Previously

 Draupadi walked back to where the Pandavs and Kunti were sitting in distress, Kunti was the first to notice her as she spoke "Draupadi..Putri." Grabbing the attention of the Pandavs, her gaze meeting Arjun's as she forcefully ripped away focusing on Kunti in front of her. "Putri we came up with a solution, your marriage with Arjun will happen, and my four sons will take Sanyas." Draupadi looked up at Arjun again. "And what will that do Maharani. We can't change what has been said, and the remaining Pandavs taking Sanyas isn't going to benefit anyone." "But Putri its the only way. " "Maharani how can i be part of Maharaj Pandu's vansh if i can't make a sacrifice" Arjun's gaze flew up to her. "You all tried to find a solution but couldn't find one but i have. i..i accept your words that you had uttered whilst praying to Lord Shiva. i-i-" She looked down at the five stones planted in her palm as she clenched her hand into a fist. "i will marry the Pandavs." Draupadi was shaking..trying desperately to calm her racing heart, as Arjun's heart shattered. Yudhishter was just about to say something....."WHAT." everyone's gaze turned.  

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"WHAT" The sound of a shrill cry rang in everyone's ears as they turned to see Dhrist and Draupad standing in utter shock, Draupad climbed out of his chariot and took quick strides to his daughter closely followed by Dhrist who seemed like he was going to kill someone. "Draupadi Putri, what have you just said, have these Bhramins made a plan to split you between them." Draupadi's gaze latched onto Arjun's as her father began his accusations. "i had heard that Brahmins were sly people and never believed it..but today i have seen it." Draupad looked at Draupadi who was focused on only one, he pulled her face her to him "Putri come on we are going home." "But dad if i go then you will face humiliation and embarrassment and i will to." "Nahi Putri, Panchal will always protect their fire princess come what may, and i will never be humiliated i'll only feel embarrassed when our home isn't big enough for you." Draupadi wanted to smile at her fathers words as Dhrist approached her, "You really think that Drau, we will always be there for you we are family and i vowed to protect you from day." He folded his hands "I'm sorry i couldn't, i'm sorry you had to go through all this alone." Draupadi grabbed his hands shaking her head, as Draupad looked back at the family in disgust, before taking Draupadi's hand "There will be no marriage, i don't give my consent." He gave them a final look before tugging Draupadi behind him. But her eyes remained locked to one, both of them had tears brimming their eyes. Her head turned as Arjun's hand flew up in motion to stop the scenario but he clenched it into a fist as his family looked at him in pity and despair.  His heart was crying along with hers which was bleeding out. Her father sat her down in his seat signalling the charioteer to move and take them home. Dhrist looked back at the family his own tears lining his eyes as he broke for his own sister. Draupadi's eyes latched back on to Arjun's who had tears flowing with no concern of what people thought, her own tears halting as his pain over took, she was leaving him and it was partly his own fault, he put her in the most horrible position, he was to blame for their situation, he was to blame for the way they were both feeling, as he questioned what faults lay in their love. 

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Arjun and his family had been sitting outside in silence for the past hour, every memory of them two playing over and over again in his mind, as he contemplated the words uttered by Ved Vyas, "This is her fate, she needs to do this in order to take her second step in vanquishing evil." This is her fate. But why was fate being so cruel to her, had she not suffered enough, he wanted to rid her pain, he wanted to be by her side and fight for her, her every single battle..but sharing her..would he be able to do that. "Chal Arjun we have been told to head to Panchal, we have to go." Arjun looked up at Yudhishter and the rest of his brothers. "i can't face her." Bheem crouched down to his brother "She will always be yours Arjun, she will remain, Arjun ki  Draupadi, Paarth ki Krishnaa, Arjun ki  yagseni, Paarth ki  Kalyani, Vijay ki Vijayaa, Shiv ki Shakti..she's your in this life and in the following." Yudhishter agreed "Arjun this is simply being done to obtain dharam, its being done for a greater cause and we will be here to support the both of you and we promise to you now that we will never claim her as ours. She is your's above ours." Arjun looked up a his brothers as they shared a tight group hug, as Kunti watched from a far. After a while they set out to the Panchal Palace.

