Draupadi

All my life I had been preparing myself for this day, the day when the purpose of my birth finally be fulfilled or would it?

There was always a question mark. I mean my father decided to marry me off to some prince who was probably dead.

No.

I scolded myself for even thinking like that, It was my father's dream and it should be fulfilled.

Arjun has to come.

Leaving all the bad thoughts behind, I looked at my reflection. My maids spent hours to make me look beautiful and well, they did a good job.

I was adorned with almost all kind of ornaments a human can wear, My long bluish dark hair was done in a single braid which was wrapped with a thick garland of jasmine while my long curly locks drooped around my bronzed cheeks. The off-white lehenga went well with my complexion.

"It's going to be alright Princess" Malini said with an assuring smile as she placed the transparent off-white chunni over my head. Even they seemed to notice the sweats that had beaded on my forehead.

"I don't know Malini, I was perfectly fine, even yesterday but now all these bad thoughts are getting on my nerves"

From the very moment I stepped into this earth, I was told Prince Arjun would be my husband and I was born for him, If I say it didn't irked me to think that my purpose of life was just marrying someone, it would be a lie but after hearing it for years even I started to believe it

"Rajkumari... Now it's time" They all smiled and I placed my hand on my chest trying to clam my heart beat down, taking a deep breath I rose to my feet.

"You need to walk with this" They handed me a golden dish which bore a beautiful white garland on it.

My gaze lingered on the beautiful white garland for a few moments. This garland would change my life and in my heart of hearts I prayed that no one but only Arjun's neck should be adorned by it.

"Already dreaming what it would feel like to garland Arjun? " Vishakha winked

"No I was thinking how peaceful my life would be without your teases" I parodied throwing a glare at her.

"Ouch" She wiped an fake tear whole we giggled.

Although I was used to walk in heavy garments but well, this lehenga outstood every lehenga I'd ever worn. Thankfully Malini and others were there to support me from my each side.

As we were about to enter in the main hall Dhrisht came and the girls backed away slightly.

"I can't believe it's the day" He said with a faint smile, I could feel the pain in the smile. I couldn't remember a single day that we didn't spend time together, No matter how busy he was.

"Neither can I " I whispered back trying my best to stop my tears that burned my eyes. A part of me wanted Arjun to never appear then no one would be able to win me and I could live with my family the rest of my life.

My life was moving too fast, when it was time for me to learn and savour my childhood I was getting married.

"Don't worry, you'll be happier with Arjun and his family, you will get four more brothers, you'd probably forget about me" He said dramatically and I hit on his arm playfully

"Please! " I rolled my eyes and continued "No one can take your place"

"Not even Krishna Vasudev? " He raised an eye brow.

"He is different..." I said with a dreamy smile then glared at my brother "He doesn't count, now if you don't mind please lets go... I can't stand any longer with this heavy clothes and jewelry on"

"Let's go... I hope no one faints seeing my sister" He said with a teasing smirk, trying to ignore the growing blush I started walking fast.

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I hated it.

I hated the way all the lust-crazed princes and kings were staring at me. It was the first time I was out in front of so many men, I could feel my trembling legs and hands. But I kept my head high and walked the way I was taught to.

As we got near my sit, the maids took the golden plate and placed it on the stool beside my throne. Before sitting down I bowed to my father who raised his hand smiling warmly at me.

Sitting down I tried to search for the pair of magnetic lotus eyes and peacock feathered-crown and it didn't took me long to find him amongst countless kings and princes.

He was wearing his usual yellow upper garment combined with an orange dhoti, he seemed to be in a deep conversation with his elder brother with his never fading magnetic smile playing across his face.

He knew I came yet didn't even look at me. I was hurt, didn't he know what I was feeling? Wasn't he supposed come and assure me with his puzzling words. All I needed was his assuring smile that's it.

"Govind" I whispered , I wish I could rush to him and asked the thousands of questions that were stinging my heart.

I'm glad you can't do that...Today you've to find the answers of your questions yourself. I'm prostrated

My eyes widened,

Was it-

Was it Govind's voice? But how was it possible? He was sitting down with the other participants far away from me.

Does he really possess divine power as people say? I shouldn't ponder about him right now, the more I try to figure Govind out the more complicated he gets.

The only person I could think about was Rajkumar Arjun, was he here yet?

T H I R D P E R S O N

Arjun was still trying to figure out what were they doing here as he stood amongst the Brahmin whose eyes were glued at the entrance from where the princess was supposed to arrive.

He remembered the bizarre piece of information that was shared with him by Nakul on their way to this Swayamvar ; Princess of Panchala was supposed to wed all five of them as professed by Bhagwan Vyasa himself.

His heart twisted with the very thought of it. It was not just bizarre but perturbing as well and prayed his brothers felt the same way about this. If any of his brothers happen to win today, he would never be able to view the princess in any other way than his sister.

And if he wins her....

