The servant moved towards Yudhishthir rapidly. Time was ticking by & Draupadi's heart was numb & her eyes wide with shock. Gathering all of her strength she broke out of her paralyzed state, bolting towards where her husband sat. She no longer remembered the presence of any respected elder around or even that they were in a celebration full of guests.

Yudhishthir smiled as Guru Drona praised him & his brothers as he conversed with Bhishm. The server serving the warm refreshment drink came by them. Yudhishthir took a glass gratefully, he was parched & a warm drink sounded wonderful in the pleasent yet rather cool breeze blowing in the royal gardens where the celebration had been organised.

D: ARYAAAAAA!!!
Yudhishthir looked just in time to see his wife lunge at him. Everyone looked at her, shocked & confused. Draupadi managed to send the glass hurtling down on the nearby carpet with one hit of her hand before it touched his lips.

Yudhishthir's shocked expression quickly turned into one of horror & his wife's petite form hit the ground, in what could be described as a bad fall. The entire premises which had gone silent after Panchali's defeaning scream, echoed with Yudhishthir's cry of pain seeing his wife.

Y: PANCHALIII!!!
Yudhishthir was besides her before anyone knew it. He carefully pulled her in his arms, his heart breaking into pieces at the involuntary painful whimper that slipped out of her mouth.

By then everyone had surrounded them. Bhishm, Drona, ,& Dhritarashtra were already there, while Krishna, Bheem, Nakul & Sahadev came running.

Kr: Sakhi!
Krishna too was next to her in an instant. Both men carefully helped her up, making her sit where Yudhishthir had been sitting previously.

Draupadi blinked back her tears & red hot blinding, searing pain ran down her elbow & forearm.
Yudhishthir was aghast to see blood flowing endlessly from the deep wound just below her elbow, extending nearly to her wrist.

Shikhandini & Kunti were sitting besides Draupadi, holding her trembling body, while Yudhishthir was kneeling in front of her, encasing her tiny palms in his large ones.

Draupadi's relief at seeing Yudhishthir safe trickled her beautiful doe eyes in the form of big fat tears as she collapsed in her sister's arms. Shikhandini exchanged a worried look with Dhristadyumn as she hugged Draupadi.

Dr: Draupadi....putri kya hua?
Drupad asked worried, his palm gently stroking his daughter's head.

D: Pitashree..Aa...aarya...!
Draupadi tried her best to rein in her sobs of fear, pain, anger & relief. Seeing as their guests were watching, she hurriedly wiped away her tears.

Duryodhan rolled his eyes as everyone fussed over Draupadi making sure she was okay.

S: Bhratashree.....
Sahadev called the eldest Pandav, making him look up at him impatiently.
S: Jyesht....bhaabhishree toh aapke praano ki raksha kar rahi....vo dekhiye...

Yudhishthir's eyes followed Sahadev's seeing the upturned glass of the drink on the carpet. What shocked him was the burnt hole in the rich carpet.

G: Avashya iss payy mein koi aisa dravya tha jo Yudhishthir ke praan ke liye ghaatak ho sakta tha.
Guru Dron told them critically.

The Pandavas & Bhishm looked furious. Yudhishthir on the other hand didn't know how to react, as wiped another large tear off his wife's perfect skin.

D: Vo..vo....yahi hai Aarya....use pakdiye! Anyatha vo punah....
Draupadi's frantic words echoed just as Bheem came in, roughly hauling a man along.

B: Ye raha vo Dhurt, Jyesht!
The son of the Wind god growled as he threw the man in concern at Yudhishthir's feet.

B: Yahi tha vo, Jyesht! Jise Bhaabhishree ne dekha tha....ye palayan kar raha tha kintu maine ise pakad liya!

Bheem was trying to rein in his anger but failing desperately. A conspiracy to kill the person who was not just his elder brother, his father figure, everything for him. His rage was growing maddening with every passing moment.

He lunged to attack him when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.
Y: Nahi Bheem...
Bheem calmed down considerably at his Jyesht's warm touch but not completely.

N: Kintu Jyesht! Isne aapko maarne ka prayatna kiya hai! Iske toh aaj main praan hi le lunga....
Nakul growled.

Nakul as well as Sahadev were livid but Dharmaraj was still as calm as possible.

