The Wrath of Gammon

Chapter 41

The Wrath of Gammon

Disclaimer: This story is my humble attempt to write a fanfiction of the epic Mahabharata. My intention is not to hurt anyone's sentiment.

Aum Namah Shivay!!

Major Jayant Roy, SM is a fictitious character. Any similarity with any living person is merely a coincidence.

SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH. IT CAUSES CANCER.

Chapter 41

Draupadi POV (continues)

I was still shocked with the effect of what I had just witnessed. Devarji was standing in front of me, with his back towards my direction. He still refused to look into my direction for once. What was the reason of his behavior?

"Am I that repulsive?" I couldn't help but asked him. He was still standing in front of me, but I could feel a small change in his posture. The man in front of me was an enigma, a mystery shrouded by darkness. But his mysterious aura was having a powerful effect on me. With each passing moment, I was becoming more and more determined to solve the mystery called Duryodhana.

"You didn't answer my question? Am I that repulsive to you that you try to avoid me with all your might?"

He didn't say anything to me and slowly sat on the grass. His back was still towards me. I saw him taking something from a wooden box on the ground. It was a cylindrical thing, most probably made with some kind of leaf, or paper, I could not understand properly in the faint light. He put that cylindrical thing into his mouth, and then took out a small, metallic thing. He pressed a part of it, and to my great astonishment, I saw a small flame of light appeared on the metallic thing. He lit the thing in his mouth with the fire and put it out. The cylindrical thing in his mouth started burning, and then he started puffing out smoke rings from his mouth!

Though I was astonished, because I had never seen anything like that, but then I inhaled the smoke a little bit and my nostrils literally burnt. The smell was so strong and so foul, that I started coughing. I quickly covered my face and nose with my cloth. He was still sitting there, puffing out that smoke, and completely ignoring the fact that I was there. Now I had enough!

I walked in front of him, and tried to look into his eyes, only to find them closed. That closed eyes infuriated me again.

"What do you think of yourself? You may be a great warrior, but you are the worst human being I have ever seen! You are continuously ignoring me and disrespecting me! It's a shame that each and everyone in this palace have such high opinions about you! They think that you are a man of honor. But, now I can see the real face of you. You are nothing but a hypocrite. Do you think I don't know what the real reason behind you avoiding me is? You are a man after all, and you are afraid that if you look at me, I could see your real face under the mask of honor? Men like you only want one thing..."

I bit my tongue, as hard as I could. What was happening to me? Why I was behaving like this? I came here to seek forgiveness from him, and now I stood before him, with those vile words coming from my mouth!

I heaved a deep sigh, and made up my mind. I had to punish myself by burning my tongue with charcoal. I slowly walked towards the burning torch. When I reached in front of it, I tried to put my right palm into the fire to pick up a hot charcoal when suddenly a dark hand literally came out of the blue and grabbed the torch. I recognized the dark figure in a moment.

Devarji.

"When did he stand up and when did he walk here?" I thought to myself, "He walks silently, just like a predator."

"You shouldn't be here alone!" He spoke in a low, but firm voice. He said something to me for the first time. He was still not facing me, but, still, it was a start.