|| Never Without You || [ The Tale Of Arjun-Draupadi ] (I)

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝟹

En-route to Kaampilya

"What?"

The air around them seemed to thicken with uncertainty as Kunti's bewildered gaze darted between her sons. "This is—what is all that you're saying?" Her voice wavered with a mixture of confusion and disbelief, her brow furrowing as she struggled to comprehend their words.

"Right now, I am just feeling clueless as ever," Yudhishthir scrunched his forehead, grasping them with his hands. Perched on a weathered boulder beneath the sprawling branches of the banyan tree, his forehead creased with deep furrows.

Arjun had never seen his eldest so unsettled.

He rubbed his eyelids, clutching his forehead as his lips twitched. "This is all so..."

"But a father-in-law's words can never be false, Yudhishthir." Kunti remarked, biting the corner of her lip, "But..."

A deed that was against the Veds and against societal norms. Denying every aspect, they had to leap ahead of it. The world could averse them. May resent them.

As the cool winds swept through the clearing, rustling Arjun's unruly curls and sending a shiver down his spine, he closed his eyes briefly, seeking solace in the depths of his own convictions. Despite the chaos swirling around them, he remained strangely calm, his demeanor strangely appeared to be untouched by the turmoil. Arjun had the knack of seeming unnaturally allayed, even in the worst scenarios.

Eternal soulmates—that's what he had said. Arjun exhaled, momentarily closing his eyes.

Eternal soulmates. Beyond birth. Beyond the shackles of the world. Unbound, uncurbed.

"I-" They were interrupted suddenly by the sounds of footsteps from an elderly couple, whose kindness had allowed them to stay there for the night. "Pardon! But the meal is ready!" The lady smiled at them, peering from the door. "Please, do come inside."

"What happened? You'll appear so—" She tilted her head, smiling softly. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No, it's not so; we are coming soon." Kunti instantly smiled back, shaking her head as she followed her into the hut.

.

.

.

The full moon cast its cool luminescence, and the clear night sky glittered with countless stars.

Roaming around like vagabonds, almost two years had passed for them. Away from their homeland and people, they hatched conspiracies and a narrow escape from death. The mishap at Varnaavat had shaken the poor mother of Pandavs so much that she had sobbed in their arms, requesting them to be away from Hastinapur. The land of treachery would do them no good.

Kunti had lost all hope. For her, it was better to stay alive at that moment.

Begging for alms, they sheltered wherever they could. Wandering around without any purpose.

But they were happy. Just happy to be with each other. Away from the feign and sham of what had promised them a life of grandeur. After all, a thirst for grandeur could never keep avarice at bay.

It was true. Arjun did not mind toiling under the sun for alms, sleeping on the hard ground, or walking through the tenacious paths. Not till they could laugh, joke, and be with his brothers, whom he loved more than his life. Pain seemed blissful when the five were with each other.

At least, they were together.

When the Pandavs just felt that they were finally coping, they had to now fight against the entire world.