Love & Betrayal

~ Left

Broken. Guilt ridden. Dull. Helpless. These words were what defining him now. He silently walked inside his chamber retiring everyone and ordering no one to distrub him. His legs felt weak as shoulders couldn't take more efforts and with that he fell near the sofa. The golden anklet from the pouch fell on a side as he picked it and tears started falling from his eyes. What did he do? He finished everything. He destroyed his own happiness by himself. Waves of anger crossed his mind as he punched on the floor mercilessly. His knuckles started bleeding still he punished himself for saying all those words to her. Her tears started troubling him as he felt like killing himself for the every drop of tears she has shedded.

"Main aapse bohot prem karta hu panchali, bohot adhik prem karta hu parantu mere kartavya ne mujhe aapse durr kardiya. Agar aapko svikarta toh apni behen ko sampurn roop se kho deta aur aapka jeevan bhi sankat mein aa jata. Shrap hu main aapke liye, shrap." He said sobbing with the unending pain. His bleeding hands were holding the last symbol of her and their love. His brain rewinded the moments they shared and he slipped into more guilt.

.........

After a long time a soldier entered in his room informing that his sister wanted to meet him. With no heart he asked the soldier to send her and decided to clean his hands before anyone see him.

"Bharatashree." Dushala called her brother who wasn't facing her and was unusually silent. He was calm as storms were going inside him. He turned to her with the same dull face and acted normal but anyone could say he wasn't good. Dushala came to him and hugged him, thanking him for what he did. "Take care of yourself dushala. You should be careful with your and the child's health." He said with the blank face.

"I will always be grateful for whatever you did bharatashree. I'm sorry for being a shame for you_" She said not meeting his eyes but yudhishthir stopped her and kept his hand on her head. "Don't say this dushala. Just remeber one thing, whatever happens always share it with your family. It will help you." He told which she agreed.
"What happened to you bharatashree? You are not seeming right."

"Nothing! I want some rest, you go and be careful." He told more like ordering. She understood and left from his chamber. Yudhishthir sat down on the floor lost in his own pain.

..........

Panchal

Draupadi was laying on the bed with no emotions. She had locked herself from the time she came back and that worried her father. He came to meet her but she pretended strong and changed the topic. Her heart was feeling like tore up. Something was empty, she was still can't believe and hoping that he will come to her. Tell her that everything was lie and they will live a happy life. A tear come out of her eyes as his face come before her eyes. That wasn't fake. She had seen love in his eyes. How could she mistaken it? She never saw lust in those eyes, they always held respect and love in them.

"Drau, what's going on? Why are you not eating anything? If something has happened then share it with me." Shrikhandini came scolding her. Draupadi didn't speak anything and laid her head on her lap closing her eyes. "I want to sleep jiji, I'm not feeling well." She reasoned and slept under the warmth not wanting to think much. "What's the matter sweetie. I can clearly see the sadness on your face." She muttered but it got ignored as her sister had already slept.

.........

"Yeh kya kar diya hai aapne mere saath. Aapka prem mujhe sab kuch chor kr sirf aapke vishay mein vichaar karne k liye vivash kar raha hai, priye." He said kissing on her neck which draupadi giggled. She kept her cold hands on his cheeks as he covered her with the shawl and brushed his nose on the nape.

"Rajkumar aap mujhe aise dosh nahi de sakte. Mere prem ko kavach bana kr aap aalsi bante jaa rahe hai, aise karenge toh ho gaya praja ka kalyaan." She said teasing him. Yudhishthir brought her closer by the waist and looked intensely in her eyes. She felt shy with his look and pushed his face to other side. "Satya kehe rahi hai aap. Mujhe aapka prem apni ore aakarshit kar raha hai aur mein khicha chala aa raha hu aapke paas. Ek baar vivaah ho jaane dijiye fir purn divas rajya sabha ke karya mein vyast rahunga."

"Vivaah ke pashcyaat aisa kya hone wala hai mere bhavi samrat." She asked narrowing her eyebrows. "Aap sadaiv mere aankhon ke saamne jo rahengi, kisi vishay ka bhay hi nhi rahega." He told kissing on her head. Draupadi laughed like a child and snuggled in his well built chest.

She jerked out of her thoughts when suddenly her maid called her. She looked behind and asked her what happened.
"Rajkumari, there's a bad news."

"What is it?"

"We have heard that the pandavas and their mother are died due to the fire of varnavart. Many are saying it an accident but maharaj drupad is suspicious that it's a well planned murder." The maid informed but draupadi had blanked out. After the first line she didn't hear anything. Her world crashed hearing the news. From the morning she was randomly having his thoughts and now suddenly this news. She dismissed the maid but soon fainted after not able to take the news.

Shrikhandini ran to her sister as she sat beside her and asked her father about her condition who was called by the maids. "What happened suddenly? Where's the vaidya?"

"He had come sometime ago." Drupad rudely told which confused her. She again asked but he was seeming very angry and so she asked the maids. "Rajkumar draupadi..... She..... She is pregnant..."

"What! How can this happen? No pitashree, it's not true." Shrikhandini tried to defend draupadi but drupad wasn't in the state. He was waiting for draupadi to wake up. "I had loved her whole heartedly. Dreamt about her future but what she did? She gave shame to me. She's pregnant before marriage? How could my draupadi do this? She broke my trust." He said still unbelievable. His draupadi didn't thought about her father's reputation. She stained his name with this act.
While shrikhandini was utter shocked. She couldn't speak anything after this.

Soon draupadi woke up and the shocking news came to know. Her heart was beating rapidly. What a game destiny has played with her? She can't even hate him for her condition now. Because he has already left her alone in this world. She can't decide to be happy or sad. She got to know about her child on the day of his father's death? What a joke? Draupadi thought as continuous tears came out of her life.

Draupad wasn't able to say anything. He couldn't speak bad for that daughter whom he has loved more than his daughter and so he left from there. Shrikhandini went behind him knowing his anger. After that draupadi retired all the maids and started crying unstoppable.
"Why did you do this? Why? We would have lived a happy life with our child yudhishthir. You destroyed everything and now I can't even blame you. What has I done to suffer like this? Now how will i carry your child in this world alone?" She cried remembering him. How could he leave her? Her anger faded as the unending grief replaced in her heart. She was mourning for loosing her love. And feeling shameful to even face her father. After all this how will she live before his eyes.

"It's the symbol of our love panchali. Would you kill my last memory?" His voice ranged in her ear. She searched for him but he wasn't there and that broke her heart even more. Her hand travelled to her stomach and it gave more pain. Her child become fatherless before the birth. She couldn't even share this with him. How unlucky she is.

.........

"I didn't do anything other than giving shame to you pitashree. And that why I have decided to leave this palace. I don't have the right to live in this luxuries after everything." She said folding her hands before her father who was sleeping.

Draupadi has changed into the commoners clothes now as she has decided to leave from panchal forever and never show up to anyone. For the world draupadi will die now. She touched her feet for last time and without coming in anyone's eyes left the palace with the hidden gate. She travelled from the forest and soon reached to a village.

"Who are you?"

........

How is the chapter? Which is your favorite part? And what will happen next? Tell me in comments.

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