Draupadi: The Pride of the Pandavas

CHAPTER: 23

Draupadi's POV:

The dim lighting of the moon illustrated the small cave inhabited by the six royals.

I sat outside the cave gazing at the moon.
The night had been keeping me company for the last hour while the my husbands slept inside. Waves of guilt rocked my concise. Her husbands had done so much for her, and now when they needed her, she was rendering as an useless product.
Desperately keeping my eyes trained to the entrance of the jungle, The only thing I prayed for now was the quick return of Keshav. Along with him they would then proceed towards Panchaal first.

He would sort everything our with her family, right?

I was pulled out of my chain of thoughts when a figure slumped besides me.
I turned to see the eldest of the brothers.

"Hi, are you feeling well?"

"Never better. All thanks to you, Why are you here? Couldn't sleep?" He asked, casually reaching to tuck back a loose end of my hair.

My heart picked it's pace. I wasn't familiar with such intimacy.

"No, too worried ... What will happen Arya? Log kya bolenge?"

Arya Yudhishthir just chuckled. It amazed me how calmly he was took this situation on every step. Surely he too was as conflicted as any of us were at the moment.

"Ab log kya bolenge woh bhi tum hi vichar kar logi, toh log kya vichar karenge? Atleast provide them this much freedom, Kalyani"

I blinked.
Hearing him call me Kalyani, made me colour scarlet. My eyes lowered to the ground. So, was this how being a newly married felt?

Butterflies squirmed inside her and an annoying urge to giggle erupted within.

Seeing her sorry state made Yudhishthir chuckle harder.

"Apologies if the endearment made you feel uncomfortable, Kumari. My father always called my mother this ... I found it rather mesmerizing. Therefore the sudden name calling. I'm Sorry."

"I like it." I whispered. It was so low I doubted he heard it but he did. Smiling he patted my head like one does to a child.

"Alright then, my Kalyani, I shall call you so. What a fitting name for our beautiful bride."

I laughed. "The moon's beautiful today."

Yudhisthir laughed back at the sudden comment.

"It always is. I have late night conversations with it, y'know?"

"With the moon?"

"Yes. It can surprisingly be a wonderful companion."

"Is that so, What does the moon talk about?"

"He tells me about the sun, and now I'll tell him about you."

I smiled at him.

He smiled at me.

Krishn always told me that eyes were the window to ones soul. This was the first time, I saw what he meant. What Kanka's indifferent face never showed his eyes did. His warm brown eyes, held something ... something, I was very familiar with but yet so very unknown to.

Love.

His hand entwined with mine, squeezing it reassuringly.

Promising a future.

I squeezed it back.

Promising to live it by his side.

***