Love & Betrayal

~ Draupadi & Maithili

The brothers were sitting in their common room while chit chatting, it was a nice day and today they had forcefully brought their jyesth out of the court saying he doesn't spend time with them. With them their wives were also involved except bheem and valandara as kunti had taken them both to temple and praying for the betterment of newly becoming parents and their child. Draupadi after months was feelings good, now she could enjoy it completely as nothing was missing. Nakul was telling her about yudhishthir's childhood which was wholesome, she laughed a lot and seeing her laughing carefree they all were happy. After what they got to know, they had got attached with her emotionally. One side was wanting to kill that duryodhan for doing those things with her but yudhishthir had stopped them telling the consequences.

"You won't belive it bhabhi, your calm husband is much more naughtier from inside. He had troubled us a lot and then used to run near maata madri. He was her favorite child." Shadev told teasingly to which their brother just shrugged off.

"Shut up, you all are just jealous of me!" He said so carefree as at that point all the four pandavas shared a look, a look that was telling their happiness. "Oh, enough of your nonsense now. I have lot of work and you wasted more of my time." He again said. Keeping prativindya on the couch he ruffled his hair and started going from there. Draupadi saw him and later followed wanting to talk something.

"Don't be late." Hearing her voice he turned behind. It was a little new but he loved it. His eyes immediately softened at her words and he nodded. The urge of touching her forced him as he kept his palm on her cheek for few second and later sharing a warm smile left from there.

Draupadi was just standing there and looking at his disappearing figure. He got involved with his ministers and went to the court. Just when she was turning she saw maithili and that hitted something in her mind. She felt the need to talk with her as from many days she was seeing how maithili was ignoring everyone and just staying in her own chamber expect meeting a particular someone.

"Rajkumari maithili?"

The voice huddled her way as maithili held her drape a little bit tight. She was just roaming around when suddenly caught the view of them both admiring each other. It wasn't like she felt envy of that instead she was admiring them but draupadi must have misunderstood her by seeing her past deeds.

"If you won't mind can we talk?" Draupadi again said to which she nodded her head. Both the ladies walked to the garden side and sat on the swing. Maithili was uncomfortable and scared but sensing her awkwardness draupadi made her comfortable. "How's your experience in indraprastha?"

"It's good, maharani!" She briefly told and again fell silent. Draupadi didn't know how to make her comfortable. She just wanted to talk her little so that she can get comfortable with them.

"Rajkumari, I know after whatever happened you hate me but trust me I never knew about you___"

"What are you saying maharani. It's nothing like that, you are making me guilty by saying so. I can't meet your eyes because of my disgusting behaviour towards you. That's what stopping me from meeting you. Trust me maharani, I don't see maharaj with those intentions anymore. Yeah, i did mistake by blaming you and questioning you. But trust me it wasn't intentional. I apologize for everything, you can punish me...." She folded her hands before her with guilt striking in her heart.

Draupadi reacted instantly and stopped her from doing that. "Don't say so, I never held any grudge for you instead I want to talk with you and make you comfortable. Trust me I never blamed you for your feelings, I can understand you and  it's completely normal to love someone."

"I don't love him, mahrani. I just respect him and that I thought is love but then someone made me understand, told me the true meaning of love and now after talking with you, my guilt has lessen. I can freely leave for mithila now."

"You are going?" Draupadi asked with some shock. While maithali smiled and nodded. She told about her father's health and she should be present there for him. Hearing those things from her draupadi's heart pained, what about her father? How is he? Does he remember her? Or he just hate her? He must have forgotten about her. She thought and after talking with the princess come to do her work.

.........

"How many days will you not talk with me maata? Please don't do this with me." Kunti turned her face towards other side, she couldn't hold back her emotions in front of him as his innocence always melts her heart. It has been months since she stopped talking with him and that has hurt both the mother-son. Yudhishthir was constantly doing efforts but she had made stone of her heart and not interacting him.

Just few days ago a letter from hastinapur has arrived saying they want kunti's presence in hastinapur as she was on the vacation from a very long time. Reading that letter yudhishthir was more disappointed that he didn't get enough time with her.
"Please atleast talk bitter things to me. I'll bear your bitter words but not this silence, it's killing me maa." He again said this time coming before her and keeping his head on her lap. It weakened her. She couldn't hold back anymore and hugged her son to her heart. A silent sob left his mouth at the long separation from his mother.

"Please don't stop talking with me maa. I don't have anyone except you, my brothers have my shoulder to cry but I only have you. If again you distanced yourself from me then I would prefer to die rather than living like this." He told to which she scolded him for saying like that.

"Forgive me putra! I, myself know how hard it was to not talk to you but I couldn't bear that shock. I never had imagined that my yudhishthir can hurt anyone." She said and he preferred to stay silent at that point. They both sat in each other's company for sometime spending all their time together.

........

"Don't be a bad boy vindya. Come here and eat your food." Draupadi chided little bit. Her mood wasn't good and out of sudden prativindya has started doing more mischiefs. She was calling him from long time but he was just jumping all over the bed and running here and there.
"Vindya, listen to what I'm saying or I will punish you." She again told with little strict voice. Still her innocent son wasn't aware of it and kept doing the mischief.

Just when it was going out of her control yudhishthir entered the chamber. He saw his wife fuming with anger and the reason was their son who was jumping on the bed. He gluped down and with stoic expression went near his son and held him in his arms. "Don't do mischief, your maa is angry see her face." He whispered slowly in his ear. Prativindya snapped at his mother and once realizing her anger silenced down.

"Don't do mischief putra, see your maa has brought food for you. Panchali, feed him now he won't do anything." He told to his son and then to his wife. But she went into another zone only. Keeping the plate before them both she scolded him. "Do it by yourself. He's your son only, don't hear anything of what I say. Now you both don't talk to me." Warning them both she started walking from there.

"But what i did__"

"He is the fruit of your deeds only."

She boldly said before leaving the chamber. At first he didn't understand but later when the words hitted him, his face was a viewable scene. Prativindya looked at his father with tensed look as both shared the same expressions.

"I didn't do anything pitashlee." He innocently told. Yudhishthir pulled his cheek and kissed on his face. "It's ok putra, your maa is just tired with all the work. From now onwards don't trouble her much. Come now, we both will have the delicious food." Saying so he took his son on the lap and started feeding him, then both laughed at prativindya's funny stories while enjoying the food and sharing quality time of theirs.

............