*Note*
Can you see the above picture? Tell me how is it??
It took a few hours to reach Indraprastha and now Drishti stood as a married girl at the doorstep of the castle beside her husband, her eyes casted down painfully as she just couldnt believe what her life had come to.
Draupadi was the one who was obliged to do all the welcoming ceremonies for the other wife of her husband and it was clear this time she was even more infuriated. Drishti could have tried explain it to her that she had no feelings for her husband and whatsoever but she was tired, of life.
"Step in with your right foot first," Draupadi said shortly moving away after doing everything that was needed, Drishti had her feet in the vermillion as told to do and now had to step in as she did without a single thought, expression or feeling. She was just accepting whatever was happening to her at this stage.
The red imprints of her feet came into view as she moved inside castle while the brothers of her husband welcomed her cheerfully whereas the two ladies were far away from any happiness or joy. Meanwhile Arjun, beside her felt as grim as he could. How could he even fake a smile when he knew his wife beside her was feeling completely different but who would tell him that she was not feeling at all. That function was already dead in her.
The whole family led the newlyweds in the great hall which was apparently waiting for a few more rituals. Draupadi sighed and cleared her throught gesturing the two to sit, "Now, you both sit here and-"
"I dont think we should do anything else now," Drishti interrupted her in a defeated yet annoyed tone, startling everyone with her suddenness, "It is better to call it a day as none of us are actually happy with this, there is no need to fake it and put yourself through this torture Draupadi. I know how you feel."
Draupadi and everybody stared at her slightly shocked with what she just said. It was clear she was fed up and could not take it anymore. She untied the knot in the cloth that held the both of them together while a lot of people could even get a heart attack at that sight.
She avoided Arjun's sorrowful gaze on her as she was already stocked with it for the entire lifetime and right now needed a break. Moving ahead, she ignored as Yudhistir said, "Drishti you cant leave like that-"
Going to her room straight she found out that it was completely empty. Asking a few maids, she got to know that her room was changed and she was taken there.
Entering the new room she had a look around from her spot, flowers and earthen lamps everywhere, infact it was decorated so extravagantly that it irked her slightly with confusion as she remembered passing through other room, which werent decorated like this at all. She spent the whole day alone there after having requested that she wanted to stay alone.
Sitting by the window sill thoughtless and lost, she gathered that it was almost dusk as one of the maids stepped in with her food whom she told to take it back as she had no appetite while another one stepped in with a bundle of clothes setting them on the table in front of the cupboard. Drishti's eyebrows furrowed as she didnt think those clothes could be for any woman and asked, "Whats that?"
"Pandav Kumar Arjun's clothes." The maid answered in a small voice and Drishti held a skeptical look, "Why are you keeping his clothes in my room?"
"This will be your and Pandav kumar Arjun's room from now on and I was told to keep them here." The maid bowed in slight nervousness and left, then it dawned upon her making her eyes wide and breath hitch when she heard someone else enter the room behind her and she turned around to see her husband standing there closing the door behind him.
"W-What-" She backed away wide eyed when she saw him step forward but he halted seeing her back off and remained in his place sighing lightly looking down.
"Dont worry, I am leaving," Arjun said looking up in a soft voice and she frowned, he was leaving? He went forward picking up a small cushion from a chair and almost left but stopped turning towards her as if he wanted to say something but didnt know how.
"Even though we are married now," He began a bit hesitantly glancing at her, "But I want to respect the space between us. For the whole world we might be a couple but I dont want you to you to be forced into this. I dont want to you to be living a life which you dont want. So, please trust me, Drishti I will never cross this line which you wish to keep between us. Nothing will change, you will be the same Drishti you have always wished yourself to be."
She stared at him as he paused for a bit but slowly looked back at her with more softened eyes, "And as for us, I would like our relationship to begin as friends, if you allow. I want to be there for you all the time you need me." He paused putting up a small yet bright smile, "So, friends?"
Not knowing what to even say or how to react when your husband asks to be friends, she opened and closed her mouth several times and despite the intensity of the moment he found it hard to not chuckle on how adorable she looked when confused. She could see the edges of his lips threatening to perk up and she smiled through eyes, "Okay, friends."
He grinned lightly and slowly a small shy smile remained on his face as he moved towards her with little hesitancy in his behavior and slowly held out something towards her.
A butterfly shaped hairpiece.
She looked up at him surprised, "What's this?"
