Flouting Our Destiny

Chapter 13

Arjun's eyes flunked to unsee his eldest brother's hurried steps towards the lady, he thumped the flute glass on the table and teleported himself to her side,

"We need to talk" his words seemed to evaporate in comparison to his walking speed, Sarakshi's eyes were not able to catch up with her sister's disappearance with the man.

"You just cannot do whatever you want" Draupadi slurred over her wordings,
His lips twisted in a sly smirk, "I can, I can" he said, lightly laughing.

"Just remember," his finger brushed her lower lip,
"It's not necessary for a relationship to be named and people who are meant to be together might not always be physically together," he said, concerned with Yash's eagerness to meet her.

Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms around her chest,
"So you want me to accept your and Shanaya's..." her pronouncing remained adjourned by him as his lips lightly took off to kiss hers,
"Always remember that I am there with you and for you, no matter what happens"
A small smile perfectly fit on her face hearing his soulful voice,

"We are going to talk to my mom about us" His determination impressed the doubtful lady.
Her heart gladdened hearing him, was he really going to fight for her, for them?

Draupadi found herself standing in front of a woman who was eyeing the clasped fingers of her and the third son.
"Mom...mom, I cannot do this anymore" the dumbstruck lover peeped at the man who was tightly holding her hand,
"Not right now Arjun, and what is she doing here?" Pritha tried to lessen the intensity of the panic attacks in her mind,
"First of all, I want to have a private conversation with you, son" the dominating side of the mother jerked the unwanted guest, she let her fingers free from his grip and assured him of waiting outside until he does the real talk.

"Not her, at least" the mother spoke as if reading the thoughts of her son,
"I don't want any Draupadi in my house now" she swallowed her words realising the despondent aura around her son,
"But" Arjun shined with a new ray of strength.
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"Ma'am, Mr Kuruvanshi has asked you to meet him in the Pearl lawns pavilion of the resort" a waiter barged into the anxious lady who was sauntering in front of Pritha's room.

"Isn't Arjun inside the room? Well, that's weird" she nodded, thinking about the Kuruvanshi family, now which man of the family other than him will call her like this?

The lady kept her feet one by one on the stone pathway,
Cursing her Prince Charming of depriving her of attending her brother's engagement and also raising suspicions within the minds of her family.
She quickly messaged her dad stating that she's not well and would be joining later however they should carry on with the ceremonies.

An external force acted upon her to take an impetuous decision and walk further, her heart filled with a feeling unknown as she tried to identify the man whose back was towards her.

Yash felt her presence, his eyes prepared to drown into her beautiful sight,
"Panchali" his voice pleased itself as he turned to greet a horrified soul.
The brink of reality thrust upon the previously named Princess of Panchala to refresh her memories of the past.
He bolted the door behind him and glanced at the woman whose hands were shivering while insanely caressing her abdomen,
"Calm down Panchali, it was all a plan of the almighty" the Chakravartin Samrat emotionally hurt the already wounded woman,
"You wouldn't leave me, right?" He asked, hopefully staring at the royal lady whose body was bruised and dulled.
"No" She enunciated with hesitation,
"Oh Draupadi, the beautiful one, I love you so much"  his arms crushed the fragile body of the woman,
her hands trembled to reciprocate, feeling of disgust,
"We are leaving for the forest tomorrow" His straight voice did not show any sign of agony, "my dear kingdom has been annexed by them" he pitied himself,
The deserted queen was lost in her own world all this while,
"Our daughter left us, Arjun" her mumbling and sniffing back tears was unheard by the man.

"Yudhisthir!" The present Draupadi's woozy voice let an untamed part of hers be exposed.
Her present beckoned the past to enjoy together and torture the lady,
Everything seemed crystal clear to her, encapsulating the former life,
she felt her hair, her body, her mind and her heart being transported to a mysterious place.

Her shaky hands, withering expressions and hollowing heart were missed by the scanning pupils of Yash, he stood dumbstruck and astonished, she was really the queen of Indraprastha!

Draupadi choked on her own thoughts, she grabbed the nearest pillar only to sink to the ground,
" Chakravartin Samrat ki Jai, Samragyi ki Jai" sounds like these deafened her ears, she pressed her palms on either side of her head, her mouth opened wide to let the air go inside even though her lungs couldn't process the air.

He is the same man who made her, his queen, perhaps a namesake one who could only rule in the court, because the decisions of her life were confirmed by him,

"You will be my wife the foremost then Nakul since he is Mata Madri's first born followed by Bheem and then Sahdev, Arjun would be in the end"

Draupadi felt a sharp piercing dagger go across her heart, her heart spewed out the pain filled within.

Did he ever ask her anything apart from the court matters which she used to solve and he used to implement?

"One child from each husband will suit our family, no partiality and no extra concern" 
The youngest child of Drupad tried to swim in the waters of the past,
The rules he made were obediently followed by his brothers and her leaving only one exception, her second child with Arjun, their unborn girl who succumbed to her mother's both physical and mental wounds of the dyut sabha.

"No no no, this is not real" Draupadi slapped herself.

Was he not the one who spent the maximum amount of time with her due to her queen tag?
Did he gamble her away? Yes, he did!
Is she a toy to be played with?
Doesn't she have any rights?

Did he raise his voice when she was humiliated by Keechak in front of the Matsaya Sabha?
He was sitting at his place, tight-lipped because they couldn't let their identity at stake.

"I don't want to be your queen" she hollered, her hands gaining a newfound strength and pushing him away as he tried to help her by lending his hand so that she can get up,
" I don't want to be your queen" she shouted again only for him to stand away,

Yash, mixing with guilt and remorse let a deep sigh escape his mouth, his mind wanted to talk to her but her condition was worsening whenever he tried to go close to her.

"Arjun!" The feminine voice of hers was now filled with heaviness, she chanted his name repeatedly until she saw his figure run towards them.

Arjun dropped to his knees, his skin flushing and quivering. His fears had shaped into reality, the look on her face made it more miserable for him, he lost connectivity to the world and entered a place where he could only see himself along with her.
He failed to protect her from the past!

"Please tell him to go away" the lady held Arjun by his collar with eyes pleading for his help.

Growing protective towards himself, Yash quickly viewed the two before disappearing from their sight.

"Arjun," the weeping verbalisation diffused in his shallowed heart,
Her tears berated the past and she burrowed herself in his chest, howling and wailing.

Where one couple, Vidyut and Lakshana were exchanging rings, another couple was getting ringed in the remembrances of the dreadful past.