"Krishnaa, it doesn't suit you to cry for the future. Do your work, don't be concerned over the outcome," Krishna says.
At night, Draupadi meets Krishna in the garden. She needs to discuss and that too uninterrupted.
"Sakha, a woman's most valuable possession is her self respect. I gambled with mine. A woman's strength is her husband. I lost them in dyutsabha. Sakha, I am aware this war requires sacrifice. But whose? I want to know,"
"Krishnaa, does it matter now? If something is bound to happen, how can we stop it?"
"Sakha, losing everything, my sons are the reason of my living. Losing them one by one? Sakha, do you have any idea what you are saying? Ask for my life instead. It's on your feet. Don't ask for my sons..."
Krishna looks at Draupadi disappointed, "This is not my Krishnaa. You can't be. These words represents a coward. Not the Samragni of Aryavarta."
Draupadi lowers her eyes, "Sakha..."
"Krishnaa, this war is the fate of Aryavarta. This doesn't reply on you alone. You cannot expect sweet fruits from a tree that's rotten. Cutting the branches won't work. You need to uproot the tree. Sakhi, you might forgive and live with what you endured. But what about other women of Aryavarta? Bhrata Yudhisthira has made it a trend to bet women in gamble. Before coming here, Dao sentenced some men to death for doing this sin,"
Draupadi stays silent.
"Krishnaa, imagine Suthanu, Nandini, Siyaanshi, Maya your daughters on your place. In that Dyut Sabha. No one to protect them, no one to listen to their pleas. You want the same fate you had for others as well?"
Krishna's words felt like acid in Draupadi's heart. So cruelly he uttered those words. Does he not know how it makes her heart bleed?
"This war isn't so simple to start as well. My sons are living with this thought so it won't be hard on them. But your beloved Pandavas? What about them? Whom are they fighting for?" Draupadi questions.
Krishna looks at her silently.
"Sakha, Mahamahim Bhism, Guru Dronachaya filled out the empty place of a father for them. You are telling me to believe that Pandavas will raise their weapon against them? One cry from their uncle and they won't forgive those Kauravs? While I was being disrobed, they didn't bat an eye. Now you are telling me they will fight for my sake. I find it too hard to believe,"
"Why do you think that?"
"I feel whatever the result of this war will be, I will be blamed by them. If the war is a must, tell your Pandavas to stay out of it. My sons, my old father and brother are enough. Besides don't I have you? You are the one promised to get me justice, you are the one who promised me this war,"
"Sakhi, your five husbands who are the greatest warriors on earth, you want me to bring you justice rather than them?" Krishna asks softly.
Draupadi let's out a chuckle, "The world will question them anyway. Why Arjuna didn't protest? Why Yudhisthira gave such orders? Why their brothers accepted this union? I don't think one more question on them changes a lot."
"Sakhi, you think about me this way? I won't force them to fight on your stead as well. Actually, I didn't want to tell you. But there's a condition of war from my stead,"
"What is it, sakha?" Draupadi asks.
"Six of you need to clear your hearts. So many things that should have been said, remain unsaid. You also have so many questions in your heart. Pandavas owe you the answers. They need to see how you really feel,"
"Sakha, whatever question I have in my heart, you know. Other than apologizing they can't give me any answer. And I don't require their apology at this point of life. I went through heart wrenching pain while being with them. Apologizing doesn't soothe my heart anymore. I am so over this, Subhadra or any other wives of them doesn't bother me anymore. Even when they remind me constantly about the betrayal I endured, I harbor no hard feelings towards them,"
Krishna touches her heart, "When did my Sakhi's heart turned to a stone? Doesn't my presence soothe you?"
Draupadi's eyes waters, "Sakha, you are the only reason my dead soul doesn't leave this body. I promised to be your companion in your mission. How can I leave before you?"
"Sakhi, are you any ordinary woman? You are my sakhi, my companion in this life. You are Mahadeva's disciple, Guru Brihashpati taught you all Sashtras and Vedas. You are born to accomplish the work of Devtas. Don't fall weak, sakhi. You cannot fall weak. Your responsibility is heavier than any of us,"
Draupadi sobs burying her face in her palms. Krishna let's her cry. His own face mirrors sadness as hers. But fate binds him too. He is helpless in front of fate as well.
While Draupadi cries with fear and disappoinment. She's scared for her sons life. Not that she doesn't believe in their strength, because of her being alone without her sons who are the sole reason of her life. Disappoinment, because no matter how much she loves her husbands, she doesn't trust them. NOT AT ALL. NOT A SINGLE OUNCE.
