Second morning. She thought looking ahead as hues of light spreaded across the sky.
The cold breeze blowed but it failed to receive any kind of reaction from her. Because she was just like it. Cold.
It was her second day in Hastinapur. The whole night she spent on the balcony. She couldn't sleep.
How could she when she realized that her so-called husbands found her weakness. They watched her vulnerable side on the previous night.
Surely it wasn't her fault that they would somehow remind her about her nightmares.
But somewhere deep in her heart she knew that it wasn't their fault too as they were totally oblivious to her past.
No, it was all their fault. She thought reminiscing the previous night's incidents. They wouldn't have noticed my vulnerability if not they brought that filthy food.
Her jaws clenched while her palms formed in a fist.
One thing she hated the most in her life - people knowing her. Her past. Reason behind her coldness.
And that's what they tried to do. They tried to invade her personal life.
After whatever happened, she doubt if they would inquire anything about her.
If they try to pull any such stunt, I swear it would be their last day on this Earth.
Her mind again drifted towards the last conversation she had with Aryan few hours back.
Whenever Aryan asked her to forget her past, she would ask the same question again and again.
Has he able to forget his past?
And everytime she got the same answer. Silence.
She often thought how could Aryan be so cheerful like nothing happened with him.
That atrocious night. That fateful night, not only snatched her happiness but also Aryan's.
That night snatched their smile. That night made her what she was today.
But that night also made Aryan different from her. He didn't let it affect his present. He always keeps his smile on his face.
But only she knew it was all fake. She knew he was strong only for her.
And that is the only reason why they were so close to each other.
That is the reason why she lets only him to her personal space. Because both of them were hanging on the same cliff since 14 years.
A sudden knock made her come out of her reverie.
I swear if they are here for any explanation, I will not hesitate to kill them right this moment.
She marched towards the door with so much anger and opened it only to find the least expected ones at that moment.
Kunti and Gandhari.
Her face marred confusion on seeing the two royal ladies. What are they doing here early morning?
"Do you want anything? " She asked composing herself when she found Kunti checking her out. Most specifically her dress.
"What type of dress is this, dear? " Kunti asked softly being confused not understanding what she wore.
It was all so revealing according to her.
Panchali got self-conscious, frowning her eyebrows and regaining herself. She is so not going to give any explanation and obviously not going to change her dressing sense for anyone else.
"Whatever I wear or do, it's all my choice. " Her cold short reply made it clear to the royal ladies that she was different.
But for some reason they smiled while Gandhari said the reason for their arrival, " There are some more rituals for you to do and-"
"What? " She harshly interrupted. "More rituals ? I am tired of these sick rituals and all. I am not going to perform any of those anymore."
Now her reply shocked them to the core. She doesn't want to do any rituals?
"No no, don't even utter like that, dear. It inauspicious -" Kunti was harshly interrupted.
"I don't care about your so-called auspicious or inauspicious. I am not going to perform any rituals. " She spoke, her voice automatically raising while walking back to her room, leaving the door open.
She was damn pissed off.
"Kunti, why is she... " Gandhari trailed off while Kunti passed her a helpless look, stepping inside the room.
"Dear, please do -" Kunti was again interrupted.
"I don't like to repeat. It would be better if you both leave me alone. " Panchali spoke with nothing but authority.
A voice interrupted the conversation of three royal ladies.
"She will perform every ritual, Rajmata. Don't worry. " Aryan spoke standing at the door step.
"Aryan, you-" Panchali was interrupted and ignored by him, "Maharani, Rajmata, please start the necessary arrangements. The rituals will be performed by the daughter-in-law of Kuruvansh."
"Are you sure, Aryan? " Gandhari asked.
"I am. " Aryan assured the elderly ladies.
"Okay then. Panchali, dear, come to the common private chamber after freshening up." Kunti said, passing a light smile towards Panchali, who had a blank facade.
Kunti and Gandhari exited her room.
"Aryan... " Panchali's call fell into deaf ears as Aryan went away without even sparing a glance at her.
Heck, the whole time Aryan didn't even care to look at her.
And she knew the reason.
"Fuck! " She muttered knowing she messed up with her best friend's emotions.
"I shouldn't have said that. Aryan is much more sensitive." She said to herself.
Sighing, she went to the adjacent washroom to freshen up. Now, she had to perform all the rituals after all.
<<<~~~~~~~~~~>>>
She walked through the corridor with Dusshala who by no means planned to stop her rambling.
