Tethered ; Arjun and Draupadi

10. Krishn directs Arjun and Draupadi

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Dusk had begun to paint the sky in darker hues. Draupadi stared at the sky on their journey back to Indraprasth. She found herself seated across Arjun in the chariot. The sound of the wheels colliding with the earth as the chariot furthered towards its destination and the horses' occasional neighs were the only ones prevalent. The silence caused scenes from the day's horrors to flash in her mind. The unshakable feeling of disgust she felt when her brother-in-law touched her overwhelmed her. The piercing agony she felt both in her body and her heart as she was dragged by the hair into the courtroom made her shut her eyes. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks. The fireborn Princess of Panchal, the purest of all, had never felt so impure. She did not deem it possible for her to ever feel impure.

Arjun looked at her and his heart sunk at the sight. His mind flashed back to the day he had emerged as the victor in winning her hand at her Swayamvar. The moment his arrow had pierced the fish's eye, he had been engulfed by the dreams of a life with her. He had dreamt of loving her, protecting her and cherishing her. But the cruel hands of fate had changed the trajectory of his life. Back then, Draupadi had decided to sacrifice her dreams and her contentment for the oneness of the Late King Pandu's family. The only satisfaction she had been able to draw back then was additional protection and support. She had hoped to be dutiful to the family and hoped to be equally regarded and protected in return. But how the castle of hope she had built had crumbled down. Arjun's gaze shifted towards the floor of the chariot as he recalled the time passed.

He sighed and extended his hand to cup hers in his. She stirred at his touch and looked at him. But she instantly turned her gaze elsewhere. It was not that she was furious at him but that she did not have anything to say. He kneeled down before her and held both her hands in his. He looked at her and said, "Panchali, if I could, I would take a hundred arrows through my body to lessen your pain. But I cannot. All I can do is walk right beside you in this journey towards punishing your culprits. Like you had armoured my feet with your precious tears prior to my exile, I promise, I will be your armour at the cost of the very last drop of blood in my body till my last breath". She looked at him but still couldn't manage to pry words out of her mouth. "We had exchanged vows on the day of our marriage to be partners in both pleasure and pain. Please, Panchali. Let me be your accomplice in this torment. Do not turn your back on me", Arjun said as tears brimmed in eyes of his own, causing his voice to tremble. This did not go unnoticed by Draupadi. She locked her gaze with his. Her sight pierced through his, granting her a glimpse of his soul. In that moment, she knew he was hurting too. Though his body could not practically feel the pain of her body, their soul tie made sure that his heart felt the flinching agony residing in hers. She let her silent tears turn into audible ones. Arjun immediately inched closer and held her face between his palms. "Arya, why do I have to be the one to suffer? Why am I being punished for Duryodhan's sins?", she questioned between sobs as her face rested in his hands. "You are not the one being punished, Panchali. You are the victim today and tomorrow, you will be the cause of the sinner's damnation", he said consoling her. She held his hands that were holding her face and looked at him as she tried to sniffle her tears. As their eyes stared in each other's, she failed at her attempt in holding her tears back. Arjun wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and let her tears wash his skin. His hand covered the back of her skull as he held her close. Tears slipped down his cheeks as well. "Forgive me, Panchali. If I had listened to you this morning and not stayed back at Indraprasth, this tribulation would have never found its way to you. I am sure Mamashree had struck an alliance with Takshak once again to separate me from the rest of you during the playing hours of the Dyut, considering the snake bites were not real but a work of illusion. I should have considered that possibility before deciding to stay back. Forgive me, Priye", said Arjun. Draupadi continued to be glued to him as she said, "It is not your fault for entrusting your brothers to protect me. They were my husbands too when they let me fall in the face of humiliation. They would've continued to bask in cowardice in the guise of protecting their Dharma and let me be disrobed in that crowded room. It is Govind who listened to my prayer and protected me and it is you who stopped Dusshasan. Do not blame yourself for their sins, Arya". "I had always wanted my heart to be inundated by the sweet sound of your laughter. Unfortunately, it is your tears that inundate it today. But do not worry, Panchali. Your tears will be the fuel for me to punish your culprits. I will not rest till they are punished. I promise, once this is over, you and I will start anew. A new life for just the two of us elsewhere. Till my last breath, I will not let a single shred of sadness enter your life", said a resolute Arjun. Draupadi continued to let her tears fall away.