Y: Koi kuch nahi karega...
He ordered his shocked brothers, they had full faith in their elder brother. Yudhishthir squeezed his wife's palm reassuringly before he got up, helping the man up.

Y: Tum?
Yudhishthir scrunched his eyes determining where he had seen this man, inspite of his obvious disguise. However, he could not put a finger on it.

However, just as the servant was about to speak, an arrow from afar peirced him from behind, coming out through his front. The servant gurgling, spitting out blood as he dropped to the ground, lifeless.

Bh: Hey ishwar! Ye koi bohot bada kshadiyantra prateet hota hai. Putra Yudhishthir, main aaj hi tumhaare ang rakshak va kaksh ke bahar pehra dugna karwa dunga.
Bheeshm declared as & Vidur rushed to do the same.

K: Putri....
Kunti caressed Draupadi's cheek lovingly, her eyes filled with love.
K: Sabhi samajhte ki keval pati hi patni ki raksha karta hai kintu aaj tumne iss tathya ko anuchhit siddh kar diya. Swayam, apne ki raksha ki hai tumne.
Kunti hugged her.

Nakul & Sahadev examined her hand, declaring that it was a slight deep injury, & apart from the wound, possibly a ligament tear that could cause swelling. However, it would be just fine with medication.

Draupadi blushed as she felt Yudhishthir's gaze on her. He sat down besides her,his fingers carefully stroking the skin that was swelling pink around the vicious wound.

The pain etched on his features was clear to every person watching them. Dharmaraj's worried copper eyes flew up to Nakul who nodded, advancing towards them holding the bowl of his special herbal medicine.

Yudhishthir refused any assistance from daasis or anyone as he himself carefully applied the paste on her wound. Draupadi was a strong woman, & did an effective job of keeping her winces of pain from escaping her lips, after seeing her husband's reaction to one, where he got all panicked, whispering apologies profusely.

Draupadi couldn't help but awe at him. Did her pain affect him so much? Seeing him, it appeared that even though she was the one bleeding, he was the one hurting.

This scene warmed the hearts of most of the persons there, seeing a husband's deep care for his injured wife.
The princesses from earlier couldn't help but go on about what a sweet husband he was.

P: Arrey Yuvraj! Aapke toh vastra rakt se maile hogaye!
Princess Padmini tutted, hoping Yudhishthir would be repulsed now, & move sway from Draupadi.
Yudhishthir's eyes darted to his blood splattered clothes, though he didn't bother about that in the least.

Y: Uska mahatva Rajkumari, meri patni swast hai, keval wahi pariyaapt hai mere liye.
Yudhishthir told the internally seething princess, while smiling to see the cheeks of his wife get rosier.

P: Vaise Draupadi....
Draupadi turned to look at Padmini, almost surprised to be addressed by her.
P: Aisi kitni sundar streeyaan hongi jo tumhaare pati ka saath paana chahti hongi tatha rajnaitik karyon se bhi Yuvraj ko kai anya rajkumariyon se vivaah karna pad sakta hai.

Ab tum toh meri sakhi ho, aur abhi abhi janmi ho na toh in baaton se tumhe avgat karane mera daitva tha.

She smirked wickedly at the innocent wife of Dharmaraj. Padmini noticed that she only smiled, showing no jealousy, or rage or even discomfort.

D: Avashya rajkumari...aapka aabhar. Mere Aarya hai hi aise ki koi bhi stree inke prem mein apne sudh-budh kho baithe. Phir uss bechaari naari ka kya dosh jo main usse irsha athva krodh jaisi dushbhavna rakhu?
Aur Raj hit ke liye karya karna toh unka rajputra dharm hai, jiske aade main nahi aasakti. Kintu sarvadhik, mujhe apne pati par vishwaas hai.

Yudhishthir watched his wife, stunned. Did God really create such a beautiful woman? That too as his wife? He was speechless not knowing what to say. Padmini on the other hand was livid, unable to get a rise out of Draupadi or a response from Yudhishthir to her flirtations.

