"Abhi, what are you doing?" Draupadi rushes towards her youngest son removing his hand from the fire.
Abhimanyu laughs sheepishly.
"Rajkumar, you could have burned your hands. As an Archer you must take care of your hands," Arjun says worriedly.
"Answer me, Abhi. What was that?" Draupadi asks sternly.
"Maa, I was just... curious...." Abhimanyu gulped.
"About what?"
Draupadi had her heart almost stopped when she saw her youngest trying to touch the fire. What was he thinking? Doesn't he know he will get burned?
"Maa, Bhrata Shrutasena says you were born from fire. It must have hurted a lot maa. I wanted to feel your pain," Abhimanyu cries under Draupadi's extremely angry gaze at him. He isn't used to his mother getting angry at him at all.
Draupadi's anger vanished seeing Abhimanyu's tears. She sighs.
"Abhi, listen to me," Draupadi's voice softens.
Draupadi sits beside Abhimanyu and pulls him to her chest kissing his head. This silly child.
"Putra, Agnidev is my father. My father will not hurt me ever. But you could have burned your hands, dear," Draupadi says softly.
"But Maa...you weren't hurt?" Abhimanyu asks again. This eyes shinning with curiosity.
Draupadi smiles. She moves her hand towards the fire of the candle. Abhimanyu gasps in shock and grabbed her hand from reaching out.
"No maa, you will be hurt," Abhimanyu cries again.
"Don't you trust your maa, Abhi?" Draupadi asks.
Abhimanyu nods but still the fear didn't leave his face.
Draupadi reached out to the fire. Her hand was in the fire but nothing happened to her. Abhimanyu watched in amusement. His mother's hands aren't hurt at all. Draupadi takes her hand back only for Abhimanyu to examine intensely.
"Maa, you aren't hurt at all," Abhimanyu almost screams.
"I told you already. I won't be hurt," Draupadi smiles.
"Then I am also your son. Why would I get hurt, maa?" Abhimanyu asks.
Draupadi and Arjun melted on that place. Abhimanyu has inherited Draupadi's innocence. His eyes are big and makes anyone melt with his adorableness.
"Do you want to touch the fire?" Draupadi asks.
Abhimanyu nods. His curly locks shaking making him look like a doll.
Draupadi hold his small hand in her palm and slowly forwarded in to the fire. Abhimanyu gasps but didn't remove his hand. He trusts his mother too much to doubt her decision.
Abhimanyu's eyes widen in shock as he didn't feel burned at all in the fire. He felt warm but a pleasant warmness. He looks at his mother shocked.
"Maa, my hands aren't burning at all!" Abhimanyu screams in joy.
"It won't as long as I am holding your hand," Draupadi smiles.
Abhimanyu looks at his hand with excitement. This is too amazing.
"Maa, I will go and tell this to Bharat Shrutakarma!" Abhimanyu jumps from her embrace.
Arjun and Draupadi smiles looking at their youngest son running away.
"He is just like his father. Can't sit silently for a second," Draupadi comments smiling.
Arjun turns towards his beloved.
"Maharani, how was his childhood? He didn't have a father," Arjun says sadly.
"Brihannala, my Abhimanyu's Birth wasn't easy. I was dying. In Panchal Veds said the child has a very small chance to survive. If I try to keep him, I will die as well,"
Arjun gasps in shock. His Panchali could have died? So Dhrishtadyumna didn't say that out of anger that time.
"I am a mother. I have seen the world. My child hasn't. Everyone was determined to save me. Pitashree didn't pay any heed to my pleadings. He wanted to save me by hook or by crook," Draupadi continues.
That time, after Dyut Sabha, she only discovered her pregnancy to know it must be terminated. She couldn't think straight that time. She didn't have any strength left. She wanted to die a few moments ago but now a child is growing inside her. She couldn't die.
"I prayed to Govind. And he came. Only after he treated me, my child and I both were saved," Draupadi finishes.
Arjun wiped the tears hurriedly fearing Draupadi would see. His beloved have faced so many difficulties because of him. Only if he could turn back time.
