Paanchaal, Kampilya

"Now you must release the locks of the bride's hair to liberate her from her parental restrictions. . ." 

Arjun nodded, the corner of his lips curved up slightly, turning towards his bride, who was already looking as red as a flushed rose of the morn. 

Why? Because all he did was intimately brush his thumb over her knuckles while pronouncing the Kama Stuti. 

And by now, he could confirm that every action of his would lead her to blush like a mess. He could feel her release a little breath she didn't know she was holding; a wafting wave of her amorous scent infiltrated him as he leaned forward, his finger almost ghosting over her ear to pluck out a few strands of her dark hair. 

Her lashes fluttered softly, and so did his damned heart, as the tips of his finger took a chance to discreetly skim over the corner of her ear causing her to flinch slightly at the 'accidental tickle', shooting him another look of innocence. He had to bite the corner of his lip to hide his threatening smile, "With Varun's binding noose, your father protected you. . .he who led you to lovingly to this sacred union. Now I establish you in the protection of Dharma, with mutual understanding, I accept you as my love and wife."

He sighed out loud, almost a bit audibly at the last line as the entire crowd burst into an applaud of cheers, the conches blowing. 

His wife.

He felt the sudden jolt rushing to him at the thought. 

HIS WIFE.

He still couldn't believe he was no longer dreaming. . . no longer just weaving his delusions only to realize those were not true. 

No. He couldn't afford to have it like an another futile moment with a random blue lotus when he thought it to be her dainty, delicate hands. 

The heartbreak for him was real that evening at the forest for him. 

He knew he was being dramatic, but can the Gods blame him when she was the one who had blurred his sanity? 

"Hey. . .?" He whispered leaning close, shifting to her in a discreet slide as the crowd were in ecstasy without making it obvious.

"Hmm. . .?" Came an immediately soft hum from her side, as she blinked.

"Listen, just squeeze my palm for once no," He gushed out in a go, not even regretting for a moment what he said. And he would never. Draupadi's eyes fluttered wide, as she looked side to side with her eyes for a moment at his words, "What?!" She almost squeaked like a small sparrow.

"Arrey do it, please. . ." He whisper almost like a dramatic plead, furrowing his brows.

"B. . . but why?"

"O how I wish I could explain you now. . . but I can't!" Arjun whispered lower, shaking his head with a shrug, "But just do it!" 

Draupadi almost stared at him for a few good moments, blinking in her innocent confusion, "A-alright. . ." And without wasting any moment, she grabbed his palm in a the sudden awkwardness, making her nails digging into his knuckle in the fiddly hustle like a needle, causing him to gasp inaudibly and look at her with widened eyes, "Ouch my God-"

"SORRY! SORRY!" She immediately pulled away her hand with an embarrassed look, her face scrunching up, "I. . .I didn't mean to-"

There was a visible scratch on his knuckle skin, with the marks of her nails, "You call this 'holding' hands?" 

Draupadi peered at him for sometime with her large innocent eyes batting her long lashes, as if someone accused her of something very serious, and then looked away; her cheeks heated up in embarassment and lips slowly curled into a little pout, "I told you sorry." He murmured under her breath. 

Atleast, it was confirmed that he wasn't DREAMING. 

And she had no reason to look this adorable for everything she did. 

"Will my wound fly away if you say sorry?" Arjun bit the corner of his lips in mischief, grabbing her hand in a jiffy, making her eyes go wide once again. Her breath almost got caught in her throat as he manipulated her fingers and slipped his own fingers in between them, intertwining, "Hush. . . the Saptapadi will anyways begin soon." He blinked at her playfully and settled himself with her hand in his as a 'redemption'.

Dhaumya was prepared with the Saptapadi, and the crowd gathered around once again for the next ritual. 

Kunti side-glared at Arjun, as she was the one who had noticed what Arjun was doing, and how poor Draupadi looked like a flaming rose, with her hand helplessly intertwined with him. 

But Arjun just gave her a small grin and looked away. 

"The bride and the groom. . . please rise for the Saptapadi!"

