SWEETHEART DRAUPADI (INNOCENCE OF THE FLAME)

85

"PUTRI!" "BHABHI!" GANDHARI, KUNTI AND DUSHALA SAID AS THEY CAUGHT HER IN TIME. "TAKE HER TO THE ROOM." GANDHARI SAID AND THE SOLDIER CARRIED HER TO THE LADIES ROOM WHERE PRADYUMNA WAS WITH PADMAVATI AND VISHAKHA.

"SAMRAGINI!" VISHAKHA EXCLAIMED SEEING DRAUPADI IN THAT STATE. THE SOLDIER THEN LAYED HER ON THE BED AND PADMAVATI WENT TO CALL DAIMA AND VISHAKHA WENT TO INFORM THE PANDAVAS. "SAMRAT!" VISHAKHA SAID SEEING THEM HEAD TOWARDS THE SABHA TO PLAY DYUT. 

"VISHAKHA?" KARN ASKED. "SAMRAGINI.." VISHAKHA SAID. "WHAT HAPPENED TO SAMRAGINI?" YUDHISTIR ASKED. "SAMRAGINI HAS FAINTED." VISHAKHA SAID SHOCKING EVERYBODY. "WHY? HOW? WHAT HAPPENED?" BHEEM ASKED.

"NO NEED TO WORRY SAMRAT DAIMA AND VED JI ARE THERE. I AM HERE JUST TO INFORM YOU." VISHAKHA SAID. "I WILL GO AND CHECK ON HER." ARJUN SAID BUT WAS STOPPED BY SHAKUNI.

"SAMRAT! DON'T WORRY SAMRAGINI IS UNDER VED'S CARE. IF YOU GO THEN EVERYBODY WILL HAVE A WANTING TO GO AND IF WE GO THEN THE VED CAN'T TREAT HER." SHAKUNI SAID.

"DON'T WORRY SAMRAT ME, PADMAVATI, BOTH THE MAHARANI AND KUMARI ARE THERE." VISHAKHA SAID AND WENT BACK TO THE ROOM.

*****

"VED JI! DAI MA! WHAT HAPPENED?" KUNTI ASKED. EVERYBODY WERE QUITE TENSED. "MAHARANI, SMARAGINI HAS WEAKNESS YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE BECAUSE THE LITTLE ONE IS ALREADY GIVING HER TOO MUCH TROUBLE IN THE FIRST MONTH." VED JI SAID. 

"OKAY WE WILL TAK-" GANDHARI SAID AND SOON STOPPED. "YOU MEAN... BHABHI... " DUSHALA ASKED. "SAMRAGINI IS ONE MONTH PREGNANT! CONGRATULATIONS! KURU FAMILY IS GETTING A SUN. SAMRAGINI IS CARRING THE FUTURE OF ARYAVART." DAIMA SAID.

THEIR HAPPINESS KNEW NO BOUNDS HEARING HER. "WHAT HAPPENED?" VISHAKHA ASKED. "SAMRAGINI IS PREGNANT!" PADMAVATI SQUEALED. "SAMRAGINI.... IS GOING TO BE A MOTHER?" VISHAKHA ASKED. "YES! YES! YES!" PADMAVATI SQUEALED.

THE TWO WENT MAD WITH HAPPINESS. THEY WERE JUMPING AND SMILING WITH JOY LIKE SMALL GIRLS. "WE NEED TO INFORM THIS." DUSHALA SAID. "BUT THE DYUT HAS ALREADY STARTED." VISHAKHA SAID. "NO NEED TO WORRY. WE WILL SAY AFTER THE DYUT." KUNTI SAID. "PRADYUMNA!!! CONGRATS YOU ARE GETTING A SIBLING." DUSHALA SAID TO GIGGLING PRADYUMNA. 

*****

"OH MY GOD! MY HEAD IS GOING TO BURST!" DRAUPADI SAID. "KRISHNAA! SAMRAGINI IS AWAKE." VISHAKHA SAID CALLING EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY CAME TOWARDS HER WITH A FACE BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN'S. PRADYUMNA SCREAMING WITH JOY PUT HIS HANDS FORWARDS TO DRAUPADI AND DRAUPADI NATURALLY TOOK HIM. 

"WHAT HAPPENED?" DRAUPADI ASKED. "THE BEST THING HAPPENED!" DUSHALA SAID. "WHAT? IS YOUR MARRIAGE FIXED WITH-" DRAUPADI SAID BUT WAS CUT OFF BY DUSHALA. "SHUT UP!" DUSHALA SAID RED.

"LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER SURPRISE IS ON THE WAY." KUNTI SAID AND ALL THE LADIES WERE LOOKING AT HER WITH A CHEEKY GRIN MAKING DUSHALA MORE RED. "BUT THAT'S NOT THE TOPIC." GANDHARI SAID.

"THEN WHAT?" DRAUPADI ASKED. "THE BEST IS YET TO COME." GANDHARI SAID. "WHAT?" DRAUPADI ASKED TOTALLY CONFUSED. "THE FUTURE OF ARYAVRAT, THE FIRST WIND OF THE NEXT KURU GENERATION, YOUR SUCCESSOR, THE SUCCESSOR OF THE SURYAVANSHIS!" PADMAVATI SAID.

FIRST DRAUPADI DIDN'T UNDERSTAND BUT AFTER JOINING ALL THE DOTS SHE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD. SHE WAS HAPPY, EMOTIONAL AND EVERYTHING AT THE SAME TIME, SHE WAS SMILING YET HAD TEARS OF HAPPINESS IN HER EYES. SHE WAS LEFT SPEECHLESS AND THE LADIES QUICKLY HUGGED HER. "CONGRATS!!!" THEY ALL SQUEALED.