Draupadi indignantly paced through the desolated corridor, aiming dussala's chamber...she balled her fists in wrath as she felt like his wanton gaze was still lingering around her...

"Draupadi"...
draupadi halted at her tracks when she heard Arjun's solicituded voice from behind... Yagyaseni felt the anger which was burning inside her, getting evaporated into the thin air...
She pivoted on her heels and looked at arjun,who stood behind her with a strained face...

" Are you okay? "
arjun enquired softly, even though his jittery was clearly audible in his voice...He knows that she must have felt uneasiness as it is precisely visible on her face...
But , Draupadi nodded slightly in a positive way which lessened Arjun's tension...

"Pardon me draupadi, for not saying  anything about him before... I apologize you for his uncouth demeanour and  also for not being there, before he could say something to you..."
Arjun earnestly apologized for dhuryodhan's inappropriate demeanour and that melted her heart like a sheer butter...

" No..you don't have to ask apology...it's not your mistake... It's true that I felt uneasiness with the way he looked at me...but when you came there for me,my whole insecurities got washed away..."
Draupadi replied politely , but somewhere, deep down in her heart, she felt incisive by his formality...she is his wife and he don't need to ask apology for his brother's mistake...

"Draupadi...I know my cousin...he isn't much good in his demeanor towards others...Don't worry...you won't have to go through such circumstances from hereafter...I promise you... it's my promise and my responsibility too..."
Arjun said with self reliance, which poured the sense of safety inside yagyaseni...she passed a small smile of satisfaction but Arjun continued

" But, don't think that this is the ending..its just a beginning... so be prepared...I'm foreboding you because I know him and his vicious plannings...so be careful and alert always... Because certain situations will also come where I may not be there with you...so stay strong even if I wasn't with you and I know you will"
Arjun said as his eyes carried the glint of admiration as well as pride...

" Do you have that much faith in me ?"
draupadi sounded surprised as well as happy...

"Nobody who isn't strong enough can't  travel through the most dangerous woods of panchal alone,that too at midnight..if you had done it, then indeed you are strong ...your mental strength is worth appreciatable.."
Arjun complimented and a full smile spreaded on her alluring lips...she felt pleased inside... unlike others, her husband didn't underestimated her as dependent and feeble...he didn't find her vulnerable.. instead,he found her strong .... strong enough to fight against the perils of life alone ,if needed...

While Draupadi was Drowning in her own thoughts, she failed to notice the intense glance of those pair of Hazels casted on her, which was adoring her...And Savyasachi's eyes found averting their gaze as a difficult process, from the most beautiful sight in front of them....

But her lotus eyes were smart enough to recognise the magnetic power of his Hazels and on the spur of the moment, they intertwined their gaze, which enkindled the spark they carried inside for each other...
Draupadi lowered her eyelids as his intense gaze made her inner self blush...She twitched her lips to form her most beautiful enchanting smile which maddened Arjun...
Draupadi, on the other hand was well aware of her surroundings....she looked around to find some maids and soldiers passing...

" It's getting late... I think I should leave..if somebody caught us together, it will spill suspicion among the maids and courtesans...will meet you later Rajkumar..."
Draupadi said in a low voice, trying hard to quell her blush and her voice hauled Arjun back into reality...
Without wasting time, She walked away from him... And his gaze lingered on the retreating figure of the most beautiful creation of God, according to him,  with a small smile on his lips...

••••••••*••••••••

Dhuryodhan paced in his room , deeply immersed in the thoughts of the ' new maid ' who took his sleep away and the special consideration of Arjun over her ... his face stiffened as suspicion gyrated his wicked mind...

" Bhrata dhuryodhan ...where are you lost...I'm calling you from the past 5 minutes.."
Dhuryodhan's thoughts got broke when he felt dushasan's cold hands over his shoulder...

" What's the matter dushassan?why are you disturbing me? Still one hour is left to start the Royal court... I'll come in time...you can go..."
Dhuryodhan said in a harsh way which made Dushassan flinch for a second by Dhuryodhan's words ... Dhuryodhan had always been the person who hardly got harsh on Dushassan and that made him flabbergast...

" Bhrata, its time already ... pitasree is asking for your presence at the royal court ..."
Dushassan said to which dhuryodhan nodded in agreement...

