Panchali with great difficulty tore a little piece of puri, dipping it in the sabzi, she brought it towards her mouth.
Everyone present in the dinning table could say that she was reluctant to eat.
Only because of excess oil in the food, which wasn't a big deal to them but it was to some health conscious modern person like Panchali.
Even Aryan also eat oil based food but till a limit.
But she better knew to keep her words well. She gave her words to Bheem that she would have whatever Bheem cooked for her through out the night.
And it did somewhere touched her heart and soul that they did certain things only to welcome her. In honour of her.
Panchali put the morsel into her mouth after looking at thr expectant and nervous expression of Bheem.
And in no time, her taste buds filled with the ravishing taste of the food.
"It's nice." A compliment from her was the only thing Bheem needed, and the bright smile broke on his face.
"Isn't it!? Bhrata Bheem, always makes delicious, mouth ravishing dishes. And still he was so nervous, you know, when you were watching the food without any expression." Nakul chirped.
"But I have a complaint." Panchali's neutral voice grabbed the attention and eventually wiped the smile from Bheem's face while others held a confused expression.
"Bheem, I would advice you to use less oil and spices in the food. Those are not good for health. Apart that, the food taste really good." Panchali spoke looking straight at Bheem.
"She is right, Bhrata. Numerous times in the past, I have told you the same thing." Sahdev said, supporting her.
Dusshala objected, "Whatever it is Bhrata Sahdev, I know Bhrata Bheem's cooking is the best. No one can beat him in cooking. And I bet Bhabi also agrees with me, right Bhabi?"
Panchali in return kept quite and focused on her plate while Bheem eagerly awaited for her reply.
"See, Bhabi agrees." Dusshala said.
"And how are you so sure about that ? Bhabishree Panchali is sitting quietly. She didn't even uttered a word. Then how can you conclude that she agrees with your statement." Dusshasan spoke curiously.
His respectful endeavour towards Panchali went noticed by everyone. But they kept quite thinking it to be a good start for a cordial relationship between the cousins.
"Yes, obviously. If Bhabi doesn't liked the dishes, then she wouldn't have been sitting right here and continued eating. Right, Bhabi!?" Dusshala reasoned out, and again Panchali ignored.
She preferred to stay quite and not to speak in unnecessary conversations that doesn't concern anything important related to her.
And that represent her strong personality and respected figure.
"Okay, enough of talking. Now, eat everyone and come to the Royal Court. I need to announce something." Dhritarashtra spoke while the people sitting across the dinning table obliged.
«««~~~~~~~~~~»»»
★★★
«««~~~~~~~~~~»»»
As told by Dhritarashtra, everyone gathered at the Royal Court.
"Is everyone here ?" Dhritarashtra asked addressing the Royals and the Commoners.
"Everyone is here, Maharaj, except Yuvrani Panchali." Maha-mantri Vidur replied professionally, after glancing across the Court.
But before anyone could say anything, Shakuni taunted, "Toh isme naya baat kya hai, Mahamantri Vidhwan Vidur. Panchal Kumari Yuvrani aati kab hai iss sabha mein. Aur agar kuch kehne jaye hum unse toh badle apmaan kar deti hai kuch apne shabdo par vichaar kiye bagaer."
(What's new in that, Minister Vidur? Panchal Princess, the Crown Princess, never comes to the Court even. And if we go to say anything to her, then she would humiliate without minding on her words.)
"And what about your words, Gandhar-raj?" A loud familiar feminine yet deep voice with the blue lotus fragrance made every single person turn their heads towards the entrance.
The infamous cold hearted Crown Princess of Hastinapur, cladded in a black saree entered the hall with her regal attitude, emotionless face.
Her aura, personality and attitude always made every people respect her and adore her.
Along with the fear, obviously.
And that instilled fear suddenly woke up in the heart, mind and sole of Shakuni.
The memories from that night where he went to manipulate Panchali against her husbands, the Pandavas, rushed through his minds. He could have been dead if not her showing an ounce of mercy on him.
Her bare hands were enough to kill him. For a good two minutes he felt like dying that night. Maybe she's a warrior, that's why she held that much of power to kill a Kshatriya like him.
This was what he concluded after his first encounter with the She- Devil.
Since then, he started to avoid her as much as possible, and that was easier for him to do so as Panchali rarely used to come out of her guest chamber.
And now Shakuni never thought that she would come to the Court, where never once did she came in the past.
If he would have known about her arrival, then he would have never been uttered such words against her.
Sweats trickled down the side of his face only by looking at her sharp eyes.
Panchali smirked looking at the fear on the man's eyes. And she loved seeing that fear.
"So, Gandhar-raj, what about your words and deeds ?" She asked smirking dangerously at him.
Shakuni gulped, stammering, "Wh-what are you talking, Yuvrani ?"
"Don't remember ?" She asked and paused. "No problem, I'll help you with your memory. It's understandable because you are ageing and at this age, memories tend to betray people."
