Hey guys!
Happy Diwali!
Here's the next chapter of this story. I hope it's worth the wait.

Please do vote & comment.😊😊

PS. Iss baar I updated jaldi 😁

*******

The dawn was yet to break. The sky was a magnificent mixture of dark blue, purple fading into light blue. The tiny stars twinkled & glittered giving it a stunning look.

The beautiful daughter of Drupad yawned lightly, attempting to stretch but found herself unable to move due to the weight resting on her.
She opened her eyes to find a thick, muscled arm around her body, gripping her waist possesively.

She almost gasped almost about to scream realising the position she & Yudhishthir were in. Their limbs tangled & his face buried deep in her neck, causing her to shiver each time his warm breath caressed her skin rather sensuously. A deep blush came onto her features as she remembered last night. Her lips throbbed, causing her cheeks to redden further.

She almost fainted as her husband's lips moved lightly in his sleep, causing them to brush against the sensitive skin of her neck.

She tried to move lightly, without waking him up but was unable to, instead he grunted in his sleep, pulling her tighter against him, causing her to pout. Why was her Aarya so strong? Yeah well..he did work out everyday. The image of his perfectly chiselled body, glistening with sweat as he practiced warfare everyday made her cheeks blaze red hot, until she shook away such thoughts. Get a grip Panchaali! She thought to herself firmly.

Her rosebud lips pouted as she saw that it was time for her to rise. On a normal day, it would have been fine but as much as she wanted to snuggle away the morning in her husband's warm embrace, she couldn't that day.

Knowing that she had a hundred jobs to do & no time to spare, she needed to get dressed for the day however it wasn't quite possible while she was caged in her husband's arms, no matter how much she didn't want to move.

So she carefully pulled herself from beneath him, the light tug even for Yudhishthir to let a sleepy grunt & roll into the other side, now on his back. As Draupadi lay besides her husband, she couldn't help but admire him.

He was just so handsome & serene. Everytime see looked at him, she was lost in those copper orbs of his deep as ocean, so peaceful & calm. His sweet, loving, supportive nature & kind heart had completely won her over.

She had no words to describe her feelings for him, but could say that in the few months they'd been married her husband had her completely smitten by him. She had no qualms about admitting the same. He was the centre of her universe.

Yudhishthir had woken up the moment Panchaali had tried to carefully shift him. Though mortified at his position, he was about to open his eyes, apologise when his wife's soft palm cupped his cheek.

D: Aap jaisa doosra mahapurush toh ho hi nahi sakta...mere Aarya.
His heart went up fluttering as she called him hers. Hers.
She carefully brushed away a stray curl off his forehead.

D: Iss vishwa ke sabse achche pati ko janmdivaas ki aneko shubhkaamnaye.
Unknown deep emotions flooded her insides & unable to hold herself back, she leaned forward pressing her lips to his skin there with the utmost reverence. Yudhishthir's breath hitched at the suddness of her kiss but he remained motionless.

She moved to his morning stubbled jaw, giving it the same affection on both sides. By now Yudhishthir was sure he was numb & no longer had to work on staying still.

Suddenly, noticing a particle of dirt in his nose, Draupadi leaned in to try & remove it. Unfortunately for her, she came a little extra closer while deeply concentrated on the speck of dirt. This caused an alarmed Yudhishthir to launch up, causing their heads to hit together.

Both doubled over in pain for a minute, rubbing their respective injured areas.

D: Aarya!
Draupadi gasped in surprise, nearly jumping off the bed.

Y: Aa...aap..aap...m..mere kaksh mein? Aur... humdono..... issprakar...
He awkwardly pointed at the bed with his thumb. Draupadi pouted.
As his sleepy haze began to fade, slowly the happenings of the night before flashed before him. He flushed realising he'd been the one to bring her to his chambers, that too in his arms.

D: K...Kshyama kijiye.....vo...
Draupadi pointed to his nose as bit her lip, flustered. Ever since their marriage, they had never slept together on the same bed & she knew it was awkward.

As an uneasy silence spread over the room, both continued to steal glances at each other hesitantly, but none spoke.
Panchaali blushed as she reminsced the events of the previous night. A shiver ran down her smile, a feeling of pleasure pooling down in a pit in her stomach.

If previously, just the thought if her Aaryaputra had sent her insides fluttering than after the last night, it sent her heart galloping crazily until it shuttered to a complete stop.

Yudhishthir grew breathless with the passionate feelings clouding over his mind. All he could see, understand, realise & hear was Panchaali. This woman was driving him crazy without even being aware of it.

A part of his mind reprimanded him bitterly for having tender feelings for Draupadi knowing that even though she was his wife, he had no rights on her. However, he couldn't stop his natural response to her. His feelings had no I'll intent or selfishness just pure awe& respect for the virtuous Princess, who he believed was his great fortune to have even met.

Draupadi was hurting within everytime she saw her husband suppress his feelings for the good of others. But what about himself? She didn't know wether to awe & bow down in respect at the calibre of love, the great Dharmaraj was capable of having for his family or be angry at him for pushing her away, everytime she thought their relationship was progressing.

