Below 18, don't read >''<
DRAUPADI
I worry what will people think, how they will react and how I will live this life of mine. I obviously wanted my family from Kampiliya to attend the wedding. This is the only wedding I actually wanted so I wanted the whole world to know about it. But it somehow is a relief that very less people is here. I am scared. No, I am nervous. I don't know how things are going to change from here. The servants combs my hair, the chudamani I threw away that days flashes in front of my eyes. I have not seen it since then but I know Arjun has it. It has made very clear to me again again by many people that this is just a namesake marriage. I asked, "Like the ones I have with 5 pandavs?" They said its different because I have to choose one of them but the wedding is Karna is just for following rituals since I have to marry all brothers. I told matashree if she have other sons she haven't told us about she better keep it hidden forever. I am not doing this again.
"Your hair is really beautiful, Maharani." Malini braids my hair. Only she's here in my room. Others are busy with the wedding planning. The wives of the Pandavs came earlier but we are not that close, Karenumati took them out sensing the awkwardness in the room. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life but the expectation of others and judgement weighs me down. I had the grandest swayamvar and wedding ceremony in the world till date, they say it will be recorded in the history. That time I was confused and scared, didn't know what to expect and wished I had a small ceremony instead. Today I am having that small ceremony. Just few family members, not even my father will be able to attend. We will just do the necessary rituals, we will circumambulate the fire pit seven times, reciting the vows in the presence of the sacred fire with Agnidev as witness. This is just a necessary ceremony for other people so there is not much preparation or anything. How will Karna feel? And what vows are we supposed to say? Maybe the bramhin who will perform the ceremony will tell us.
I sit impatiently in my room. Thankfully Karenumati came. "The wedding started, you need to go out in some time."
She sits down next to me and holds my hand to calm me down. "You look so beautiful." Her words does makes me happy. I am marrying the man I love. Other people will talk for sure, there will be more rules now, sure. But I am marrying the man I ever wanted to marry, the man I love.
"Where are the Pandavs? And matashree?" I ask.
"They are outside. Don't be surprise now. There is no such thing as grooms side or brides side. Everybody is mixed up." She tells me.
"How can there be. No one from my family is here."
"What do you mean? Your husbands are your first family members now and your friend is also here."
I could not wait anymore. "Karenumati, tell me honestly. Is everyone angry? How are my husbands and.. how is Karna? He surely must be disappointed. This is his first marriage and it is being held like this." I somehow have lost the believe I always had that my man will have only me as his wife thanks to my husbands.
"To tell you the truth, no one seems that delighted but no one looks sad either. Bhratashree Arjun does look unhappy and Bhratashree Duryodhaan, Dusassan and my husband looks happy but others' I cannot tell. They don't look unhappy but not happy either." She tells me.
"How about Karna?" I ask.
"His face is the most difficult to read."
When it was time for me to go out, Krishna came to walk me. "Krishnaa, I will walk you today." He smiles. I am being called by my birth name after so long and it made me feel like I am not Drupad's daughter Draupadi or Pandav's Panchali but I am just Krishnaa getting married. "Thank you." I smile back at Krishna, I know that's the reason he called me by my name, to shake off the guilt. But it did not last long. As I walk with him to the spot I was supposed to sit next to Karna my vision gets blurry. I did not want to look at anybody in the eyes. I just walk looking down until I reach the spot and Krishna sat me down. I want to ask Karna if he is fine but I could not even look up at him. The bramhin kept reciting the mantras fast as I stare at the fire. I could not register anything. I just sat there like a log of wood. "Now you have to circle the fire." The bramhin tells us.
Karna got up and extend his hand to help me get up. I hold his hand and look up at him for the first time today. His eyes still looks sad like the first time I saw him but it smiles too and it doesn't look lost anymore. He doesn't look alert like he always does, his face is relaxed and it warms my heart. My eyes tears up. And my heart pains, pains in a good way, tired but finally, as if I have been waiting for this moment for many lifetimes. I want to never let go his hand. And when I recite my vows, I meant every word without a doubt. I will love him for eternity. The bramhin guides and Karna places a chudamani on my head, a chudamani I will wear my whole life. I am certain now that today is and will be the happiest day of my life. He is now my husband, someone I can trust, someone I will go through hell and heaven for.
Rest of the ceremony I just followed him. We took blessings from the elders and Vyas. I just wanted to go back to my chamber fast and hug him tightly. Even though we have been staying in the same palace for some time now I somehow miss him. Even though I know him for a little over 3 years I somehow feel like I have been waiting for our union forever. The secret I carried in my heart so heavily all these time is lawfully mine now. I don't care about having a small ceremony or what people will think or the Pandavs feel anymore. I just want to hug him and cry. I want to hit his chest and cry for making me wait for so long.
KARNA
The ladies went to Draupadi's chamber and took her too after the ceremony while I stayed back in the hall with others. This may not be the ideal wedding people have in mind but it's enough for me. No matter small or big wedding, we are one now. I can go to her anytime I want, we can talk anywhere, anytime. "Son, go to your wife." Vyas tells me.
"But Rishivar, none of us spent the night with Panchali when we got married." Arjun says, he is still having a hard time with all these.
"But you surely went to bless her, didn't you, Son? This is also a ritual of wedding. My duty is to tell and weather he stays in his chamber or not is theirs to decide." Vyas says and walks away.
Even my own brothers' jealousy is not affecting me right now. I just want to see her.
"We won't let him stay there so peacefully. Remember what you did in my wedding? Its revenge time." Duryodhaan laughs. Right. We called him out on his wedding night and didn't let him go in. We forced drinks down his throat. But Pandavs won't come to their wife's chamber when I am there right? But Nakul speaks up, "Count me in bhrata Duryodhaan. I always wanted to do this but couldn't." He looks at Yudhisthir.