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Draupad, Dhrist and Draupadi had reached the palace, Draupadi stepped down from the chariot and looked around at the decorations. The decorations for her wedding. To Arjun. Fresh tears set in as her family stood confused. Her feet carried her to the mandap that was being constructed. She shuddered as Draupad and Dhrist took turns in narrating what had happen and why she looking like a bride corpse. Her heart raced as her face streaked with tears, she laughed at her fate how things could change so drastic and end up leaving her in such a shit situation. She reminisced all the times they had spent the way her body felt on fire whenever he came in contact with her, how her heart felt free from burden around him, how she felt free. But that had been stripped from her. Her family looked at her in shock, pity brimming from their eyes. She felt herself shiver, as Parshati walked up to her daughter allowing her to break in her mothers arms, her sisters and remaining mothers excluding Sera, hugged her, her brothers and father following suit shortly after. Draupadi's screams in pain becoming more and more painful by every passing moment. For once she let them see her broken, she let them nurse her emotional wounds as her heart bleed constantly, she looked up at all of them seeing them crying for her warmed her heart. Just as they broke the hug, Shikandani and her husband reached, silently understanding and joining the hug. Dhrist explained to his older sister and brother-in-law as they listened in shock. Shikandani walked up to her sister crouching down and wiping her tears, "My fire sister, you are not weak, i know you need time but you will heal.. you will learn to accept, just hang on." Draupadi managed a weak smile at her older sister but it faltered, despite her strength to keep it plastered on her face. She gathered herself up walking past Sera's look of victory and reached her chambers, she sat in front of her mirror removing her ornaments one by one, her bangles followed by her earrings followed by her nose ring, followed by her hair ornaments. She let her hair down allowing it to flow down her back. Standing up she slowly made her way up to her balcony, she looked down to see the varmala still present around her neck in a swift but haste movement, she removed it hurling above the balcony before breaking upon the steps of the balcony. 

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Just as the Pandavs had reached a varmala had fallen out of nowhere in Arjun's direction, falling a top of him, he looked down at he knew. He knew it belonged to her. He knew that this was the one he had placed around her claiming her as his. He gulped in fear that she hated him, in fear that her anger was reaching limits. In fear that he was responsible for her situation, despite the smell of the flowers he could smell the blue lotus scent, intoxicating his being. His brothers and mother looked at him in concern as he said "This is what i put around her as i claimed her as mine, and she's chucked it out." He let out a bitter laugh, as he walked on his family sharing looks of concern before walking to catch up with him. The pandavs walked in to see the Panchal royal family all standing outside, looks of despair gracing their features, they turned to see them, Draupad's anger returning as he began shouting not before realising that Kunti was standing amongst them. Parshati  looked at them in disgust, grabbing onto Kunti "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS KUNTI, AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE FOR YOU, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DESTROY MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE." She turned to Arjun "Arjun Putra, how could you let this happen, you promised me you would always keep her safe that you would not hurt her again after last time..then how come this has happened." Draupad spoke up "Because my queen they don't value promises, they just want to ruin every woman in Aaryavarth, and leave them to face humiliation, what can we expect, we should have been cautious after Lady Ambika's story but we..." He shook his head in disgust as he pushed his wife out of the way his arrow taking place on his bow and he released his fatherly wrath, into his arrow before releasing it. The pandavs eyes widened as it split into six arrows but the impact never came, as the arrows were turned to fire with one arrow. Everyone turned to see Draupadi in her stance, her hair flowing with the wind her eyes holding a fire of pain, as she jumped from where she was in front of the Pandavs, Krishna following her along with Satya. "Dad please, we can't do anything but accept the fact that this is my fate..." She breathed in "I said i would marry the five of them and i will and that's the end of that." With her bow in hand she looked at her family not bothering to even look at the Pandavs who all wore looks of shock. She could feel Arjun's gaze fixated on her.With her curls bouncing wildly she walked away leaving Krishna to handle the situation.  Krishna walked up to the Pandavs facing the royal family of Panchal "You should begin to welcome you son-in-laws, Maharaj this is her fate, we need to accept it to make it easier for her, just think about her situation, she's a mess she needs us to be there for her every step of the way, she needs all of us." As the family agreed for the benefit of Draupadi Kadambari walked up with a thali "Welcome to the family." she managed a weak smile as the family all put up a brave face. 

