She was just an inch away, her cheek wet with tears she was shedding and her lips were partly slighted. It was as if she had never left. She was the same. Perhaps her sumptuous clothes and exuberant jewellery weren't present earlier but those hardly mattered. Her caramel colour skin shone in the light coming from the oil lamps encompassing them and her pink lips were partly open. Even the strand of hair Arjun knew too well was at its exact place - out of place. The only difference was her eyes. Those gorgeous black eyes curtained with her curly eyelashes once had a distant look in them but now they had found a home.

If she raised her hand she could touch his lush black hair which she loved to play with. His swarthy skin was shining and his strong archer arms and torso was ripped with musculature. His eyes were glistening with tears and his chest heaved with the turmoil of emotions with him. She understood him. She felt like just dissolving into him and staying with him, as him forever. But she was scared that if she showed too much of herself she might scare him away. Her emotions made her mind swirl and she couldn't do anything but look at him, just an inch away.

Arjun's mind took him down the memory lane. Whenever both of them were too happy or too angry to speak anything he would advance his hand to her. For once he broke his gaze from the divine beauty standing in front of him. Seeing a patch of forest in the distance he couldn't stop smiling to himself. 

What is he looking at? What is more important right now! Did he just smile? Draupadi's head was filled with questions. They flew away when he advanced his hand towards him. She accepted it with a small grin. And leaving a swirl of dust of behind, both took off for a getaway.

-:-

"Did I miss something?" Drishtdyumna said heaving as he got off his horse. When he didn't get an answer he looked around. His twin was nowhere to be seen. He jostled around people looking for her and panic rose in his chest.

"Ud-Udyat?" 

Drishtdyumna heard a voice behind him. It didn't take him even a second to know who the speaker was.

"Aradhya!" Drishtdyumna said embracing his long lost friend. 

"I thought I would never see you again! Not after you left without a message!" Nakul said performing his famous pout.

"I will tell you everything I swear! But first where is Drau?" Drishtdyumna said still worried.

"Drau who?" Nakul said raising his eyebrows.

"I meant Prishati!" Drishtdyumna repeated.

"Oh! I just saw the epic reunion! But it wasn't that epic." Nakul said raising his eyebrows.

"What! How couldn't it be epic?" Drishtdyumna said not believing a word.

"It was kind of absurd. Like first they ran towards each other and for some excruciating minutes, they just stood there an inch away from each other. I mean I wouldn't blame them! First, they were so oblivious and now they can't just smother each other with kisses now, can they?"  Nakul said.

"Must be some sappy ritual they have!" Drishtdyumna said smiling, memories flooding him.

"Yeah, they had many. Anyway, are you the prince of here or something? " Nakul asked.

-:-

Both Draupadi and Arjun couldn't stop laughing. It had been so long that they had shared a laugh with each other.

"First things first! Who dressed you up?" Arjun asked, his face deadpan.

"Who else could it be?" Draupadi said grinning.

"I mean you look... breathtaking!" Arjun said letting out a shaky breath, his hand was rubbing the back of his neck showing nervousness, not a trait of the Pandava. 

"So, the great Arjun, huh!" Draupadi asked scolding herself for being so oblivious, who else could be a greater archer?

"I don't know about great, but yeah Arjun it is!" he said, for some reason, his own name felt foreign on his tongue. He just wanted to be Prishati's Parth right now. "And you are the Panchal princess everyone talks about?" Arjun asked flashing his lopsided smile. She just smiled in return. For a few seconds, they didn't speak.

"I missed you so much Prishati!" Arjun said, his voice filled with the whirlpool of emotions inside him, threatening to burst him.

I missed you so much that this is the first time I am breathing in the last five years.

"Me too Parth! It was like-" Draupadi said choking.

It was like someone had taken my soul and I was supposed to live with only my body.

"I know!" Arjun said pain evident in his voice.

I know how it feels to be kept away from the reason for your existence.

"No, you don't." Draupadi said. 

How could you? You don't know how I feel about you! I don't want to be just your friend anymore.

"I do." Arjun said holding her palm by his closing in the distance between them.

Her face looked like one which belonged to a goddess in the moonlight and she was so close to him that he could smell her. Not a fragrance she had applied. But how she smelled. Sometimes of roses, sometimes of grass, sometimes of hope but today, today she smelled like love. And he couldn't hold himself back now. 

He leaned in and she didn't back away. Not wanting to show her how much of her he wanted, how much of her he needed he planted a brief gentle kiss on her lush lips and she didn't respond. Scared he had done something wrong, panic started to rise in his chest. But then he felt something, rather someone on his lips. Her lips were probably softer than his and the kiss was more passionate. It wasn't a display of lust but knowledge of reciprocated love. Arjun wriggled his hand around her bare waist and his other hand on the back of her shoulder and in return he could feel her arms around his back and neck.

Everywhere he touched felt like it was going to explode. Showing him how much I had missed him didn't reduce the turmoil inside her but the fact that he was no different gave her assurance. She wasn't the only one falling. His lips were soft, softer than she imagined. Not that much of a surprise she realized as she remembered his skincare routine. His hands held her gently yet firmly. If someone had proposed the idea of him and Parth being together 10-years ago she would have mocked vomiting but now she couldn't do anything but that. 

Both of them a little out of breath broke the kiss but their hands still lingered. 

"Who thought how bad I wanted to do this." Arjun said with a shaky breath, not able to believe the happenings.

"Everyone except us I guess!" Draupadi replied to which Arjun laughed. His laughter had a lilt to it which made her laugh with him. 

"What?" Draupadi asked Arjun who was looking at her with a smile she couldn't comprehend. It felt like he was looking into her soul but she didn't mind because it was his. 

