Kaampilya, Paanchaal

"And since the day Princess Draupadi has been born, Kaampilya seemed to have turned into heavens! She's Paanchaali in her true sense!" 

A soft sigh escaped Arjun's lips as he peered up at the woman, who still had the gushing smile on her lips, "Indeed, not her fortune, instead it shall be the fortune of the one who shall be marrying her....our Princess is that divine!"

"Seems like Devi Sachi from the Heavens has descended herself on Earth!"

That's when he felt his heart skip several beats. 

'Sachi.'

Arjun froze, the name echoing in his mind like a haunting melody, sending tremors down his mettle.

"Brahmin Dev, is there anything else I can do for you?" The lady's curious voice drew the latter from his trance, as he looked around for a while sucking in an incredulous breath, his heart galloping widely against his chest, "N-no, no, it's enough for us! May God answer all your prayers!" Arjun wished, putting a little smile on his lips and so did Bheem, nodding. The lady bowed in front of them, as they moved away from her cottage.

They both looked at each other for a while, and the silence began to linger within them again. 

Arjun could hardly recall when they had shared a hearty laughter, banters and jokes with his brothers; it was as if they had suddenly fallen into the tumultuous waves of an ocean.

Now that the truth was nearing them, Arjun and his brothers couldn't help but find themselves delving deeper into it.

How? How was everything going to happen? 

What was the destiny even shaping up for them?

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"Move! Move aside everyone!"

"I request everyone to move!"

Such hues and cries of the soldiers were a common thing now, since every now and then Princes and Kings were arriving with their carriages and extravaganza, passing through the streets. The pedestrians would either halt or surround them, talking in whispers as each time they passed by. 

"The Princes of Hastinapur and Ang are arriving!"

"Please move aside! Immediately!" 

Hastinapur?

HASTINAPUR?!

Arjun instantly halted with a contorting frown and so did Bheem. The citizens as usual began to gather on the sides of the streets, and the soldiers had to rush to maintain the order. 

 And within a few moments, golden chariots, furnished with extravaganza began to enter through the fortress one by one. The comrade-in-arms of Hastinapur began to follow them in their perfect stance, followed by musicians and dancers who were singing glories of the Kaurav Princes. 

Bheem's fiery gaze fleeted towards the eldest Kaurav, dressed in purple and gold and with a proud smile on his lips as his chariot galloped forward; servants strewing fragrant florals in his pathway as he made his way through the streets. The commoners gasped and cheered at the extravaganza, as a few of the artistes came forward and put forth a play of fire to welcome him. 

"Looking at him, Vijay?" Bheem's lips twisted into a sardonic smile, his rage palpable. "If things were in my hand right now, I wouldn't think twice before separating his head from his body." He cursed under his breath, his nails digging into his palms.

"How, how can a person be so shameless...."

Arjun held his arm to calm him down, though he could feel the rage flickering within him, "Let it be, Bhrata. Even anger now seems futile to waste upon them...."

The audacity to pretend innocence when they were the mastermind behind everything—Arjun could never understand how they could even sleep after committing such heinous crimes. No shame, no remorse, nothing! 

NOTHING!

"The way he's smiling... the way he's smiling! What should have been rightfully our Jyesth's—" Bheem ground his teeth as the chariots passed one by one, heading towards the palace.

"Snatching everything, everything from us, they have the audacity to sleep peacefully—"

From poisoning Bheem with Kalakut, to attempting in drowning him—the Lakshagriha, Duryodhan was turning from a human to a malevolent force. 

Arjun could only imagine how far his greed for the throne of Hastinapur could take him down the lane. 

And that's when his gaze fell upon the chariot that followed him; garbed in yellow and gold, Vasusen was standing on his chariot, his chest puffed with pride as he passed through the streets of Kaampilya. 

Vasusen. 

Perhaps, after the Kalapradarshan in Hastinapur, the entire Aaryavart was aware of how Arjun and Vasusen were staunch rivals by now. But Arjun knew how much the latter loathed him, since the days their Gurukul had started with Kripacharya, leading up with Dron. 

