"Mata, what you did can never be justified. I fear, in future binding brothers through marriage with one women might fall heavily on women's shoulder. Women may need to pay huge price for this mistake of yours," Draupadi says grimly.
Kunti doesn't look at her sons anymore. Her confession goes on about lots of different matters. About Draupadi, about her sons and others. How she never liked Maharani Gandhari. How she was greatly discriminated a lot of times. Her accusations are true though she never dared to spell them out before.
After finishing, her face was glowing. She felt light and in peace.
"Bua, you might always pay for your sins. I curse those sons from today onwards, if they follow their mothers will which is unrighteous, they will fall towards their own doom," Krishna announces.
"Bhrata Yudhisthira, it's your turn now," Krishna says.
Yudhisthira and Draupadi both moves uncomfortably.
Yudhisthira asks the maids, "Where's Yuvrani?"
"Yuvraj, Yuvrani is with Senapati Arjuna and Dwarkadesh Krishna. They are playing chess," the maids inform.
Yudhisthira hums. Krishna is here for a week and whenever Krishna is here, both Arjuna and Draupadi forgets everything and spends time goofing around. Not that he minds. But it bugs him a little bit because no one is allowed to enter in the private chamber that they use.
After dinner, three of them again goes to their private chamber. Yudhisthira could say something interesting happened looking at they way Draupadi giggle just by looking at Arjuna who becomes really red catching her eyes. Krishna could occasionally whispers something making Draupadi roll in laughter.
Yudhisthira glances at her again and again but her gaze never fall on him. Although it's her year with him. Yudhisthira retires to bed early finding his empty chamber.
"Where's Yuvrani?" he asks the maids.
"Yuvraj, Yuvrani is in their private chamber. Dwarkadesh Krishna said they are all planning to go out as it full moon," maid informs.
Yudhisthira feels his fist tightening but dismisses those thoughts.
He didn't see her the next day as well. Asking her maids, Yudhisthira came to know they spend the night outside. And won't return before dawn.
They did and again Yudhisthira sleeps in the empty chamber. He gets himself busy with work to distract himself from the thoughts. But the green monster of jealousy was already creeping his heart.
The next day as usual Draupadi is absent. During times of eating, her gaze also never fall on him. Yudhisthira had enough. After lunch, he goes to find them.
Draupadi is resting under the shade of the tree. Krishna isn't far behind half laying. While Arjuna is laying on her lap. Draupadi smiling leaves her achal on his face. Arjuna puts her hand on his chest. Krishna jokes about something teasing them makes Arjuna burst into laughter while Draupadi turns red with embarrassment.
Yudhisthira grits his teeth. He couldn't bare to look at them any longer. He leaves with heavy footsteps. Entering his chamber, he dismisses the maids. He sits to finish some paperwork but his mind constantly plays Arjuna on Draupadi's lap.
Having enough, Yudhisthira leaves his work. He couldn't deny any longer. Draupadi's closeness with any other male affects him. Immensely so. Be it her own husbands or Krishna himself.
"Is she still in their chamber?" Yudhisthira asks the maids two days after.
"Y..yes, Yuvraj..." the maid suddenly feels scared of Yudhisthira.
Yudhisthira storms towards the chamber. No guards are here. This is the quietest place and the back area of Indraprastha. Sitting here for a few moments will lighten anyone's mood because this place is surrounded by trees.
Yudhisthira doesn't know what's gotten into him. He knows how dear Krishna, Draupadi, Arjuna and Satyabhama holds this chamber. It's a private chamber for only four of them. No one else is permitted inside. It's wrong for him to disrespect this place of theirs.
He contemplates outside the chamber. He doesn't want to see the disappointed eyes of Draupadi at all. His thoughts break as he hears laughter inside the chamber. His eyes find themselves looking inside from the window and Yudhisthira could swear his blood boiled.
Krishna and Arjuna are playing Dyut. Arjuna's feet rests on Draupadi's lap. Draupadi sits there smiling as both play their moves.
"Krishnaa, I have nothing to bet. Lend me something," Krishna whines.
Immediately Draupadi gives him her gold bracelets of both hands.
"Sakha, you won't win this round then. I will get back Krishnaa's bracelets from you," Arjuna says laughing.
"Why? I have every right to make my sakhi indebted to me. In hope of getting back these bracelets, sakhi might invite me again," Krishna jokes along.
Yudhisthira frowns. It's as if Krishna himself is playing matchmaker between them. He is making them closer. And it's working tremendously. Because Arjuna has gotten over the awkwardness around his brothers regarding Draupadi.
"What do you say, Panchali? I must play hard this round getting your bracelets back," Arjuna grapes her hand.
Draupadi giggles mischievously, "Arya, sakha presents me with so rare jewelries whenever he comes to visit. Why are you stingy over only one pair?"
"You don't know sakhi. How much my Partha is possessive over you. He is jealous that I have jewelries that touched your wrist," Krishna says mischievously.
"Sakha..." Draupadi groans embarrassed.
"You don't know the eyes I see, Krishnaa. You know what he said in Panchal about you?"
"Sakha, stop this..." this time even Arjuna gets flustered.
"Why? You read all our letters. What is that between you two that I shouldn't know?" Draupadi asks.
Arjuna becomes even more flustered. He looks at his sakha pleadingly. But of course Krishna sells him out.
" 'If the sun or moon looks at her, I will bring them down. If our domestic animals fall in her arms, I will behead them. I am jealous of her clothes, those jewelries because they are touching her, mixing with her scent where I can't.' were your exact words, isn't it, Partha?" Krishna winks.
Yudhisthira feels his blood run cold. How can Arjuna harbor such deep possessiveness for Draupadi? She is not only his wife. And why does he keep her with him all the time when he clearly knows it's Yudhisthira's year with her.