Draupadi finally took a deep breath, deciding to break the ice.
D: Iska arth hai ki aap itne samay se jaag rahe the, Aaryaputra?
Draupadi was mortified. He was awake when she was... kissing him. Her husband's blush gave her her answer.

She wanted to laugh at his expression which resembled that of a small child caught with his hand in the jar of sweets.
Draupadi raised an eyebrow at her husband who gulped.
Oh, this was too much fine!

D: Aarya?
She called sternly making Yudhishthir look up with wide eyes.
Y: Vo..vo....main snaan karke aata hoon....
Yudhishthir mumbled, making a beeline for the bathing area. Draupadi collapsed on the bed, clutching her aching stomach as she laughed hysterically seeing her husband practically run at inhuman speed.

******

Y & D: Pranipat maata!
The couple bent down to take Kunti's blessings, which she gave, wholeheartedly.
K: Sada sukhi raho tumdono!
Kunti beamed at her elder son & daughter-in-law.

Embracing Yudhishthir, she pressed innumerable kisses on his face, whispering about how much she loved her sweet baby as she wished him the happiest birthday ever.

Yudhishthir blushed, turning red as he complained that he was not a baby but a grown man & that everyone was watching them. Everyone laughed as Kunti glared at him.

K: Maata ke liye uski santaan kabhi badi nahi hoti putra. Tum toh aaj bhi mere liye vahi chote shishu jise Dharmaraj ne meri goad mein diya tha. Vahi netra, vahi hasi.
Yadi samabhav hota toh main tum sabhi ko pratishan apne hriday se lagakar rakhti.

K: Aajka divas mere liye bohot vishesh hai. Aaj hi ke din, varsho poorv, Dharmaraj ne mujhe apne mantra prasad ke roop mein mere jeevan ke sabse amulya upahaaro mein se ek diya tha. Mera Yudhishthir.

Kunti said emotionally making the eldest Pandav too feel overwhelmed & wrap his arms around his mother. One by one all the Pandavas joined the hug. Bheem was the last, & the force of his hug caused them all to sway. Draupadi looked on adoringly at this.

K: Ye lo putri....ab ye adikaar tumhaara hai.
Kunti handed the aarti thaal to Draupadi, making the daughter of Drupad decline.
D: Nahi maata, prativarsh aap hi ye karte aayi hai.
She denied, knowing Kunti had done this every year since Yudhishthir's birth except when he was at Gurukul.

K: Haan putri, kintu ab tum aagayi ho na. Tumhaare pati par tumhaara poorn adhikaar hai.
Kunti smiled seeing them both shyly avert their gazes at her statement. They were too pure & adorable for words.

Yudhishthir observed his beautiful dusk skinned wife take the thaal from his mother & perform his aarti.
He noticed the deepening of the shade of her already rosy cheeks on realising that his gaze was fixated on her, & smiled.

He closed his eyes as as her dainty finger put the tilak on his forehead. He was so lost in her thoughts that he only jerked out of them when he felt her soft fingers brush against his feet. His fingers immediately clasped her shoulders in a firm yet very gentle grip, raising her up.

K: Yudhishthir... aashirwaad nahi doge apni patni ko?
Kunti teased.
Yudhishthir only smiled.

Dh: Shattputravati bhava ka aashirwad hi de dijiye Yuvraj!
Dhristadyumn grinned as he along with Draupad & Shikhandini entered the room. Dharmaraj was especially pleased to see his wife's face lit up seeing her family.

Draupadi blushed, glaring at Dhristadyumn who made a face at her.
Dh: Aur behena! Main na kehta tha bhojan tanik kam khaya karo! Ab dekho, kya hogaya! Tch tch tch!

Dhristadyumn tutted making Draupadi gasp & glare at him. Shikhandini did a mental facepalm while Drupad laughed.

D: Maine toh poorv mein bhi kaha tha ki inhe goad de dete hai, kintu aapko hi putra chahiye tha na pitashree.

Shikhandini cupped her mouth, desperately trying not to laugh while Drupad looked highly amused.

D: Oh Achcha? Tujhe toh goad dene ki ichcha hoti tab bhi leta kon?
Mujhe toh koi bhi le leta, main itna roopwaan aur balshali jo hoon.

He puffed his chest proudly.
Draupadi glared at her twin & he glared back harder until both huffed & looked away.

Sh: Dhristadyumn! Kya hai? Kyu tang kar rahe ho meri behen ko? Vo bhi aajke din.

Shikhandini scolded but fondly.
Dhristadyumn grinned.

Dh: Meri pyaari behen. Krodh mat karo na. Tumhe pata hai mujhe tumhaara smaran pratyek shan hota hai. Isliye toh vichaar kar raha hoon tumhaare kaksh ko apna shastra abhyaas ka kreedangan bana loon!
He grinned making Draupadi pout.