Not the one to let go, Padmini took her own untouched drink, forwarding it to Dharmaraj.
P: Ye lijiye Dharmraj....btak toh aapka kanth sukh gaya hoga. Itne atithiyon se varta karke, aur phir jab aap jiss pey ka paan karne waale the vo vishaila tha! Pata hai...main kitna Bhaybheet hogaya thi.
She purred.

Yudhishthir was confused seeing his wife's eyes almost emitting rays of fire at where the hands on the Princess who he barely knew before that day kept stroking up & down his strong biceps, making him increasingly uncomfortable & Draupadi furious.

His confused expression morphed into an amused one seeing his wife's slightly puffed cheeks as she struggled to maintain the decorum being the Kulvadhu of Hastinapur. Unfortunately, Padmini was not making it easy for her.

P: Lijiye....
Padmini handed him her glass, however Panchali took it from her, taking a substantial sip from it. A moment later, she handed it to Yudhishthir while an outraged Padmini looked on.

D: Kshyama kijiye Rajkumari....vo kya haina aaj jo ghatit hua, uske paschaat Aarya ne mujhe vachan diya hai ki ve mere chakne ke upraant hi kuch bhi grahan karenge.
Draupadi told her innocently, though she hid a cheeky smirk on the inside which Yudhishthir didn't fail to see. His wife was too much!

Yudhishthir was proud of how Panchali handled everything with perfect grace & poise. She was a natural queen.

Padmini on the other hand didn't appreciate the eyelock of the married couple before her.
This was not the end of it, she thought angrily.

The function progressed, the elders of Hastinapur pleased seeing how efficiently the eldest daughter in law of the Kuru dynasty managed the birthday celebrations of her husband, the crown prince.

Yudhishthir, finally managing to excuse himself from the group of classmates from his Gurukul time who inspite of being princes or kings themselves were hungry for gossip pertaining to his married life and new wife.

He carefully seated his protesting wife. Hs gaze fell on her bandaged arm, causing his insides to twist in pain. It was a deep, but still not much bad of an injury, then why did his heart burn seeing even a little scratch on her?

Just as he was musing about this, he caught Panchali trying to sneak away from the corner of his eye.
Y: Yuvrani!
His tone was stern & Draupadi pouted. Yudhishthir took a deep breath, he would not give in this time!

Y: Panchali....aap yahi baithkar vishraam kijiye. Yaha anya sewak hai, ve humaare atithiyon ki suvidha ka dhyaan rakhlenge.
Yudhishthir told her gently. He had seen her wince in pain every now & then but still run around the place & handle everything personally.
Sometimes he felt they were a lot alike in certain aspects.

D: Kintu Aarya....main theek hoon. Yaha kitne atithi hai. Mujhe pratyek ka poora dhyaan rakhna hai. Aaj aapka Janmotsav hai main nahi chahti ki koi bhool....
She was cut off by her husband shaking his head firmly.

Y: Aap pehle hi mere liye bohot kuch kar chuki hai, ab aap keval vishraam karengi, aur ye mera aadesh hai.
He told her in a voice that left no room for argument.

Yudhishthir couldn't help but smirk seeing his wife offer him the most adorable grumpy face that he'd seen in his life, far cuter than even what a little baby could manage. He always found her too adorable for words.

Draupadi huffed earning a deep, husky chuckle from her husband that made insides flutter.

Just then, Yudhishthir heard someone sneak up behind him. As he was about to turn, he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes. He stiffened at the touch, having identified it immediately.

Arjun.

His Phalgun.

Suddenly the previous feelings of hurt, guilt & pain surfaced again, making his heart twist in unbearable pain. He couldn't bear to turn around & see his brother.

Ar: Jyesht! Mere pyaare pyaare Bhratashree! Main aagaya!
He exclaimed, hugging Yudhishthir tightly from behind.

All of the elders, brothers & mothers rushed there seeing Arjun. Luckily, the last of the guests had left by now & only very close relations were left.
Everyone hugged their cherished son, brother & prince, extremely happy to see him back after long. Only Yudhishthir remained silent.

Ar: Ye hai Rajkumari Subhadra, main yaha aane se poorv Madhav se milne Dwarka gaya tha.
He spoke pointing to the beautiful princess standing next to him, making her greet the elders.

