Draupadi frowns while sitting with Vrishaketu alone beside the forest. She needs to think clearly and her husbands being always around her, won't help at all.
Govind has told Karn that Radha isn't his mother. That has caused him great pain. Draupadi felt it. And she knows the time is coming near when Karn will learn about his birth. Sahadev is restless too.
Draupadi felt two arms warpped around her waist from behind.
"Arya Nakul," she recognizes.
Nakul was as excited as a child.
"Panchali, look how beautiful they are! I will decorate you myself today," Nakul shows her the flower ornaments that he has sped all day making.
Despite Draupadi's protest, Nakul began to put them on her. A beautiful hair band, bangles, rings, nose pin, necklace and a waist band.
Draupadi sat there obediently while he put them on her. After he was done, Nakul couldn't look away from her at all. Why she looks more beautiful than ever today?
"Arya," Draupadi blushes under his besotted gaze.
"You...look ravishing..." Nakul compliments.
His palm cupped her cheeks as Draupadi places a kiss on his palm.
Tonight, Nakul after so much persuasion, could let Arjun let go of Draupadi. He wanted to spend time with her alone badly. All of his brothers in a way or another manages to have it. And he couldn't.
"Panchali," Nakul sits pulling her on his lap.
"Hmm,"
"Panchali, you know the only woman I love more than you is Suthanu. She is such a sweetheart. While in Devapath, she was our only solace. She took care of us the way you do," Nakul says.
Draupadi smiles.
"I was so jealous of Jyest for the first time in my life, Priye. For having a daughter. The feelings of having a daughter is so beautiful," Nakul confesses.
"Suthanu didn't have a father in her life. She was raised in Panchal," Draupadi says.
"I know. If we weren't so foolish, then Printha and her other sisters would he here as well," Nakul says.
Draupadi immediately become stiff. Her mouth fall open as her heart beat anxiously. Warrior clans are extremely protective of their bloodline. Even adharmi like Duryodhana and Dussasan would protect her sons with their life only because they are the same blood.
She is Yagnaseni. When she wanted to conceive a child was always up to her. Because of that she could consummate her marriage with each one of them at their wedding night and didn't get pregnant. She wanted the one year long term because that time she wasn't mentally prepared for her marriage with five men. And she wanted time. On her request, her sakha announced that law.
A father is the hero of his daughter's life. Daughters generally are more attached to their fathers than their mothers. Suthanu was also like that. Draupadi didn't want to break Suthanu's heart because of her father, so she send her to Panchal. Wrote letters to her in Yudhisthir's name. So also didn't gave birth to anymore children. She refused that because she didn't want them to go through that heartbreak.
"You...you...know..." Draupadi stuttered.
"We do. Vasudev told us," Nakul says.
Draupadi looks down nervously. What is he going to do to do? Will he curse her? She definitely took their children's life decision by herself and never informed them. Yes, it's a terrible crime.
"I...I..."
"Panchali, calm down. Look at me," Nakul's voice was gentle.
"Panchali, your decision as a mother had no flaw. We can't do anything but apologize and repent now. Daughters are the most beautiful gift in anyone's life. And we don't deserve it at all. You are not wrong," Nakul says gently.
"You.. aren't angry? Your brothers..." Draupadi asks.
"They also know. We accepted your decision, priye. That was the right thing to do. The guilt was crushing us so brutally. I can't imagine how we would face our daughters if the situation was different," Nakul's voice grew grave.
Draupadi sighs in relief.
Nakul buried his face in her neck while his arms wrapped around her bare waist.
Nakul has decorated her with flowers beautifully. Only in her blouse and skirt, in flower ornaments Draupadi would put any apsaras in shame.
A woman knows how a man looks at her. And Draupadi knows how much they want her close to them. Bheemsen forgot everything and wanted to have her when he was jealous. Others aren't much different. She can feel others heated gaze in her time to time.
"Panchali, can I ask you something?" Nakul says.
Draupadi nods her head.
"Panchali, the one year long term, was it what you wanted?" Nakul asks skeptically.
Draupadi curses in her mind. Why is he picking up on everything? After years how did he notice the loopholes?
Draupadi nods her head guiltily.
"Why Panchali?" Arjun's voice was filled with so much pain.
Draupadi turns around and saw all her husbands looking at her in disbelief. She glances at Nakul who looks down in guilt. So it was a plan for them to make her confess. Thirty years ago, the day when this decision was made came to her mind.
Nadar Muni has decided to pay them a visit and Yudhisthir has called her to take his blessings. Draupadi's mind is very uneven now. It was decided she would spend some hours at night in each of her husband's chamber. What sort of ruel is that?
Arjun said today morning, "Such a sweet torture it is, Panchali. But I will wait for you at the third part of the night eagerly though I want to have you at the first hour itself."
Toture her foot. Why is no one worried about her mentality? Even if she has eternal virginity, how can someone just go from one husband to another. This has to be solved.
She touched Narad Muni's feets for blessings and sat beside Yudhisthir who grinned at her in joy.