She was already in no good mood and now her so-called sister-in-law's rambling was giving her a headache.
On top of that, she needs to have a talk with Aryan. She needs to sort out things between them.
".... Btw, you didn't say what is your dress called ? " Dusshala
Her thoughts were interrupted by Dusshala calling her.
"Bhabhi, bhabhi!! Where are you lost, Bhabhi. " Dusshala as
"It's a sarara suit. " The english term of her dress confused Dusshala to the core.
"Sa-sa-rr- uff Bhabhi, what type of name is it? I can't even pronounce." Dusshala grumbled, making Panchali rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Whatever it is. We have arrived in the private chamber." Dusshala spoke as the guards opened the door for them.
Panchali stepped inside the huge hall along with Dusshala. The magnificent artwork with golden pillars greeted her along with the royal ladies and her dear husbands.
Her eyes roamed across the people to find only one face that she desperately wanted to but failed literally.
Aryan wasn't present there. Instead she spotted the five people whom she hated the most.
Her eyes turned cold and jaws tightened as they were too looking at her.
Her mind drifted towards the previous night's incident. They freaking saw her vulnerable side.
On the other side, they glanced at each other. They couldn't understand why she was glaring at them with so much intensity.
She walked past them tearing her gaze from them.
"Okay without any delay let's start the remaining rituals." Gandhari spoke announcing the commencement of their post wedding rituals.
"Yudhishthir, as the eldest you have do the rituals first with Panchali. Come,sit here." Gandhari called Yudhishthir who was too uncomfortable doing the rituals with Panchali personally.
He gazed at her once before taking a seat on the sofa. She was looking at the entrance door which was kept open.
Kunti explained to them, "So, according to the ritual all you have to do is to open the thread tied on your partner's wrist."
Bhanumati suddenly interrupted with a lot of enthusiasm and mischievousness, "But there is a condition,my Devar Ji and Devrani Ji. And that is you have to open the knot of the thread with your one hand."
"Wow, Bhabishree, now that's when the real fun begins." Dusshala chirped spreading a laugh across the hall.
"Okay okay, now let's start. Panchali, take a seat beside Yudhishthir's left." Sulabha, Vidur's wife said but her words fell into deaf ears.
Yudhishthir could say that she wasn't paying attention to anything being said . She was oblivious about the ritual because for some reason her gaze was fixed on the entrance.
His eyes dropped realizing she didn't want to do any kind of rituals. These things were forced upon her.
His eyes shifted between his mother and her Kunti called her twice but she didn't reply.
Bhanumati placed her hands over Panchali's shoulder who slightly flinched, making her startle too, "Panchali, are you okay?"
"Um... Yes, I am. " Replying she again gazed at the entrance door.
Aryan asked her to do the rituals and that's why she agreed to go on but where the heck was he? Won't he come?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Bhanumati who told her to take a seat beside Yudhishthir.
She nodded and her eyes fell over Bhanumati's stomach, which was bulged out due to the pregnancy.
"How are you, Bhanumati? My bad, I couldn't ask earlier about your pregnancy. It just slipped out of my mind. " Panchali explained herself as she genuinely wanted to know about Bhanumati who befriended her despite the fact she didn't want to.
Bhanumati smiled at her friend cum sister-in-law's concern, "That's completely fine, Panchali. I don't mind and it's been seven months going on. Only a few more days for this little devil to come out... Leave about me, now you have to do your post wedding rituals. Come sit on the couch beside Devar Ji."
Panchali nodded uncomfortably going to take a seat beside Yudhishthir, on his right when she was stopped doing so.
She furrowed her eyebrows as the women stopped her together, "Wait."
Kunti then continued, "Dear, you shouldn't sit on your husbands right rather on their left."
Panchali rolled her eyes taking a seat on Yudhishthir's left, who then glanced at her once before looking away.
"There is only one thread on Panchali's wrist but five knots are given which hence represents the five of you. Now each one of you will open each knots of her thread and as five of you are having separate threads on your wrists, Panchali has to open all of yours. I hope it's clear to you all. " Gandhari elaborately explained as they nodded at her and then stole a glance from Panchali, who was least bothered by her looking at her face.
Yudhishthir forwaded his hand towards her shifting uncomfortably on his seat.
Panchali noticed his hand, "What are you doing? " She asked sternly.
"Um... Your wrist. " Yudhishthir's short reply shifted her gaze at her own wrist, at the thread which probably for the first time she is noticing.