A: vaha pata chala ki Madhav pehle hi yaha aaye hai. Rajkumari bhi yahi aarahi thi aapke Janmotsav ke liye Jyesht toh hum saath hi aagaye. Kintu.... kadaachit vilambh hogaya.
Arjun continued as he stared sadly at the seating areas, & the servants cleaning up, realising that the celebration was over.

Realising that the atmosphere was growing tense, Bheem took charge.
B: Pranipat Rajkumari. Aiyye main aapki sabhi se bhett karwaata hoon.
Sarvapratham humaare aaj ke mukhya vyakti, humaare Jyesht.

Vaise toh inke kai naam hai: Yudhishthir, Dharmaraj, Ajatshatru, Jay kintu hum sabhi inhe prem se Aaryaputra kehte hai.
Sniggering was heard across the area as everyone tried hard to not laugh.

Yudhishthir turned his head to glare sternly at Bheem making the powerful mace weilder gulp & hide behind Kunti. This only made everyone laugh harder, seeing the tall & muscular Vrikodar hiding behind the petite Kunti.

B: M..m...mera arth tha prem se keval bhaabhishree Aaryaputra kehti hai inhe.
Bheem stuttered while the others continued to laugh silently while Draupadi blushed & Yudhishthir smiled.

S: Pranipat Jyesht bhrata. Janmdivaas ki aneko shubhkaamnaye. Kshyama kijiye, hume vilambh jo hua. Vo...aapje liye koi achcha sa upahar mil hi nahi raha tha. Kintu, bhrata Krishna ne kaha hai ki aap bohot hi achche hai, isliye aap krodhit nahi hai na?
Subhadra squealed happily & Yudhishthir couldn't help but smile. Everyone smiled at how cute she was.

Y: Kalyan ho Rajkumari. Aapka swagat hai. Main krodhit nahi hoon, aapki upasththi hi mere liye pariyaapt hai.
He smiled making Subhadra nod, relieved. However, Subhadra wouldn't listen until she had handed him the large packed gift she'd brought, making Yudhishthir smile fondly at her & thank her.

Turning to Draupadi, Subhadra's eyes lit up & she gasped.
Su: Aap to vaastav mein aur bhi sundar hai. Aaryavart ki sabse sundar stree!
Aap avashya hi mere bhrata Krishna ki priya sakhi Krishnaa hai? Haina Jiji? Kya main aapko apni Jiji keh sakti hoon?
Draupadi was amused as well as enchanted by Subhadra's lively spirit.

D: Avashya.
Draupadi smiled & soon both were talking animatedly making it clear that this was just the start of a beautiful, lifelong friendship.

After a little more small talks, Subhadra wished to rest after the long journey, so Kunti took her to her chambers personally.

Arjun took the blessings of his elders, smiling when Drona hugged him.
Reaching Yudhishthir, he bent to touch his feet.
Y: Kalyan ho.
Arjun frowned, no warm caresses or loving stroking of his curls, nothing at all. He waved it off, maybe his brother was just tired after a long day.

Grinning broadly, Arjun embraced Yudhishthir but Yudhishthir did not hug him back, instead he moved out of his embrace. Arjun looked up at him somewhat confused & slightly hurt.

Y: Jao vishraam karo. Thak gaye hoge.
Yudhishthir told him calmly but this calmness pierced Arjun hard.
Ar: Jyesht?
He asked dejectedly, not knowing what had gone wrong.

Y: Jyesht? Aapko ye smaran hai ye jaankar prasannata hui, Kumar Arjun.
Yudhishthir stated making Arjun gasp. Everyone was shocked, unable to understand anything.

Ar: Bhratashree....
Arjun placed a hand on his shoulder, but Dharmaraj moved it away immediately.
Y: Raatri bohot hogayi hai, mujhe nidra aarahi hai.
With that Yudhishthir left for his room, leaving behind a large stunned audience. Arjun partially seemed to know why his brother was behaving like this. He scrunched his eyes, as he remembered the pain etched in Yudhishthir's eyes. He never meant to hurt him. His bhrata Yudhishthir was his everything.

He couldn't bear to have his elder brother who was his father figure not talk to him.

The elders too were worried seeing Yudhishthir's behaviour. It was the first time they had seen the amiable crown prince like this & hoped everything would be resolved soon.

