Sootputra: The Unsung Hero

Blindfold

It was nearly midnight. The guards left me at the corridor hall on which the room of the prince resided. 

‘The last room at the end of the corridor’ he said while leaving my side.  The Hastinapur palace was bigger than I had anticipated. The rooms were enormous and expensively decorated. The ivory shaped drapes were hanging near the windows. The central garden even had a small pool in which doves were floating away.  I didn’t get to visit the royal court but by looking at its gate it was clear how huge its size must be. Even though the corridor hall only had 6-7 rooms, I could tell that its length was a lot, given how much I had to walk to reach the gates of the last room. Each Room must belong to a Prince and the biggest among them should be of the Yuvraj(Crowned prince). 

I stopped at the gates of the room. My heart was racing like a wild mare. Its beating can be clearly heard on this quiet, calm night. I thought that I was ready for this. I even brought the bow that the prince gave me as a present, then why was I scared? What is this nervousness that shakes my hands? Like a coiling snake, it squeezes my lungs giving how difficult it was to breathe even though a  cool breeze was blowing outside the castle walls yet, I was sweating from my forehead. I didn’t even know how to even properly stand let alone talk to the man that saved my dignity, the one who was going to be the King. How should I tell him the truth? How can I face him and say that I was ever so grateful for his actions? How can I say to him that I am not ready to be a King? Not yet at least? Will rejecting his offer be an insult to him?

The thoughts were racing in my mind when I heard a few footsteps. Two women, one holding a jug and another a plate with silver glasses were coming towards me. They were both wearing slightly revealing clothes. Their navel and chest were half exposed for the wind to grace it. They looked at me and stopped. I quickly averted my gaze and stood back to let them pass. The one with the jug knocked on the door. Their back and bottom were especially voluptuous.

“….I’ll be right there.

Don’t you dare cheat this time.” 

The voice was sharp and came with heavy footsteps. A person apart from Duryodhan had opened the doors. The calm was now filled with the noise that came from the room. The man on the door grabbed one glass from the plate as if expecting it. His eyes were black. He wore nothing to cover his top except for a few gold necklaces and a white string that crossed his chest diagonally. His hair was short and messy.  From his expensive lower garb I could clearly tell that he was one of the princes. In fact, I remember seeing him sitting beside Duryodhan in the arena.

“Oh, the drinks and the enjoyment have finally arrived.

Give me that.” He said while chugging two glasses of what can only be madira(Alcohol).

He was drunk enough to fall anytime. Lust was dripping from his eyes. Barely being able to stand on his feet, A few more drinks and he will be totally wasted. He placed his hand around the girl holding the jug while the other one passed by him.

“Who are you? I haven’t seen your mug before.

What’s that in your hands?”

“I’m here to see Prince Duryodhan.

He called me here. Wanted to see me?” I said nervously.

“What are you doing like a guard on the door, Dushashan?” said a familiar voice.

“Some fucking peasant is here to see you.”

“Who is he?”

“How the fuck would….I know who you made friends with?

Says he’s here because you called him.”

There was the sound of some hurried footsteps getting louder by the second.