Arjuna becomes flustered unable to look at Draupadi anymore. Draupadi also lowers her gaze her cheeks adorning a beautiful hue of red.
"Someday if Bhrata Bheem gets his hands on the letters I write to my Krishnaa. That would be the last day I will step in Indraprastha," Krishna jokes.
Arjuna bursts out, "That's why I hide them always. Don't worry, Sakha. You writing letters to my wife, I won't let anyone else see. The shame is my alone."
"You two cross every level of civilized conservative," Draupadi groans embarrassed.
Arjuna and Krishna laughs enjoying teasing Draupadi to their hearts content. Outside Yudhisthira clenches his fists. Draupadi and Arjuna's growing closeness is so natural as if they know each other for years. And Krishna himself plays matchmaker between them.
Yudhisthira returns to his chamber. As long as Arjuna is here, Draupadi's entire attention is on him. She finds Krishna in him when Krishna isn't around.
A thought scares Yudhisthira's heart that time. What if for a time being Arjuna isn't here? Will Draupadi change her attitude then?
"Seems like you also know something," Arjuna points at Draupadi.
Draupadi doesn't answer instead turns to Yudhisthira, "After you confess I have something to confirm."
Yudhisthira sighs, "I don't know how to say this Madhav. But I feel I will be lightened if I confess this."
Draupadi looks away while Arjuna ponders what his Jyest might be implying about.
"You could have stopped the division, couldn't you, Pitashree?" Shrutasena asks dreading.
"Yes, if I wanted to. I could stopped that division the very moment," Yudhisthira confesses.
Arjuna's face lost it's form. He looks at his Jyest in disbelief.
"If you wanted, you could've stopped Mata reminding her of Dharma but you didn't," Karn looks at him.
Yudhisthira only nods his head. No one needs to know why he didn't stop it, "I loved Panchali years before seeing her. Hearing about her from others I desired to marry you. And my desire to marry you led into this."
No one said anything. Kunti's words weren't false. Pandavas love Draupadi even before seeing her, meeting her. Arjuna sighs. What should he say?
"What did you want to confirm, Krishnaa?" Krishna asks.
"Was... Arjuna's exile deliberate?" Draupadi asks.
"Panchali, what are you saying? Jyest never would want any of us in exile!" Arjuna scolds her.
Yudhisthira looks at Draupadi and Draupadi could read those guilt easily. Seeing them looking at each other, Arjuna looks at his Jyest in disbelief. Everyone sat there not taking a single breath.
"Yes,"
Arjuna in a second felt his entire world spinning. The exile of 12 years was deliberate? Not only that his Jyest...his Jyest who has the position of father in his life did that to him?
"I know jealousy is wrong. But this Dharmaraj, who has no attraction towards earthy things felt pain when Arjuna won her hand in swayamvar,"
In that moment they saw a different person in front of them. Yudhisthira's eyes shone with anger and jealousy recalling that time. Those emotions were never in their Jyest's face. And he looks at Arjuna...angrily...
Arjuna keeps looking at his Jyest in disbelief while Yudhisthira first in his life looked at Arjuna with anger filled eyes.
He turns to Draupadi his eyes changing, "I am your offender, Panchali. Punish me as you deem fit."
Draupadi's eyes moist, "If I intrigued jealousy in any one of your heart, it's my fault because I showed any sort of partiality. Instead of punishing Arjuna, you should have confined me about it. You should have scolded me. Arjuna went away from us for 12 years. And you suffered every day of that. Guilt, pain you couldn't even meet my eyes."
Yudhisthira's eyes become moist as well.
"You could have stopped the division. When you ordered all your brothers to marry me, you don't know the pain I go through. I didn't want to marry the brothers of my husbands. Some of whom were my father figure and some were like my sons,"
Yudhisthira looks away from her eyes. Two drops of hot tear falls on his palm.
"No man from now on, can have a woman without her will. She cannot be forced, cannot be blackmailed. If she doesn't want that man herself, the man no matter how much he loves her, will never be able to get her as his," Draupadi says.
Yudhisthira nods his head. Draupadi's heart bled seeing him this way. She was angry and in denial for years. But over these years she fall in love with them. All five of them. Yudhisthira's fault is falling in love with her.
"Jyest, falling in love isn't a crime. Don't make the face that someone announced your death sentence," Krishna says softly.
"Yudhisthira," Draupadi raises his chin, "No matter what happened in the past. I embraced all your mistakes. Your love for me is true and sacred..."
As soon as Draupadi utters those words, Arjuna jumps up. This is the first time they saw Arjuna so furious. His eyes are red and he is trembling with rage.
"I wish to take fresh air for a moment," Arjuna storms out the chamber.
As Arjuna leaves, Draupadi looks at Krishna who nods her to follow him. Draupadi squeezes Yudhisthira's hand and leaves to find Arjuna.
As soon as Draupadi leaves, their children all stands up.
"Where are you all going?" Krishna asks.
"Mamashree, whatever there's more to come out...we don't want to hear anymore...Let us leave," Prativindhya says.
"Mamashree, we are torn. Should we be grateful of even our birth?" Satanika whispers.
"Putro..." Bheema calls them in disbelief.
"All her life Maa only gave tests after test. Despite all these how did she ever love us? Don't we remind of her this never ending pain?" Shrutakarma's voice trembles.
"Let us leave, Mamashree...otherwise we may end up hating our very existence..." Shrutakarma says grimly.
"Don't," Maya's voice stops.
Everyone turns to her.
"Don't question Mata's love for you all. Don't fail her sacrifices. Mata has been tolerating these all alone. Why are you all leaving when she needs you?" Maya asks them.
⭐⭐⭐
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