That man hated him. Hated him.

 And he could go to any extent to push Arjun down, abandoning all morals if necessary. 

His gaze narrowed down at him subtly, as Vasusen traversed by, raising his palms with a piquing grin, as the commoners watched him in awe, "Seems like he's the one who's going to win the Swayamvar!"

"After all, he's a great archer as well!" A few of them mumbled against each other, "Who knows if he would be the Princess Draupadi would garland?"

What?

Arjun felt something odd flicker within him as he overheard them and their muses; his brows knitted against his forehead, his lips twitching slightly.

"Look at his aura! So glorious!"

"Princess Draupadi is bound to fall for him!" 

"Of course!"

"Vijay....let's, let's leave. W-we're running late," Bheem grumbled under his breath, stealing his gaze away from the King of Ang, leaving Arjun in a light awe as his brother ambled away from the crowd with a grimace, "Bhrata?"

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"Maa?"

Arjun and Bheem stood in front of the doorstep of their chamber in the potter's house, "Maa! Look, we've got the alms for today!"

"Share it among your brothers, Vijay," Kunti mumbled with closed eyes, joining her palms in front of a mud idol of Narayan, lighting a little lamp in front of him, "I am praying." 

"As you wish," Arjun replied with a little smile, walking inside, and undoing the sack which was heavy and overflowing with alms. The Swayamvar had indeed urged the citizens to eagerly greet the Brahmins and donate them in hefty lots, for their Princess's good fortune. 

"What's happening outside?" Bheem furrowed his brows, trying to look out of the window hearing a sudden stir.

"Let's see," Arjun stood up, striding out of the back door, with Bheem following close behind.

The potter was sitting on the dais, with his head held in his palm in daunt, while his wife gazed at him in misery, ""If only you had been more careful! How could you—couldn't you have been more cautious?!"

"What could I do? It was an accident!" 

"Accident? It wouldn't have occurred if you'd been more careful! You know you have so much of goods, right?"

Arjun's gaze flickered over to his cart, where half of his mud pots were lying broken and upturned, "God!"

 "What, what happened....this all-" The potter and his wife immediately stiffened hearing him and Bheem. Edginess garbed them as they glanced at each other. The potter's face turned weary as he bowed his head. "F-forgive us, we didn't mean to—I mean—"

"No, no, please don't ask for forgiveness," Bheem interjected, shaking his head with a subtle smile. "But, but how did this happen?"

"That," The potter inhaled an gravely breath, "That, that I was taking my pots towards the palace, but it accidentally turned over. It was very crowded and..." He glanced at his wife, who had her palm over her forehead, "I had to deliver them to the palace within two days, but now—"

Arjun and Bheem exchanged a look. "If that's the case, we can help you!" Arjun offered.

"No, no! What are you saying?" The potter instantly shook his head, his brows knitting in worry. "There's no need to trouble yourselves—"

"Trouble? No no, we'll be glad to help instead!" Bheem insisted, exchanging a smile with Arjun before turning back to the potter and his wife, "We can atleast do this much for someone who's giving us a roof to stay!"

"But Mahoday—no let it be....we'll manage," The potter shook his head edgily in hesitation, "You're our guests, we can't—"

"No—"

"Think about it, Aarya. You have fifty pots due, can you manage it within two days without help?" Arjun's lips kicked off into a smile with a light chuckle, "The world says you shouldn't deny help when it's offered."

"Pray, tell us how we can help you."

The potter subtly peered at his wife, lowering his head slightly, "If, if you insist...." He breathed in. 

"I, I need to collect mud for my pots. From behind, the temple of Shiv, the bank from where the river flows—"

Bheem smiled warmly, "Then consider it done."

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

Hehe....the last scene is inspired from SP MB 🤣🤣🤣🙈🙈🙈

But isme ArDi meet na hoga, because that is left for the Swayamvar :)

Can you guess whom Arjun and Bheem can meet at the Shiv Mandir instead? 🌝

Signing off for today!

Nushkie