"Krishnaa, everyone receives the result of their own work. Don't feel guilty over this. Pandavas had this coming. You losing trust in them is there fault not yours. They should be feeling disappoinment not you," Krishna holds
her shoulder.
"But they are doing so much..."
"So what? You did more than these for years, Krishnaa. Why are you feeling grateful over this? Rather you should be..."
"Sakha, even if I remain angry with them, what's that going to give me? If I am angry at them for remarriage, they have remarried. I can't do anything about this. They took pheras with other women. If I am angry at them for neglecting me, it also happened. If I am angry at them for dyutsabha, it also happened. Tell me, what will my anger bring me now?"
Krishna looks at his companion's eyes filled with sadness. She doesn't say this anymore. But the regret of marrying them is still fresh in her mind. She isn't at fault though. Pandavas were unable to answer every question she threw at them.
"Don't take me wrong, Govind. I love them. I love them to an extent that even I am scared of it's depth. But sometimes somethings can never be forgiven. Even if I take birth a few more times, I still can't forgive them for what they did. A wife, a mother can never forgive them," Draupadi sighs.
"Until all six of you come clear with your heart, the war won't take place, sakhi," Krishna says.
Draupadi tenses up, "Sakha, the way I open my heart to you. The way you know everything without even me telling you. How can I do that with anyone?"
"Your husbands aren't just anyone sakhi. My Partha is my Nara avatar. Is he just anyone to you? He is dividend in parts in this birth," Krishna jokes.
"There are some things that's only private between husband and wife, sakha. How can we make it a public matter? I have never spoken anything my one husband shares with me to his other brothers. It has always been my secret to keep. That's the reason why they trust me blindly. How can I break their trust?" Draupadi protests.
"You won't, Sakhi. They will. They must open their heart with each other. If you still fear their bond weakening, then there wasn't any bond between them to begin with. Every bond has some obstacles. You and Bua Kunti are too paranoid about them turning against each other, that you two took all the obstacles on your own. This shouldn't be happening," Krishna says seriously.
"Arjuna, where's Draupadi?" Karna enters Arjuna's chamber.
Arjuna is lost in his thoughts. His Madhav told him he, Krishnaa and his four brothers need to clear their hearts before this war. Arjuna shifts uncomfortably. Some things cannot be said with others. How will they come clear?
"Arjuna?" Karna shakes his shoulder.
Arjuna's thoughts break. He stand sup paying respect to his eldest.
"Where's Draupadi, Arjuna? And what's wrong with all of you? Yudhisthira, Bheema, Nakula, Sahadeva now you. What's with this state of you all?" Karna asks.
"Panchali? She is with Madhava," Arjuna answers.
Karna nods and leaves his chamber immediately not waiting for his answer of his second question. Draupadi is hurrying the marriage of her sons. Why is that? What's the rush? He needs to talk with her.
Arjuna doesn't follow him. Rather he is too perplexed about what his Madhav has said. Opening their heart? What does that mean? Madhav knows everything that's in his heart. What more can he be hinting it?
Yudhisthira is also sitting in his chamber in complete darkness. What did Krishna talk about? Opening their heart? Up until now when have they ever been secretive with Madhav?
What is he hinting at? Yudhisthira's heart trembles suddenly.
Bheema is no different. But he isn't as confused as Yudhisthira and Arjuna. He has a slight idea what Krishna wishes to know. Though he has been clear about it from the very beginning.
Bheema knows this matter, even though his brothers play oblivious they are also aware. His beloved also knows about this. He has been very straightforward about it from the very beginning.
But, admitting this in front Yudhisthira, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva never came to his mind. He never once imagined to be vocal about this.
Nakula looks at Sahadeva who is sitting sweating a little. Nakula concludes, if Panchali was here she would have been able to read Sahadeva. He is extremely bothered by something.
"Sahadeva, what's gotten you so worried?" he holds his shoulder.
"Nakula, I am worried. Sometimes saying some things along breaks heart," Sahadeva says.
"Is this about what Bhrata Krishna told us? Opening our heart? I don't get what he meant. We are always very honest with him," Nakula says.
"You are an intelligent man, Nakula. Think, the confession he wants from us may end up ruining everything we have with Draupadi and with our brothers," Sahadeva says grimly.
A cold shiver runs down Nakula's spine. He suddenly as a vouge idea about this confession that Krishna wants from them.
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