A love that brings pain.

Part Ninety-One

Previously:

  The journey was full of laughter and jokes as Draupadi's hand rested firmly in the calloused hands of Arjun. Their rightful place. The sun was getting quite low as they reached the hut where the other three brothers were waiting impatiently. After a joke and it was revealed that Draupadi knew about them, Draupadi walked up to Yudhi but was stopped as he spoke "You should firstly take the blessings of mother Rajkumari." She nodded, as the brothers led her in her hand intertwined with Arjun's. Sahadev could feel like something bad was going to happen, he looked up at the sky, realising that he needed to stop them entering the hut. He ran.But he was to late. Kunti was sitting in meditation. "Ma, look what i received in a daan." "What ever you have gained, split it between you five brothers."  

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Her grip loosened from his hand as they all looked at each other in disbelief. Arjun's heart physically pained but he knew he was only feeling a fraction of what Draupadi was going through. Kunti opened her eyes taking a thali and walking up to Yudhi, silence engulfed them all as they all wore faces of bewilderment, which was picked up by Kunti. "Sons, what's wrong why are you all looking at me like that." Yudhi looked over to his younger brother who had a look of shock gracing his handsome features, Kunti noticed a garland draped around his neck, her eyes slowly  widening, from behind Arjun, Draupadi moved to his side, her features equal to Arjun's. Arjun in shock spoke "Ma, what have you done? in the daan i won Rajkumari Draupadi's hand, and you...you ordered us to split her....how can one woman be split amongst five men..." Kunti remained mum. "HOW!" Draupadi's breathing became laboured. "Putri..i didn't mean it like that..i-i-" Kunti looked at Draupadi's crestfallen face. "Putri Draupadi..." Draupadi's gaze dropped as she withdrew her hand from Arjun's calloused manly hand. He closed his eye, a lone tear straying down as she left not paying attention to Kunti's desperate calls. The mother turned back to her sons who all stood looking at her accusingly. She saw the pain on Arjun's face...she was separating one soul and heart. Kunti walked out to look for Draupadi her own tears flowing down.. she found Draupadi sitting alongside a river, she was sitting a top a rock her body rocking back and forth with sobs... Kunti walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Draupadi turned around as Kunti began her apology speech. Draupadi closed her eyes as Kunti promised they would find away before leaving Draupadi in her created solitude. She hated this, her eyes stinging along with her heart that once again began to bleed out from the cracks in it. How could something so drastic happen and change what she wanted from life? She had found him...life was supposed to be good not change from worse to worser. How would people look at her? How would she deal with embarrassment and constant taunts? Her heart shuddered. Was this going to be her life? Split between five men...with no dignity left. Her eyes clouded with unshed tears as her breaths became laboured at the thought. Was this really her fate?

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Kunti had reached where the Pandavs were standing in silence a sense of eeriness looming around them. She hated herself for putting her sons through this but above all she hated the fact that she was ruining her best friends daughter's life. A girl who was like her own. A girl who she knew was in love with one person and one person only. Arjun.  She was splitting apart two soul mates who needed each other to survive, she had watched her son lose himself in her thoughts constantly, the distance eating away at his own soul. And she had added to their pain causing them to be star crossed lovers. Tears oozed out of her own eyes and Yudhi looked at his mother in disgust but he quickly calmed down. "Well, there is only one thing that can be done, Bheem, Sahdev, Nakul and Me will all remain in sanyas forever and Arjun marries Rajkumari Draupadi." "Sanyas, No Yudhister, there has to be another way, there has to be away were you all can stay." "Well ma we wouldn't be in this situation if you had just opened your eyes and looked. "  Kunti's eyes streamed with tears. Arjun couldn't take anymore and stormed off.

