A love that brings pain.

Part Ninety-Three

Previously 

  " I love you. That means I would defend you with my life even if the odds were insurmountable. It means I will comfort you in the difficult and painful times. It means I will dance and rejoice with you when times are good. It means I will never betray you, never give up on you. It means finding my fire when you, are threatened, yet never waging war - only doing what is necessary for a noble defence. Love says I forgive you when you aren't being yourself. Love says though life may test me I am yours into eternity and I will never abandon you. It means I will never put you in danger no matter how noble the "cause" may be. Love means protecting the earth, protecting humanity, being kind to animals, but should anyone demand your life to save their own I will tell them to rot in hell. There can never be a higher calling to me than protecting and caring for those I love. Love is not a concept for sheep, for sheep run at the first sign of fear; it is a concept for lions, so be brave my love and know that I am here. I love you Draupadi and i'm so sorry for this..this pain that i'm putting you through."  

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Draupadi sat outside watching the servants run back and forth. The reason? Her. More precisely her wedding. She shuddered at the thought, she was hating the idea of getting married, not to one but to five... she was fearing commitment, she was fearing this idea that she will turn into this woman that is dependent on her husbands. She hated feeling like this, she hated the feeling of not knowing what to do...she could already see judgements being passed about her character and she had no idea how to react. She felt numb. Above all she seemed unable to stop her thoughts running back to Arjun, she felt disgusted with herself constantly trying to push those thoughts back and tell herself that she is one of five not just his. She felt as though she had no right to even utter his name let alone look at him. Yet she did. Her eyes were constantly drawn to his masculine form.  She had ran and escaped from the blazing casts of those who held judgement and she ran from the one she loved sitting outside letting the breeze flow through her untamed curls, Draupadi heard a cry that she knew belonged to her nephew, Aashariya  had given birth a few days prior. She looked at her Bhabhi before taking her nephew from her and signalling her to go get some sleep, she looked great fully at Draupadi before leaving the Aunt and Nephew duo. She wondered what it was like for an infant to have no care in the world what so ever. She sighed inwardly, this was honestly harder than she thought. She loved Arjun.. She was sure of him, but being split between five men where she wouldn't be just his...it made her insides churn. "Rajkumari the family is waiting for you in one of the private rooms." Draupadi nodded at the Daasi as she manoeuvred her nephew Nihal in her arms careful not to wake him up. She walked along the patio taking her time. 

Once reaching the room she saw her family along with the Pandavs as her sisters looked at clothes and jewellery for her. Her brothers along with the Pandavs discussing royal affairs as Dakshi interrupted asking their opinion on what would suit her older sister. While the boys looked around confused as what to pick, Krishna signaled Arjun to have a look and picked up a red satin choli with bits of white, in a trance he spoke "This would suit her." the family looked at him as tension surfaced in the room, thick enough to be sliced. Dakshi picked up on the silence and chose to say "Vah Bhai you chose the combination of your favourite colour with Di's favourite." The family paled hearing that. But before anyone could reply, the wails of the new prince sounded in their ears as they turned to see Nihal wailing in Draupadi's arms, but her eyes weren't locked on the form of her nephew but rather someone else. Arjun met the awaiting gaze of Draupadi who's eyes were outlined with tears. But once Nihal's screams reached a certain level she carefully calmed down her nephew putting him back into a peaceful slumber before handing him over to Aashairya. "Your amazing Draupadi you did that within two seconds in takes me two hours i'm telling you he is his Bua's ladla. " Draupadi managed a small smile before saying "Why wouldn't he be of course he's my ladla."  she caressed his face, looking up at Arjun, her heart pounding. "Di look at this choli that Ajun Bhaia picked." Dakshi ran to her older sister with the choli in hand before the elders could try to contain the situation. Draupadi stilled in her position looking helpless but quickly recovering, she crouched down to her younger sisters level caressing the choli in her hand "Its beautiful, something resembling my choice."  Dakshi squealed and agreed before cutely ordering one of the maids to pack this one and put it in her sisters room.  Draupadi features had a fake smile plastered on as she took a seat next to her mother, looking at the designs in front of her.