Kaampilya, Paanchaal

"What?"

Balram and Saatyaki both exclaimed, gazing back at Krishna who's lips curved up further.

"You mean this Brahmin—this Brahmin is Arjun?" Balram looked back at the Brahmin, who thumped down the Kindhura on the floor, the edge of it striking the hard ground erupting a steely cackle. There was a awed silence that had followed, as people were stunned. The Kings and Princes had their mouths shut as they watched the youth single-handedly questioning their worth. 

Krishna chuckled under his breath, "Who else apart from him, Dau?" 

Arjun inhaled deeply, gripping firmly on the bow's midpart. Swiftly he wrapped the string that was dangling from one end on the other edge of the weapon. Curling his fingers on the taut elastic, he let out a twang, that immediately reverberated in the arena.

It was loud and clear, as if everything had fallen into place appropriately. 

Karn watched him with wide eyes, his jaws clenching and so did Duryodhan. Duryodhan grumbled under his breath, looking away in pure jealousy but Karn could not. He stared as the Brahmin walked up towards the pool with confident gaits, and he couldn't help but clench his fists. 

By now everyone had started cheering, murmuring or watching with a bated breath. 

Arjun watched the reflection of the artificial fish revolving, as he half knelt on the floor with his knee. Thousands of gazes were on him, thousands of assumptions were made and so were the expectations. But right then, there was nothing that would shift his focus. His alert eyes flickered upon the reflection, as he settled an arrow on the bow. 

Locking the arrow in between the weapon, he positioned it vertically up and again gazed down, watching the eye of the fish's reflection. 

The beady little eye of the fish had all the focus of Arjun. 

His fingers drummed upon the midriff of the bow, the string taut with the arrow on it and ready to be released.

The tension was too thick to cut with an axe, as even the royalties had stood up. Some praying his failure, some merely watching and gritting their teeth. Men had even climbed over each other to gave a clearer glimpse of what was happening. Some prayed, some murmured, while the rest were cheering or had their gazes fixed in amusement. 

None wanted to blink, what if they miss it?

Arjun bit the corner of his lower lip, his brows narrowed further as he waited for the fish's reflection to align with his aim. He exhaled deeply, his racing heart shouldn't betray him. It was a question of his years' hard-work and his Guru Dron's blinded trust on him. 

And, for her.

The fish's reflection appeared closer, and soon was under his arc to aim on. 

Without wasting a single moment, his artful fingers released the arrow. 

Everyone's eyes immediately followed the arrow's trajectory above, their gazes widened and breath caught in their throat. 

And in a while, there was a huge uproar of gasps and shrieks. 

The arrow had hit the fish' eye, perfectly.

.

.

.

The crowd turned berserk, as they watched the remaining four arrows being shot up right into fish's eyes, piercing one another. 

Arjun watched into the pond, the reflection of the pierced arrows revolving. The great uproar, joy and shrieks of wonder drummed in his ears. The winds suddenly felt cool again, as it rustled with his sweaty locks of hairs stuck on his forehead, while he closed his eyes letting out a heavy, deep breath. 

He did it.

He did it....finally.

"WE KNEW IT! WE KNEW IT!" The Brahmins cheered and laughed, hollering with pride, "HE DID IT! HE SUCCEEDED!"

"CELEBRATE, OUR BROTHER MADE IT!" 

"CELEBRATE!"

"HE DID IT! HE DID IT! LOOK KING DRUPAD! HE DID IT!"

The sounds of the trumpets and drums intensified, as if the world had seen a new dawn, the rise of an unmatchable warrior. He came like a whiff of wind that no one cared for, but ended up being a strike of lightning that hazed their gazes. 

Arjun felt the soft petals raining down upon him thoroughly from the heavens, as he kept the bow aside, opening his eyes slowly. He did it. 

"Bravo, my son! Bravo!" Drupad stood up, stretching his lips into a smile, "You, you have proved that, you're worthy for my daughter indeed!" He masked his sigh with a wider grin. He gazed at the youth. Clad in deerskin, smothered with ashes and matted hair locks. His heart was playing a duality now. 

He was not whom he waited for, did he? 

Yet....why did it feel so right to him?

'Was Arjun not worth my daughter, but this mere Brahmin?' Drupad's brows knitted a bit, as he sighed a bit, biting his lower lip. But he couldn't back away from his word now. 

Was his daughter's fate written to a Rishi after all?

His heart thudded against his chest, as he turned towards Draupadi. His Princess was like a delicate little lotus, having not much suaveness of the harsh outer world. Since the day she had been born, he had kept her enclosed within his fatherly embrace, sheltering her from the calamities and harshness. 