"Such an exquisite beauty! Even apsaras fade away in comparison to you, Draupadnandini" Narad muni praises but I could feel the hidden fear in his voice as well.
Yudhisthir gave him a proud smile while my smile falls.
"Indeed my Sakhi is the most beautiful woman to walk on earth," Sakha praises as well.
"Vasudev, should you be praising her Infront of her husband?" Narad Muni jests.
Everyone laughs at the joke.
"Sakhi, why such a long face?" Sakha asks.
I look at Yudhisthir who smiled at me softly.
"Sakha, there's something I want. And as the eldest Pandava is here as well, I should tell this," I say.
"Say without any fear," Yudhisthir holds my hand.
"Sakha, I don't think I am able to perform my duties to my husbands well. If I stay here with Aryaputra Yudhisthir, I won't be able to serve Arya Bheem who has asked me in the kitchen. I can't go to Arya Arjun who has been asking me from the morning. Arya Nakul wants to go to horse ride at night and Arya Sahadev wants to go star gazing. Whom should I please? Whom should I disappoint?" I let out my feelings and I could feel Aryaputra Yudhisthir tense beside me.
"When you entered, I was thinking about the same thing. I also fear dispute between brothers because of your love that they all seek," Narad Muni exclaims.
"Not at all, Muni. We brothers have equal rights in everything that one of us aquire. Never such a situation will arise," Yudhisthir assures.
Narad Muni laughs, "Sunda and Upasunda were brothers as well. They shared their throne, their kingdom, wealth, property. They even slept on the same bed. But what happened? Because of Tilottama, they killed each other."
"Putri your Dilemma is true. What I am saying is not wrong at all. In history many times bloodwar has happened because of women. What's the assurance that Bheem won't be satisfied and will raise his weapon at his brothers. What's the assurance Arjun won't do the same?" Narad Muni asks.
"Yudhisthir, you have no idea how the green monster of jealousy will attack you or your brothers. How you will feel seeing your wife in another man's arm,"
I grew pale beside Yudhisthir. He didn't decline the possibility. Even he knows there's a possibility.
"What...what should we do?" I ask barely.
"The decision is yours. It's between husband and wife. We shouldn't be involved," sakha washes his hand from this.
I look down fidgeting my fingers nervously. Should I say it? Noticing my dilemma, Narad Muni assures me.
"How about I spend one year with each of the brother? During that time I would have conjugal life with only one of the brothers while I be present with the others like a mother or sister. In this way one would have me as his wife fully," I suggest.
I looked at Yudhisthir from the corner of my eyes. His expression said how he detested this suggestion. Before he could protest, Narad Muni agrees to it.
Sakha also agrees to it. He jokingly suggests one year of vanvas for the person who breaks the rule.
Later when I meet Arjun, he was furious. Extremely so that he broke almost everything in his chamber. Bheem was no different. He shouted at me to leave. Nakul and Sahadev won't even talk to me. Yudhisthir though didn't say anything, I know he was disappointed at me also.
Arjun even tries to leave Hastinapur and go to Dwarka. I ran to the front gate to stop him. He yanked my hand.
"Why live here when I can't even stay close to my wife? Anywhere is better than this hell. Why didn't you think of me once before taking such a decision? I need to wait two years to have you as my wife. Two year Panchali?" Arjun says frustrated.
"Phalguni, please understand..."
"Understand what? I should live with the memories of our first night for years before I can have you?" Arjun asks angrily.
"Please calm down. Let's go inside first. How will people react if they see the Gandhivdhari Arjun acting like this?" Draupadi pulls Arjun inside.
"Panchali, even if we never said it, you know how extremely painful it was for us to stay away from you for so many years. Why would you do that?" Bheem asks clearly hurt.
"Panchali, when Vasudev told us that it was always your decision when you wanted to conceive, we had a doubt in our mind. If it was always like this why was the one year term applied ta the first place? We thought it was because of paternity reasons. So many things happened because of that. Arjun was in exile, his vows were broken. Why would you want that to happen?" Yudhisthir's voice was laced with disbelief.
"I...I wasn't ready," Draupadi says.
"What?" Sahadev asks.
"Men marrying multiple women and a woman marrying multiple men is a total different aspect. We women aren't mentally prepared for it...it's not easy for us to accept another man as our husband. In my case, I married my own brother in laws. You five are cornering me about a decision I took because unlike you I was perplexed, hurt, lost in that situation. If I wished I could have lived with only one of you. And others would have to accept even if they liked it or not. Despite that, I decided to perform my duties for each one of you. And now you are criticizing me because of that?" Draupadi asks in disbelief.
"Panchali, we....we understand how....hard it might have been for you....but...we also," Yudhisthir speaks.
"No, you have absolutely no idea. If you had, you wouldn't have cornered me at all today. I can't believe this. You five are accusing me of something that was necessary for my mental balance," Draupadi looks at them hurt.
Draupadi returns to the hut at night. She angrily destroyed the ornaments Nakul carefully made for her. Holding Vrishaketu close to her chest, she slept. She understood why Govind insisted on bringing Vrishaketu with her. If not for him, things would have been intolerable for him.
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