Song- O Rangrez 

Third Person

The scarlet sun rays peaked through the curtains and shone against the bronzed skin of Gudakesha Arjun's face who let out a small groan. Tightening his hold around the thing that laid partially on him, he sluggishly opened his eyes.

Still in a state of daze from the deep slumber he turned toward the other side of the bed and in a friction of moment gone were all his sleep while he entered into another form of haze, much stronger and dreamier as he was greeted with the most pulchritudinous sight of the ravishing Yajnaseni sleeping next to him, well on him.

The surreality of her bewitching visage smudged with vermilion that she had applied on herself from him and slightly open mouth, with those unruly bluish curls all over her face, didn't fail to stun his whole being, yet again.

A soft smile curved his lips when he recalled the way she had coloured him, her musical mirth, the procellous love that oozed out of her unhesitant large eyes. Yesternight she was everything that she pretended not to be in front of him nowadays.

Carefully shifting a little away Arjun supported his head on his palm to get a better view of her opulent form. He removed a strand of her bluish curls while she made a small movement and buried her face in his chest making his heart skip a whole beat. He started caressing her hair while his eyes drank her vision.

How many times he had dreamt of a morning like this? A morning where he would wake up smelling like blue lotus, a morning with the delicate form of his Krishnaa wrapped in his arms, sleeping like she was that moment. And even though this was not exactly how he imagined it would be yet the moment felt too sacred to question.

Arjun knew it was time for him to get up and go for his daily practice, on top of everything, there was this matter of  kids getting abducted that was also needed to be solved as soon as possible but it felt like a sin to leave her, or get out of this reverie.

Letting out deep sigh, Arjun slowly, with utmost care removed his left hand while Draupadi made a small sound that appeared like a protest to Arjun and for a moment he had almost changed his mind but the warrior in him subdued the husband who wished nothing but to worship the lilac beauty of his wife.

He watched her roll and face the other side while he adjusted the blanket on her "Sleep well Krishnaa" He touched her forehead and prayed to Maa Gauri, Arjun was still not sure whether that drink had any adverse affect on her or not.

The indignation toward the person who had done that bounced back as he felt his jaw tightening.  He knew it was done by someone close to Krishnaa. It wouldn't take much time for him to find out the culprit, all Arjun waiting was for Krishnaa to wake up.

With a small peck on her cheek, capturing Yajnaseni's elysian sleeping face, something he witnessed for the first time, in his heart to ardor it for the rest of his life, Arjun walked off.

Draupadi

Rolling on the soft mattress I buried my face into the pillow to avoid the sharp sunlight and grabbing another pillow and placed it on my head so the extremely irritating noises would decrease but in vain.

Why everything is so loud!

I let out a bleat forcing my eyes to open only to shut it immediately unable to bear the sunlight. Letting out a muffled whine I rolled again and with all the might I had, I slowly opened my eyes and for a moment I felt utterly and completely lost.

As I tried to figure everything out the headache intensified making me close my eyes yet again "Maa Gauri, what in the world is wrong with me?"

I massaged my forehead softly while forcing myself to recall everything. I do remember sitting with Arjun, Govind and Satya, I was in some sort of conversation with Satya? Or was it Govind? Well any one of them when Malini came with a drink that I had and then....

Then I don't remember anything, fluttering my eyes open I threw one of the pillows away "Why can't I just remember? Malini gave me the drink and?"

And then I remember coming to my room with Arjun....and I remember taking handful of colour and coloured his cheeks...

My eyes widened in realisation as the image of me laughing at him for absolutely no reason flashed before my eyes followed by me falling down, howling about how I don't like Arjun with any other woman and kissing—

No

No

No way,

I did not!

No, No, No, No

"No—" My palms instinctively covered my face as shame consumed my whole being "I did not....couldn't—"

Hey Maa Gauri

My palm that was massaging my forehead squeezed it a bit too hard because that's what I deserved. Not only did I admit I hated to see him with Subhadra and made myself look like a fool, I actually kissed him!

No! Please let it be a dream

Only God knows what else did I do and say, a shiver ran down my spine at the very thought. Removing my hand I sat up, breathing in a mixture of mortification and self loath, I bit my lower lip while my fingers curled up in a ball that hit my my own thigh out of frustration "What will I do now?"