He wouldn't lie, but the moment he had laid eyes upon his fireborn daughter, he couldn't help but imagine that young, dusky hued Prince, those charming agile ambers and the bravery he wore like an armor, upholding the pride of a true Kshatriya. Draupadi's aura, her visage, her cloudy aura, her innocent carmine eyes, reminded him of that man.

Arjun. 

But now....

"King Drupad? What are you waiting for?" The royal priest smiled widely, "Ask your daughter to garland this youth!"

Drupad was hauled of his thoughts as he nodded slightly, "Krishnaa? Daughter, go and garland your to be husband!"

.

.

.

Arjun had never felt the time stop before. 

Was it a dream?

Dream. That's what he had been doing since the day he had seen her, heard her. Even a few moments ago, he was feeling too exalted that he could atleast have a glimpse of her, just a swirling whiff of her blue lotus that would make his day. Just recall those enchanting, deep eyes that was enough to charm anyone with a single glance....

She was going to be, his? 

He slowly walked away from the pool, his eyes not leaving her.

Draupadi stepped down towards the aisle, carrying a thick white garland clutched within her palms. 

"—It's only you whom I love, Shakradev! Please, take me away from here!" 

"Look at me, Shachi."  Shakra pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, lifting her chin up, "You trust me, don't you?" 

Arjun breathed out, pressing his lips together as he gulped down, walking towards the aisle. 

"Trust me, love. If this heart has a name written, it's of you Shachi," He cupped her cheek, wiping away the tears from her face.

He felt the cheers and hollering, praises and music were fading away from his ears. His heart raced wildly, like the galloping clouds that promised a storm. 

"—How dare you Indra! How dare you!" Pulom yelled at the King of Heavens, "You stole my daughter! You're such a deceiver!" 

"—You shall never be in peace Indra! Never! We won't spare you!"

"We will make your life hell! You shall never have peace!"

The fire seemed to dance vigorously in the lamps, the winds commanded the tunes of the blazing lights. 

"What nonsense..." Karn breathed under his mouth, earning a glance from Duryodhan. He clutched his angavastra, seething in anger as his grip on his bow firmed. His eyes blazed with anger and jealousy as he watched the Princess of Paanchaal making her way towards the aisle, for the Brahmin youth.

"—HAIL THE KING OF HEAVENS! HAIL THE QUEEN OF HEAVENS!"

"—HAIL DEVRAJ INDRA! HAIL DEVI SHACHI!" The Gods chanted, as Shakra ascended the throne with his consort Shachi, "HAIL THEM ALL!"

Arjun felt for a moment that he had been numbed. There was this thread of bizarre blurredness that seemed to be washed down, the restlessness that was haunting his heart every now and then was stirred with something. His sweaty thumb wiped upon the body of Kindhura, feeling a whirlwind, a sudden jibe of everything all at once. It was bizarre, it was unnatural.

He felt to be in a ring of fire as well as in a pool of the cool waters. 

The garland in her palms swayed with the winds, the whiff of her fragrance hitting him. A few strands of her hairs fluttered around her eyes, yet couldn't arcane those watery, mystical carmines that didn't fear to look into his deep ambers. There was this raw innocence in those orbs, flickering with a thirst of curiosity that couldn't overpower that veritable diffidence. 

Why was everything so....

Her lips parted softly, as she took in short breaths and so did his, his heart drumming against his chest rashly. 

Those eyes, those eyes of hers. It seemed to speak a lot even if it didn't want to. There was this innate urge within her to retain the timidity for the world, it he couldn't un-see how they raved around his visage, with that untamed rawness that was meant just for him. 

For him. 

And this, this thought was alone to put every pore of him into a whelm of an aching blaze of flame in which he wished to be burnt. 

Because if it was her fire, and he didn't burn in it, it won't be him after all....

"Arey Arey! Dear Princess, now garland your to be husband!" The Brahmins laughed, along with the crowd, "If you continue to stare at him, even the Sun won't last long in the sky!"

Draupadi flinched slightly at the call, and so did Arjun, hauling them out. 

"He will be yours after all! Then you can stare at him throughout the day and night!"

Arjun blinked for a moment, taken off-guard, warmth rushing to his jaws as he tried to look away subtly. He watched her steal her gaze and immediately look down, blushing furiously as everyone on the other side laughed and teased. 

He shook his head, trying to press his lips and hold back his smile that was threatening to erupt on his lips and gazed back at her. 

And for a moment, he felt like he owned the world...

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

No words but right now, this is Arjun-

WE FEEL YOU ARJUN, WE FEEL YOU 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

FINALLY, HOGYA SWAYAMVAR!!!! *SQUEALS AND DANCES MADLY* 😍😍😍😍😍😍🎀🎀🎀

Signing off for today!

Nushkie