"Nothing. Just... You have no idea how precious you are to me and I have no idea how to explain it to you." Arjun said, sighing.

"You don't need to. I know." Draupadi said leaning into him and feeling his arms enveloping her. 

'I know because you make me forget yesterday and dream about tomorrow.'  Draupadi thought as he planted a kiss on her forehead and held her even closer.

-:-

"They should be back by now!" Shikhandini complained to Drishtdyumna. 

"Relax Jiji! They aren't kids anymore." Drishtdyumna said assuring her. Though Shikhandini couldn't comprehend everything Drishtdyumna had just told her she did understand one thing. That Pandava prince made her sister happy and there was nothing else she would rather see.

"There they are!" Nakul said nodding his head towards the right.

It was foreign to Shikhandini to see Draupadi smiling and holding hands with a boy or anyone for that matter. She was not comfortable with the fact that her little sister was with some strange prince. Arjun, she had heard about him, his archery skills and all. But princes who were praised in all of Aryavarta tended to have an ego larger than the earth. Maybe she didn't trust the prince but she did trust her sister. She looked back at the two. Draupadi was laughing on what Arjun had whispered in her ear. Shikhandini wanted to beat him up for coming so close to her sister but then she caught something. The way he was looking at her. Shikhandini was taken aback.

"How long has this been going on?" Shikhandini asked intrigued now.

"10 years." Nakul stated. 

"Wh-what!" Shikhandini stutterd, flabbergasted.

"Shut up Aradhya. Well, we think they should have been together for the last 10 years but they were so oblivious that they kept proving that they were 'just friends' but we knew better." Drsishtdyumna said shrugging. Shikhandini just nodded acknowledging that she had heard him. Maybe this change isn't so bad, she thought as the pair advanced towards them.

"Aradhya!" Draupadi exclaimed as she saw the younger prince of Hastinapur. As the two embraced each other Drishtdyumna and Arjun exchanged pleasantries. Nakul pulled his brother towards him and whispered something in his ear that made the swarthy prince flush furiously and smack his brother on his head.

"What did you ask him?" Drishtdyumna asked Nakul.

"If I could call her Bhabhi now!" Nakul said his eyes twinkling with mirth. Drishtdyumna tried to stop himself from laughing but he failed miserably.

"Parth!" Draupadi said beckoning the archer to come with her and he followed.

"This is my elder sister, Shikhandini. And Jiji this is Par- I meant Prince Arjun." Draupadi said.

"Parth is fine." Arjun replied smiling and turned toward Shikhandini.

"Pranipat noble Shikhandini I have heard a lot about you! Prishati is very lucky to have a sister like you." Arjun said politely joining his hands.  Many people had praised Shikhandini and she didn't bat an eye. But this was not flattery or obligatory appreciation. A humble prince! Rare, rare but admirable.

"Pranipat Prince! Your presence is cherished in Panchal! We are delighted to have, and so is my sister." Shikhandini said smirking ever so slightly at Draupadi.

Before Draupadi could reply the sound of a trumpet came acknowledging the arrival of the king. Festivities in Panchal were a big affair for the people and Drupad tried his best to celebrate it with his people. Even though there was an entourage of bodyguards around him Drupad looked humble and down to earth, at least as humble as a king could look. He shook hands with men and didn't shoo away the kids who had swarmed around him. The guards were on alert but knew better than to interfere after a few minutes Drupad made his way towards his family and the two guests.

Arjun was about to pass a log of wood to Nakul when he saw he already had one. Draupadi had told him about how they performed Holika Dahan in Panchal and it just moved him. The way the king and the people interacted here was rare to find in the Aryavarta. Back at home, the royal family would celebrate separately from the common people but here the royals loved the people and they loved them in return. Panchal was what a kingdom was supposed to be but the Aryavarta today had condescended to decadence and corruption.

"Jeshtha!" Nakul said breaking him out of his reverie. Arjun turned towards him and saw who he was pointing towards. The king with his daughters and his son was waiting for the two princes. Hurriedly they made way to the entourage.

"Ah! Princes of Hastinapur! If only I knew Draupadi and Drishtdyumna were your friends I wo-" Drupad stopped in between as the prince of Panchal couldn't stop himself from laughing, "Did I say something funny?" Drupad asked intrigued.

"No Baba, he is just absurd. Do continue." Draupadi said as she jabbed her twin's stomach with her elbow.

"Anyways it is great to have you here! I hope you aren't leaving tomorrow!" Drupad said smiling.

"Oh, no great king we aren't going anywhere for a long time! Isn't that right Jeshtha?" Nakul said as placed his hand on Arjun's shoulder and wriggled his eyebrows at him. Arjun tried his best not to strangle him and turned towards the ruler and smiled in agreement. 

"That is great news! Now let's not waste time! Let's celebrate!" Drupad said and in a matter of minutes with thousands of wooden logs, each belonging to a Panchalian and two of the princes created huge fire waiting to be burned. A soldier passed a lighted log to the king and soon the kingdom of Panchal was enlightened with the burning pyre of Holika. 

As the specks of fire ascended to the heavens above, the people below rejoiced the victory of good over evil, of faith over ego. Along with playfully grappling with the fire, the light breeze carried a secret to the trees-

'He had found his fire and she had found her peace.'

अर्जुन के प्यार की दास्तान द्रौपदी के दिल में रची है

द्रौपदी की चाहत अर्जुन की आत्मा में बसी है

बस पहचान नहीं पाये थे अब तक

पर अब तो प्रेम का वर्णन भी हो गया

अक्रम के मेघो में एक किरण जल उठी

अमंगल के आँगन में प्यार की छाप पड़ चुकी

द्रौपदी के दिल में तो अब बस वो है बसा

और अर्जुन भी बस अपनी सांगिणी का हो गया