SWEETHEART DRAUPADI (INNOCENCE OF THE FLAME)

88

DRAUPADI REACHED INDRAPRASTH PALACE AND STORMED IN. DUSHALA, ROYAL LADIES AND THE PANDAVAS WERE FOLLOWING HER CHARIOT FROM A DISTANCE BEHIND. EVERYBODY WERE CONCERENED FOR THEIR SAMRAGINI SEEING HER BRUISES AND THE PANDAVAS, DUSHALA AND THE ROYAL LADIES FOLLOWING HER FROM A DISTANCE.

DRAUPADI STARIAGHT UP WENT TO THEIR PAVILION AND STORMED IN. "KRISHNAA.." SUPRIYA SAID. "TAKE CARE OF PRADYUMNA." DRAUPADI SAID AND CONTINUED WALKING. "SUPRIYA, DRAUPADI?" KARN ASKED. "TOWARDS YOUR SHARED ROOM." SUPRIYA SAID.

"KUMARI PLEASE HAND KUMAR TO ME. SAMRAGINI ORDERED ME TO." SUPRIYA SAID AND DUSHALA HANDED PRADYUMNA TO HER AND FOLLOWED THE REST. DRAUPADI THEN OPENED THE DOOR OF HER ROOM AND ENTERED IT. SHE THEN STARTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR "PRIYE!!" THE PANDAVAS SAID AND RAN TOWARDS HER BUT DRAUPADI SHUT THE DOOR RIGHT AT THEIR FACE.

"PRIYE? PRIYE! OPEN THE DOOR!" YUDHISTIR SAID BANGING THE DOOR. EVERYBODY STARTED BANGING HER DOOR BUT SHE DIDN'T RESPOND. "PRIYE! OPEN OR ELSE I AM BREAKING IT!" BHEEM SAID AND GOT NO RESPONSE. "MOVE ASIDE." BHEEM SAID AND RACED TOWARDS THE DOOR BUT THE DOOR DIDN'T BUDGE A BIT. HE TRIED SEVERAL TIME BUT IT DIDN'T EVEN TAKE A NAME TO BUDGE.

"WHY IS THIS NOT OPENING? THIS IS MADE UP OF WOOD IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROKEN AGES AGO WHEN BHRATA BHEEM FIRST TRIED." NAKUL SAID. "THIS IS NOT A WOODEN DOOR. ITS THE DOOR OF HER HEART THAT SHE HAS SHUT." YUDHISTIR SAID. THEY THEN HEARD A COMMOTION MAKING THEM STARTLE. "PRIYE!" THE PANDAVAS SHOUTED. "PUTRI!" GANDHARI AND KUNTI SHOUTED. 

DRAUPADI AS SOON AS SHE ENTERED THE ROOM CLOSED AND LOCKED ALL THE WINDOWS AND DREW THE CURTAINS CLOSE. SHE THEN HEARD ALL THE COMMOTION OUTSIDE BUT DIDN'T BUDGE A BIT. SHE SAT DOWN ON THE GROUND NEAR THE BED AND CARESSED HER STOMACH. 

"MAIYA IS SO SO SO SO SORRY BABY. IT MUST HAVE BEEN SO UNCOMFORTABLE RIGHT? BUT NOW EVERYTHING IS FINE. WE ARE BACK HOME IN MAIYA AND BABA'S ROOM." DRAUPADI SAID. SHE WAS JUST CARESSING HER STOMACH WHEN SHE SAW HER REFLECTION ON THE MIRROR.

SHE SAW HER BRUISED BODY AND REMEMBERED ALL HER PLEADINGS TO SPARE HER UNBORN CHILD AND THE CHEERHARAN. DRAUPADI THEN TOOK AN EMPTY JUG OF WATER AND THREW IT ON THE MIRROR SHATTERING IT INTO PIECES.

SHE COULD HEAR HER NAME BEING CALLED LACED WITH WORRY BUT SHE JUST IGNORED THEM SHE CONTINUED TO BREAK THE MIRROR AND THROW AWAY THE GLASSES AND FLIP THE TABLES. 

THE PANDAVAS OUTSIDE COULD HEAR AND THE COMMOTIONS INSIDE AND FEARED FOR THE WORST. "PRIYE! WHAT'S GOING ON? DON'T HARM YOURSELF!" SHAHADEV SAID.

DRAUPADI WAS A CRYING MESS. THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL PAIN SHE WAS SUFFERING WAS UNIMAGINABLE. SHE THEN CAME INFRONT OF THE MIRRORS AND STARTED TO BREAK IT. AS SHE WAS BREAKING EACH AND EVERY MIRROR SHE HALTED AT THE LAST FOUR MIRRORS REMEMBERING HER ARYA'S WORDS WHEN THEY FIRST TIME ENTERED THEIR ROOM.

FLASHBACK,

"ARYA? WHY SO MANY MIRRORS?" DRAUPADI ASKED ENTERING THE ROOM SEEING AT LEAST 10 MIRRORS IN TOTAL. "JUST." NAKUL SAID BACKHUGGING HER. "JUST?" DRAUPADI ASKED RESTING HERSELF ON HIM. 

"YEAH YOU SEE THERE!" NAKUL SAID POINTING AT ONE OF THE WALL MIRRORS WHICH REFLECTED HER FACE. "YEAH! I CAN." DRAUPADI SAID. "NOW LOOK AT THE REST 9 AS WELL." NAKUL SAID. SHE THEN SAW EACH AND EVERY MIRRO WHICH REFLECTED EACH OTHER SHOWING DRAUPADI'S FACE.

NAKUL THEN RESTED HIS HEAD ON HER SHOULDERS AND KISSED HER CHEEKS. "I KEPT THESE MIRRORS SO THAT I CAN SEE YOU EVERYWHERE I LOOK." NAKUL SAID. "ME OR YOUR HANDSOME FACE?" DRAUPADI TEASED. "BOTH! JUST LIKE NOW." NAKUL SAID NUZZLING HIS NOSE AGAINST HERS MAKING HER LET OUT A SWEET GIGGLE.