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It had been a couple of hours, they had gotten the Pandavs and Kunti into royal attire and allowed them to rest, everything had more or less gone back to the way it was, Parshati was slightly hostile, but the Princes and Princess of Panchal had made them feel welcome talking just like old times. Draupad and Parshati had walked in and asked to speak to Arjun. He smiled at them and walked out behind them as they went into the adjoining chambers they sat down and signalled Arjun to sit in between them. Parshati smoothed his curls as Draupad gave him a pat on the back. "Arjun Putra we wanted to talk about Draupadi..." Draupad continued from where Parshati had left of "We know this isn't easy for you son and we apologise for our hostility towards you." Arjun shook his head "There is no need i would certainly say that i would be the same if i had a daughter you have no reason to apologise Maharaj." "Dad...Please call me that if you wish." Arjun's eyes brimmed with tears as he engulfed Draupad in a hug he never had the chance to obtain his father's love or serve him and now Draupadi had given him someone to call Dad. He smiled as he felt Prashati smooth out his curls, "Hey i want to be called Ma too."Arjun smiled as he broke the hug..Draupad continued. "We know that this isn't going to be an easy journey for either of you, we as a family have talked and wanted to talk to you, the others wanted to be in here when we spoke to you but as parents we wanted to do it alone so be prepared for a sibling lecture later on." The three of them chuckled at that. Parshati took over "Arjun i know my daughter is a lot if things and i know how desperately she tries to hide her pain from people always saying she can handle it but when...but when she leaves we won't be with her all the time..i-i just want you to promise me that you will always be there for her, that you will always take the pain and share the burden, even though there is five of you i know she won't be able to hide from you as much as she tries. Please protect my daughter. Please."Parshati folded her hands in a begging style as Arjun gripped her hands "You have given me the title of your son, you didn't need to ask Ma.. above all she is my responsibility and i will try my best to full fill my duty as her husband, i promise i will stand by her side through out..."Draupad touched his curls patting his head "That's all we ask son, God bless your Jodi, God bless the connection between the two of you." Arjun smiled as he hugged them both.

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Draupadi stood with a sword in her hand her sword fighting against one of the soldiers. Her frustration coming out with every single blow. The poor soldier couldn't take anymore and someone had signalled him to leave as a sword came crashing down hard on top hers drawing her back to reality. She looked up into the eyes of her attacker to see her one and only. Arjun. He swung as she blocked, stepping backwards, their moves perfectly in sync with each other, they had both disarmed each other at the same time as Arjun twirled her to his chest. She felt alive but she had to exercise self-control she shoved him not saying a word, she moved towards her bow that was lying on the side, stringing it and caressing  the body of it, Arjun walked towards her, caging her in his muscular arms, his heavy breaths fanning her neck as his hand fell a top of her caressing her bow with her, Draupadi's eyes closed as she wrenched her hand from his grip turning in his arms and loosing balance, his hands flew to her waist steadying her as hers lay on his shoulder. "You Should leave Aarya." He smiled at how she addressed him. "Arjun sounds so much better coming from your lips even though Aarya sounds good to. Draupadi shoved at his chest, but his grip tightened fighting over her. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.  She looked up at him innocently. "For what." "I'm sorry." He fell on his knees in front of her his head resting on her stomach as his hands lay on her hips hugging her to him, she tried to move his arms but feeling the wetness on her stomach she knew he was hurt like her. she crouched down to him as he moved to hold her hands pulling her to sit in his lap, " I love you. That means I would defend you with my life even if the odds were insurmountable. It means I will comfort you in the difficult and painful times. It means I will dance and rejoice with you when times are good. It means I will never betray you, never give up on you. It means finding my fire when you, are threatened, yet never waging war - only doing what is necessary for a noble defence. Love says I forgive you when you aren't being yourself. Love says though life may test me I am yours into eternity and I will never abandon you. It means I will never put you in danger no matter how noble the "cause" may be. Love means protecting the earth, protecting humanity, being kind to animals, but should anyone demand your life to save their own I will tell them to rot in hell. There can never be a higher calling to me than protecting and caring for those I love. Love is not a concept for sheep, for sheep run at the first sign of fear; it is a concept for lions, so be brave my love and know that I am here. I love you Draupadi and i'm so sorry for this..this pain that i'm putting you through."

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TBC

Author's note

Hello to anyone who is reading. hope you enjoy this chapter. i would love to hear what you think so please do comment in the comment section below and do also vote as well. Lots of love to all. And thank you for taking out your time to read my story i appreciate soooo much.