Arjun tried to follow Yudhishthir but Krishna placed a hand on his shoulder.
Kr: Abhi nahi Paarth....samay do Jyesht ko. Ve tumhaare agraj hai, kya unhe tumpar krodh karne ka bhi adhikaar nahi?

Hriday peedit hai unka jisprakar tumhaara hai. Bhool toh tumse hui hai. Samay sabkuch theek kardega.
Krishna assured him, making Arjun smile sadly but nod & accept his words.

Yudhishthir on the other hand wanted nothing than to embrace his little brother, but he was too hurt. They could have resolved everything together, but Arjun left. He did not blame his brother, but he needed to educate him about the fact that he couldn't simply leave & endure it all alone, they were a team & faced everything together. This lesson had to taught to him, even if it broke their hearts, Yudhishthir thought firmly. Thus, hardening his aching heart, he left for his chambers without glancing back.

******

Next day.....
In the Royal court:

" Maharaj Yudhishthir ki.....Jai!
Maharaj Yudhishthir ki.....Jai!!"

The royal court of Hastinapur echoed with each & every inhabitant of Hastinapur except a selected few wholeheartedly hailed Dharmaraj Yudhishthir as King.

However the King in question tried as hard as he could, but was unable to be completely happy. He had a neutral expression as he was bathed & dressed in the most exquisite of royal robes & showered with the freshest of flowers.

Draupadi looked at her Aarya, understanding his pain. She knew how much he loved his family, & seperation from them against when he'd just recently returned from Gurukul after 12 full years was painful.

With Yudhishthir's Rajyabhishek completed, it was time for them to leave.
They took blessings from all their elders. Just as Bheeshm blessed them, they headed to Vidur when Duroyodhan spoke up.

Du: Arrey Yudhishthir! Jaate jaate, ab toh bata do ki tumhaare pita kon hai? Kakashree Pandu ne toh keval palan kiya, kintu tumhaari maata ne kisse praapt kiya hai tumhe?
All the Kauravas joined in with Duroyodhan, cackling. The elders were stunned hearing the level of disrespect in Duryodhan's voice as he addressed his elder brother.

Y: Anuj Duroyodhan...tumhe manya nahi iss karan uttar toh nahi badal sakta. Main janm se Dharmraj ka putra hoon. Varsho purv, maata Kunti aur pitashree Pandu ke tap se prasann hokar unhone unhe putra ke roop mein mera daan kiya tha.
Yudhishthir replied with his signature calm smile in place much Duryodhan's rage. Duryodhan scoffed & was about speak further when Shakuni stopped him, having seen the look on Bheeshm's face.

K: Mere putron ka dhyaan rakhna, putri Draupadi. Bheem ko samay se bhojan karwaana, Arjun ko poori raatri shastra abhyaas mat karne dena tatha Nakul se bhojan ke samay darpan cheen lene.
Everyone slightly chuckled at this while Nakul let a fake gasp of outrage, huffing dramatically.

N: Maata! Main bhojan karte samay darpan nahi dekhta!
He insisted making Kunti roll her eyes, everyone chuckled some more & Nakul smiled at his success in lightening the mood of the room a bit.

K: Mera Sahadev abhi chota hai....uska maata ki bhaati dhyaan rakhna putri. Aur raha tumhaare pati ka prashn...toh raaj sabha ke sthagit hone ke baad, uske saare dharm granth aur rajkiya patra-patrikaye chupa dena!
She grinned at Draupadi's making Yudhishthir's jaw touch the floor.

Y: Kyaa....? Kintu maata....
He protested, visibly shivering when his wife smirked at him with a dangerous gleam in her eyes. He knew he was gone!

Kunti had pledged not to cry infront of her sons, knowing they would fall weak. This was time for them to go out into the world & grow stronger & emerge victorious. She was just setting them free from her care, so that they could learn better survival without her aid.

She knew Draupadi would keep the five brothers together & was relaxed. The son she was most worried about: Yudhishthir due to his quiet ways, generosity & righteousness, people tended to take advantage of him but not with Draupadi around, she thought proudly.

K: Aur haan putron, apne Jyesht bhrata ka pratyek aadesh maanna. Ab tumhare maata aur pita ke sthaan par wahi hai.
Kunti told them almost tearfully.