D: Pitashree!
Drupad sent a stern look to his sulking son before he smiled lovingly at his youngest child, pulling her in his arms, whispered about how much he missed his ' little petal' making Draupadi giggle.
Yudhishthir couldn't stop the smile on his face hearing his favourite sound in the world.

Finally, after their heartfelt meet up after months, the Panchal royals turned to Yudhishthir.

D: Aayushman bhava!
Drupad blessed his son-in-law as he touched his feet with the utmost reverence.
As much as he respected his new son-in-law, he was still sceptical & anxious if he'd done the right thing & married Draupadi to him.

D: Janmdivaas ki aneko shubhkaamnaye Yuvraj. Aapke sanmaan mein ye bahumulya upahaar prastut hai.
Drupad pointed towards the entrance of the chamber & a fleet of servants entered the room holding platters & platters filled with the most exquisite garments, precious srone-studded one of its kind jewels & all other possible riches.

Draupadi saw her husband look uncomfortable for a second before his usual serene smile was back.
Y: Aapka ye prem gadgad kar dene waala hai Paanchal naresh, kintu iss sabki kya avashyakta thi....aapka prem aur aashirwaad hi mere liye mahattvapoorn hai.
Yudhishthir began softly but Drupad shook his head.

Y: Aap humaare eklaute jamaata hai, aapke sanmaan mein koi kami rakhe ye kaise sambhav hai. Hume aasha hai aapko upahaar achche lage honge.
Yudhishthir smiled in acknowledgement.

Y: Vaise bhi...aap mujhe mere jeevan ka sabse bahumulya upahaar toh pehle de chuke hai, isse adhik meri aapse koi apeksha nahi hai.
He added, his adoring gaze resting on his pretty little wife causing her to blush violently.

Most of the people in the room looked at Yudhishthir, shocked. He'd never been so expressive before. However, marriage did have its side effects, most of them snickered to themselves.

Unknown to the eldest prince of Hastinapur, he'd once again won the heart of the most beautiful woman of Aaryavart with his simplicity & no interest in royal luxuries.

G: Yudhishthir, putra hum sabhi tumhaare liye kuch na kuch upahaar laaye hai. Dekhoge nahi?
Gandhari lovingly caressed his head, making him smile & agree.

Yudhishthir sat with a smile on his face as everyone presented him with their gifts.
Bheem had presented him with a special custom made spear that was beautifully & intricately carved. The pure joy on his elder brother's face made Bheem's day.

Along with that, was a bowl of his special laddoos that only he could make. Nakul & Sahadev looked at the plate filled with the mouthwatering sweet longingly before they looked at Yudhishthir with their best shining eyes.

Dharmaraj chuckled, shaking his head at their antics as he fed each of his brothers some of it, before eating some himself.

Bheem beamed from end to end when his prim & proper brother, with almost inhumanly perfect behaviour praised his sweet repeatedly with his mouth full.

Nakul at first presented Yudhishthir with an array of shimmering, stone studded jewels & snickered madly when he earned a deadly glare in return. This made all the other Pandavas stop laughing as well immediately. Cutting out the little prank, he then took Yudhishthir to where his actual gift was.

Yudhishthir gasped at the beautiful horse before him that Nakul had gifted him especially for his chariot.
Y: Bohot sundar hai Anuj.. dhanyawad...kintu, iska kya naam hai?
Yudhishthir wondered, as he lovingly stroked the horse's head making him neigh softly and lean into his touch, already loving his new owner.

N: Naam? Vrikod.....Vrikodhan!
Nakul altered, gulping seeing Bheem's glare. Yudhishthir & Sahadev exchanged looks before the latter out laughing crazily, while the former pressed his lips together to avoid laughing maniacally.

Y: Anuj....? Kuch bhi!!
Yudhishthir gave Nakul a look before indicating Sahadev to stop laughing, seeing Bheem sulk.

Y: Kyu mere Bheem ko tang kar rahe ho? Naam batao na iska..
Yudhishthir wrapped an arm around Bheem making the powerful man smile again. Bheem smirked at Nakul making him roll his eyes while Yudhishthir watched their exchange fondly.

N: Iska naam nahi hai Jyesht...aap hi koi naam soch lijiye....
Nakul suggested, & Yudhishthir nodded adding to his 'to do' list before turning to Sahadev whose tugging was growing rather insistent.

S: Ab meri baari hai Jyesht!
He whined childishly making Yudhishthir smile.
Y: Avashya Anuj...

Sahadev beamed as he brought out his gift. Books. On all topics: Politics, Dharma & simply General knowledge. The common love of both brothers.

He kissed his youngest brother on his forehead, thanking him, rolling his eyes at the playful envious looks Nakul & Bheem sent Sahadev. His brothers were crazy, but his! He loved them to pieces.

He thanked them all wholeheartedly for the lovely & thoughtful gifts.

A while later, as he was heading towards Kunti's chamber, he met Karn in the way.
K: Janmdivaas ki badhaai , Yuvraj.
Karn wished him politely making Yudhishthir smile & thank him.

