No wonder father christened me with his name. It seemed like everyone was obsessed with his name. Such a man he was.

Honey gold eyes, dark like me, the blue enigmatic flame who was worshipped all over Aryavart. His presence was always detected with flicker of peacock feathers, golden crown, mostly his divine existence was felt as a hypnosis, a manipulation that no one could resent, rather they welcomed it. I heard it all from my Sakhis. Malini was the most active one. I noted that she was talkative. Not that I minded.

I heard all about the sixteen thousand Gopis, the poor milkmaids, who couldn't get angry on child Krishna if he broke the pots to eat yogurt. They couldn't help but love him. Even with a history of playing around with women, no one ever called him a womanizer. He respected the women. I heard about his beloved Radha. How she and Krishna met secretly in the night surrounded by the Gops and Gopis and did Raas. They danced in the middle of the night in the tune of Krishna, his melody becoming their wine. No amount of protest on their parents' part could make them sane. Such was his effect on them. I heard everything about the blue magician who did miracles.

How he slit the throat of monsters, how as a child he destroyed them, how he won the hearts of all the people in Vrindavan, how he faced Indra and lifted the Govardhan mountain in one little finger. Then he left Vrindavan and all his beloved Gops and Gopis and went to Mathura. I then heard how his father and mother had been captured by King Kansa and how he killed him. His tales were rather a folklore than biography of a living person. It was hard to imagine a person who did all sorts of miracles and also realize that he was breathing the same air as me. Even after a month of hearing his stories, it seemed there was no end to his miracles. I didn't believe it till father sent for me,

"Maharaj requests your presence, Princess." The messenger said.

"Come, Rajkumari, you must look presentable." Malini nudged at me.

I followed her. She combed my hair and loosely plaited it. I detected a fragrance oil but didn't bother to ask. Another maid arranged my white saree of silver threads to a more respectable look. Malini pinned in Mogra and rajanigandha flowers into my hair. I noticed her pinning some blue lotuses and roses. I hadn't made a secret of my favorite flower. The kajal was applied in my eyes and some light tint lip rogue was applied to my lips. The head maid, my supposed Dhai, sprinkled some rose water. I was thankful for the minimal jewelry. I was escorted by Malini, the head maid and the four guards. I smiled at anyone who passed by, they bowed and greeted me a good day.

"Rajkumari, when you get inside. Do not raise your head at Maharaj. Keep your head lowered. And touch the feet of Maharaj. Until and unless, the Maharaj instructs or blesses you, do not raise from your position. And do not meet his eyes. Do not talk unnecessarily, do not laugh. It is a proper code of conduct for the daughter, the Princess of Kampilya." The head maid instructed. The information at once was registered into my head. I wasn't baffled but I didn't understand the purpose of most of the rules. Why should I lower my eyes? Why can't I meet the gaze of my father? Why can't I laugh with my family members? Nevertheless, I decided to obey. The guards stopped at the door. The head maid and Malini followed me for a bit. They too stopped after Maharaj came into vision. Without looking at anyone, I first went to touch father's feet without a second thought.

"May you prosper, daughter!" He patted my head, chuckling. I raised my head and stood up. I met his gaze. His eyes were gentle. They were too fierce with joy on my first day. I noticed him eyeing someone behind me. I looked back to see my half-brother, General Shikhandi, standing and smiling. I pranamed him when he too folded his hands. He excused himself and exited from the door.

"Draupadi." Father called.

"Yes, father." I replied.

He sat down on his seat with a grave expression.

"A very important guest would be soon visiting Panchal. He is the Crown Prince and practically the administrator of Dwarka. He must be my son in law. If he sides with us, the entire Aryavart will be defeated-"

I didn't pay much attention. The very word "Dwarka" was enough to tell me who he was. The magic man, the blue magician, the one who made miracles, Krishna. But I was more surprised to hear the term son in law. I was the only daughter of father. If Krishna had to be a son in law, then-

"You must prepare well, Draupadi. There should be no flaw in the preparations for his welcome. You will personally execute the grand event of welcoming him. I hear praises from all your teachers. This is your first test. Please Vasudev Krishna with your hospitality and your charms. It won't take me long to convince him to take you under his shelter. He is a good man. He will make a good husband for you. Only the best of men will be for my daughter." He said.

