Draupadi saw Arjuna. The way she never thought she would see him, fallen, on the ground. And she knew it was because of her, she closed her eyes. Love is not a weakness, it is the ultimate strength. She opened her eyes, looking straight at Arjuna. She derived strength from him and for him. Dushasan held her hair again, Draupadi had gained support from Arjuna, but her limbs had gone limp, she could do nothing but scream. Instead of dragging her to the middle of the court by the main entrance, he dragged her to the right. He ascended the steps, Draupadi behind him, digging her nails in his hand, but Dushasan did not budge. He pulled her to her feet by her hair, flexed his hand, and threw her towards another set of descending stairs. Not in control of her limbs, Draupadi fell down the stairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her forehead felt wet, she touched the region of pain, her previous cut had widened and blood was flowing like a stream. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up. It was Arjuna. He was saying something, probably her name, but Draupadi could not hear him, either because of her pain or the fact that he was by her side. He was tearing a part of his angavastram when his body stiffened, Draupadi saw a dart lodged in his neck, he instinctively touched it, and pulled it out. Draupadi focused on the dart, it's marking showed it was a sedative. Arjuna fell to her side. Duryodhana did not want to kill them, as of now at least. He wanted to humiliate them. She looked at Arjuna, his chest was moving. He was alive. She looked at her other husbands they were being held back, a soldier held Arjuna a sword held dangerously near to his throat. The brothers stood helpless. At least they were safe Draupadi thought, even from this far, Bhima's arched eyebrows showed his military mind was working. She had to bide time. 

Dushasan grabbed her hair again dragged her to the centre and threw her yet again, Draupadi was now in the middle of the court. She tried to keep her head down, trying to keep the little strength she had. But she reminded herself that some good was left in the court. With all the strength she could muster she stood up, she saw Dushasan coming towards her. She held her hand ordering him to stop when the gesture did not do the trick she bellowed her imperial command.

"Stop."

Dushasan stopped in his track, shocked from the power in her voice. Draupadi also knew that the gas did not reside in one for a very long time. But it went as it came. Slowly at first, then all at once. She did not want to attempt anything stupid or rash until she had gained almost all her strength. She turned towards the King.

"I am the Samragni of Aryavarta, the Kulvadhu of your vansh. And you-" she pointed to the courtiers, "You drag me to your court like a vermin." 

"You are not a Samragni anymore. You are my dasi, I am your master. And I order you to come and sit on me." he said patting his thigh. Draupadi's anger bubbled.

"Duryodhana!" Bhima bellowed.

Draupadi's anger turned towards him, towards all of them. She suddenly realised that they did nothing but stand there and watch. Were they even worth worrying for?

"How? How could you put me on the bet when you were his slave?" she said looking at Yudhishtira. He looked down in shame.

Bhima stumbled towards her, he fell to his knees his hands joined in pleading.

"Give us a chance for atonement!" he said his voice reflecting his emotions, filled with guilt. But Draupadi was too angry to notice that.

"Atonement! How will you atone? You all are the slaves of this demon!" Draupadi said, her voice coming out weaker than she had expected, and she could not control it. It felt to her like a wave of emotions was washing over her and she could not do anything about it.

Bhima shed silent tears. 

"I am the Samragni, you do not own me." Draupadi shrieked looking at Yudhishtir, "How can you own a person? You own nothing and nothing owns you. How could you bet your wife?" Draupadi said, her voice dripping with hurt.

Yudhishtira stayed silent, if not for the tears one could have mistaken him for meditating. She knew him, as calm he was on the outside the greater the turmoil within. He knew it was his fault.

"How can you expect anything from these slaves Draupadi?" Duryodhana said, his voice full of disdain. "They are just impotent men who carry weapons, they are no warriors. You have a relation with five men I am sure you would not mind another. Come dasi, form a relationship with me.

"I warned you Duryodhana do not invite your death, you may have dragged her to your court but she is here. Fool! I am born from fire, I am Yagyaseni, the fire warrior. And fire cannot be bound. I am not your dasi, simply because I do not accept it."Draupadi said turning to leave the court.

"Father stop her!" Duryodhana bellowed.

Draupadi kept walking though painfully slow. She knew she would be stopped Dhritrashtra would find an excuse.

"Father, if word goes out that a slave disobeyed her master, think of how it will impact the kingdom!" Duryodhana said, giving the interim king the excuse.

"Draupadi stop!" The King bellowed, Draupadi did not even slow her pace, "I order you to stop."

Draupadi stopped in her tracks, not because of the command, but because she had realised something. She turned around and stood back in the middle of the court. 

"What will you do, Duryodhana? I dare you to even speak." Draupadi spoke with an eerily calm tone.

Duryodhana sneered, "Dushasan, as she deprived us of our weapons in her court, deprive her of her clothes in ours." 

Noone except for Duryodhana, Dushasan and a handful of their bothers laughed or even speak. Gandharraj Shakuni stood silent as if shocked. Vikarn had a look of disgust in his face, he did his best not to show it.

"Jeshtha, it is one thing to deprive a warrior of his weapons and another to deprive a woman of her clothes. She is our Kulvadhu. We cannot disrespect her like that." Vikarn said.

"Kulvadhu!" said Karna the King of Anga, Duryodhana's dearest friend, "You call a woman who has relations with five men your Kulvadhu? I even doubt if she is a woman!" he said disdainfully.

Draupadi deliberately chose not to speak. It just made her surer that what she was doing was necessary. Even if Draupadi did not say it out loud, she had experienced many emotions. Happy when she would share a laugh with Drishtdyumna. Sad when Drupada ignored her. Anger when Mata Kunti had decided to divide her into her sons. Disgust when she first came to the court of Hastinapur. Excited when Abhimanyu was born. Sometimes maybe even shyness. But never how she felt now, at this moment.

All her life she had lived a life that she would like every woman to live. Now, she felt like every woman did. Vulnerable.

Draupadi had never given in. However harsh the society she stood back up. And the fault was not of women, but the society. The society had to be changed.

They did not respect women. She was not a fan of everything their ancestors did, but she stood by their thought of women as an important part of the society as men. Women were feared only when they carried weapons. They thought of women as nothing. She had to show them. Weapon or no weapon she had to show them what a woman could do. 

A beautiful verse Govind had recited to her:

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati suvrata |

Abhyuttthanamadharmasya tada prakritisambhavah ||

O keeper of righteous vows, remember this,

Whenever dharma is in decline, 

Or there is an upsurge of adharma;

The Sacred Feminine will incarnate.

"Come Dushasan, test your strength." boomed Draupadi.