"Others might call it a ritual to give their wife something as a gift on the first day of the wedding," He began and looked back at her with a soft look to continue, "But I want to give this to you as a gift for the starting of our relationship as friends. I wish we both remain friends if not anything whole our lives. And this is something which kind of reminded me of you, you have always been like a beautiful little butterfly dancing around everywhere so joyfully and vibrantly- for me you've always been the most colorful and brightest soul who never failed to bring a smile on my face and I want you to be like that always, so I got this for you."
He gestured her to take it and she didnt know how to even react to that, the Drishti he just described was the past Drishti who didnt have any sadness in her life. But he wanted her to be happy again, that simple statement pulled a genuine smile on her face and she reached out to hold the accesory, admiring how pretty it was. Studded with blue diamonds and white pearls, she couldnt even describe how cute it was. "Thankyou, Arjun. I will wear it for you."
He blushed, she saw it and as he nodded looking down causing her smile to grow more. He backed away now and before he could leave with that pillow and blanket in his hands, she had to stop him again, "Wait- where are you going to sleep?"
"If any empty room found and nobody saw me, then in it, Or. . -" He trailed off pursing his lips, still in a pleasant way.
"Or?" She asked in a small voice staring at him wide eyed.
"There's lots of floor," He said casually, "Dont worry, no one will find out," And smiled for one last time, "Good night, Drishti."
Before she could even say anything he was gone swiftly. She stared after where he left feeling a bit bad for him that if didnt find any room sleepable, he'll have to sleep on floor. It rised an awful feeling within her at how everybody now connected to her was being pulled in some kind of misery.
Darting her eyes to the heavily flowered bed of their room, she felt the feeling multiplying. Tears sprung up in her eyes, she exhaled sharply and pulled a pillow and a blanket laying down on the floor while her breath shuddered collecting the thoughts of the day.
She was tired of crying but it never finished, she couldnt understand how much more was it for her to bear. At the end of the day, she could only think of how she had imagined her life- her marriage to be and what it turned out to be.
Expectations hurt, massively.
****
The next morning in Indraprastha, the royal family awaited the food made by the new bride but that actually never came, as a depressed Drishti was still asleep in her room.
An enraged Yudhistir got up from the dining spot followed by everybody out of fear and glanced at Subhdra as his own wife was missing right now, "What is the matter?"
"I-I dont-" A confused and slightly scared Subhadra glanced at her husband while everybody stood quietly in tension, before being interrupted by Draupadi suddenly stepping in, "Why are you all standing up? Please sit down, the food's ready."
Several maids stepped in with large bowld filled with various dishes and cutlery. Yudhistir eyed everything suspiciously before turning to his wife, "Who made this food? And where's Drishti?"
Draupadi gulped lightly before turning around sharply facing the maids and speaking to her husband, "After spending so much time in the kitchens making all this, Drishti was starting to feel a little weak, so I told her to go rest in her room for the while."
Draupadi could see how Subhadra's eyebrows shot up at that statement clearly knowing it was a lie but Draupadi's gestured her to be quiet through eyes and cleared her throat, "Why are you still standing Arya, please sit down to have breakfast."
"I appreciate that you care for Drishti so much that you are lying to us for her here. Dont you think we recognise the smell of the dishes cooked by you?" An annoyed Yudhistir said causing Draupadi eyes to widen and her to go speechless. Yudhistir was clearly not in the mood to sit back down as he flared, "But its already too late and I cant put the assembly hall on hold anymore."
With that he stormed out of the dining room followed by his brothers in hesitancy while a concerned Draupadi tried to stop and call after him was left ignored.
"Why did you lie, Jiji?" Subhadra sighed softly going near a dejected Draupadi, who started feeling extremely grim now on seeing all the men leaving without eating.
"Yes Draupadi, why did you lie?" Leaning against the door frame in her pajamas, Drishti asked holding a disappointed look. Draupadi's sad gaze turned into a glare, "Because I know the responsibilities of being a married woman! Unlike you, who considers marriage a game."
Drishti knew Draupadi was still not over the fact that her favourite husband was now married for the fifth time. She sighed going towards her and speaking genuinely, "I know you'll forever be hurt with the fact that this has happened, but trust me Draupadi I do not intent to come between you and your husband's life at all. You too, Subhadra."
"Why are you planning to leave Indraprastha forever?" Subhadra snapped causing Drishti to almost roll her eyes, "Unfortunately not, maybe but I assure you your husband is least of my interest. Chill."
That was the most Drishti could go without being rude and turned around leaving while yawning and telling a maid to get her food in her room, while Draupadi and Subhdra glared watching her go.
By the time it was evening and all the family members again assembled for dinner holding not so glad faces, Drishti stepped in, her gaze landing straight on the eldest Pandava who was evidently glaring at her while sitting.