K: Uh...ye aapke liye....
He handed him a wrapped parcel making Yudhishthir look surprised.
Y: Dh.. dhanyawad...kintu...ye....
He trailed off, not knowing how to react at Karn giving him a birthday present.

Karn too looked awkward for once.
K: Ji....ye meri aur mitra... Duryodhan ki orr se aapke liye...hum...Ka..Kalinga se laaye the aapke liye...aur... mujhe kaha ki...main de doon kyunki...uh...vo vyast tha na...
Karn blurted out trying to be as realistic as possible.

K: Aapki Ruchi ke vishay mein adhik toh gyaat nahi...kintu aasha hai aapko ye achcha lagega.
He smiled. He really hoped that Yudhishthir believed him.

Seeing the eldest Pandav's eyes lit up with pure happiness hearing that this gift had Duryodhan's contribution too, a part of his heart broke.
K: ( to himself) Kshyama kijiyega Yuvraj...kintu aajke din main mitra Duroyodhan ko punah aapki bhaavnao ki hatya nahi karne de sakta.

Aap bohot pavitra hriday ke vyakti hai aur aap keval sukh ke yogya hai.

Y: Sach? Anuj Duroyodhan?
Yudhishthir found it a little hard to believe but then why would Angraj lie. He had full faith in Karn.

A lone tear trickled down Karn's cheek as Yudhishthir went his way, holding the gift close with a big grin on his face.

Kunti's chamber:

Y: Maa?
Yudhishthir called out & the beautiful wife of Pandu emerged from inside, with her childhood friend & handmaiden Priyamvada holding a thaal.

K: Aagaye putra...ye dekho... tumhaare upahaar....
Kunti brought out the most beautifully embroidered cloth he'd seen, from the thaal.

P: Ye Rajkumar ne swayam banaya hai, Kumar. Aapke liye.
Priyamvada smiled while Yudhishthir stared at his mother in awe.

Y: Maa....
K: Shhh....
Kunti silenced her son knowing he would only ask her why she bothered to do so much hard-work for him.
K: Kitna pyaara lagega mera Rajkumar....
Kunti said fondly as she placed the Angavastra on Yudhishthir's shoulder.

She looked at him emotionally, thinking that she would soon be separated from her sons. Yudhishthir shook his head, catching her tear in his fist before pressing a kiss on her forehead & hugged her, telling her how he adored her gift & how much he loved her.

While he was walking towards the royal court after his visit to Kunti, as he had several tasks awaiting him, he felt a pair of creamy, soft & dainty palms cover his eyes.
He smiled, not having to think about who it was as he already knew the answer.

D: Pranipat Aarya!
Draupadi giggled as she joined her hands in greeting before placing them again on Yudhishthir's eyes, causing him to be surprised.

Everyone was gathered in the common family room, including Duryodhan, Duhshasan, Shakuni, other Kauravas, Karn, Krishna, Pandavas, Dushala, the mothers, the Panchal royals, Vidur, & even Guru Drona & Ashwatthama who'd arrived earlier to attend the evening celebrations.

Y: Kintu mujhe toh sab dikh raha hai!
Yudhishthir teased as they entered the room making Draupadi frown.
D: Aaryaaa!!!
She pouted making Yudhishthir yearn to open his eyes to see those supple pink lips, more splendid than roses twist into his favourite pout.

D: Maata! Aarya ek netra se dekh rahe hai!
Draupadi whined making Kunti, Gandhari & most of the elders chuckle.

K: Yudhishthir!
Kunti's tone was stern but had a hint of playfulness too.
Y: Kya? Maa, inhone hi toh kaha ki netra band kijiye. Main karliya. Unhone kab kaha ki dono karne hai?
He grinned making most of the people stare at him. Since when was Dharmaraj Yudhishthir, the calm & sophisticated prince made jokes & teased people?

Draupadi grit her teeth. She wanted to laugh as well be irritated at the same time.
D: Aarya! Yadi aapne isi samay dono netra band nahi kiye na...toh...main aapse rusht hojaungi. Aur baat bhi nahi karungi...
She threatened, grinning when Yudhishthir broke into a flurry of apologies. He was so sweet!

Kunti & Pandavas were happy to see Yudhishthir open up & be free with Draupadi in this manner.

Gesturing everyone to follow, Draupadi carefully lead her husband to the large wooden doors of a chamber. Bheem pushed the door open, & they entered it.

Draupadi removed her hands from Yudhishthir's eyes, inching closer to him to whisper in his ear.
D: Netra khol lijiye Aarya....
Yudhishthir felt a shiver run down him when her lips lightly brushed against his earlobe.

He opened his eyes & suddenly found himself transported back, down the memory lane to Satshringa forest: his childhood safe haven.

A myriad of portraits covered the entire chamber, themed like a dense green forest. Every potrait portrayed a particular memory of his blissful childhood.

One potrait showed him as a newborn baby snuggled up in him his mother's arms while his father, the late illustratious King Pandu stroked the few tufts of curls on his tiny head.

Another one was him as a 3-4 year old child, trying to seperate a wrestling baby Bheem & Arjun.

