Ephemera- Of Fire and Ash

From Consecrated to Cursed

You are enough to drive a saint to madness or a king to his knees.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Shakuni! How magnanimous of you to offer me a place!" Dhriti said as she walked the distance between them. Sahdev's breath hitched as he saw his love walk to shakuni and Arjun, Bheem, Yudhishthira and Karn's eyes blurred with tears.

There is nothing worse for yudhishthira than seeing his own sister walk to the enemy for he failed to protect her. Seeing her go to shakuni who had lifted his lioncloth and exposed his calf and asked her to sit on it made sahdev go wild.

She walked with an unparalleled grace, her footsteps quite and his breath hitched. Her dagger sheathed at her waist her hands marred with the scars of her previous battles, each a story of their own.

Draupadi watched her breath held longer than she knew, Dhriti was going to shakuni? The one who orchestrated her insult, she pulled her cloth again over her shoulders.

Dhriti stopped before shakuni and put her calloused hand on his calf slowly running up sensually until she stopped and took a deep breath giving him an enchanting smile. Her hand made delicate circles of his bare calf as Shakuni exhaled in pleasure, he could imagine her on him. She slowly exhaled as he smiled. She was death and he was darkness. Perfect.

Then, surprising everyone she stabbed his leg, blood oozed out of there, shakuni's scream resonated through the hall, she didn't stop, she twisted her dagger licking her lips, savoring what little consolation she got. There was a crackling pop—almost like a firework—and a stomach- heaving pressure as jagged bone punched through his calf skin. Shakuni stared at her back with horror. 

"You were already a limp on one leg, let me make you a limp on both legs!" Her voice rang clear in the hall, her eyes having a murderous glint.

"Bastard!" She heard shakuni yell as she stepped back satisfied as Duryodhana yelled, "This girl has crossed all limits of a sabha by spilling blood here!"

"You crossed all limits of the sabha when Draupadi was dragged in here!" She responded back.

The Maharaj, who sat silent so long opened his mouth and said, "Draupadi was punished for disobeying her master, there was nothing wrong inDuryodhan's actions!" 

"You must be punished, Dhriti!" Someone said.

"Well, well, Dear Dhriti, since you took it upon yourself to injure my uncle, someone must pay for your actions." Duryodhana smired and headed towards Sahadev, "How about your lover boy?" 

"Duryodhan! Your uncle asked me to sit on his lap!" She screamed to no fruit.

Sahdev gasped as Duryodhan put a dagger in front of his neck as Dhriti shivered and Draupadi screamed at them to let her husband go.

"That will not work Bhrata Duryodhana, try hurting her dear brother." A kaurava shouted as Duryodhana lifted his eyebrows and left a choking Sahdev. Pain made Sahdev's world hazy but it snapped back into focus when he saw Duryodhan slowly pressing the dagger harder on Yudhishthira's throat. Dhriti paled when she saw her brother intake a sharp breath to manage the pain and his blood fall on the floor but she did not budge. Duryodhan left Yudhishthira and went to the centre of the hall.

"Dhriti, I was merciful, I gave you many chances to stop this from happening, but you refused to give up your weapons, and now, you stabbed my poor uncle who never did anything to your family!" Duryodhana leered as he smirked Dushasana.

"Dushasana! Disrobe Draupadi!"

Draupadi turned to stone. Dhriti's actions would lead to her dishonour. She wore just the single cloth of a menstruating woman. If Dusasana stripped that from her, she would stand naked before the Kuru sabha. She looked at Dhriti whose actions led to this. She looked piteously at Yudhishtira, then, at Bheema, at Arjuna, her heart breaking and at Sahadeva and Nakula. They all avoided her gaze and she knew they would not help her, because of dharma. They, too, considered her fairly won. She was alone and Dusasana came leering at her.