him even more. There were a lot of people in the castle who saw and knew Drishti was sad, everybody felt bad for her but nobody felt the way he felt for her.
Why?
He couldnt understand what was happening to him. All he could see was her face in front of her. The strands of hair that he just tucked behind her ears were freed by the breeze and now danced on her face, her bright smile felt like it was suddenly emitting light, the way her eyes shrank when laughing. It all made him experience something weird which he had never.
And not just once, it had happened a lot of time with him but he never knew why. He always felt there was something special about her but he convinced himself that maybe because she was from future, but he never actually could decipher why everything about her made him feel the way it did.
What if what she just said could be true?-
His own thoughts shocked him. He wanted to put a stop to such absurd thoughts but what were the chances that what he was fearing was true?
*Author's Note*
Arjun feeling something something???
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