Another one was one of his most cherished memories: He was giggling hysterically, covered in mud from top to toe as his mother chased him with a twig in her hand, while he chased a rabbit.

Next, was a beautiful picture of 5 sweet cherubic boys playing happily with a ball while their parents looked on adoringly from afar.

Yet another was them seated on the soft lush green grass before their father as he taught them about various subjects like sciences, religion, politics & even warfare rules.

His vision was growing blurry due to the film of tears rapidly forming over his eyes lens. The pictures looked so real thar he could feel each of them. It felt as if the figures in them would come to life any moment & start moving.

K: Putra....
Kunti wrapped an arm around her son, pulling him in her embrace.
K: Ye sabhi Draupadi ne swayam banayi hai...hume toh gyaat hi nahi tha ki humaari pyaari si putra vadhu chitrakala mein itni nipun hai.
She smiled.

Y: Parihaar....
Yudhishthir's voice came out somewhat choked with emotions & the servants in the room bowed & hurried out.

Kunti silently requested all the other family members too to leave her son alone for a bit, knowing he needed a moment of privacy.

As everyone left one by one, Draupadi too turned to leave, but a hand shot out, wrapping it's fingers around her tiny wrist, pulling her close.

As the doors of the chamber closed shut softly, Draupadi sat next to Yudhishthir who was still holding her wrist but his gaze was fixated on the paintings.
Draupadi rested her cheek on his back, letting him keep her hand in his grip.

To her surprise, Yudhishthir wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him so that they were sitting next to each other, their legs touching.

Y: Aap kadachit nahi jaanti ki aaj aapne mujhe kya diya hai. Main aapka jitna aabhaar prakat karu, kam hai. Na jaana main iss janm mein aapke yogya kisprakar ban paunga.
Yudhishthir told her earnestly, deep feelings shining in his eyes which served as the mirror to his pious soul. His fingers caressed the hand which brought out his whole childhood before him so beautifully with reverence.

Draupadi nearly trembled & turned a gazillion shades of crimson when he lifted her hand which he was still holding to his lips, pressing a few soft kisses on the creamy skin there causing her to nearly feel lightheaded at the feelings he poured into the small yet sweet gesture. To people it would appear as a small gesture, to her the intensity & passion her husband put into the simple kiss on her hand was enough to bring her heart to a stop.

She was sure she would go mad with all the sensations her husband evoked within her everytime with even just a smile.

On the other hand, a particular someone was not too pleased as he observed the couple from a gap in door.
Jaydrath was wild with range seeing their sweet exchange, especially when he couldn't even touch Panchali without getting burnt, while Yudhishthir could even kiss her?
What did he have, that him, the great king of Sindhu didn't??!!!!

Duhshasan had been keeping his distance since his encounter with the fire within Panchaali but Jaydrath couldn't & wouldn't. He would find a way to touch her soft, luscious curves & do as he pleased.

J: ( in his mind) Meri Paanchali ko sparsh karke tumne uchit nahi kiya Yudhishthir....ab toh tumhe dand milega.
He smirked to himself once again shamelessly eyeing his sister-in-law from top to bottom, licking his lips as if she were a peice of meat.

Just then,
Du: Aarya?
Jaydrath grit his teeth hearing the particular voice before putting on a fake smile and turning to his wife.
J: Haan Priye?
He cooed, making Dushala smile.

Du: Aarya, aap bhrata aur bhaabhi ke kaksh ke bahar kya kar rahe hai?
He inquired, confused.
J: Uh...vo...
Jaydrath struggled for an appropriate excuse before one struck him.
J: Haan...vo tumne toh dekha na ki tumhaare bhrata Yudhishthir kitne bhaavuk hogaye the. Mujhe raha nahi gaya priye, mujhe gyaat hai isprakaar jhankna anuchit hai kintu kya karu, priya Yudhishthir ki chinta horahi thi, ki vo theek hai ya nahi.
Jaydrath put on a sad look, unfortunately the innocent Dushala believed him.

Du: Oh...aap kitna prem karte hai mere bhrata Yudhishthir se...aur kare bhi kyu na? Ve hai hi aise.
Dushala smiled, genuine love for her brother & sister-in-law shining in her eyes.

Jaydrath held back his disgust as his wife's heavily pregnant belly pressed against him when she hugged him. He was repulsed by her now & could barely stand to see her waddling around, round with child.

Once he got his heir from her, he could finally toss her aside & make Draupadi his queen. Afterall, the most beautiful woman of Aaryavart deserved only the best, which was being his.

( AN: 😐😐😐😡😡😡😡😡
All these are his thoughts not mine.)

********

Later that evening.....

N: Jyesht....aaj toh bhaabhishree ko pratishan aapke saath rehna hoga.
Nakul teased.
B: Haan! Anyatha koi Rajkumari humaare itne manmohak Jyesht ka apaharan karke le jaayengi.
Bheem pointed out with a grin, it especially widened seeing Draupadi's scrunched face as she entered the room.

