"Please seat yourself Guruji!" Yudhishthira exclaimed bowing low.

Kunti had just left the chambers to see to it that the esteemed guru was accommodated in a way befitted for him.

"That's fine Putra!" Drona said smiling as he seated himself nevertheless. 

The eldest Pandav as always was seeing to it that his guru was comfortable and at ease, after all, it was his dharma. Bhim though standing quietly was contemplating the reason for the guru's abrupt visit and Sehdev was calmly standing in the corner his hands folded in regard. But that wasn't the reason Drona's right eyebrow was raised marginally. Arjun, referred by many as Drona's favourite and most promising pupil was standing in the corner his face deadpan and his hands behind his back as if holding himself back. Nakul was blatantly standing beside the middle Pandav, discontent written on his face.

"Is something wrong, Aradhya?" Drona asked letting out a small chuckle.

"You tell me Guruji, what is the reason for your unexpected visit?" Nakul asked, his voice mockingly polite.

"Why do feel like I am not welcome here princes?" Drona said standing, his angavastram flung across his wrist due to the sudden motion.

"Do not say that Guruji, I am sure Nakul didn't mean that!" Yudhishthira said mustering as much courtesy as he could. Nakul was about to speak something but stopped as he felt a hand around his wrist. He turned around to see Arjun shaking his head.

As Drona seated himself a man in his 20's clad in saffron and yellow garments entered the chambers. His greasy black locks were left open and rudraksha beads adorned his toned muscles. A gem was placed on his forehead and it was clear that the swarthy man was no other than Drona's son, Ashwathama.

"What is he doing here?" Arjun spoke, his words dripping with venom.

-:-

Draupadi had just returned from a tiring yet enjoyable practice session with her elder sister, Shikhandini. Though she was filled with fatigue and sleep is what her body desired, she decided against it and decided to take a relaxing bath first.

The water was just the right temperature and as she entered the bath she made a loose bun wanting to rinse the dirt off first and then wash her hair. As she placed a stray strand of hair behind her left ear she felt a scar travelling down towards the end of her neck. It wasn't very long or deep, her brother had come in time.

Draupadi tensed as Arjun's hand travelled to the scar. He immediately broke the kiss worry evident on his face. He tilted her face slightly to get a better look at it and was now curiously looking at her wanting her to tell him about it.

"Oh, it's nothing! Dyumna and I took the practice a little too far that one day." Draupadi said intentionally not meeting Arjun's eyes.

"I have known you for more than a decade, I know when you lie,"  Arjun said leaning back.

"Well, remember I told you about the stunt that Ashwathama pulled off, why I had to leave?"  Draupadi said hesitantly. Arjun just nodded.

"We were told that Guru Drona had already taken his son along with him, but when we reached there, I was told by a forest scout, with whom I had been friends before coming to Gurukul, that he had seen Ashwathama, a little far from the shores. As soon as I heard that, I rode away on my horse, I know it was not a very wise decision on my part! But I was enraged, having to see my father defeated, my kingdom sullen and above that the agony I felt from being separated from you." Draupadi choked with emotions and Arjun let his presence and support be known to her by pulling her closer.

"Without giving it a second thought I marched into their makeshift camp and I was met with about a dozen men barring Guruji, I did have the surprise element, but very obviously I was outnumbered. And because my mind was clouded with emotions, I couldn't think straight, some rage-driven blows here and there and I was overpowered soon-" 

"Wait, what do you mean outnumbered? You can easily handle twenty guys one-on-one, Drau! I have seen you do that multiple times." Arjun asked, intrigued.

"They were not warriors, Arjun, they were a bunch of amateurs driven by the greed of whatever Ashwathama had promised them, and it is the latter which is more dangerous. They haven't read law books on warfare like us, they just attack with brute strength and no strategy, you just can't predict anything!" Draupadi explained.

"They?"

"Yes, all of them. At once."

Arjun stiffened. A dozen soldiers on one? This was not only against the code of conduct in war but also lowly.

"I was so busy fighting them that I didn't notice Ashwathama creeping up behind me. And I felt a hand around my neck and a knife grazing, drawing blood. And-" Draupadi couldn't speak further, she averted her eyes from Arjun's, which were filled with rage, but softened as he saw her hesitation. He leaned in closer and held her hand in his, caressing it.

