Draupadi: The Pride of the Pandavas

CHAPTER: 17

Panchaali's POV:

I once again found myself a guest to darkness after the wedding ceremony ended. My eyes had rolled back and the next moment eerie black greeted me.
If she was being honest. A selfish part of her wished to never wake up from this stupor.

A part that desperately wanted to escape from the current reality.

A reality where she was married to not one but five men.

A reality where she was a sinner.

No. She did not blame the five.
In fact, She blamed No one. 

Who would she blame?

The Pandavas had no choice. Subhadra was someone dear to them. She herself would die before letting harm befall her friend but what was her fault?

What did she do to become a object for the yet to come societal insults?

What did she do to be deemed as a sinner for upcoming generations?

Above all, She was more than ready to take all the insults upon her but..

What will her father say?
The whole world will make a mockery out of him.

Her siblings?
They would have to forever lower their heads because of her.

And what about, Her Husbands?
They would be disowned by their own family. Not only had they undergone a horrific tradition but also with the princess of their enemy kingdom. They would be forced to separate from their family.

All this just because of her.

All because of her.

"Sakha" A pained whisper left her mouth. She wanted her sakha here. He would make everything right.

She knew he would.

"Sakha" She repeated in her unconscious stupor.

"Sakha"

"Sakha"

"Sakha?" A high pitched voice had me jolting up from my deep slumber.
Nausea hit me instantly, making my head throb even more.
I looked down to see myself lying on a white mattress in a dingy room. I was still in my wedding attire. I looked at my hands they were shackled to the poles on the bed.

"Hello Princess" the earlier voice repeated.

I jerked round at the direction of the voice. A tribal girl around my age sat there with a chilling grin on her face.

"A bit jumpy today aren't we?" She laughed. "You know, I should be calling you jiji cause you're the wife of one of my soon to be husband but whatever."

Oh. 

Her Husbands.

Her Five Husbands.

Her Aryas.

"You're really pretty y'know. I doubt any of them would want to marry me after you" The girl in front of me continued smiling.

Her smile had my shackles rising. Why was she being so casual? Why was she chained to a bed?

"Sadly it's tradition."
Shrugging the girl got up and took out a bottle of pink liquid.

What was that? I shifted on my spot uncomfortably. The earlier alarm was replaced by gripping fear as the tribal woman inched closer to me.

"You're a good little girl aren't you princess. You'll have this potion without a word right?"

"No no no. Please" I whispered.

"I wasn't asking" The girl barked shoving the bottle down Panchaali's throat.

A scream left my mouth. The sudden pain I felt as the liquid went down my system had me thrashing in my chains.

My body felt as if someone had poked a millions of hot needles through it.

A unbearable agony shot through her.

Tears streamed down her eyes. It felt as if her internal organs were being burned.
Her breath came out as a pained wheeze. 

Even inhaling hurt.
Everything hurt. Her eyes had taken a hazy line of sight.

"Krishn" I cried.

"Hush hush. Nobody will come to save you, screaming will hurt even more. Wait upon your Husbands, princess. They'll free you from this pain" The girl chuckled and moved out of the room leaving me behind in that state.

My cries had become hoarse and my breathing had taken to gasping. My lungs felt constricted and begged for air.

Her husbands.

Vrikodar

Tantipal.

Granthika.

Parth.

Kanka.

"Where are you?" A anguished sob left my mouth as the pain seemed to increase with every passing second.