"Abhimanyu is my youngest also I am very sensitive about him. Abhimanyu never met his father but he used to speak of Arjun every single day. He was waiting to meet Shrutakarma eagerly after knowing he looks like his father. This child still believes one day he will met his father. He always says he will train very hard so his father won't be disappointed at him," Draupadi says.
Arjun smiles. His sons will never make him disappointed. They are his and his beloved's sons.
"Does his father know about him? Arjun must be waiting to meet his son," Arjun's voice is filled with emotions.
"He isn't," Draupadi says coldly.
Arjun's heart broke. How could she think that?
"When Shrutakarma was born, Arjun was originally escastic about it. He even cried at his birth. But his behavior soon changed drastically," Draupadi looks down.
The pain and neglegence her sons felt from their father makes her hate Pandavas more every day.
"Why so, Maharani?" Arjun questions.
"I don't know. Leave now, Brihannala. I shall rest," Draupadi says without looking at him.
Arjun sighs. Whenever a chapter cames about where they are mentioned in a bad way, Draupadi will not answer anymore. No matter what. She has never spoken one bad word about them, never complained about their behavior to anyone. Arjun sighs as he closes the door. Only if they also protected her honor the way she protects theirs.
Draupadi looks from her balcony. Her heart heavy with memories from the past.
"My dearest Subhadra don't cry, I only performed my duties towards Panchali. My Subhadra, I hope our child will inherit me. I wish our child to be my successor," Arjun softly pacifies Subhadra.
Draupadi was coming to his chamber to surprise him about her pregnancy. Hearing those words she was rooted on her place. She felt too hurt to even cry that day.
Draupadi sighs at present. Well, she vowed to love them all equally. They had no such obligations. How can they feel any love for a shared wife? Draupadi doubts if they ever thought of her as their wife. Arjun's speech clearly said it that day. Maybe they also thought about her as a whore like Karn previously did. A tear rolled down her cheeks.
As Govind says, they are soulmates. And they also thought of her as an impure woman made her heart bleed. When Yudhisthir was asked to stake his wife, he could have declined. But he didn't. When Dussasan was pulling her clothes, none of them protested. Arjun even stopped Bheem who stood up to help. Draupadi smiles bitterly. It doesn't matter if a whore wears clothes or not.
"Karma....Karma..."
Shrutkarma's thought was interrupted by his mother.
"Maa, when did you come?" he asks.
"Putra, I have been calling you for so long. Where are you lost?" Draupadi asks.
"Maa, I was thinking," Shrutakarma says.
"About what?" Draupadi asks again.
Shrutkarma curses in his mind. Satanika and he doubts this five eunuchs identity. And he was thinking about that only. Now how can he lie to his mother?
"Maa, It's complicated. Will you be mad at me?" Shrutkarma asks worriedly.
"How can I ever be mad at you, my dearest? Tell your mother without a worry," more than curiosity Draupadi is worried about his safety.
"Maa, you know about the five Eunuchs...me and Bhrata Satanika are doubtful towards their identify,"
"Their identity?" Draupadi furrows her eyebrows.
"Maa, something doesn't match. They are you know different... That day maa when you fainted, I saw Yuvani and Bhumika running away from there. They looks at you with emotions too much for us to comprehend," Shrutakarma says in one breath.
Draupadi listened carefully. Doubt is a very dangerous thing. Only one drop of it and it spreads like a wildfire. She didn't give any answer to her son. Shrutkarma also didn't bother his mother with anymore questions. But her expression clearly states she also always was a bit doubtful towards them as well.
Draupadi is moving towards Shrutasena's chamber. That child has locked himself up sulking that he couldn't go with them. He has said the maids to take away his supper because he is immersed in some book.
"Maharani, some documents need your sign," Bheem says.
"Is it too important?" Draupadi asks.
"No," Bheem answers.
"Then it can wait. My child is hungry," Draupadi says.
Bheem and Sahadev followed her as well. They always try to stay close with her and this opportunity won't be neglected.
Shrutasena of course wasn't in his chamber. He is in the library.
"Maharani, Devapath has the biggest Library in Aryavarta. It has a whole palace filled with books. Why is such a huge library needed?" Sahadev asks.