I just walk away from there to go to Draupadi's chamber hoping Yudhisthir will stop them.
I breath in and out to calm myself down while entering the chamber. My heart has never beat this fast and I wonder where the strength went which made me enter this chamber in the mid night once. Maybe I should have drank a bit. I try to open the door but my hand shakes. I somehow gather my courage and push the door. My timidness went away when I see her, my wife sit on the corner of the bed.
She stood up when she saw me. No words are coming out of my mouth.
"I was told to go.. as per ritual." I tell her. She doesn't say anything but came forward fast and touches my feet. Not knowing what the best move is I sat down to match her. She looks at me in confusion. Her parted lips and blushing checks takes my breath away. I hold her chin and my thumb graze her face. And her lips. They asked me to go here to bless you but how can I? I am the one who is blessed by having her love. I pull her in and hug her tight. So tight she could not move. And I did not let her go, I kept her in my tight embrace. I don't want to let her go ever. She keep one of her hand on the floor to balance and hugs me back with the other.
I realise we are sitting on the floor and gets up pulling her up at the same time. Her heavy clothes makes it difficult for her to get up so bend down and pick her up. "Ah?" She looks confuse as I carry her to the bed. I have looked at her before. I have admire her beauty always but tonight its different. I placed her on the bed and climbs on it myself. She still looks confuse, eyes wide, her face red.
"Are you shy?" I ask her.
"No." She says but turns the other side and covers her face.
I pull her hand away gently from her face, "Then why is your face red as your lips?"
She shove my hand away to free her hand and tries to cover her face again. I grab both her hand tightly this time. She closes her eyes, like a child she must be thinking that if she can't see me I cannot she her either. She breaths hard and my eyes falls on her blouse. The odhini got stuck between me and her, revealing the cleavage as her blouse could not hold. I can feel the growing inside my dhoti. The candles and the aroma in the room is not helping me control myself. 'This is not the first time you are near a woman. Control yourself.' I scold myself. She no doubt is not just any woman, she makes me crazy with just a look. But I can't weird her out now like this.
I took a pillow and keep it between up so she would not feel. She opens her eyes, "What happen?" She asks.
"Nothing." I tell her and slide my hand under her head and pulls her closer by her waist, spooning her with the pillow in between.
"Are you fine?" She asks me.
"I am the one who should be asking that." I say
"I mean the ceremony was kinda rush."
"It's fine." I tell her and kisses her check.
"Hmm well, you can have a big ceremony on your next one." She says.
I keep my head on her head, "Why do you want me to marry again? I thought you will choose me." She doesn't say anything so I speak again. "Do you want someone else? Or is Arjun's petty act working on you?"
"Don't say like that." She says softly.
Even though he is my brother it irritates me. It's not because we were not raised together but my wife is just mine. And it does bother me that he is still very much in love with Draupadi, always following her around whenever he can, getting angry when she gets close to someone. It should be doing all that. And it worries me that it will affect Draupadi. Afterall he is also her husband. I grab her face lightly and turn her head to me. "Why? Do you care for him?"
"He is your brother." She says looking at me.
My anger and insecurity mixed, I tell her, "I always listened to you. I didn't say anything when you married them, I didn't say anything when you came to the unfinish chamber in Hastinapur to meet me. You could have said no to this marriage if you didn't want to. Unlike your marriage with them, you had a choice this time. But you choose to marry me. Now you can't leave. You have to be with me. I won't let you go."
"I didn't even say anything." She pouts.
"You didn't but I am just giving a heads up so that no one can say anything afterward. You can take your time but you can't go to anyone else now. All those choosing one condition you have, you have to choose me. I won't remarry, Panchali. It's only you. It's always been you. And for you also it has to be me. I won't stand silently anymore. Even if it's my brother. So You have to choose me, don't drive me crazy anymore." I confess.
But she smirks, she smirks beautifully like she always does when she teases me, "What if I don't?"
I let my muscle control me tighten my grip on my face so she wouldn't move and bring my face closer to hers. I bite her lips softly at first but then I couldn't control it. I started kissing and biting her lips, she let out a moan maybe from pain but that just gives me more strength. I remove the pillow and put one leg over her, placing her in between my legs. My left arms went under her back and grabs her waist. She keeps her hands on my shoulder, not wanting it between us I grab both her wrist with my right hand and keep it over her head and start kissing her again. I can feel her breast moving up and down on my chest as she breaths hard. I let her breath for a moment, her eyes filled with pleasure, her mouth wet from our saliva. I could not wait and went in to kiss her neck. Biting and sucking in between the kisses. "You can't go out tomorrow." I tell her.
"Why?" She ask breathing heavily.
"This will leave mark." I say before sucking hard below her collar bone and lick her left cleavage. She moans and I hold her tighter. I wanted to be gentle but she's making me go hard with her expression, her eyes and her sound. My hand reach up to her blouse, grazing the border. I want to tear it off but didn't. I don't want her to think I am an animal on the wedding night only.
Just then I hear some sound. Trumpets? I look at Draupadi but she also look just as confuse. Within seconds someone knocks on the door.
"Maharani, Yuvraj Duryodhaan is approaching with others." The lady outside says.
I release Draupadi and sit up on the bed, cursing myself in my head for disturbing Dryodhaan on his marriage night. "I have to go out." I tell her.
"It's fine." She says avoiding my eyes, wiping the saliva on her mouth.
"Are you fine?" I hold her face.
"I am." She says and smile. I wait for few moments to cool down before I go out and kill Duryodhaan.