P: Ummm...sochenge maata!
The Pandavas grinned mischievously. Kunti raised an eyebrow making their eyes widen.
P: Jo aagaya maata.
They chimed immediately making everyone shake their head as well as awe at their love for their mother, trying to cheer her up in the most trying of situations.

The daughter of Shurasena nearly broke down as her sons gathered her in a hug, followed by Bheem scooping her up to be the first one to touch her feet. She giggled as he twirled her around & set her down but Arjun rolled in, touching the feet of his mother first making Vrikodar pout.

Ar: Hum shigra hi aapka swapn poorn karenge maata aur aapko sanmaan sahit humaare raajya ki rajmaata ke roop mein sabse unche sthaan par sthaapit karenge.
Arjun promised, making the virtuous Pritha smile & stroke his hair lovingly.

Y: Hum aapse bohot prem karte hai, maata. Ye karya atyant kathin hai, kintu aapke putra vachan dete hai, jabtak apna swantatra rajya sthaapit nahi karlete, aapko apna mukh nahi dikhaayenge.
Yudhishthir promised her solemnly as his brothers nodded in agreement. She hugged her elder son, feeling him press a kiss on her head in a rare yet affectionate gesture. She knew he was completely emotional then, only holding back for the sake of his brothers.

The party walked down the steps of the royal palace, to their respective horses or chariots that would take them towards their new life, new home.

Inspite of their melancholic states, all the Pandavas couldn't help but chuckle inspite of their melancholy at Draupadi's pure innocence when she let out an audible gasp seeing the chariot automatically raise up by a distance of atleast four fingers.

Yudhishthir couldn't stop the smile that came over his features seeing Draupadi's look of pure awe. He held out a hand for & she took it, thanking him as he pulled her up in the chariot.

As the chariot took off, Draupadi watched the palace which had been her home since she came to Hastinapur as the bride of the righteous Dharmaraj, fade into the distance.

Her eyes feel on her husband, who was silent as he usually was, being a man of few words. This time however, his silence was painful. Their fingers were intertwined, resting on his lap. He had been holding her hand since the time they sat in the chariot, & she let him, not minding in the least.

D: Aarya...?
Yudhishthir glanced at his wife, hearing her hesitant voice. Draupadi didn't speak further, only her pretty doe eyes silently inquired about his well being, making him smile at her concern. He could make out the slight, rapidly developing dark circles under eyes, a marker of her previous sleepless night.

He knew she'd been worried sick, ever since the attempt to harm him in the function, the earlier evening. She'd simply refused to travel in the luxury of the closed palki & insisted on travelling in his chariot with him. Unfortunately, even Dharmaraj was no match to the beautiful princess' pout, especially coupled with those doe eyes of hers, he was a goner.

The gentle smile her husband gave her, reassured Draupadi somewhat, & she squeezed his hand in reply.

His condition too was no better. Draupadi knew that by not talking to his little brother, Yudhishthir was punishing himself more than Arjun. The two brothers treasured & cherished each other & she only hoped & prayed for everything to become alright between them at the earliest.

****

Hastinapur.....

Du: Mitra Karn....iss samay kya karya hai tumhe....unse.
Karn didn't like the way Duroyodhan said ' unse' one bit.
K: Mitra....Kakishree hai ve tumhaari. Tumhaare pita ke swargvaasi bhrata ki patni.
He reprimanded, making Duroyodhan roll his eyes.

Du: Theek hai, theek hai....tum jao hum yahi prateeksha karte hai.
Duroyodhan told him, while Shakuni offered him a crooked smile.

Karn was had just opened his mouth to ask one of the daasis to request Kunti's permission for his entry when he heard a cry of pain. Without a doubt he knew it was Kunti's. The amount of pain in it shook him from within.

Knowing it was rude to eavesdrop but he couldn't help himself. His heart shattered into pieces hearing the woman he loved just as much as Radha maa sob & blubber inconsolably begging someone named ' Priyamvada' to bring her children back to her, & that her husband had already left her & she nothing but her children left.

Karn felt his own eyes grow moist, & turned away unable to bear the pain of the woman who loved him so dearly, just like any of her own sons, inspite of his caste. Her sobs were burning his insides & rushed out unable to handle it.

