Krishnapriya Devashree

69. Flames of Valour

Bheem's jaw dropped in disbelief, Nakul's eyes widened in equal parts shock and amusement, trying to stifle his laughter at the absurdity of the dare.

"Dance with Nakul... in a saree?!" Bheem exclaimed, disbelief evident in his voice."I... uh... I don't know how to wear a saree so I cannot," he admitted sheepishly, scratching his head in perplexity.

Nakul was grinning ear to ear at Bheem's predicament. "Don't worry, Bhrata, I've got you covered," he chimed in with a teasing glint in his eye. "I'll be your saree stylist for the day!"

"And just how exactly do you know how to wear a saree, Nakul?" Arjun asked, a playful smirk playing on his lips.

Sahadev exchanged a knowing wink with Arjun, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Oh, you know, Bhrata," he teased, nudging him playfully. "Our dear brother here has had... quite a bit of experience in such matters."

Arjun's eyes sparkled with amusement as he joined in. "Oh, really?" he drawled, leaning closer to Nakul. "Do tell, Nakul. How exactly did you acquire this knowledge?"

Nakul's cheeks flushed slightly, but he maintained his grin. "There have been a few occasions when a certain lady needed some assistance, and who better to help than a dashing prince like myself?"

Sahadev laughed, clapping Nakul on the shoulder. "Yes, and if I recall correctly, those 'occasions' often happened late at night, didn't they? When the moon was high, and the palace corridors were quiet?"

"Ah, yes, I remember now. Nakul, the charmer of many ladies. Always slipping out at night, isn't that right, Sahadev?" Arjun laughed heartily, joining in the teasing.

Draupadi arched an eyebrow at Nakul, "Arya, what is this I'm hearing?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of reprimand. "Surely you haven't been getting into any... trouble, have you?"

"No, no, of course not, Panchali, it's not like that, I swear!" Nakul reassured, his voice laced with charm as he tried to sugarcoat his response. "It's just... a bit of harmless fun, you know? Nothing serious. You are the only one in my heart Priye."

But Draupadi's knowing gaze lingered on Nakula for a moment longer, her lips curving into a playful smile. "As it should be Arya" she replied, her tone teasing yet affectionate.

"Alright, alright," Bheem interupped, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "If Nakul can manage to get me into a saree, I'll take on this dare. But you'd better not let me look foolish, little brother!"

Nakul gave a dramatic bow, still grinning. "Fear not, Bheem Bhrata. By the time I'm done, you'll be the most graceful bride of Indraprashtha."

"Just get on with it, Nakul. The sooner we start, the sooner we can get this over with."

Nakul began draping the saree over Bheem's massive frame. He struggled with the fabric, trying to wrap it around Bheem's muscular body.

"Hold still, Bheem Bhrata," Nakula instructed, his voice shaking with suppressed laughter. He tried to tuck the saree into place, but it kept slipping and bunching awkwardly.

Bheem glanced down at Nakula's efforts. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, anuj?" he asked, trying to stay still despite the ridiculousness of the situation.

"I am an expert Bhrata, trust me." Nakul wrapped the saree around Bheem's waist, struggling to gather enough fabric to cover him properly.

As he tucked the pleats in, he muttered, " This would be a lot easier if you weren't so... well, massive."

"Careful, Nakul! Don't anger the bride!" Arjun called out.

Nakul continued, trying to maintain his composure. "Now, for the pallu," he said, draping the end of the saree over Bheem's shoulder. However, due to Bheem's immense size, the pallu fell ridiculously short, barely reaching his chest.