SWEETHEART DRAUPADI (INNOCENCE OF THE FLAME)

96

"ARYA?" DRAUPADI CALLED. "YES PRIYE?" SAVYASACHI ANSWERED. "IT 3 IN THE MORNING." DRAUPADI SAID. "I KNOW." SAUYASACHI SAID. "WE NEED TO GO TO MATA PARVATI'S TEMPLE BY 5. WE SURYAVANSHIS ALWAYS GO TO PARVATI TEMPLE EARLY IN THE MORNING AFTER A CHILD IS BORN. THEN WE HAVE TO GO TO MAHALAXMI TEMPLE THEN SARASWATI TEMPLE." DRAUPADI SAID.

"WHY THESE THREE TEMPLES?" SAUYASACHI ASKED. "IN OUR SURYAVANSHI'S TEMPLE WHEN A GIRL IS BORN WE GO TO THESE TEMPLE AND WHEN A BOY IS BORN WE GO TO MAHADEV, VISHNU AND BRAMHA'S TEMPLE. THEY SAY THAT AFTER WHEN A CHILD IS BORN AND TAKEN TO THE TRIMURTI'S TEMPLE THEY WILL TURN OUT JUST LIKE THEM." DRAUPADI SAID MAKING ARJUN NOD.

DRAUPADI THEN STOOD UP WITH SAVYASACHI'S HELP AND CHANGED HER CLOTHES. SHE THEN CAME OUT TO SEE SAVYASACHI CARRYING THEIR NEWBORN IN HIS ARMS. "DYUMNA! WHY ARE YOU AWAKE?" DRAUPADI ASKED SEEING PRADYUMNA AWAKE SUPPORTING HIMSELF TO STAND UP STRAIGHT PROPERLY BY CATCHING THE DOOR.

PADMAVATI THE CARRIED HIM AND VISHAKHA TOO CAME OUT. "SLEEP LITTLE PRINCE. YOU CAN SLEEP." VISHAKHA SAID SEEING SLEEPINESS IN PRADYUMNA'S EYES AND PRADYUMNA RESTED HIS HEAD ON PADMAVATI'S SHOULDER AND DRIFTED OFF TO SLEEP.

DRAUPADI THEN TOOK OUT A GOLDEN RED SHAWL FROM HER PACKINGS. "ARYA." DRAUPADI SAID GETTING SAVYASACHI'S ATTENTION. "ARYA! LAY HER DOWN I HAVE TO COVER UP HER WITH THIS." DRAUPADI SAID LAYING THE DUPPATA LIKE BLANKET ON HER BED AS HER BED WAS SOFT.

ARJUN THEN LAYED THEIR NEWBORN AND DRAUPADI WRAPPED ON SIDE AND LOOKED UP AT HER HUSBAND SIGNALLING TO WRAP UP BY ANOTHER SIDE. "WHY?" ARJUN ASKED. "WHEN I WAS BORN MY MAIYA AND BABA TOO TOOK WRAPPED ME WITH THIS SAME EXACT CLOTHING." DRAUPADI SAID AND CARRIED HER NEWBORN IN HER ARMS.

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DRAUPADI AND SAVYASACHI THEN FINALLY REACHED THEIR LAST STOP, MATA PARVATI'S TEMPLE. THEY TOOK THE BLESSING AND THE PRIEST TOO BLESSED THE NEWBORN. SAVYASACHI THEN EXCHANGED GLANCES WITH VISHAKHA AND PADMAVATI WHO NODDED IN RESPONSE.

"KRISHNAA. GIVE PRINCESS TO ME." VISHAKHA SAID AND DRAUPADI GAVE HER NEWBORN TO VISHAKHA. "WE WILL BE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE." PADMAVATI SAID AND THEY WENT.

SAVYASACHI AND DRAUPADI THEN STARTED TO DO THE POOJA. AFTER THE POOJA FINISHED DRAUPADI TURNED AROUND TO LEAVE BUT WAS STOPPED BY A TUG ON HER WRIST. "ARYA?" DRAUPADI ASKED CONFUSED.