D: Nahi nahi bhrata....aise kaise mere Aarya ko lejaayegi.....Aarya toh mere hai tatha main....
She began all of a sudden but stopped short noticing her husband looking at her before both averted their gazes with smiles on their faces while the Pandavas watched this exchange with happy grins.

Just then....
G: Yuvraj ki jai ho! Yuvrani Prasann rahe!
A gaurd entered the room, bowing before Yudhishthir & the others.
Y: Kya samachaar laaye ho, sainik?
He inquired.
G: Yuvraj, raj mahal ke adhiktar sabhi sevak aapse bhet karna chahte hai. Ve aapki anumati ke ichchuk hai.
The gaurd told him, bowed & left after Yudhishthir asked for them to brought before him, leaving behind the confused Pandav family.

Soon a battalion of servants: both daas & daasis hurried into the room, bowing before the royalty.
The head dasa spoke up...
H: Yuvraj prasann rahe.... Yuvraj iss dhrishtata ke liye hume Kshyama karein, kintu... aapke Janmdivaas ke shubh avsar par hum sabhi aapke liye ek upahaar laaye hai.

The Pandavas exchanged looks hearing this. The head dasa continued...
H: Hum sabhi ne apne apne vetan se kuch ansh jodkar aapke liye...ye anguthi banvayi hai....aapke dharan karne yogya toh nahi kintu, yah humaara humaare priya Yuvraj ke prati prem ka chinha samjh lijiye.

Aapke Yuvraj bante hi, humaare jeevan mein sukho ki varsha hui hai, Dharmaraj. Kripaya humaara aabhaar sweekaar karein.

The servants requested with folded hands, before presenting a simple yet beautiful gold ring, with a beautiful emerald green stone, studded in the centre.

Yudhishthir was touched at this gesture. Unknown to the eldest son of Pandu, he had once again managed to win the heart of the beautiful Yagyaseni. She was proud to see the love the subjects had for her husband. No matter how many schemes Duryodhan & Shakuni whipped up, Yudhishthir would always rule the hearts of every single individual in Hastinapur, due to his piety & selfless nature.

Yudhishthir thanked all of them profusely before turning to Nakul & handing him one of his heavily studded rings before happily slipping on his new gift, much to the delight of them all.

Soon they broke out into a chorus, hailing Yudhishthir repeatedly.

*******

The grand celebrations of the birthday of the crown prince of the most powerful kingdom of Aaryavart were in full swing. Everyone was awestruck seeing the magnificently grand preparations like none had seen before.

Du: Dekh rahe hai mamashree, iss Yudhishthir ne toh apne janmotsav ke liye Hastinapur ka aadhe se zyaada raaj kosh hi lupt kar diya.
Duryodhan had a sour expression on his face as he complained to Shakuni.

Sh: Shaant mere hone waale samrat, shaant!
Shakuni rubbed his shoulders, soothingly but Duryodhan shook him off, storming away.

Yudhishthir narrowed his eyes at the broadly grinning elder son of Maadri. Nakul's grin was blinding.Not once did he complain on being 'decked up' for the nth number of time in the past few months, again. Seeing the pure glee on his little brother's face was enough to wash away any irritation.

Yudhishthir was still uneasy seeing the grandeur around him. He'd never found himself comfortable in such settings. His home on the Satshringa forest had been the biggest luxury for him, nothing else could ever give him the same peace as he got there.

Soon, Yudhishthir was being wished repeatedly & being showered by the most exquisite & expensive gifts, which was more of a bribe of several kings wanting him to we'd their daughters & rule over Hastinapur one day.
However, his eyes searched for only one in the vast sea of royal woman vying for his attention.

It was then, that the son of Dharmaraj lost his breath as he laid eyes on the mesmerizing, epitome of beauty before him, conversing with a daasi holding a tray of refreshments. He still found himself musing about how even months after their marriage, the mere sight of his wife set his heart thundering & him go breathless. Each time he reacted more than the previous. What was Panchaali doing to him?

He didn't know what he had done to have deserved the presence of this pious goddess in his life. Not that his family didn't love him, they did, wholeheartedly, however Panchaali made him feel special, so very special. He loved, loved when she did even the littlest things for him.

Meanwhile, a group of princesses were observing him from afar. They were mainly princesses of smaller neighbouring kingdoms.
P1: Dushala ne bataya nahi ki uske jyesht bhrata itne roopwaan hai.
The first princess, Padmini admired the golden skinned handsome crown prince from afar.

( Princess Padmini is a fictitious character.)

P2: Kintu sakhi... Yuvraj ka vivaah toh ho chuka hai aur vo bhi Panchal kumaari ke saath.
Her friend pointed out making Padmini roll her eyes.
P3: Aur vo bhi Aaryavart ki sabse sundar kanya ke saath. Dekho toh....iss utsav mein sammilit hue pratyek purush ki drishti keval Yuvrani Draupadi par hai. Yuvraj ki bhi.
Another princess pointed out. Rajkumari Padmini didn't show but had deep envy in her eyes as she saw Yudhishthir's gaze fixed on the beautiful Yagyaseni, his eyes full of awe, respect &.....love?

