Frangipanis | A Snippet

Frangipanis

"I look ridiculous."

Draupadi tugged at the blood red saree which fell in an open drape, artfully contrasted with her bewitching dark skin. Her long hair had been rather tastefully styled into a half updo, with most of those inky swathes of lusciousness left open to reach her curvy waist. 

"You look ravishing."

Subhadra countered coolly and tucked the freshly plucked frangipanis into the bun with her nifty fingers, dexterously. 

"This is completely unnecessary. I am no longer a young maiden at the cusp of womanhood. I am a mother of four--"

"Going to be five."

The Queen of the Pandavas blushed immediately at the teasing tone her co wife adopted while pulling out a slight golden pendent and clasping it around the former's shapely neck which seemed to somehow enhance her perfectly endowed bosom even more. 

"But, my dear--", Draupadi began only to be cut off by the favourite daughter of the Yadavas, who impatiently gestured with her hand and brushed off imaginary lint from the former's dress and clasped her slim shoulders to catch her nervous gaze on the mirror in front.

"Don't you 'my dear' me, Jiji. You are looking absolutely breath-taking. I fear Parth, might actually faint on seeing you."

The scarlet of the deepening blush only seemed to enhance Agnisutaa's enviously talked about beauty and served to increase the lovely smile on Rochana's pulchritudinous lunular face.  

"You are an absolute menace, Subhadra."

"I will take that as a compliment. Now, be a dear and wait here. I will send for the General."

Draupadi shook her head as an exasperated smile lingered on her red stained full lips while Krishna's beloved sister ambled away from the chambers leaving behind the gentle chime of her familiar silver anklets and a wafting bloom of pink lotuses. 

The first Kulavadhu of the Kurus thanked her mystical Govinda for bestowing on her family, his precious Yadavi, yet again. 

Why had she ever thought, this golden hearted girl, will ever be anything but an absolute delight?

Then her mind traversed back to the matter at hand while she laid a gentle palm on her still flat stomach. 

Warmth and love blossomed into gentle knots which seized the Panchala princess's heart as a familiar glow settled itself gracefully on her beautiful features. 

She couldn't wait to share the news with her beloved.

And that strain of thought brought her flighty mind right back, on her favourite subject, of late. 

Her archer's prussian silver gaze had been trained with its legendary focus right on her. Like she was the fish's eye he had pierced in her swayamvara, all those years ago. Like she was the bird's eye he had struck in one fluid move, in Acharya Drona's gurukula, almost two decades past. 

She wondered whether he knew already. 

She wouldn't be surprised if he did. There was little in this Universe which could escape his hawk eyes. The man could sense the slightest movement of the most miniscule nature, a hundred paces away from where he stood, at any given moment of time. 

It is what made him near invincible in battle. 

To be the sole object of such ferocious focus would serve to make the most formidable of warriors break into nervous jitters but not her. 

She basked in his attention like a dried crop starving for rain. She found herself turning towards him, opening up like a sunflower towards the sun. 

His footsteps were unmistakable in its steady tread even if she had her eyes closed. She sensed him come to a stop behind her, where she stood in front of the dresser, still loathed to open her kohl lined, heavily lashed, fish shaped eyes.