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

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝟻

En-route to Kaampilya, a few weeks later

The group of Brahmins were mirthful; it seemed their wonderful tales never ended.

 A fortnight had been the witness to their countless cognition. Sitting around the fire, there hoarse laughter echoed through the silent forests. The weather turned chillier, the searing dry winds that swept through the withered leaves made them draw closer towards the flames. 

The stars tapestried across the sky were in their phase of eternal vigilance of the worldly conspiracy that unfolded underneath. And the white celestial with a crescent arc would never dither behind.

"What? A Brahmin killed Bakasur?" One of them gasped, cupping his mouth as he blew air into his palms, rubbing it, "What are you even saying?"

The woodfire cackled as the chilly winds rustled past.

"Yeah! I had been to Ekchakra! Even a feast was held on the occasion!"

"Same here, I had seen Bakasur's dead body with my own eyes!" The other one chuckled, shaking his head, "The Brahmin who's turn had been to provide food to Bakasur, had said the tale himself!"

"Exactly! I too had seen it! It was some really extraordinary feat—"

"Bakasur's body was almost mutilated—"

"Goodness!"

Bheem rolled his lower lip, tossing the thick wood of the woodfire with a stick, while Yudhishthir kept his lashes lowered, peering at them subtly but not meeting their eyes. He pulled the deer skin closer, his jaws tightening imperceptibly to meet the twin's gaze and Kunti, who was lying on Nakul's lap with her eyes closed. 

It was difficult to mingle with the Brahmins like that. Rudraaksh beads had been wrapped around their arms and neck, there locks matted and knotted with holy threads. The deer skins had been doubled around their torsos, or smeared with ashes so as to hide the scars of battle.

"Brahmin Dev, you too had said that you stayed at Ekchakra during that time, isn't it?" 

Yudhishthir solemned almost instantly, growing stiff. Bheem's grip over the stick tightened. 

"Sire, that—"

"Did you see the Brahmin by chance?"

"No, we had been in the outskirts, rather—" Dhaumya covered up for Yudhishthir, "That day, that day—we missed the feat." The sage nodded cautiously at the eldest Pandav, who nodded back and turned away his gaze immediately. 

"Nowadays—nowadays, the deeds of the Kshatriyas are done by Brahmins or what?" A few laughed hard, while the others joined too, "Seriously, the Kshatriyas are turning good for nothing!"

Bheem peered at Nakul momentarily, who was staring at the flickering fire with a stoic gaze. 

"I can only imagine—now I feel like even Princess Draupadi is going to be won by a Brahmin itself!"

"True true!" A few of them chuckled along, "King Drupad has arranged such a difficult contest after all—goodness!"

"Exactly!" 

"Have you heard? That bow—that bow which is going to be used in the Swayamvar—"

Arjun abraded his new wooden makeshift bow with a lump of stone, his brows furrowing. His alert ambers had been nurtured to even see through the darkest of the dark; the faint moonlight was enough for him to narrow down the curvature of his craftsmanship. He stroked his knuckles over the arch, angling his head as his lips twitched, leaning against the Shami tree for a while.