Who tied a thread on my wrist? Dismissing the thought she looked away forwarding her right wrist towards her eldest husband.
Yudhishthir contemplated first before opening the first knot. Because unintentionally he would touch her.
A light spark was what they felt when he tried to open the first knot. In the heat of the moment, both looked at each other which lingered for a few seconds.
Warmth flickered in her eyes for a few seconds before she tore her gaze from him with the same coldness again. At least that's what Yudhishthir felt.
Nevertheless he dismissed his thoughts, and focused on opening the knot.
It was difficult to open with one hand and he was trying it to do fast so that he won't let her feel uncomfortable.
Her mind instructed her that she could call Aryan with her phone. Now both of them got one.
She unlocked her phone and opened the contact, dialling Aryan.
And at last, Yudhishthir could open the knot. Smiling a bit, he glanced at her who again had a gaze on the entrance and was holding some foreign thing to her ear.
"Wow, now that was splendid." Kunti praised as the remaining people clapped.
"Panchali now your turn." Bhanumati reminded Panchali who put down her phone, hanging up.
Wasting no moment she tried to open the knot of the thread on Yudhishthir's wrist.
It took about 2 mins for her to open the thread.
She was going to get up but stopped and sat back when Kunti forbade her saying, "Wait, wait. You can't get up now, dear. Only after completing all the rituals, you can go. "
Kunti then ordered her handmaiden to bring the sweet dish, "Priyamvada, pass the sweet dish."
After taking it from her handmaiden, she placed it before the newly wedded.
"Yudhishthir, Panchali, now you both have to feed each other this sweet and water."
Panchali frowned, slightly getting what she had to do now.
And it would be wrong if said that she was not pissed off.
She was frustrated !!
But again she need to talk with Aryan, so it would be better if she complete those nonsense rituals fast.
Yudhishthir took a small piece of the sweet and brought it near her lips which she ate without any delay, following by the water.
She did the same thing to Yudhishthir also.
Panchali felt that someone sat beside her after Yudhishthir got up. And she knew it was Bheem.
But she didn't glance at him rather forwarded her wrist towards him, while again trying to call Aryan.
She messed up with her best friend after all.
Bheem was too reluctant to do the ritual. He glanced at her wrist, then again at her face.
She was least interested. He could feel that.
He nervously looked at Yudhishthir, who gave an assuring nod with an assuring smile.
Again a spark flowed their body as Bheem tried to open the knot. But she ignored it the next moment without sparing a glance at him.
Hell, she was just busy with her phone. But the royals were oblivious to the fact that she wasn't focussing on the rituals.
"Bhabhi, now it's your turn." Dusshala's chirping made her keep her phone back.
And that was the moment she turned her head towards the one sitting beside her.
Memories from some past days flashed in his mind as she tried to open the knots.
He knew that she has not accepted them. But still doing the rituals.
And he was glad for that.
Kunti forwarded the plate filled with sweets. He took a small piece just like his eldest brother and forwarded it to her lips, which she ate along with the water. While she did the same thing to him.
Next was Arjun, who took a seat beside her. All little moments spent with her flashed in his mind.
Their encounter just before her swayamvar in the Shiv temple, the moment when he won her swayamvar, was his favourite.
And that's because she didn't burst out her anger those times.
He smiled a little seeing that she forwarded her wrist towards him to open the knot of the thread.
He tried with his one hand. It was difficult indeed.
He glanced at her after successfully opening the knot. She was kept that thing over her lap and then looked at him.
His heart skipped a beat as their eyes locked for a second.
He was watching her so closely and that's when he got lost into the depth of her ocean blue orbs.
Panchali couldn't understand why Arjun was looking at her in that way.
She was damn confused by his looks. He should be forwarding his wrist to her for giving her the 'honour' to open the knot of his thread.
Note the sarcasm !!
Arjun's trance was broken by some noise of clearing throats. He tore his gaze from her towards others.
Dusshala and Bhanumati who were having a teasing smile on their face. Kunti, Gandhari and Sulabha had just a content smile while his brothers were surely trying to stop their laugh, well except Yudhishthir who was just smiling at him.
"Now will you give me the honour to open the knot of your thread? " He turned his head towards his irritated wife who just used a sarcasm, spreading a round of laughter.
"Oh yes. " Arjun forwarded his wrist immediately. He was flushed due to embarrassment.
She took no time to open the knot. Perks of having nails. In her case it's not long, not short.