SAVYASACHI THEN PULLED HER CLOSE BY WAIST. "ARYA? WE ARE IN PUBLIC..." DRAUPADI SAID TRYING TO GET OUT OF HIS GRIP BUT FAILED. "BUT NO PEOPLE ARE HERE." SAVYASACHI SAID. 

SAVYASACHI THEN CUPPED HER FACE AND STARED AT HER EYES IN WHICH DRAUPADI TOO STARED BACK IN RETURN. ARJUN THE BROKE DOWN IN TEARS AND STARTED CRYING. "ARYA? WHAT HAPPENED?" DRAUPADI SAID WIPING HIS TEARS BUT HE JUST CONTINUED CRYING.

SEEING HIM CRY DRAUPADI STARTED PANICKING AND JUST HUGGED HIM ON HER TIPPY TOES TAKING HIS HEAD ON HER CHEST. "ARYA! PLEASE SAY WHAT HAPPENED?" DRAUPADI ASKED RUFFLING HIS HAIR.

"THANK YOU.." SAVYASACHI SAID MAKING DRAUPADI CONFUSED. "THANK YOU?" DRAUPADI ASKED CUPPING FACE. "THANK YOU FOR GIVING BIRTH TO OUR CHILD FEW HOURS AGO." SAVYASACHI SAID.

"ARE YOU PREGNANT?" DRAUPADI ASKED. "WHAT?" SAVYASACHI ASKED CONFUSED. "I AM SERIOUS. EVEN MY PREGNANACY HORMONES DIDN'T MAKE ME CRY THIS SUDDENLY OUT OF NOWHERE." DRAUPADI SAID EARNING A CHUCKLE FROM HIM.

"DRAUPADI.." SAVYASACHI CALLED. "YES ARYA." DRAUPADI REPLIED. "I WANT TO MAKE YOU MINE." SAVYASACHI SAID. "I ALREADY AM ARYA." DRAUPADI SAID. "AFTER THAT DYUT... YOU DISOWNED US AS YOUR HUSBAND.." SAVYASACHI SAID.

"I ALREADY FORGOT ABOUT THAT ARYA." DRAUPADI SAID. "BUT I HAVEN'T. YOU TOOK BACK ALL THE RIGHTS OF A WIFE AND DISOWNED ME. TODAY I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME YOURS IF YOU GIVE ME THE PERMISSION." SAVYASACHI SAID LOOKING AT HER WITH EXPECTANT EYES WHILE TAKING OUT HER MANGALSUTRA, MARITAL FINGER RINGS, TOE RINGS, PAYALS, NOSE RING AND BANGLES.

DRAUPADI JUST GAVE HER HANDS TO HIM MAKING HIM CONFUSED. "WHAT? DID YOU BRING THAT JUST TO SHOW AND TAUNT ME?" DRAUPADI ASKED LOOKING AT SAVYASACHI. SAVYASACHI'S HAPPINESS KNEW NO BOUNDS. HE FIRST MADE HER WEAR THE BANGLES, THEN HER RING, HE THEN KNELT AND TOOK HER FEET ON HIS KNEES AND AS HE WAS ABOUT TO MAKE HER WEAR PAYAL DRAUPADI TOOK HER LEG BACK MAKING HIM LOOK UP.

"YOU ARE MY HUSBAND. HOW CAN YOU TOUCH MY FEET?" DRAUPADI ASKED. "BUT AT FIRST YOU ARE MY FRIEND, MY LOVER, MY OTHER BETTER HALF, MY SOUL." SAVYASACHI SAID AGAIN TAKING HER FEET AND MAKING HER WEAR HER TOES RINGS AND PAYAL ON EACH.

HE THEN STOOD UP AND MADE HER WEAR HER MANGALSUTRA, THEN HER NOSE RING. IT WAS A LITTLE HARD MAKING HER WEAR THE NOSE RING DUE TO HER OPEN HAIR BUT MANAGED IT. AFTER MAKING HER WEAR HER NOSE RING HE NUZZELED HIS NOSE AGAINST HER AND SWIFTLY CARRESED HER NOSE MAKING HER NOSE RING TINGLE AND RING WHICH HE LOVED.