I wasn't sure if he wanted the best of men to be my husband or be his son in law. They felt like two different things. It was if I had to marry a husband that was suitable to be the son in law for my father. My guts said it was that Drona feud again that was making him marry me to increase his alliances. Dwarka was a pretty good target. Krishna's Narayani Army was the best troop over Aryavart. The rumors of the golden palace in the middle of sea were no joke either. The hub of trades, business and culture was bound to be this successful. An ideal candidate for marriage indeed.

"Understood, father." I said. What more could I do?

Never say no was the first rule of being a woman.

"You may go and rest well. Start the preparation from tomorrow. That way you will get three days to prepare well. It's been a month since you started taking training in everything. You must do well." He said.

"Yes, father." I bowed and turned to leave.

Malini joined me afterwards. Seemed like the head maid had some errands to run. The four bodyguards followed.

"Gather all the servants and maids. We have to welcome an important guest in four days." I ordered Malini.

"Who is it the guest of utmost importance that the Maharaj has asked the Princess to conduct his welcome ceremony?" She wondered aloud.

"Vasudev Krishna." I replied curtly.

"Huh? Krishna is coming to Panchal? To our palace? For what?" Malini asked me again.

I didn't reply for a while. It was not even a month and now I had to officially debut as a princess to welcome the best of men. And it was only a month since I had been brought to Kampilya. Why the rush to get me married? The fact that the best of men was going to marry me was not flattering as I expected it to be. My personal dilemmas were far too important.

"Rajkumari, why is he coming here?" Malini was now overjoyed. Seemed like it had sunk in on her. She must've thought I was joking. It was not just me who didn't believe that Krishna was breathing the same air as us.

"Why else? To become the son in law of Maharaj." I walked faster.

"What?" Malini shouted, having difficulty in pacing with me and comprehending my words at the same time.

Time was moving fast. The day Krishna's foot would be set in Panchal was nearing. The whole of Panchal was busy with preparations. It was the debut of the fire born princess and the blue magician of Dwarka was already decided as a prospective husband. What could be more exciting?

Perfect. Just perfect. I grumbled. I couldn't stand the etiquette lessons anymore. It was getting more and more intense from the moment they heard Krishna was to be my husband. Keep your spine straight, do not bow, look at him under your eyelashes, smile more...

It seemed that the world was coming to an end.

The preparation was more difficult than I had expected. What flowers did Krishna like? What food did he love? Where would he stay? Was the guest room renovated yet? The royal chef won't do. All the queens of Maharaj would personally prepare his food. But all would be organized me. In the end, I decided to do it my way.

I selected a room that had a water resource inside it and a glass ceiling. Dwarka was a city in the midst of the sea. He must feel at home when he arrives. The small pond in the center of the room was decorated with white lilies and blue lotuses. The scented diyas were placed on the lotus leaf and were set afloat. The ceiling was decorated with peacock feathers. The chandelier hanging over the pond was remodeled. The new model had hanging peacock feathers from strong chains embedded with diamonds. The balcony was decorated with diyas and flowers. Strings of flowers were made like an umbrella inside the room. The fragrance was now toxic enough for me to sneeze now and then. The water of the pond was prepared with the serum of various flowers and medicinal herbs. The fresh smell of plants moderated the fragrance of flowers. The ventilation was proper and the view from the balcony was beautiful. The whole of Panchal could be seen in all its glory. The commoners were instructed to decorate their houses and they were more than happy to do it. I declared the decorations to be covered by state expenditure. The whole of Panchal was now ready like a wave to engulf Krishna and make him forget about Dwarka.