After feeding each other, Arjun got up only for Nakul to take a place beside her.
She closed her eyes in frustrations. Such an embarrassing situation!!
"Hello." Nakul greeted her with a lot of enthusiasm getting a hard glare in return from her, shutting him up immediately.
But her glare didn't help as soon he found his tongue back as he couldn't open the knot with one hand.
"Uff... This is so difficult to do. Bhrata, how could you open it so easily?"
"Can I use my both hands? " Nakul asked the ladies.
"That's a big no, Devar Ji. " Bhanumati immediately denied.
Nakul pouted, again trying his luck. And it favoured as he could open the knot within few minutes.
"Mata, bring the sweet fast. I need to eat that. " His words spreaded a laughter but his mother shushed him.
"First let Panchali open your knot, only then you can eat the sweet. " Kunti spoke with a huge smile, reminding his boy.
"Yes, yes. Actually I forgot. Here it is for you. " Nakul forwarded his wrist towards her with a huge smile.
How could he smile so much? Doesn't his face hurt ? Panchali thought, rolling her eyes.
Within a minute she opened the knot.
"Wow, that's cool. How could you do that ? " Nakul asked eagerly, only to get a strong glare in return, shutting his mouth.
"Take a large piece of that sweet. I love that one. " Nakul said to her after feeding her.
Panchali did as he said, again rolling her eyes in irritation.
Nakul was surely getting on her nerves. And if she bursts out, then it's all his fault.
She only tolerated everything because of Aryan. She fucking needs to talk with him.
Her thoughts broke when a soft voice spoke, "Should I?"
She looked at her right side. It was Sahdev. The all time silent one. And did he ask her permission?
Sahdev lifted his eyes only to find she was already looking at him. For a few seconds they watched each other before she gave her consent with a short nod and removed her gaze from him.
He first contemplated 'touching' her. His mind drifted towards their wedding night.
He quickly dismissed the flashes. She gave him her permission, which was not needed as it was a ritual going on. But he still asked if she by any chance got uncomfortable.
After all she didn't accept them. She didn't accept him.
Panchali felt an urge to look at the guy, sitting right beside her.
He was struggling to open the last knot, because it was tight as the thread would open after that.
Out of all the brothers, only he asked for her permission.
There was something in him that she felt, looking closely at his eyes.
After a lot of struggle, he opened it and now it was her turn.
They glanced at each other when Panchali asked the same question, taking him in surprise,"Should I?"
It was a surprise to herself too as she asked that but she didn't regret in doing so.
He gave a small smile with a subtle nod while she pressed her lips into a thin line, not knowing how to react.
She went on to open the knot while Sahdev watched her. A small smile lingered on his lips.
Panchali took a piece of a particular sweet and hold it to his lips. Sahdev gazed at it and then towards her.
The smile never left his lips as he ate the sweet from her hand along with the water. He was happy and feeling something different.
But then some unexpected happened when he brought the sweet to her lips. Instead of eating, her eyes spotted Aryan standing at the entrance.
Aryan came to check on her but spotted that she was doing some rituals with Sahdev.
He kept quite standing still on his position but Panchali spotted him just when Sahdev was going to feed her a piece of sweet.
"Aryan." She muttered, calling her best friend but he immediately went away.
Pushing Sahdev's hand and startling him, she got up and marched towards the entrance,not knowing how her action could affect someone.
And there sat her youngest husband watching her leave the private chamber. His gaze fell to his hand and the sweet.
She didn't eat.
<<<~~~~~~~~~~>>>
Greetings Readers,
Hey hello !!*nervous smile* Have I delayed too much for the update??
Gosh! I am sowwy *puppy eyes*
But I can justify my deeds. (Why do I feel like I made some grave mistakes?)
Actually I am too busy with my college admission nd all. So, I couldn't give updates.
But here are some Pandavas X Panchali scenes. (Not romantic though)
See, I am giving updates to you all but don't you think that you should also react on my updates?
Where are the votes guys? They are so low and too many views.
Please my silent readers, I am so grateful for your views but I, from the core of my heart, want to know your reviews as an author.
I really feel demotivate when I see there are less votes and comments.
I want to know you all. And how much you're liking the story.
Should I include Subhadra into the story ??
I want an honest review guys, please, for my story. As including Subhadra will give a twist in this story.
Okiee enough of my ranting, please read the story and vote and comment your views and let me know if I should include Subhadra into this story or not.
Thanking You,
Hiya
<<<~~~~~~~~~~>>>