"Much to your pleasure, Jyestha," Drishti began coldly with arms folded, "I have cooked every single dish for tonight and I hope you wont pull a drama queen right now and eat nicely," Ignoring Yudhistir's wide furious eyes, Drishti turned to the maids politely, "Please serve."
"You both will sit as well." Drishti said to Draupadi and Subhadra who were eyeing the food worriedly. Draupadi was just about to deny but Drishti pulled up a smile holding her hands and making her sit across her husbands, "Everybody will enjoy the feast tonight, afterall I usually dont get to act like masterchefs."
While the maids served the food, Drishti's eyes found her husband's as he held a small supportive smile towards her and maybe impressed with her, but who would tell him she needed more than just a smile right now, such as a twenty hour nap after working for eight hours straight in the kitchen and occasionally getting white spots in vision. She knew she was dehydrated but its not like she hasn't survived the twenty one years of her with trivial amount of water.
She forced a small friendly smile towards him before purposely busying herself with the serving. Once done she smiled towards all of them warmly, "Dig in now!"
Sighing, Yudhistir started as everybody waited for him to begin so that they could as well. Taking a small bite of the pulav Drishti cooked, Yudhistir let the taste sink in while Drishti could feel internally excited as for the first time she cooked for so many people. But it was not even a few seconds when Yudhistir had taken the first bite and he broke into fits of cough suddenly causing everybody's eyes to widen.
"Jyestha what happened?" Bheem sitting right beside him picked up the glass of water while Yudhistir tried to say something between the coughs.
"Feed him the sweet dish." Draupadi said urgently and Bheem did the same only causing Yudhistir's face to morph into the most excruciating expression as he exclaimed, "Its sour!"
"Sour?" Drishti eyes widened in perplexion, "Are you sure? Its supposed to be sweet, I put a lot of sugar in it."
"Or salt?!" Yudhistir fired back while his eyes were turning red. Drishti was now horrified, "Okay, okay, here eat this puri, I am sure its fine."
Worriedly Draupadi took a piece of the puri and fed it to him with curd but now it got even worse as he could not hold any longer and got up coughing loudly storming out of the room while the others followed him highly anxious. Drishti watched all of them go with a heavy heart filling up with guilt and sorrow.
Her eyes went to all the food kept there untouched which she made with all her heart. Right before exiting the room, Arjun halted suddenly and turned around only to see his wife standing there alone looking down at all the food she made. He felt bad for her ofcourse, that was the first time she cooked he knew and now it was obviously hurting her.
He couldnt stop the steps that already led him to her and whispered slowly, from behind, "Drishti."
She flinched very lightly but didnt turn around to face him and hummed still looking down. He didnt know why but he felt his heart get heavier at that, "Its okay Drishti, all of us know you havent cooked ever, its alright."
"Ofcourse, I know," She breathed a soft chuckle still not facing him, "Its just because of the drama in the morning, Draupadi was even more mad at me and to be honest it hurts me when she is sad and that too because of me so to save her from the little torture of monster Pandava-" She was interrupted by a small chuckle and she continued smiling nevertheless, "So to make him happy and to save us all from his wrath I made dinner for all of us and actually I wanted to, to take mind off things, but it all- failed."
He watched as she sighed pursing her lips with that little sadness in eyes. Nope, he wanted a smile right back on that face. His hand automatically reached out to hold hers while she held a slightly startled look as he led her to where he was sitting earlier and now sat down, "Others can take care of Jyestha, I am very hungry right now."
She blinked, "Arjun, But its not goo-"
"Its for me to decide, you just stay here, I dont like eating alone." She raised her eyebrows at him in defeat knowing what he was trying to do and sat down in front of him, staring at him with a small smile, "Why do you want to torture yourself, dont eat it."
He pretended to ignore her beginning to eat and let out a impressive sigh, "This is delicious, where did you learn to make it?"
She rolled her eyes with a small smile, "No one is going to give you an award for your excellent acting skills, okay?"
"Its alright," He smiled cheekily and she could see the hint of flirt in it, "I already have you."
She groaned playfully, "Gosh, you are so cliché." He chuckled finding himself extremely weird as well saying all of that but it was all worth the smile on her face.
"By the way," He spoke again finishing the highly spicy pulav, "Raj Suya Yagna is going to be held next week in Indraprastha."
Drishti halted realising what was all to happen because of the Yagna and suddenly she couldnt keep calm.
*Author's Note*
A husband like Arjun>>>>>
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