"It's okay. You can tell me anything," he whispered soothingly.

"I always doubted how he had mustered up the courage to do something like this, and then he told me, it was your cousin behind it." 

"Duryodhana" Arjun stated through gritted teeth.

"It was never their plan to attack Kampilya, because they knew they couldn't. He just wanted to prove a point. He holds a grudge that he won't let go easily." Draupadi stated, sighing. 

After a few seconds of silence, Arjun spoke.

"It's because of me. It's because of me that-"

"No! Don't you dare think that! I was also not very cordial with him, and it's not us, it is him!" Draupadi said cupping Arjun's face in her hand, whose tears had escaped his eyes.

"But he is my cousin, he always had a problem with us and-"

"He always had a problem. A problem that we will deal with. Together."

Arjun was still ill at ease, but considering how hard it must have been for Draupadi to share this, he just engulfed her in a warm embrace.

She sighed removing her hand from the scar which was almost gone now. She still remembered how Arjun had touched it so softly and she could see he blamed himself for it and nothing she said could make him think otherwise. As she thought of Arjun she reminded herself to write a letter to him, before going to sleep. Though he hadn't left all that long ago and now she knew where he was, she still felt incomplete when he wasn't beside her. She hastily rinsed the grime off and let her hair down to wash them.

-:-

"No."

"No? What does that even mean?" Drona said shocked by Arjun's response.

"I meant what I said," Arjun said his hands still behind his back.

"Brother, what is happening? What is the reason behind your anger?" Yudhishthira asked appaled by this reaction of his usually calm brother. 

"There are many things that they have left untold, Jestha!" Nakul said feeling no obligation to hold himself back, pointing to the father-son duo in disgust. 

"What are you talking about?" Drona asked, raising his voice while Aswathama beside him paled.

"I am sure your son must have told you all about it, Guruji!" Arjun said as calmly as he could. Nobody knew about Draupadi's misadventure but they did know about the failed attack on Kampilya.  While Ashwathama stayed silent, Guru Drona seemed to have realised what was being said.

"How does it matter?" Drona said.

"Guruji-" Bhim, who was quiet until now said his voice threatening.

"Have you forgotten your Dharma Pandu putras? It is your duty to give the guru what he desires. And what I desire is all of Panchal. Whether someone likes it or not." Drona said purposefully looking at Arjun and Nakul.

"You know what? We will fight and then we will fail. Because the guru who taught us wasn't as great as he thought he was." Arjun boomed and the room went silent.

"Arjun-" Drona started filled with rage.

"Excuse me, I have a war to prepare for," Arjun said as he stormed out.

-:-

Draupadi knew something was off. It had been almost 20 days and she had not received a letter back. She somehow knew Arjun was safe but it was as if the air itself was warning her of the impending chaos. Why was there silence?

The empty pages kept under a gold paperweight in the shape of a swan were making slight fluttering noises. The youngest of the three royal children of Panchal was sitting on the low bed that was placed near the window. The slight breeze was playing with the loose strands of her hair not that they were bothering her right now, nor were the heavy gold jewellery she was adorned with. Her white cotton lehenga with slight brown embroidery was paired with a plain white elbow-length blouse and a net angavastram with pearl beads studded into it. Though her appearance was that of calm her mind was running, thinking of a reason as to why Arjun hadn't written her back. A dark intuition of the forthcoming events was what worried the young princess.

"A storm is coming," Draupadi said out loud unaware of the arrival of her twin.

"No. A war is." Drishtdyumna said making Draupadi stand and turn towards him. In the hands of the young prince of Panchal was a letter and by the broken seal she could tell it was from the border patrol. Without a word, she took the sheet of paper and scrolled her eyes across the blue-inked sentences. Without saying a word she rolled up the letter looking towards the window. She had received an answer. The soldiers appointed on the north-western border of Panchal have seen through their telescopes, a band of warriors, not more than a hundred. Warriors of the great clan of Kuru.

"Then let's gear up."

मन मै अब पीड़ा है

नियति की ये क्रीडा है

जो अनहोनी होनी है

किस किसका बैर है

मन में एक भय है

उनके खतों का जो विरह है

क्या अनहोनी होनी है

अब किसका बैर है