Arjun got up with the jubilant grin that lingered on his lips like that of a boy who won everything in his life with Draupadi's hand in his, and the later gasped softly, her cheeks brightening up in shade as she got up, almost like being pulled up by Arjun. 

He had an iron grip and nothing—nothing could make her free her hand that had been so possessively held by him. All the while she was blushing like a ripe apple, applying weak efforts to get her hand released, but Arjun seemed a whole different Arjun here than that she had assessed in the Swayamvar.

Or was it the real Arjun only?

A part of her didn't even expect he would do such a thing; given that she was in a continuous awe at his Brahmin garbed suaveness. Tall, broad and commanding with his unruly hairs rolling beyond his shoulders. The thick beard and moustache had made him look such a no-nonsense man—and there he was doing this unabashedly in front of everyone.

Also, not to forget the way he had thrashed Karn back at the Swayamvar, for once made her partly linger on her words she had heard from the soldiers of Paanchaal; never mess with Arjun by hook or by crook. 

Yet she couldn't take her eyes of him even for once. Not for a moment when his commandingly warrior self guarded her from all the arrows of Karn, countering every blow with a menacing precision. She was too stunned to react, to awed to understand yet charmed enough to stare at him.

She could've ran, hid or atleast went somewhere safer that time like any sane person should; but she kept standing behind him, looking at his tall self with her large, innocent eyes, almost as if inviting trouble for herself; the buildings were dilapidating, arrows flew helter skelter, yet she stood behind him amidst the arena turned battlefield like a silly girl who did not think of her dear life. 

She saw the Arjun she had heard all along; a man who didn't like to lose, a man who shouldn't be messed with, that day.

And never for a moment she could think that he could be what he was right now.

She bit on her lower lip further, stepping ahead of him for the first round of Saptapadi, feeling his hand squeezing her soft palm within him as lastingly he could.

.

.

.

"My dearest daughter. . ." Drupad immediately engulfed Draupadi in his fatherly hug, his eyes moistening with tears.

Arjun smiled slowly, his heart pounding fast in his chest. There was still that lingering sense of anxiousness he felt seeing Drupad. He took a deep breath within, as he felt his eyes sweep towards him as he released his daughter. 

They both looked at each other for a while. Arjun didn't wanted Draupadi to have even a hint of what had conducted that day with Drupad and the five of them; he didn't want her to unnecessary be burdened of something she had never a hand in atleast for sometime.

Draupadi smiled happily, unaware, as Arjun stepped forward with a gentle smile and knelt down, touching his feet. 

"Get up, my son." Drupad whispered softly, with almost a ragged breath that went straight through Arjun's soul. He discreetly chewed on his lower lip as Drupad lifted him gently, holding his shoulders, and once again he felt the warmth of his father rush through him. 

Both couldn't look at each other's eyes properly for a moment. Arjun could sense the slight rigidness in his stance yet the fluidity to accept him, as he gently patted his arm with a curved smile, "May God bless you with a married life full of prosperity." Arjun sighed softly, feeling his elderly fingers caress his young face.

"I won't give your daughter even an ounce of discomfort. . ." Arjun knew that the only thing he could promise entirely with his heart would be solely this, as he looked at him finally.

"I know that very well," Drupad smiled slightly, and almost with a hint of a small satire he continued, "That is why neither my choice, nor my diplomacy is bad." And the relatives around him started chuckling at his joke, but only Arjun and Drupad knew that it wasn't just a joke at all.

And Arjun for once, had to acknowledge the fact that Drupad was indeed like the King of Chaturaang. 

And he couldn't help but smirk slightly at his words beneath his breath. 

Because who-ever played the next move of Drupad, surely wasn't a one novice in it.

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

Finally shaadi hogayi! 😭😭😭😭😍😍😍😍😍

BHAI YE EK SCENE LIKHNE KELIYE KITNE DINO SE TARSI THI MAI! 😭😭😭💖💖💖

Lekin picture abhi baaki nahi, picture to abhi shuru hua hai mere dosto (ifykyk) 🌚🌚🌚

Signing off for today!

Nushkie