The Tales of Arjun and Panchali

Lost

A/N : Pineapple sheera is a type of Indian sweet dish. Read away!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recap : 

Panchali Pov :

I just wanted to bask in my Arjun's love and new found possessive behaviour. Life is at such a unique juncture. Both of us are parents yet struggle with unresolved emotions for each other. It's a complicated life but we chose it. Not just him. I had a part to play in it too. I decided to not blame him entirely for the situation and make the most of our time together.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arjun's POV :

The fireborn was fuming which was clearly visible in her big eyes. I was trying my best to pacify her anger by feeding her today in everyone's sight but I know I will need to do more than this to calm her down. Bhrata Bheem had offered to feed her today but how would I let that happen? This is my time with her. She already has to share it with Subhadra and is doing so without complaining hence it's my responsibility now to make her feel special. I guess, I am just being smart because in reality, it's me who cannot stay away from her anymore. She signaled me that she couldn't eat anymore with puppy eyes and got up to serve us pineapple sheera especially ordered to be made for her. Bhrata Bheem was taking every effort to make her pregnancy easier which I was thankful for! She followed the dasi who was serving sheera and asked her to start with Maharaj. When she reached Arya Bheem, he insisted to feed her a bite. Having one bite of it, her eyes lit up like a child and she started praising him. I felt a pang in my chest. Why do I feel that all her appreciation and praises should only be reserved for me? I was behaving like a child and I knew so but only Madhav knew why I was feeling such strong pangs of jealousy. She went to Nakul and Sahadev, both of them made her sit in between them and fed her another bite of pineapple sheera. Suddenly, a lone tear escaped my eye. I was oblivious to the love and care she was exposed to for so many years. Even Maharaj Yudhistir smiled at their camaraderie and I saw only love in his eyes. Whom should I curse for this? The fate or myself? Was it not enough, Lord that we had to share each other that you also caused us to be apart for twelve years? It was impossible for me to gulp down the remaining food so I made an excuse to leave the hall. I quickly saw her gaze on me when I got up and cursed myself for making it so obvious that I wasn't in a good mood.

I found myself on the open grounds where I usually practised archery. How my feet took me to a place where I was at the calmest is only a mystery! I placed a blindfold on my eyes and started practising to distract myself. I aimed at the ripe mangoes but before I could shoot the arrow, I inhaled a familiar fragrance of blue lotuses. The sound of her anklets, the intoxicating smell was my cue to aim the arrow at a different place.

"You remember this is how we first met, don't you?", Panchali said. I could imagine the beautiful smile formed on her lips at the touch of the flowers on her delicate, soft skin. I approached her and she quickly untied the blindfold letting it fall on the ground.

"How can I forget the day when I found out the meaning of love?", I said while kissing her forehead. "I was mesmerized by your beauty and aura. The way you spoke with confidence, the way you walked with a slight sway in your hips, the way your eyes twinkled. I understood the meaning of falling in love at first sight, Panchali", I confessed while eagerly waiting for her answer.

"Enough, Parth, don't try to butter me up with your sweet words. Sit down on the grass", she ordered and I followed her orders like a polite child. She then tried to sit carefully on my lap with holding her belly with one hand and balancing a small bowl in her other hand. I panicked as she wasn't supposed to strain herself while being pregnant but dare I say anything against the Empress!

"Now, open your mouth wide", she ordered again and fed me the pineapple sheera. "How's it?", she asked with twinkling eyes.

"It is really tasty, Panchali", I said with a sudden gloom. She even remembered that I hadn't finished my meal and took the efforts of brining it here. This woman just keeps on melting my heart into a puddle. Suddenly, the anger and jealousy transformed into guilt and regret. "Krishnaa, I don't know why can't I see you with someone else? Why do I have the fear of losing you all the time? Why are these emotions bursting out like never before?", I asked her. I knew that she understood my heart more than me.

The sheera was over now and I just caught her delicate hand and started licking her long fingers one by one.

"Arjun, if you continue with licking my fingers, I can't answer your question", she whispered with a hitched breath and I smirked. I left her hand and she proceeded to wipe it off on my angavastram with a giggle.

"You know, Parth. No, actually you don't know how possessive I am of you! I have never let that side of me overpower my senses, simply to keep the peace between us. This heart right here", she said while placing my hand on the left side of her chest and continued, "aches, aches so much to see you with someone else. Unfortunately, it's a choice which you made for yourself and for me nothing matters more than your happiness, so I bury my feelings deep down", she said in a soothing voice as if singing a lullaby to a baby. She started caressing my hair to calm me down. "This is a life we chose for us. I know you could have stood up for us but even I didn't protest, did I?", she said with tears in her eyes. The sight in front of me shattered my heart. How is her heart so magnanimous to share the blame for something which my family and I collectively chose for her without her consent?

I was unable to speak because what could I say to someone who loved me with her every cell? I sighed and took a deep breath. I cupped her beautiful face in my hands and just stared into her watery eyes. "I cannot..... I cannot", I struggled to form words and found my voice choking. "Can we please...?", I asked unable to complete the sentence because I was a coward.

"You cannot share me anymore? Can we what, Parth? Can we leave from here?", she completed my sentences because she was the braver one between us. The resilient one. A cold laughter escaped her lips. Her eyes lost all the warmth and she tried to get up carefully.

"I don't think you realise the amount of love I have for you. When my fate was assigned to me, I followed it quietly because I knew you loved me. Your first confession in the forests of Kampilya! I had ran away far from you when you told me that you loved me but the Almighty had different plans. You had come in your disguise to take me away from this world. I had started dreaming of a life for us there itself when I saw you walking inside the Swayamvar grounds. And then what happened, Parth?", she said while clutching my angavastram tightly as if I would disappear if she left it.

"I won....", I barely whispered.

"Yon won and our love got lost.. ", she said and my eyes widened with disbelief and shock at the words she uttered but she continued, "lost in a life of chaos and responsibilities but still intact in the deepest recesses of our hearts!", she said forcing herself to smile which left me stunned.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N : OH Shit! Guysss, I wasn't planning to write something so intense. It's far from the Arjun I had imagined but this man is just vulnerable </3

You demanded for a sooner update and here it is! Two updates in a row! Chalo, ab shower more love now. Hehehe.

Also, I have an idea for a fiery SHAPOO Story! So, brace yourselves because it's gonna get hot in here ;)))