Beyond Times

Chapter 49 - The Three Suitors

Invitations for the Swayam Var of Panchal Rajkumari Yagnaseni Draupadi were sent all across Aryavarth. The kings and princes were all lost in the dreams of winning the hand of the most beautiful princess of Dwapara Yuga.

All except for two. King Drupad didn't bother to send an invitation to Northern Panchal and Anga. And in all honesty, the two kings of those two lands were least interested to be invited to a Swayamvar. For them, there was only one woman they wanted by their side. And she was not a princess.

The eldest of the Pandavas sat outside their cottage, lost in his thoughts. For some reason, he couldn't get that woman out of his head. The woman they saved almost a month ago, Shyama. For some reason, he just couldn't think of her as a sister like Mata suggested.

He didn't see her face but from what he saw she was gorgeous. Every curve and bend of her body screamed perfection. The fine cotton material of her Sharee couldn't contain the exuberant youth of her voluptuous figure. Never in his life had he seen such beauty. She could put all the princesses of Aryavarth in shame with her mere presence.

He shook his head. No no, what was he thinking? Was he just lusting over a woman who would be someone else's wife within the next three months?

He can not think of another woman, there is only one who was in his heart. Only one, in this entire world, could be the queen of his heart, the future Empress of Hastinapur. 'Lord knows what she is doing now in Dwarika?' A small smile spread across his face. 'Does she even know I am alive?' the smile turned into a melancholy heartache. 'Is she ok? Does she think of me? Will Vasudev and Balabhadra marry her off to someone else if we don't come out of hiding?' A soft hand on his shoulder startled him. He jumped up from the rock he was sitting on.

-"Mata, why aren't you asleep yet? What are you doing here at this hour of the night?" He asked a sigh of relief left his mouth seeing his mother.

-"I could ask you the same, Putra." Kunti looked deep into her son's eyes. "I can tell something is bothering you. You can tell me, what is it?" she asked, cupping his face in her hands.

Yudhisthira tried to smile, "Nothing Mata, I was just thinking if we will ever go out of hiding or not."

Kunti sat on the rock. She gestured to Yudhisthira to sit beside her and when he did she pulled his head into her lap. Yudhisthira laid down on the rock, his head resting on his mother's lap.

She slowly caressed his hair and said, "I know what you feel, Putra. It's not just you, we are all tired of hiding like this." A twinkle of amusement played in her eyes as she continued, "And I know what you were thinking. You were thinking if we will ever go out of hiding so you could meet Putri Tiasha again."

Yudhisthira sat up immediately and looked at Kunti with wide eyes. The redness of his cheeks couldn't be missed even under the little light provided by the stars.

-"No Mata, it's...It's nothing like that!" He fumbled with his words.

-"I am your Mata, I know everything that is going on in your minds all the time, Putra. You can't hide it from me. You love her." Kunti said, touching Yudhisthira's cheeks. He looked down. A sad smile played on his lips.

-"What is bothering you so much, Putra?" Kunti asked.

-"She doesn't know we are still alive, Mata. What if she doesn't wait for me? What if Vasudev and Balabhadra decide to marry her off to someone else?"

By this time the rest of the Pandavas were awake and seeing Kunti and Yudhisthira missing they went out to look for them. They found them sitting on the rock in front of their hut and quietly listened to their conversation.