Tethered ; Arjun and Draupadi

6. Arjun protects Draupadi

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As Arjun was closing in on the distance to Hastinapur, his heart was growing restless. His intuitive self was screaming at him every second to go faster. Arjun said a silent prayer to Krishn, "Madhav, please protect Panchali and my brothers". Dwarkadeesh Vasudev Krishn who was in the battlefield and had physically experienced every ounce of pain inflicted on the heart of his sakhi had heard his Parth's prayer too. Krishn Himself prayed that Arjun reaches as soon as possible.

Dusshasan entered Draupadi's chamber without permission. Vrushali had to leave as soon as he had heard that Karn had renounced Anga so Draupadi was alone. Draupadi glared at Dusshasan and said, "Rajkumar Dusshasan! How dare you enter the Empress's room without permission? Do not forget, I am your Bhabishree". Dusshasan scoffed and said, "You were the Empress before the game, dear Bhabishree. Now you are Jyesht's Daasi". Dusshasan attempted to touch her to which she responded by wielding a sword. "Moorkh! You cannot enslave somebody who does not accept slavery. And I do not accept your Jyesht's slavery", she said through clenched teeth and stormed out of her chamber, dropping the sword. Dusshasan followed behind and eventually stepped on her saree's trail which resulted in her hair being tugged along with it. Draupadi exclaimed in agony. Dusshasan grabbed her by the hair and pushed her towards a pillar. Draupadi collided with it and screamed in agony. "Dusshasan, don't you dare touch me!", she protested as she tried to fight his hands back. Dusshasan started dragging her by the hair while she was still on the floor. She fruitlessly tried to free herself out of his hold. She wailed and screamed in agony when he dragged her down the stairs. He dragged her to the court. Mahamahim Bheeshma, Maha Guru Dron, Mahamantri Vidur and the four Pandavas cried as Draupadi was dragged towards the podium. On seeing her husbands, she screamed, "Arya Putro, please do not let this happen. I am your wife, how can you silently sit and watch this sin being committed ?". She expected them to react but they did not. She felt her life wash away in front of her eyes when her husbands accepted restrictions from an invisible chain of false righteousness instead of standing up for her protection and her honour. Dusshasan dragged her up the last step of the podium and pushed her, face-down to the ground. Draupadi's forehead endured yet another cut. She stayed down, trying to grasp the situation.

"Dusshasan! Show me this arrogant lady's face! Grab this Daasi Draupadi!", Duryodhan ordered. But Draupadi refused to quit standing her ground. She was Yagyaseni, the fireborn. As pure and resilient as fire itself. Before Dusshasan could lay even a finger on her, she lifter her head to look Duryodhan in the eye. For a moment, Draupadi's courage had unnerved Duryodhan. He gulped on seeing Draupadi's unbreakable courage. "Moorkh, Duryodhan! You think you can enslave the one whose heart hasn't accepted slavery?", Draupadi said fiercely. Duryodhan clenched his jaw in anger and shouted, "Daasi Draupadi! Keep Quiet! You cannot speak to your Master like that! Pitashree, look at this Daasi! She must be punished!". "Dhritarashtra! Open the eyes of your heart, my son. Do not let the reputation of Our Lakshmi be tarnished", Bheeshma implored Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra, a loser to blind love for his son, said, "Draupadi, you should not speak to your Master disrespectfully. You may be sentenced to death". Draupadi was bewildered by his words. She gathered all her strength and got up. She tossed that cursed Dyut board and pushed it out of the podium where she was standing. Wailing, she said, "Tashri! My husbands loved you like their own father. I respected you as my own." She turned to Bheeshma and continued, "Pitamaha, your glory and benevolence are known by the entire Aryavart. There is not a single warrior on this earth that is nearly as competent you. How could you not raise your weapon in order to protect my honour? Or even my husbands' honour ?". Draupadi looked at Vidur and said, "Kakashree, you are the most knowledgeable person. How could you not discern between right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate, righteous and unrighteous?". She looked at Guru Dron and said, "Guru Dron, you are present here in the position of my father. How could you let this happen to your daughter?". She wailed as she confronted them. Bheeshma, Vidur and Guru Dron cried silently. At last, she turned to her husbands and said angrily, "And you all! You all claim to be great warriors? You could not even protect your wife. I used to be the proud wife of the five great Pandavas and today, I am ashamed to be your wife". She took her Churamani out and threw it at their feet. "From this moment onwards, I refuse to accept you four as my husbands", said Draupadi and stepped down the podium. Before leaving, she turned to face the court and said, "This court, filled with great warriors and scholars decided to protect their personal sense of righteousness rather than standing against the actual unrighteousness being thrown in a woman's way. So, I, Panchal Kumari, Drupad Kanya, Yagyaseni Draupadi, decide to refuse to accept this evil Duryodhan's slavery". She took long strides to exit the Sabha. "Stop, Draupadi! Your husband Yudhishthir bet on you and lost, fair and square. You cannot deny that. You told us yourself that you only obey your husbands' orders and decisions. You cannot forget your duties as a wife by simply declaring to refuse to accept the Pandavas as your husbands", said Duryodhan angrily. Draupadi turned to face him and scoffed and said, "A person who lost his own independence cannot bet on another's. You are all fools". "Draupadi, your gallant husbands could not protect you. Come to me, establish an intimate relationship with me. You are my Daasi now, I will protect you. Sit on my lap", Duryodhan said with lust in his eyes. He had wanted Draupadi for himself since the moment he had first laid his immoral eyes on her at her Swayamvar. "Duryodhan! I will take your life by breaking your thigh in the battlefield! This is my oath!", shouted Bheem. "A servant cannot challenge his Master, Moorkh Bheem. Dusshasan! Do you remember how this Draupadi had snatched our weapons from us at Indraprasth? I order you to now snatch away her clothes", declared Duryodhan.