Her words made everyone hide their laughter but Nakul snickered, grabbing the attention but soon he covered his laughter with a fake cough.
While Shakuni, himself seemed offended, "Me and ageing? Are you trying to say I am old, Panchal Kumari? So, let me tell you, Mahamahim Bhism is much older than me. Why don't you say anything to him?"
Bhism had a calm smile on his face. He wasn't intimated by the words of Shakuni.
But Panchali eyes held dangerously scrutinizing intimation as she looked straight at Shakuni and spoke in a stern voice, "Jokes apart. But should I reveal how few days ago, one night you barged into my room, interfering my privacy. How about justifying yout acts first?" She paused, as the humour disappeared from the air, making the people present there frown gravely.
"Does the the great Kuru Dynasty allow an outsider man barge into the room of a married woman at night, without her permission?" Her words scared the soul of Shakuni as the horrified angry looks of people glared at him.
It's a grave crime for a man to enter into a woman's room, without her permission. And if she's married, then punishment would be grave.
"Is this true, Shakuni?" Dhritarashtra asked sternly, as Shakuni visibly paled.
"N-no, I-I -" he shut his mouth as he found Panchali glaring at him, challenging him to lie.
"How dare you ?" Bheem marched towards Shakuni and held him. His face reflected immense anger.
Even Yudhisthir, who is the epitome of calmness, felt anger through his veins as he imagined Shakuni centering his wife's chamber at night without her permission.
Bheem was about to punch Shakuni but he was held back by Arjun and Sahdev, as they knew creating a heated environment in the Royal Court is not allowed.
And God forbid if Bheem raised his weapon, then he would be banished from Hastinapur as punishment as per the laws.
Duryodhan marched towards Shakuni and turned him, "Mamashree, tell me. Is Yuvrani saying the truth? Did you committed a crime entering the room of a married woman at night, without her sole permission?"
Shakuni couldn't reply. His voice betrayed him to come out. He was scared to death, what if he gets a severe punishment?
"My dear, do you think -"
"Bhrata Duryodhan, you asking question to Gandhar-raj is completely baseless. Are you trying to prove that She is lying?" Arjun asked, referring to Panchali, his voice laced with rage.
"I ain't talking with you, Arjun. So, don't interfere. Do you lack this basic manner?" Duryodhan snapped back at Arjun, shutting his mouth.
"Mamashree, answer me. Did you really entered Panchal Kumari's chamber?" Duryodhan asked again in a stern voice.
"Bhrata Arjun can shut his mouth keeping mind of his basic manners but to hell with my basic manner, Bhrata Duryodhan. You are insulting Her by not believing what She said. Gandhar-raj has committed a grave crime and he needs a severe punishment for that." Nakul said, his palms formed into a fist. He so couldn't take anyone Duryodhan not believing her.
"Mamashree, answer me. For the last time, I am asking. Answer me." Duryodhan ignored Nakul, making him angry even more, and raised his voice.
There was a silence for a few seconds as Shakuni looked down, at the ground.
His eyes burned with tears of humiliation, as slowly he nodded his head, accepting his crime. Shocked gasps filled the entire Court.
Panchali smirked. Shakuni tried to corner her in her absence, infront of the whole Royal Court. So, she returned the humiliation with ten times more interest.
Duryodhan's face showed clear disappointment as he went to his place and sat down.
He better knew that his beloved uncle had done a crime which can never be justified. He felt disappointment thinking such low heinous crime.
Bhanumati was his wife and anyone entering her room without her permission at night, was intolerable. Even if it was his own uncle.
His palms formed a fist. Just the thought itself was enough to boil his blood.
"Putri Panchali, tell us. What was the reason behind Shakuni's act ?" Vidur asked, his voice and eyes filled with disgust as he glanced at Shakuni.
Yudhisthir walked towards where Panchali stood. He was clearly disturbed thinking something grave happened to his wife and he didn't came to know and ultimately could do nothing.
Panchali eyes shifted to her eldest husband as he approached her and stood next to her.
"You need not worry about anything. Tell everything whatever happened. The criminal will surely get what he deserve. Please tell everything." Yudhisthir's soft yet stern voice surprised her as she frowned. Their eyes locked for a few seconds.
Did she found care laced with his voice? But then, why would the eldest Kuruvanshi, the Crown Prince would care whatever happened to her.
She just wanted to humiliate Shakuni for trying to corner her but these things coming from them was something she never imagined or expected.
Bhism's voice broke their eye contact, "Yudhisthir is right, Putri. Tell everything whatever happened, no matter how intimate and disgusting his deeds were. The people present here should also know the real colours of Shakuni, after all. Tell Putri."
Panchali gazed at the bloodshot eyes of Shakuni, only to find him glaring at her, challenging her to speak further.
She was a cold hearted ladu and glaring back was not a big deal for her.
She started saying, glaring at Shakuni with an intolerable intensity, "The night was when my husbands were arrested. Gandhar-raj barged into my room without my permission..."
It was like the ground below the feet of the Pandavas slipped. The incident happened behind their back and when they weren't present.
