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The game of dice in Hastinapura was a tense and bitter affair. King Dhritarashtra, seated on his throne, was unaware of the undercurrents of deceit that ran through the proceedings. In the vast court, Purnima and Karna, both having arrived as invited guests. They were guests, yes—but Purnima had no illusions about the game being fair. Her keen eyes had already noted Duryodhan's gluttonous ambition to crush the Pandavas.
The game began, and one by one, the Pandavas lost their possessions, their kingdom, and their very freedom. Yudhishthir, unwilling to defy the will of his Kaurava cousins, gambled away his brothers and himself. Finally, with no stakes left to offer, Yudhishthir was forced to gamble his wife, Draupadi.
"Draupadi, the wife of five brothers, will also be staked," Duryodhan declared, his voice dripping with malice.
The room went silent for a moment, but then there was an unsettling murmur. Purnima's eyes blazed with fury as she looked toward the Pandavas, and then to Draupadi. She had seen enough. There was no going back.
"Enough!" Purnima's voice cut through the tension like a sword. "This is not a game, Duryodhan. This is an act of barbarism. You mock dharma itself!"
Duryodhan's eyes flashed with anger. "You speak of dharma, Purnima? You, a woman? Stay silent, or I will silence you."
Purnima's anger flared. "Do not mistake my silence for submission, Duryodhan. If you think you can strip a woman of her honor in this court, you will answer to me first. I will not allow you to disgrace Draupadi, nor any woman in this kingdom."
The court was abuzz with whispers. Some of the courtiers were uneasy, while others seemed to take pleasure in watching the Pandavas' downfall. Purnima's presence, however, was like a storm cloud over the entire hall. Her reputation as a fierce warrior and defender of justice was well-known across kingdoms.
When Draupadi was dragged into the center of the hall, her eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. The Kauravas, led by Duryodhan, laughed cruelly as they ordered her to be stripped of her clothes. The air in the hall grew heavy with the stench of injustice, and Purnima could no longer remain still.
"Do you see this, Duryodhan? Do you see what you are doing?" Purnima's voice was thunderous as she strode forward, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. "You wish to disgrace a woman? You wish to trample on her dignity, as if she is no more than an object?"
Duryodhan sneered, his eyes cold and filled with venom. "What will you do, Purnima? You are just a woman. Who will listen to you?"
Purnima's gaze never left him, her voice cutting like a blade. "I am not just a woman, Duryodhan. I am the shishya of fierce Shikhandini and Jarasandh mardini Rani Kashvi , And I will not allow you to dishonor Draupadi in my presence. If you dare lay a hand on her, I will make you regret it."
At that moment, Duryodhan's brother Dushasana, began to pull at Draupadi's sari. But Purnima, filled with rage, moved faster than anyone anticipated. She swung her sword, knocking away the hands of Dushasana and sending him stumbling back.