She she shook her head, anger clouding her vision. He couldn't love her....how long had they even been married? That too in the most unusual way as the whole Aaryavart knew.

She saw Draupadi notice her husband's loving gaze on her & blush making Yudhishthir smile sweetly at her, as they shared a cute eye lock.

Deciding she'd had enough, she sauntered upto the unsuspecting Dharmaraj, confident to win him over in a jiffy with her irresistible charms. She knew they would be better than his fireborn wife's who even though was a full grown maiden but was technically not even a year old. What would she know about charming men, making them dance on the fingertips?!

( AN: Nice galat phehmi! 😆)

P:: Pranipat Yuvraj....
She almost purred making Yudhishthir who was speaking to Bheem, turn around to see her. Bheem raised an eyebrow inwardly while his elder brother offered the princess his signature smile.
Y: Pranipat devi...main aapki kya sahayta kar sakta hoon?
He asked her ever so politely yet formally making her a little dejected.

The princess giggled heartily making Yudhishthir frown in confusion & suddenly recoil as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
P: Aap bhi na Yuvraj! Itni aupchaarikta! Hum toh Hastinapur ke padosi rajya se hai...humaare madhya itni aupchaarikta uchit nahi. Hmmm?
She smiled suggestively at him. Yudhishthir only smiled not knowing what to say. His eyes fell on his brothers who were smirking, seemingly enjoying his awkward predicament.

P: Mere pita shigra hi mera swayamvar aayojit karenge. Kintu ab lagta hai jaise mere hriday ne apna var pehle hi chunn liya hai, Veer.
Her fingers trailed down further, feeling Yudhishthir's lean, strong bicep making him further uncomfortable.
Y: Ji....sunkar prasannata hui..
Padmini noticed that while he listening & replying to her in the utmost gentlemanly way but his eyes were searching for something or someone.

Anger flared within her. Never had a man before her been distracted & not been fully attentively to her. It was a direct hit to her ego. The consequences of which were never good.

She smirked, deciding to tune up her game to another level, knowing there was no way he could resist her charms now.

P: Aap janna nahi chahenge ki vo kon mahapurush hai jise maine apna pati maan liya hai?
She whispered coyly, her eyes fixated on Yudhishthir's handsome face, occasionally trailing down to admire his lean physique.

Draupadi had been observing all of this for a while, unknowingly the green eyed monster sprouting within her slowly & steadily.

In the function however, she knew she'd have to behave her best as a responsible, smart princess & the eldest daughter in law of the great Kuru lineage would. She'd have to suppress her own feelings of envy, anger & other insecurities & act like the elegant, poised, great future queen that she was & efficiently handle the situation.

Her eyes narrowed though at the princess taking liberties with her Aarya, shamelessly touching him when he was clearly uncomfortable & trying to move away as discreetly as possible.

When the princess was about to touch his chest, spouting out about how strong of a warrior prince he was, Draupadi could take it no more & was rushing towards them to try & get Yudhishthir away from her.

However, as luck had it, the heavily embroidered, long contraption she wore came in between, causing her to trip.

Y: Panchaali!
Yudhishthir cried out, rushing past a furious Padmini towards his wife.

A gasp escaped the lips of the daughter of Drupad as she prepared to meet the floor as well as amused stares of guests when a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her against a rock hard chest.

Y: Aap theek toh hai?
Came her Aarya's soft worried question making Draupadi smile & nod, thanking him as he steadied her on her feet.
Y: Maine kaha tha! Kuch aur pehen lijiye! Yadi aap gir jaati toh?
Yudhishthir scolded making Panchaali smile sheepishly.

D: Toh aap sambhal lete.... isprakaar...
She grinned cheekily at him making an *Oops* face & giggling when he only gave her a stern no-nonsense look.
Yudhishthir sighed & shook his head at her. Eventually, Yudhishthir was forced to break into a smile as he carefully seated her on a nearby aasan.

Taking a glass of the welcome drink being served as refreshment, Yudhishthir held it out to Draupadi, asking her to sit & drink something as she'd been on her toes all day, preparing for the function.

While some looked at them with envy, others looked at them with adoration.
Kr: Dekh rahe hai Maharaj....
Vasudev Krishna turned to Drupad.
Kr: Inse adhik prem kon de sakta hai aapki putri ko?
Krishna questioned a thoughtful looking Drupad.

Dr: Aapka kathan toh uchit hai Vasudev.
He mused.
Dr: Kintu... Kshyama kijiye.... Dharmaraj ek Uttam pati, utra, bhrata, dharmagyaata, aur Yuvraj hai. Kintu yuddh kala? Na unke paas Bheem jaisa bahubal athva Arjun jaisi dhanurvidya hai, meri putri ka samay aane par, ve rakshan kisprakar kar paayenge?
The worried father questioned making Krishna smile.

Kr: Jyesht ke paas bal nahi hai? Ye aapse kisne kaha, Paanchal naresh? Ve toh samast Aaryavart mein bhaala yudh mein sabse nipun hai.