"You coward man, dared to do such low acts in our absense?" Bheem screamed at Shakuni, while the man only glared at Panchali.
"He tried to touch me even and in defense when I started to safeguard myself, he tried to manipulate me against the Kuruvansh, against my husbands to be specific." Panchali's calm voice made each and every Royal's blood boil.
Gandhari who had been quite from the start, couldn't keep her mouth shut, after hearing things against her brother, "Shame on you, Bhratashree, Shame on you. Today I am ashamed to say that you are my brother. You have a sister for God's sake, how could you do this?"
"Gandhar-raj, you very well know that Putri Panchali still couldn't accept us as her own. And her relationship with my sons are not too cordial like any other marriage because of their unique relation among each other. Even after knowing all these thing, you tried to ruin their relationship? You tried to malign her? You tried to manipulate her? Brainwash her against her own family? Daugter-in-laws are considered as Goddess Lakshmi and you tried to insult her, corner her? Answer me, Gandhar-Naresh." Kunti said and shouted at the last.
She was already worried about the broken relationship of her sons with her daugter-in-law. And people like Shakuni was trying to brainwash her daughter-in-law against her sons.
"Gandhar-raj deserves a punishment, Maharaj." Bhism spoke loudly while the commoners repeated his words.
"Gandhar-raj deserves punishment..."
"Gandhar-raj deserves punishment..."
"Gandhar-raj deserves punishment..."
Dhritarashtra raised his hands to stop the commotion. He then announced, "Gandhar-raj indeed committed a heinous crime. As a punishment, I, Maharaj Dhritarashtra, order the King of Gandhar to be banished from Hastinapur until said. Soldiers, take Gandhar-raj out if the Sabha and leave him at the border of Hastinapur."
Panchali smirked at Shakuni who was still glaring at her. Tears of humiliation fell from his eyes. His eyes reflected pure hatred towards her.
Soldiers grabbed Shakuni's both arms and dragged him, past her.
"Stop." Panchali's loud voice echoed in the Royal Court as they frowned at her sudden intervention.
She turned and walked towards where two bulky soldiers held him.
She stopped standing before him. Moving her face closer yo Shakuni's, so that only he could hear whatever she speak.
"I can understand your low memory level, so let me enlighten you that I had warned you that night to not mess with me with your stupid mind games." She paused for a second.
"Tch, tch, tch. See, what have you done by not listening to me. Actually not your fault that you took my warning lightly because it just some days that you have only seen me but failed to know me completely, Shakuni." She again paused as he had a shocked expression.
"Oh you have thought, I would give you respect by referring Uncle or the great King of Gandhar? Tch, see I told you you don't know me. I don't give a shit to low people like you. That doesn't suit my personality, Shakuni."
"I am the Panchali Rathore. You tried to corner me in my absence and in the Royal Court. Just look at yourself, I returned it with ten times more humiliation. You are not only banished from Hastinapur but also yout image is destroyed. Because Kings of different kingdoms do send spies, right!?"
"So, Happy Journey, Shakuni to wherever hell you go." Saying so, she smirked and straightened herself.
"Take this man away from my sight." Panchali ordered the soldier, glaring hardly at Shakuni.
"I will come back, Panchali. I will come back to destroy you." Shakuni shouted as he was dragged by the soldiers.
The Pandavas walked and stood at both the sides of Panchali, glaring daggers back at Shakuni, conveying a silent message that they were beside her all the time and he could do nothing.
"No one can save you, Panchali. I will come back to take my revenge. Not even your five husbands can stop me from destroying you." Shakuni's shouting voice slowly faded as he was taken away from the Royal Court.
Few minutes passed with complete silence as Vidur thought to break it, "Maharaj, you summoned us for announcing something."
The Pandavas and Panchali turned towards Dhritarashtra, hearing Vidur.
"Navratri is arriving shortly. The previous year, we couldn't celebrate as Pandavas weren't here and now at this time, I don't want to say the reason as we all are aware. This year, Navratri should be celebrated in a grand way as we have our two Daugter-in-laws. So, all the commoners are invited to the Royal Feast of ten days and make arrangements to invite the neighbouring kingdoms also. The Court is adjourned fot the day." Dhritarashtra announced, making the Royals happy and the commoners hail.
But amidst their happy moment, there was two person who gazed at each other, thinking of the upcoming event.
Panchali gulped. The memories started rushing her minds, making her feel uncomfortable.
Afterall, years back her miseries started with Navratri only.
She slipped away from the Court gathering while Aryan followed her.
Dear Readers,
Greetings to my lovelies... Hope you all had a very beautiful Navratri.
Happy Dusshera and a very happy Vijaya Dasami to all of you.
From the next chapter, I would start the Navratri part and yes, as said, Panchali's miseries started with Navratri only. So she's going to have a tough time ahead coping up with the ten long days.
Shakuni is banished. What's your opinion on this, guys?
Okay, I am done for today... Let's meet in the next chapter.
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Thanking You,
Hiya