His eyes travelled towards the wound on his left arm that had been nourished by a certain lotus eyed princess with maddening scent and a touch that had the power to question his sanity—

Arjun suddenly snapped out of his reverie when he felt an intent gaze on him and almost unconsciously, as if he knew who it was, his eyes landed on a blue hued dark figure.

To say the person appeared surreal would be an understatement. His features almost matched his own ; from the curly hair to bronzed complexion just more spectacular, more perfect and more divine. The dancing peacock feather on his crown apprised Arjun of his identity.

Vasudev Krishna.

But what seized his attention were his lotus eyes, they had.... something in them that no words could describe, they were sparkling and beaming at him.

Arjun felt like those lotus eyes were reading his mind, looking through his soul and there was nothing he could hide from that gaze. And weirdly enough it didn't feel like the first time.

As he was drowning more into those lotus eyes suddenly a strong familiar fragrance brought him back to reality and he immediately knew whom it belonged to for it was no artificial fragrance but that of a blue lotus.

Maddening, All consuming, Delicious.

Like all other men presented there his eyes got stuck on the ravishing beauty that was making her way. And for a moment Arjun forgot how to breath.

She seemed different than the day he met her in forest. She looked like a walking flame, go anywhere near her and she had the power to burn you.

She was beautiful, not just physically but the way she carried herself, the way she kept her head high, the way her prominent eyes were screaming confidence, it felt like Agni dev himself adorned his daughter with dignity, confidence and intellect.

She was far from the usual princess who were meant to be someone's wife, someone's mother, someone's daughter. She wasn't meant to be someone's, Arjun could tell she was meant to be someone.

Never in his life had he wished he wasn't in his current situation ,not even when they almost got burned in Varnavart. But right then, that very moment Arjun did.

Her black-blue hair was what attracted him the most, Arjun suddenly felt a strong urge to cover himself with those thick curly hair.

Arjun immediately teared his gaze away from the Princess and closed his eyes to compose his scenes. He shouldn't feel this way, this was forbidden. He felt ashamed of himself for feeling such way about a lady who wasn't meant to be his.

His eyes travelled to his brothers to see their expressions and as expected they were in no good situation, all of their gazes were on the Princess.

A foreign feeling started swirling up inside him that he refused to acknowledge as resentment.

Prince Dhristadyumna explained the competition, and its rule before discarding the red clothe from the bow. It was big almost as tall as he was, silver in colour and seemed quite heavy.

Arjun's hands itched to hold it, to caress it. The curves of the bow awaken the warrior inside me that couldn't get what it wanted from the past few years.
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Another one to gaze at the Princess with burning anger and hatred as if their weakness was her fault while stomping his foot and going back to his sit.

Just then Prince Dhristadyumna announced Angraj Karn's name. And Arjun diverted his whole attention to him.

Arjun wasn't quite sure if he would be able to do it or not, he saw him eyeing the Princess with his lustful eyes and Arjun felt his jaw going tensed.

He observed carefully as Karna lifted the bow up with great difficulty. His face was red probably from the heaviness of it. The very moment I knew he wouldn't be able to string the bow let alone hitting the target. A smirk appeared on his face as he saw the bow slipping from his hands.

King Drupad got up from his sit and expressed his displeasure over the failure of the princes and kings.

"Is there no one who can complete this task? Is there no one who deserves my daughter as his better half?" This time I knew it wasn't for the royal men but for all of us

Arjun's hand balled into a fist as he tried to control his desire to touch the bow, to string the bow and to hit the fish eye.

Go Paarth, claim what's yours.

Arjun heard a voice and looked at Krishna, whose lotus eyes were telling him to go and complete the task so he did.

Arjun got up from his sit not eve sparing a glance at anyone, not even his eldest. For him the bow, arrow and fish eye were the only things presented there.

As Arjun advanced toward the bow he heard some laughter and scoffs but ignoring everything he closed his eyes and remembered his Mahadev and his Gurudev. Arjun did pranam to the bow before touching it's cold silver body which sent chills through his spine.

Arjun breathed out and lifted the bow up and all the laughs and scoffs stopped replacing a pin drop silence.

There were five arrows and Arjun knew if he ever needed second chance to fulfill the task it'd be his Guru's insult.

Arjun took all the five arrows together and looked at the reflection of the fish, after doing my calculation, Arjun released the arrows and after the longest minute of his life flowers started pouring down and there arose loud uproars.

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I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had posted it years ago as a TS

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IMPORTANT NOTE :-

Yes! As astonishing as it sounds, our great Karna had failed.

Although KMG mentions Draupadi's infamous rejection ( naham varayami sutam) he also mentions Karna failing. Weird right? Also Draupadi's Swayamvar was open for EVERYONE, Draupadi had no right to reject anyone.

And except for KMG every other authentic versions like BORI CE, Geeta press even most of the regional versions have Karna failing to hit the target :)

Jay Shri Krishnarjun
Arjunaradhika