HE THEN TOOK A PINCH OF SINDUR AND FILLED HER MAANG, DARK AND LONG JUST LIKE HE LOVED. AS HE FILLED HER MAANG THE SUN ROSE UP IN THE BACKGROUND MAKING IT EXTRA ROMANTIC. HE THEN TOOK A MATCHING RED PALLO AND MADE HER WEAR IT AS PALLO. "SWAMI?" PARVATI CALLED. "YES GAURI?" MAHADEV REPLIED. "ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GIVE THEM BLESSING?" PARVATI ASKED. "I DON'T THINK SO. HOW CAN WE?" MAHADEV ASKED CHUCKLING.

THE COUPLE THEN ASCENDED DOWN THE STAIR TO FIND VISHAKHA AND PADMAVATI ALONG WITH THEIR CHILDREN NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. "ARYA?" DRAUPADI CALLED. "DON'T WORRY I AM THE ONE WHO SENT THEM." SAVYASACHI SAID MAKING HER SIGH IN RELIEF. SAVYASACHI THEN CARRIED HER IN BRIDAL SURPRISING HER.

"YOU GAVE BIRTH TO MY ANGEL JUST FEW HOURS AGO. YOU MUST BE TIRED." SAVYASACHI SAID AND STARTED WALKINGWHILE CARRYING HER. AS THEY REACHED THE HUT SAVYASACHI LET DRAUPADI DOWN QUICKLY AS RUKMINI SPOTTED THEM TOGETHER.

"BHANU~" DRAUPADI SAID GOING TOWARDS BHANU WHO WAS IN KRISHNA'S HANDS. DRAUPADI WENT TOWARDS KRISHNA AND ADMIRED THE OTHER NEWBORN. "KRISHNAA~ DID YOU REMARRY? WITHOUT CALLING ME?" KRISHNA FAKE WHINED. 

"WHA-" DRAUPADI SAD BUT WAS CUT OFF. "WHERE DID YOU MARRY?" RUKMINI ASKED. "WHEN DID YOU MARRY?" SATYABHAMA ASKED. "FEW MINUTES AGO IN PARVATI MANDIR." SAVYASACHI SAID.

DRAUPADI QUICKLY WENT INSIDE HEARING HER NEWBORN'S CRIES SO DID SAVYASACHI. DRAUPADI TOOK HER NEWBORN IN HER ARMS AND STARTED CONSOLING HER BUT SHE DIDN'T STOP CRYING.

"ARYA.." DRAUPADI SAID. "WHAT HAPPENED?" SAVYASACHI ASKED. "I THINK SHE IS HUNGRY." DRAUPADI SAID. "FEED HER." SAVYASACHI SAID. "THEN.. CAN YOU GO OUT?" DRAUPADI SAID. "WHY-" SAVYASACHI SAID BUT STOPPED UNDERSTANDING WHAT SHE MEANT AND WENT OUT.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" KRISHNA ASKED. "SHE IS FEEDING HER." SAVYASACHI SAID. "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO NAME HER VASUDEV?" PITAMAH ASKED ARRIVING AT THE SPOT WITH THE KURU. 

DRAUPADI THEN CAME OUT WITH HER NEWBORN AFTER FEEDING HER. "MY NIECE WAS BORN IN THE MIDNIGHT LIKE ANY OTHER SURYAVANSHI BUT IN THE WILD. SHE CAME ON THIS EARTH IN THE WILD IN THE BEAUTY OF NATURE. SHE HAS THE RADIANT OF HER MOTHER AND AURA OF HER FATHER. HER PARENTS ARE THE FORM OF THE NATURE FIRE, ICE, DEATH AND MEDICINE. BORN IN THE WOMB OF THE NATURE SHE WILL BE NAMED AFTER THE NATURE...

PRAKRITI"

EVERYBODY WERE SATISFIED BY THE NAME AND THE MEANING BEHIND IT. "YAGNASENI DRAUPADI'S DAUGHTER, YAGNASENI PRAKRITI." RUKMINI ADDED.