Dhuryodhan reached the court...And the sight of karna sitting on the throne reserved for crown prince exasperated him...he quelled his anger and frustration, which he was carrying inside...
Nothing serious matters were discussed that day ...thus,the court ended up soon...but most of the time, Dhuryodhan was observing  Arjun and his every actions and his deceitful gaze didn't fail to notice the shades of jittery on Arjun's face...

Dhuryodhan titled his head towards dushassan who was sitting beside him and whispered...
"Dushassan...I want you to help me..."

"Allow me to know what's the matter Bhrata?"
Dushassan said instantly, getting ready to take his brother's orders on his head...

"Keep an eye on that pandu putra Arjun and that new singer draupadi" dhuryodhan murmured, fixing his gaze on Arjun...

" I will Bhrata..."
dhuryodhan heard dushassan whispering in a low voice and a wicked smirk danced on his lips as he successfully executed his first step to unveil the stealthy connection between Arjun and Draupadi ...

••••••••*••••••••

Dipping his legs in the cool waters of a small pond at the corner of the garden, adorned with blooming water lily, Arjun found solace in the calm atmosphere of that garden, enjoying the mitigating northern zephyr...
The tiresome training sessions for soldiers and planning war strategies sometimes became tedious for him... And the only remedy to get rid of his distress was relaxing in the lap of nature, in the royal garden of Hastinapur....

Arjun carelessly threw pebbles into the pond with a small smile carrying on his lips... his life, now is a path filled of fortuitous and surprises...Each jiffy is spending by carrying scare and uncertainty inside...
but he is enjoying his life with her in despite of the tension which he is carrying inside him...

Arjun continued throwing pebbles in the pond until a euphonic voice attracted his attention...arjun sharpened his ears to listen the voice and it doesn't took much time for him to recognise the origin of the voice...
Arjun turned his head to see draupadi standing at the balcony of dussala's mahal , which is adjacent to the garden...she is laughing and talking freely to dussala and seems like dussala is also enjoying her companionship a lot...

Arjun couldn't take off his gaze from the enchantress who is spellbinding him with each trifling actions of hers by each passing day...Her eyes,curls which is dancing freely in the air,her smile was maddening him...But Arjun is still unbeknowst to the fact that yagyaseni has started to rule a corner of his heart...

Arjun averted his gaze and glanced at the sky ...
" Oh My Madhav ! Where are you... I'm eager to hear from you..to share this with you...I am desperately waiting to see you..."

Arjun muttered under his breathe and smiled... unexpectedly, a soldier reached near arjun and bowed his head...arjun got up from his sitting posture...

" All hail prince Arjun... king of Dwarka, vasudev Sri Krishna has came and is asking for your presence..."
The soldier said and Arjun's eyes widened in the feeling of excitement and wonder...

A wide smile adorned his lips and his eyes carried the glint of ecstasy... Without waiting for a second, arjun ran to the palace like as if he was running for his life...

••••••••*••••••••

"Bhrata Vasudev is here jiji... do you want to meet him?"

" Govind...here?" Draupadi's lips got agape in delight as she heard the news of Krishna's arrival in Hastinapur...

Her legs involuntarily moved towards the door of dussala's chamber in excitement...
But soon ,she halted on her tracks when she realised that her jovial was ephemeral.... She reminiscenced what shikhandini told her that day.....

Draupadi's heart palpitated frantically inside her ...
At first,She felt elated that she's going to meet her Govind after several days but now, she is strained thinking about her identity...
Her Govind is unaware of the occurrences took place in panchal...what if he unknowingly unveil her identity?What if arjun misunderstood her as a traitor?

Her heart squirmed in anguish...she turned her head and nodded negatively to dussala and exited her chamber silently....
With Misty eyes, draupadi paced fastly through the desolated corridor....

" Where are you running sakhi? Are you hiding yourself from me?"
Draupadi ceased at her tracks when she recognised that mischievous voice from behind...her breathe heaved unevenly and fresh tears cascaded down from her lotus eyes...

"Go..vind.."
draupadi muttered...her words faltered upon listening her sakha's melliferous voice ,her Govind, her strength...
Her eyes poured out the tears of elation as well as helplessness as soon as she heard his footsteps coming closer to her....

••••••••*••••••••

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So finally!!
Again another chapter is here...
I hope you all enjoyed it...

Here's something special that I wanted to present for you all...
TRAILER OF MY BOOK...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_UhMcRqM4c

So here's the link and thank you so much  ardian_shapoover   for this amazing trailer...She is the creator of this cute trailer...Do check out this...
Thank you kunjuze...

Stay happy
Stay safe 🙏