Theres no way I could even look at Arjun let alone face him but the fact that he was my husband definitely didn't help, the corner of my lips twitched at my pathetic joke

"Maybe I can pretend it never happened!" I exclaimed in a way that appeared like I had just unearthed the most mysterious secret of this universe but at this moment dealing with this situation was nothing less.

"You're  up already?"

The silky rich voice of Kaunteya Arjun made me froze in my place as I felt my heart going wild, I tried to swallow feeling my mouth going dry while my eyes looked anywhere but at him.

"I hope you are feeling better?"

Gathering my courage I took a sharp breath and peered at my husband who was before the mirror trying to wear an armlet. His wet hair and the still present droplet on his body indicated he just had taken his bath, almost feeling my gaze on him he lifted his eyes letting those melted gold collide with mine.

The hint of impishness that flickered across his eyes made my already crimson flesh absolute scarlet and I immediately lowered my eyes clutching the pillow on my lap as I tried to calm my nerves.

I heard his footsteps approaching closer as he repeated his question "You are feeling better, right?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"Ye-Yes" To my displeasure I stuttered and to cover it up I looked up and found him standing really close to the bed while his hand kept trying to lock the armlet, not averting my eyes I answered in a rather defiant way "Why would I not be?"

Maybe because you kissed him after constantly ignoring him, not letting him come close and bluffing on how nonchalant you were about him or how you didn't care how many women he married!

I ignored the imbecilic voice and went with my plan of pretending yesternight never happened.

A slight frown joined his brow but he just nodded silently "Then please help me to put this on" He lifted the bejewelled armlet up before my eyes "Pitashri gifted this yesterday and mentioned multiple times to wear it"

"You can't wear an armlet?" I raised a brow, it was hard to believe there was something the great Arjun needed help in, especially with an armlet.

My question met with an amused look "You really don't trust me, do you?"

I couldn't help the smile "Can you blame me, Rajkumar?"

"I wouldn't dare" He shook his head with small chuckle before looming slightly over me, his selcouth eyes beguiling my whole being as the cold droplet from his messy wet curls fell on my lips reminding me of yesternight. My mind might not remember how it felt but every pore of my body and soul was aware of it.

And the intensity his gaze held told me his thoughts didn't differ as he purred "But when I've the Queen of Khandavprasth to help me with this obstinate piece of jewel, I would totally like to avail the opportunity"

His words made me bent my head to hide the coy smile. I felt him moving away and grabbed a yellow Dupatta from the table near my bed which was definitely not the Dupatta I was wearing yesterday. After a quick prayer I stood up and as soon as I did I felt the world turning black and was about to fall when Arjun caught me

"You're not well!" He stated, the playful tone was replaced with an angry one, something I had very rarely witnessed "You're not well, we need to call Vaidya"

I placed a hand on my head and closed my eyes, feeling a wave of nausea "Arjun...I am alright, it's just my head"

Ignoring my words he made me lie again and I didn't protest because my head was actually hurting, my eyes were still closed feeling the world spinning around me. My husband tried to move away but I caught hold of his Uttariya

"I am fine, please don't call for Vaidya, I do not wish to bother Maa and Pitashri when they're already so tensed"

My plea seemed to work because he sat near my head   "I wish I could delay this question but who served us the last drink?"

I opened my eyes letting them meet his arcane ambers as I nodded "It was Malini but I know she would never do something like this"

"Don't be so sure"

"She is my friend from as long as I remember" I argued

"And?" Arjun heaved a sigh "Krishnaa as someone who had went through multiple murder attempts that was done by his very own cousins here's an advice, the closer the more vicious"

"Are you suggesting that Malini tried to murder me?" I couldn't wrap my head around his words probably because my brain wasn't really working "Because why else would she do it and trust me when I say if Malini wanted to kill me she had better and safer opportunities"

Arjun was silent for a moment before his eyes darted from the wall before to me "Well, if it is Malini her intention wasn't exactly murder but.."

"But?" I pressed.

"Let's just say she wanted us to get along really well"

Hope you liked it, don't forget to vote and comment if you did :D

Jay Shri Krishnarjun
Arjunaradhika