Every nook and corner of the palace was checked thoroughly. I was surprised to see the activeness in everyone. It seemed like I was the only one slacking off. Despite the preparations, I paid special attention to my own garden and my room. Maharaj permitted me to change the whole palace if I liked. I wondered if he was excited for me or for his son in law. The etiquette lessons were now revised in a crash course, and it seemed that the head maid had become very clingy. She chattered about traditions and history of Panchal and other kingdoms while following me around. Mostly, I didn't reply to her. But I listened. History included politics and it was my favorite. I heard all she had to say about Magadh, Hastinapur, Kalinga, Manipur, Chedi, Hastinapur, Sindhu, Vidarbha, Kuntala, Gandhar and many other kingdoms. I noticed her being the most knowledgeable about Hastinapur. It seems like people always had something to say about Dwarka, Magadh, Hastinapur and Panchal. I guessed these four kingdoms were the most powerful kingdoms amongst others. I heard about the hundred sons of Queen Gandhari and the miraculous Queen Mother of Hastinapur who could give birth to sons from Gods. I heard about the blind but mighty king of Hastinapur and the immortal son of Ganga, Bheeshma, who had taken the oath of lifelong celibacy. I heard about the three princesses of Kashi who were kidnapped by him for his weak brother. It was amazing to believe that I was living in the time of such great legends. The head maid stopped her chatter when I asked about Amba, the princess who rejected the king of Hastinapur. She grew quiet. I decided I would skip the question and ask them later. She changed the topic and started chattering about Panchal. She grew quiet again when I wondered about the division of Panchala. She blamed it on Dronacharya who was envious of Maharaj Drupad and hence invaded the kingdom.

"Then why didn't he take the whole of Panchala but only the Northern part?" I asked.

"It is the most prosperous part of Panchala, Princess. That terrible man must have wanted to humiliate our king by taking the most prosperous part and leaving the rest. Leaving your enemy with no harm but taking away their weapons is more humiliating than death." She grumbled.

"Why did he want to humiliate my father?" I asked, curious.

"Because he hated Maharaj Drupad." She whispered.

"And why-" I got interrupted by her.

"We must not delay in the preparations, Princess. There's not much time left." She said.

I noticed how she avoided my questions. As if she was hiding something. The same as before when I asked about the Kashi princess. I guessed they were controversial topics that were not be uttered in my presence. No matter what, I would find someone to tell me anyway. So, for the present, I skipped the question.

As I was given the complete charge to do things with the man force required, I just had to make sure all the tasks were done in the given time no matter what means I used. It was impossible to personally check everything, and it would be chaotic if everyone tried to do everything. So, I divided the work according to everyone's category and their strength.

The soldiers and guards were assigned to carry bulky things or run errands. The maids were asked to take over the cleaning and decoration. I selected people with experience as the heads to command over it and check the tasks. Then, there would be a detailed report coming to me from each department and I would be able to save time. The vision and the planning were mine, but I left the execution to the heads. I left the Queen as the charge for food items, the General as the head of transportation and authority for manpower, I assigned Dhrishtadyumna to manage finance and budgeting and keep records of all transactions. The local panchayat were representatives of the people who informed us about their progress and funding. The junior Queens of Maharaj Drupad were made in charge of separate sections of the palace for evaluation. I personally designed and explained every process of my planning to the heads, and they agreed to stick with it. I made surprise inspection visits to each section to make sure the work was going well. I didn't meet father in any of the four days, but I was sure that my reports reached the ears of the Maharaj through either of my brothers. The work that was to be completed within three days was completed in two days.

I had personally tasted all the cuisines by the royal chef under the Queen. I had checked all the rooms decorated with proper color balance and fragrance; I had made sure to check on our stocks while also proposing several ways to save on the budget. Now all we had to do was rest and wait. Everyone in Panchal was tired and wanted to be in their best state to welcome the walking miracle of Dwarka. I had made sure to check that the maids weren't plotting to turn me into a bride with my appearance. I hadn't given them enough time to do that. So, it was decided that I would wear a white saree of golden threads with golden jewelries. I had suggested minimal jewelries, but they found a way to argue with flowers. As if there wasn't enough fragrance in the whole kingdom with all the flowers we had used for decoration.