Ved, vigyaan, dharm, raajneeti aadi ke mahagyaata hai ve. Unka bal unke kisi shastra ya bhuja mein nahi, unke sthir swabhaav mein hai.

Mahatapasvi hai aapke jamaata, Raja Drupad. Ve sadaiv apne krodh par niyantran rakhte hai kyunki unki krodh aagni itni vishaal aur bhayanak hai ki samast sansaar usmein jalkar bhasm hojaayega.
Krishna informed, wanting Drupad to understand how fortunate he was to have such a great man, one of his most priceless creations as his son-in-law.

Dr: Kshyama kijiyega Vasudev....kadaachit aap uchit kehrahe hai. Meri putri ke liye Dharmaraj Yudhishthir se uttam var ho hi nahi sakta.
He smiled, finally with all his worries resolved he was about to accept his son-in-law wholeheartedly.

While they were conversing, the 5 Pandavas came their way, taking their blessings.

Y: Pranipat Panchal raaj...
Yudhishthir greeted politely, confused seeing Drupad's frown.
Dr: Paanchal raaj? Aap meri putri se kitna prem karte hai ye toh main jaan hi gaya hoon. Aapne toh mujhe sadaiv pita ka sanmaan diya hai, isliye main chahta hoon ki aap bhi Draupadi ki bhaati mujhe Pitashree kahe, yadi aapko aapatti na ho toh?
Drupad spoke with a smile.

Y: Ji... Panch... pitashree!
The son of Pritha & Dharmaraj blushed violently hearing the word ' prem', his blush especially deepening when Krishna shot him a naughty look.

Meanwhile, Duryodhan grew angrier seeing this loving exchange between Drupad & Yudhishthir.
Sh: Shaant mere bachche, shaant....
Shakuni whispered for the nth time to his seething nephew.

Having had enough though, Duryodhan marched towards Yudhishthir.
Dur: Bhrata Yudhishthir! Tumhe toh maine upahar diya hi nahi aaj.... kintu koi baat nahi...ab de deta hoon.
Duryodhan smirked as he looked at a confused Yudhishthir. Karn scrunched his eyes, knowing his mitra would ruin everything now.

Y: Kintu bhrata Duryo....
Yudhishthir began but Duroyodhan cut him off, by taking off one of his heavy neckpieces & throwing it in his direction.

Yudhishthir caught it looking slightly confused & hurt.
D: Ye lo meri orr se upahar! Iska multa jaante ho? Tumhaari uss vann ki kutir se sau guna adhik hai. Vaise bhi tum Rajkumar ke bhes mein vanvasi hi toh ho. Ye bhiksha tumhaare kaam aayegi!
Duroyodhan spoke while his Kaurava cronies cackled in the background.

" DURYO....!"
The Pandavas began when their eldest stopped them with a firm raised hand.
Y: Shaant hojao anujo.....
The Pandavas looked sceptically at their calm brother who had not an inkling of rage on his his features.

Yudhishthir turned to Duroyodhan with a smile.
Y: Tum mera hriday kitni achche prakar se samajhte ho, anuj Duroyodhan. Mujhe toh Vann ka sadha jeevan rajkiya sukho se sadaiv priya raha hai.

Tumhaari iss bhett ko main sadaiv apne paas rakhunga.

He hugged the stumped Duroyodhan with a smile, before walking away. Leaving behind a flabbergasted Shakuni & Kauravas & a pained Karn.

Dhristadyumn & Drupad were thoroughly impressed seeing how Yudhishthir had handled Duroyodhan, & applauded his capability to love even those who always hurt him, from the bottom of the hearts.

Meanwhile, Draupadi was about to follow Yudhishthir having witnessed everything from the food counter.
Just then, she noticed two servants whispering. She saw one of them mix something in a glass of a drink, mixing it well before placing it on the tray.

S1: Ye Yuvraj ko pila do....
S2: Kintu...
S1: Kintu parantu chodo... hume bohot saara dhan milega, iss karya ke liye.
The first servant grinned, but his partner looked nervous.

S1: ismein kya milaya hai tumne?
He questioned his friend.
S2: pighla hua swarn....
He smirked wickedly at his horrified friend.

S2: Kya?
He hissed lowly, before looking around to see if anyone heard them. Luckily Draupadi was quick to duck behind a nearby wall.

S1: Arrey chintit mat ho....maatra atyant hi kam hai. Unki mrityu nahi hogi..kadachit. Kintu haan, asehniya peeda hogi. Bas!
The servant told him nonchalantly.

Draupadi had heard enough. She was stricken with terror & was panicking wanting to desperately warn her Aarya.
Her eyes widened as the servant in question took the tray towards Yudhishthir, who was conversing with Guru Drona, Bhishm & other elders.

*******

Hogaya! 😈

How were the gifts?

Specially, Draupadi's gift?

Any other thoughts????

Thanks for reading!
Hope you'll enjoyed it....
Till we meet again..

Dharmasakhi 💕💞