Journey to the Old Era (Drisana's Mahabharat #1)

Chapter 71

"Maharani, batabaran kuch advut sa pratit nehi ho raha hai? (Maharani, isn't the environment a little strange?)" Maharaj Drishadvat asked Maharani Mangalya in confusion.

"Apki nadan aur masum putravadhu Priyala ki den hai. (It's due to your naive and innocent daughter-in-law Priyala.)" Maharani Mangalya replied with an amused smile.

"Mujhe samajh mein nehi aa raha hai. Lag to mera bhai thik thak e raha hai. Phir yeh sab uspe has kyu rahe hai? (I'm not understanding this. My brother is looking fine. Then why are people laughing at him?)" Arjun wondered loudly with a frown.

"Mujhe toh laga tha, Nakul ke vivha ka sabse adhik prasannata humain hi hai. Parantu yeaha toh log prasannata se bikshipt hoye ja rahe hai. (I thought, we're the most pleased one's for Nakul's wedding. But here people are going mad in their happiness.)" Bheem said looking around.

"Maybe they are just pleased and getting their happiness out?" Yudhisthir said hoping against hope. Three pairs of eyes looked at him with raised eyebrows.

'Ok. There was no way to deny something was wrong.' Yudhisthir thought.

Karna had come inside the palace to hide from Subhadra who had started to come towards him after her laughter feat commenced. Watching everyone's reaction, he was sure Subhadra would do or say something, she shouldn't.

Here, Subhadra came inside too in search of Karna.

"Vrisha!!!!! Where are you?" She kept calling him and Karna kept hiding thinking she would leave in a while not finding him. But Subhadra did something unexpected. She sat down right in the middle of the hallway and started laughing loudly, but tears were coming out of her eyes.

"Vrisha, you left me. How lucky I am! My husband left me!" Subhadra said to herself. Karna understood she was actually upset and crying for him. He felt a pang in heart seeing her in this condition. But what could he really do? It was best for her this way only.

He noticed Subhadra had started hiccuping badly. He rushed to her then and helping her in getting up from the floor, he took her inside a room. He brought water for her and rubbed her back to calm her down.

"Rajkumari, are you okay?" He asked in concern.

"How can I not be when you're with me?" Subhadra replied giving a cute giggle. Then she hugged Karna tightly. Karna tried to remove her unsuccessfully.

"Rajkumari, this is inappropriate for you." Karna said being uncomfortable.

"Archery is also inappropriate for you, Sootputra." Subhadra said laughing and making him stiffen.

"So, you think so too." Karna said with a sarcastic smile. It hurt him to know Subhadra thought so too.

"Don't you? If not then why this word troubles you so much? Why you take it as an insult?" Subhadra asked still hugging him. She was afraid he would leave once she released him.

"I do not. But society use it to insult only." Karna replied stiffly.

"Society use the word Rajkumari respectfully. But from your mouth it sounds as an insult Vrisha. Rajkumari Draupadi insulted you saying she wouldn't marry a Sootputra and now you're insulting me saying you won't accept a Rajkumari. Aren't you doing the same thing to me that society did to you? Rejecting me based on my birth status?" Subhadra asked as another tear rolled down her smiling face. Karna couldn't reply as he felt the wetness of her tears on his chest.

"As for my family, I do not believe that they will reject you. They accept you are a Sootputra, not as an insult but as the truth it is. They don't consider the word as an abuse, but you do. And even if they don't accept you, doesn't the Vijayadhari has the capability to fight for his wife?" Subhadra asked again. Karna gulped hard as he had no answer to that. Subhadra released her hold on him and staring at his eyes said finally,