HELLO MAHABHARATA

30. Sempiternal

Sempiternal /ˌsɛmpɪˈtəːn(ə)l/ Old French sempiternel or late Latin sempiternalis. eternal and unchanging; everlasting.

DRAUPADI WALKED TOWARDS THE KITCHEN to accomplish the most important task, making fresh ladoo, as her dear husband Vrikodar Bheem might begin his midnight hunt for the snacks soon. She knew that she was late after the zemblanity in the latest discussion.

"Panchali, just take a bite and tell me if it needs more jaggery"

Bheem stuffed his wife's mouth with a spoon of some coarse sweet mixture as soon as she entered the kitchen at the threshold witnessing the jubilant. After a few experimental chews her black lotus eyes widened in immense pleasure. "Aarya you know you don't have to ask, then why do you keep doing this? It's perfect as always" she pulled his cheek. Bheem gave her a quick grin siding a copper plate filled with pistachios towards her. She knew it backwards. His chef husband finds it uninteresting to finely chop things, nuts account as first.

"Not everything is perfect Panchali!" Bheem stirred the large iron vessel adding a few chopped pistachios in the flour mix. Panchali's knife pace ceased as a pistachio flew above the kitchen counter. Was that a statement or a question?

"You are are but perfect definitely" Bheem fanned his wife with a broad sal leaf. She was sweating around her temples which was actually not because of the steam or smoke emitted by the fire from hearths. She faked a suppressed smile and Bheem returned one too in antonym.

Strange! Aarya Bheem! How come he is ignorant to my unsaid words this time? He always jumps.....?

"You know I am waiting Draupadi" He sipped the jaggery syrup with a slurp. Draupadi sagged down on an elevated place near the windowsill with an exasperated thud. "Aarya" she spoke vehemently. Bheem chuckled as he covered the pot with a heavy lid. "Panchali" his voice imitated her fashion and he sat beside her. "I love her too. She is my best friend, a sister to me" Draupadi finally vouchsafed getting fidgety. "I do know dear" he reassured pushing a few wet tendrils of saline sweat from her glowing forehead. The eyes of Queen travelled in inspecting the whole kitchen arena. "Disperse" Bheem commanded raising his strong arm in the air.

"You love Simran and Arjun too, it's a universal truth" Bheem stomped his hands on his knees lazily bending his neck towards Draupadi's shoulder. "Aarya It's just that-It's that, all these years—Was my husband in love with her? Had she proposed him after that- Were they trying to keep...?" Draupadi jabbered periodically crushing that brocaded gold threads of her crimson lehenga. "Betray you or hide their love adventure from you?" the second Pandava completed his wife's not so acute worry. "Panchali, Arjun is a big dumb! Seriously" Bheem's stress had earned him a life soothing giggle from Draupadi.

"He was completely unaware all these years that he loves her and also of the fact that she loves him!" he added gaining a satisfactory sheer from his wife's eyes. "Aarya Sahdev told me that only you were aware of Simran's feelings as she told you? " Panchali's eyes were eagerly waiting for an answer and Bheem nodded.

"I had noticed Simran gazing at him, staring and at times gawking too. She was naive and innocent around her. Her eyes brimmed with affection and immense pleasure the moment she laid them on him. Her uneasiness, awkward behavior somehow made me sure of her inclination towards him. Arjun. He considered her as a responsibility all these years. He failed to realize that all his concern, connection, vehemence, were just camouflaged in love" Bheem said as Draupadi learnt the context. "But Aarya, why didn't she disclose this before? I mean things would have taken a different turn. She did this for us, for our family? I do not know Aarya" she was finding it difficult to procure the gist.