Even with the scented incense stick, I couldn't sleep. I was feeling restless all day. The planning and execution of the event had my absolute focus. I had suggested to use domestic flowers and other materials to cut off some expenditure. Funding was necessary when we had to import scented candles. So, I suggested using the diyas of local diya makers and use flower serum with wax to make the candles. Using unconventional ways in my planning, we had not only become independent of imported resources, but we had also found new employment facilities. The entirety of Panchal had evolved within two days with my unconventional methods. I wondered how much I would be able to change if I became an administrator. But again, the rules of women bound me.

Women are supposed to be caretakers. They are supposed to manage households and be loyal to their family. Their most important duty is producing heirs.

But why can't they manage kingdoms if they can manage homes? If they could be loyal to their families, why not to their kingdoms? To this nobody knew the answer.

Morning found Panchal in an active state. All the preparation for the welcoming of Krishna was done. People just had one day left to make themselves presentable. And this day, no one ever found the princess who had hundreds of designers and the best beauticians lined up for her in front of her quarters.

Because everyone knew, how I hated it. Being bronze skinned, I had never liked to make up. I preferred natural looks. And it didn't matter to the attendants either. Their princess was after all the most beautiful masterpiece by God after all. But not this time. I had to put on my best for Krishna.

But how? The princess couldn't be found!

They say, one could find a person if he was lost. But how to find a person who was deliberately hiding?

No one except me knew where I was. I was in my safe space busy reading books. My safe space was a secret corner in my garden that no one except me could find. It was hidden behind tall trees and bushes. It was the only place where I could think and act myself. It wasn't as if I didn't want to put on my best self before Krishna. He was an individual to be respected. But the term 'husband' didn't sit quite right in my mind for him.

The history book I was reading was based on the ancient history of Bharata Varsha. I read how the feud between Chandra and Brihaspati created a generation of Chandravanshis (descendants of Moon) and Suryavanshis (descendants of Sun). I read how Ikshvaku and Ram Chandra leaded the Suryavanshis. It was a familiar story that could be heard in folklores. I had read all about Mata Sita and many other prominent figures during the Tretaya Yuga (Silver age). Though I never understood why Lord Rama chose to believe his people instead of Mata Sita and humiliated her by Agni Pariksha, it was only this test of purity that made Mata Sita known as a Sati.

I read more about Chandravanshis. As time moved forward, the incidents that happened centuries ago got imprinted in my mind. There were many things that I noticed. But only one thing caught my absolute attention.

In every feud, in every division and in every misunderstanding, there was a certain woman involved as the cause. I closed the book and started thinking.

Indeed, how had I never noticed it before?

Chandra and Brihaspati (moon and Jupiter) fought and created a division of people by creating solar and lunar houses. Its cause was Tara (star). The Great Bharat Varsha came to be because of King Bharat, the son of Shakuntala and Dushyant. If Shakuntala hadn't made Dushyant aware of his duties as a father, how would've the era come?

If Ganga hadn't enjoyed the shameless stare of Mahabhisha in heavens, who would've ever taken up the role of King Shantanu? If Satyavati hadn't sticked with her demands, would Bheeshma have ever been this great of a legend?

What if Dhritarashtra hadn't married Gandhari? How would've the hundred Kauravas come to existence? King Pandu was cursed and couldn't give birth to his heirs. But Kunti was the reason why Pandavas existed.

The death of Kansa was not to be at the hands of Krishna. It was to be by the eighth son of Devaki. If not for Yogmaya's timely swap, would Krishna ever survive?

At every critical point in history, a woman played the most important role. It was always to destruct or to give life. I wondered what my fate was. And suddenly I remembered the prophecy of my birth.

She'll be the cause of the destruction of Kshatriyas. She'll establish Dharma.

Did I have to play a role in destruction? Dharma was always described as a hope for new life. How would I establish Dharma by destructing Kshatriyas?

The questions remained unanswered till the blue magician of Dwarka entered my life and made my perspective new.