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He caught the glimpse of her, her red bridal attire flying in the wind as her shoulders shuddered from the chilliness of the evening. He walked forward, his heart racing as he stood millimetres away from her. "Krishnaa." Her eyes closed at the coolness of his voice, the serenity it provided, with the name he only used. She turned her head slightly as he took her form into view, her face traced with tears. He hated seeing her like this. And he hated being responsible for that same pain. "Krishnaa." he whispered huskily, like he was silently begging her to understand. She stood up her elegance ever green as she turned fully to face him their eyes meeting in such a painful way the winds began to pick up. "I'm sorry." Her eyes rimmed with tears. "We can't find a solution that will do the least harm...but maybe.." He stepped forward. "Maybe you should marry my older brother." "And you?" "Me and my brothers will go for sanyas." Draupadi shoved Arjun back "How could you ask me to do that, how dare you ask me to marry your older brother. i love you and only you.. how the hell am i supposed to just marry him and give your place to someone else? " He looked at her pain in his eyes but she refused to acknowledge that. "Your doing exactly what Angraj Karan was going to do but he was stopped...How dare you ask that of me." Both of their eyes were flowing as they looked at each other helplessly. "Okay fine lets say even if i do agree, you'll be making a sacrifice, i'll be making a sacrifice, your three other brothers will make a sacrifice...after so many sacrifices, will your older brother be able to stay alive from the guilt?..Will he?" Arjun folded his hands "Rajkumari, return back to the palace, conduct a competition for  your hand again." "And who will want to marry me, a girl who belongs to another, i will be the laughing stock of the entire Aaryavarth, is that what you want for me." "There isn't any other way, i can't let my brothers go to Sanyas, i can't." Draupadi let out a bitter laugh. "I have heard the Katha of Rajkumari Ambika, tell me this Rajkumar, has Hastinapur made an oath to destroy the lives of all the ladies of the Aaryavarth dynasty?" Her eyes her blazing with fire as his cool gaze met hers. He didn't know what to say, he was hurt by that but couldn't say anything and with that he left. She crumbled down to the floor her body shaking as tears slipped furiously from her glassy eyes. He turned back breaking at the sight, he wanted to run up and embrace, his legs beginning to carry him to her as he crouched down, pressing a kiss to her temple before standing up and turning to leave, She grabbed his wrist as her cries sounded in his ears,he let his own tears drop freely as he wrenched his wrist out her grip causing her hand to fall and him to walk of. She hugged her legs to her chest. As she cried out to the heavens above, as the Lords watched the Shakti Ansh in pain, their own tears falling at the plight of Shiv and Shakti. 

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Draupadi stood up despite feeling defeated, her hand colliding with the bag of stones Krishna had given to her. She took them out holding them in her palms, reminiscing what Krishna had told her. She knew what she had to do. 

Draupadi walked back to where the Pandavs and Kunti were sitting in distress, Kunti was the first to notice her as she spoke "Draupadi..Putri." Grabbing the attention of the Pandavs, her gaze meeting Arjun's as she forcefully ripped away focusing on Kunti in front of her. "Putri we came up with a solution, your marriage with Arjun will happen, and my four sons will take Sanyas." Draupadi looked up at Arjun again. "And what will that do Maharani. We can't change what has been said, and the remaining Pandavs taking Sanyas isn't going to benefit anyone." "But Putri its the only way. " "Maharani how can i be part of Maharaj Pandu's vansh if i can't  make a sacrifice" Arjun's gaze flew up to her. "You all tried to find a solution but couldn't find one but i have. i..i accept your words that you had uttered whilst praying to Lord Shiva. i-i-" She looked down at the five stones planted in her palm as she clenched her hand into a fist. "i will marry the Pandavs." Draupadi was shaking..trying desperately to calm her racing heart, as Arjun's heart shattered. Yudhishter was just about to say something....."WHAT." everyone's gaze turned. 

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TBC

cliffhanger. 

Author's note 

If there is actually anyone reading this, i hope you enjoyed it and please do vote and comment your thoughts on this chapter, for readers that have been there from the start thanks for understanding that exams are a pain in the ass and sticking by my side. Much love to all and i hope u liked this chapter, stay tuned for more and thank you all for the patience you all have had for me i truly appreciate it.