Du: Mitra...?
Duroyodhan stopped him before he could run past them.
Du: Kya hua tumhe? Iss prakar....
K: Anuchit kiya tumne mitra! Maata Kunti ko itna ahsehniya dukh kyu diya tumne? Kyu unhe unki santaano se vanchit kiya? Kyu?
Duroyodhan frowned seeing his friend so agitated.

Du: Maine nahi kaha tha vibhajan karne ke liye. Hastinapur MERA hai, mera janm siddh adhikaar hai uspar, uss Vanvasi Yudhishthir ka nahi.
He growled making Karn look at him in disgust, but Duroyodhan was livid already, due to more than half of the citizens of Hastinapur leaving with Yudhishthir, declaring that they would only live under his rule & there was nothing he could do to stop them at that time, atleast according to his mamashree.

K: Ek tuchch simhasan ke liye, tumne unka hriday toda jo tumhaari maata samaan hai. Chee!
Aaj uss maata ke rudan, uski durdasha ke doshi tum ho, mitra!
He spat out, before storming out leaving behind a livid Duroyodhan & tense Shakuni.

********

Meanwhile,
Soon, it was almost sundown, & Yudhishthir had begin to look for an adequate place for their group to rest for the night & direct a part of their group to head ahead quickly to start preparing for their night stay. It was positively chilly, even the closed rath was not offering much protection from the harsh cold winds blowing outside.

Seeing the goosebumps pebbling on her husband's golden skin, Draupadi shook her head. He was cold but would never tell. Yudhishthir observed his wife, slightly confused as she began to unpin her veil & took it off to reveal the beautiful flower decked bun her hair had been carefully styled into.

Draupadi almost giggled seeing her husband open admire her hair. She even felt smug, everytime he admired her beauty, unable to hide his awe. She blushed internally knowing that he loved her hair, especially when open. However, she knew Dharmaraj would NEVER openly tell her that.

Deciding to fullfill his wish, with a discreet smirk, Panchali deftly tugged at the string of flowers holding up her hair, causing her silken tresses to cascade down her waist like a waterfall.

Y: Ye...aap kya kar rahi hai?
Yudhishthir asked quizzically. His hands itched to touch & caress those strands of bluish-black curls.
Draupadi didn't reply, instead, she snuggled close to him, covering their bodies with her heavy odhni, hoping for some insulation.

Yudhishthir smiled at his wife's thoughtfulness, though gulping when she inched as closer to him as possible, causing her natural fragrance of the freshest blue lotuses to drive him crazy.

The chariot sped into the distance, & now the sun was nearly down too. The twilight was a magnificent sight to look at. Yudhishthir realised that Draupadi had been silent for far too long, which was unlikely. He couldn't help the fond smile grow on his lips seeing his wife fast asleep against his shoulder, looking rather adorable for words.

Her beautiful, deep black lashes curled prettily against her smooth skin, her cute button nose & lips softer than flower petals, every part of her was beautiful beyond words.
Yudhishthir smiled affectionately, adjusting the odhni around her to safeguard from the chilly air, before opening the thick velvety curtains, only to see them approaching the camps that had already been arranged for them while they journeyed.

As the chariot halted, he glanced at his sleeping wife. He didn't have the heart to wake her up, especially with all the things happening in the past few days: someone sneaking into her bathing area, the elaborate planning of his birthday, & the attack on him, the combination of these hadn't allowed the virtuous Yagyaseni much rest.

Hesitating for just a moment, Dharmaraj Yudhishthir tenderly scooped up his wife in his strong arms, like she weighed nothing & exited the chariot, causing it to touch the ground once again.

He rolled his eyes at Bheem who offered him a goofy grin from where he was still perched on his horse. He placed a finger on his lips to ask the twin who wore matching grins to be quiet, this only made them exchange looks with Bheem & wink at him teasingly, pointing to Panchali curled up in his arms.

Yudhishthir shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. He nodded at the gaurds at the entrance of his personal camp.

Entering the makeshift yet luxuriant living area, Yudhishthir placed his wife gently on the mattress, making sure she was sleeping comfortably. He sighed, realising as much as he would love to gaze at his wife's serene & peaceful sleeping form till the end of time, he had duties to perform as King now, especially one who was about to form his own kingdom form scratch.