"When we were in Indraprastha, Shrutasena was very attached to books. But Sahadev banned him from entering the Library. He used to study in my library all the time. I build the biggest Library for him so he can enjoy all sorts of books that he wished," Draupadi says getting sad recalling how Shrutasena used to cry on her lap after getting scolded by his father.
Bheem passes a look at Sahadev who was looking down in shame. Bheem sighed. Everyone of them did wrong. He can't be angry at Sahadev because of that. His relationship with Sutasoma wasn't good but it was never this bad either.
"My children are so similar to their father, you know," Draupadi says.
Sahadev and Bheem halted in surprise. Why didn't they notice it before? Their sons are living the same life as them. The same situation. Without a father figure in their life. But there is a huge difference between their life and their sons. Draupadi gave them what they deserve, she didn't cower in front of the society. She never feared losing them. Whereas their Mata Kunti in fear of losing her sons, made them live a life of monk for years.
"Sena, Putra what is this?" Draupadi asks sternly.
Shrutasena was half laying on the couch with a book on his hands. Seeing his mother he stood up.
"Maa," he says softly.
Draupadi sat close to her son embracing him by her one arm.
"Putra, why are you skipping meals?" Draupadi asks.
Shrutasena pouts and looks away. He knows very well why his Mamashree took his elder brothers with him. He also wanted to go. But his maa didn't let him.
"Is my son angry with me?" Draupadi asks smiling mischievously.
Bheem and Sahadev looks at each other hiding their smiles. Draupadi became a child with her children.
"Then, how can this old mother seek forgiveness from her dearest son?" Draupadi smiles.
Shrutasena became serious, "Maa don't make me sin. Why will you ever ask for forgiveness from your son?"
Draupadi kissed his forehead softly, "Then let this old mother feed you today. How will I eat even a morsel knowing my beloved Shrutasena is hungry?"
"Maa, you are going to be a mother in law and grandmother soon. You will be old then," Shrutasena smiles mischievously.
"I guess I will be," Draupadi laughs.
Bheem and Sahadev looks at each other. Shrutasena already knows?!
"I am thankful that you didn't reveal this to anyone," Draupadi says.
"There's no fun knowing the future maa. Life becomes boring when you know what's going to happen," Shrutasena answers.
Draupadi smiles. Sahadev had different views though. Sahadev didn't find knowing the future boring.
"Maa," Shrutasena calls seeing his mother lost in thoughts.
"Putra," Draupadi made another morsel.
"Maa will you play chess with me today?" Shrutasena asks.
"Why not, Putra," Draupadi smiles.
Affter some time mother and son were playing chess. Draupadi isn't having a good play because of Shrutasena cheating everytime. He can see the future. It's very easy for him to win. But his mother is making unknown moves.
"Maa, I will win surely," Shrutasena grins.
"Unless you win completely, it doesn't call a win," Draupadi concentrates on her pieces.
Shrutasena smiles victoriously. Of course he will win. Still his mother's unusual moves are amusing him.
"Checkmate," Draupadi smiles.
Shrutasena's jaw dropped to the ground. Bheem and Sahadev snicked behind them seeing his expression.
"Maa, how could you?" Shrutasena asks.
"Putra, instead of smirking continuously, if you payed attention to the game, you could have won too," Draupadi pinches his nose lovingly.
Shrutasena pouts.
"You are sulking again? Why don't you play with Malini another round. She is extremely good at chess," Draupadi proposes.
Sahadev smiles. That's what he wanted. Before going, Satanika confessed his doubts to him and Shrutkarma. Shrutasena also noticed how they are so careful of him. And this opportunity will be good for him to be close with them.
"Rajkumar, Malini is extremely good at chess. You will lose," Bheem jokes.
"Is that so? Why don't you entertaine me with a round, Malini?" Shrutasena proposes.
Sahadev smiles and sits down on Draupadi's spot. Draupadi shook her head and left. She needs to organize the documents as Bheem said.
Bheem whereas called all his brothers. Two people that knows the future are playing and both are good at Playing chess.
"This oughts to be fun," Nakul smirks.
⭐⭐⭐
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