P: BHRATASHREEEE!
He was attacked by his brothers as soon as he came back out. He smiled seeing them fight playfully as usual to be closest to him in the hug. He chuckled when Sahadev declared that they had missed him.

Y: Kintu hum kuch hi prahar pehle saath the, aur itne samay se pravaas bhi saath hi kar rahe the anuj!
He pointed out with a chuckle. He was sometimes, well actually everytime by how much they loved & cherished him. He only prayed that no matter what life had in store for him & his family, they always remained together & united.

Y: Ab chalo....sabhi tanik vishraam karlo. Yaatra lambi thi.....vo dekho humaare shivir laggaye hai tatha bhojan aadi ki vyaastha bhi aarambh ho chuki hai.
He grinned seeing the sparkle in Bheem's eyes hearing "food".

B: Bhojan!!!! Chalo Nakul....tum darpan baadmein dekhna! Pehle hum bhojan vyavastha dekhne chalte hai!
Bheem dragged a protesting Nakul who was complaining about the dust harming his skin, towards the area where the food for the large travel group was being cooked, leaving behind a laughing Yudhishthir, & Sahadev.

Y: Arjun kaha hai?
Yudhishthir asked Sahadev who smiled at him. This was his big brother. Even though he was hurt & upset with their brother, he was still so concerned about him.

Just as he opened his mouth to answer, Arjun came there, galloping on his horse while several more daas-daasis followed him along with a palaquin.
Subhadra stepped out of it, reaching out to greet them.

Su: Pranipat bhrata...
She greeted Yudhishthir respectfully, making him smile & bless her. No wonder Vasudev adored his sister, she was such a sweet soul. For him, she was just like Dushala, another sister to love & protect.

Y: Kalyan ho, Rajkumari. Aasha hai aapka pravaas sukhad raha...
Kintu
He smiled.
Subhadra pouted, glaring at Arjun who glared back at her only backing off when he saw Yudhishthir narrow his eyes at him.

Subhadra turned to Yudhishthir, her sweet smile back in place.
Su: Haan bhrata...kintu aapko pata hai....main toh oobb gayi. Aapke ye anuj poore raaste keval dhanurvidya aur yuddh ke Chakravyuh ki baatein kar rahe the.
She wrinkled her nose making all the Pandavas except Arjun chuckle.

Su: Aur haan bhrata.....ye na aapko poore pravas mein Aaryaputra kehkar chidha bhi rahe the! Maine kaha bhi ki aisa na karein...kintu ye maane hi nahi!
Subhadra told him innocently & then smirked at Arjun's flabbergasted face. Yudhishthir bit back a chuckle at the gasp of horror escaping the lips of the illustrious Gandiv dhaari, but was adept at keeping a straight face.

Ar: J...Jye..sht...vo..vo...toh...main....
Arjun stuttered while glaring at a teasingly grinning Subhadra.
Y: Vo tum kya, Arjun?
Yudhishthir purposefully asked in a stern voice. Arjun lowered his eyes. A part of Dharmaraj wanted to hug him & tell him that he loved him & had missed him terribly in the last few months however, a greater part of him was hurt, having felt abandoned by his brother when he needed him the most, for no fault of his. No, this time he wouldn't forgive so easily. He was too hurt to do so.

Arjun made a puppy face that no one could imagine a mighty warrior like him would ever make. Yudhishthir found his insides melted into a puddle by now. He could never remain angry at his family for even few minutes. Even if he did, they were extremely 'talented' in the cutest expressions department especially his wife. She could very well be the their leader. However, try as he might the pain in his heart was too much to forgive Arjun.

B: Chalo chalo!!!!! Ab bhojan ka samay hai...
Bheem insisted making everyone laugh but agree eagerly, for they were famished too after the long journey. Moreover, they had more to go the coming morning.

******

Hey!!!
That's all for now....
Hope it was worth the wait?

Draupadi's jealousy? 😁

Who wants to harm Draupadi's Aarya Yudhishthir?🥺

Arjun is back with Subhadra!!!!

Anyways, stay tuned in for more! ☺️😉

( All images credit: Google)

Best wishes,
Dharmasakhi 💞💞💞