|| Never Without You || [ The Tale Of Arjun-Draupadi ] (I)

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝟸𝟻

Paanchaal, Kaampilya

"Maata! Maata, you know what happened?!" Bheem squealed happily, running into Kunti's arms along with the rest of them. Arjun grinned with a blush, hiding his smile.

Kunti chuckled softly, "Arrey! What happened? You'll look so happy?"

"Maata, you know, Dronacharya has promised to make Arjun his best student!" Nakul chirruped happily, dragging Arjun closer towards him.

"What? Really?!" Kunti's lips burst into a huge grin, as she cupped Arjun's cheek in her motherly palm, "Is this true Arjun?" 

The fifteen-year-old boy nodded shyly, the smile on his lips. He was still reeling from the effect of being praised wholesomely by Dron in-front of everyone. The way he hugged and promised him to make him the best among warriors. . . 

"Also Maata you know? Only Arjun had the courage to promise Dronacharya that he will give him justice!" Sahadev added, beaming happily, "And the Kauravas were staring with jealousy!" The kids laughed, as Sahadev and Bheem slapped each other's palms in mock.

"Justice?" Kunti's smile faded slightly, her brows narrowing in curiosity, "What justice?"

"Maata you know?" Arjun inhaled deeply, "The King of Paanchaal? He had done a great injustice against Gurudev! Neither did he fulfil the promise of Dronacharya, nor respected him!" 

"What. . . what are you saying Arjun? I,I am not understanding anything,"  Kunti blinked dumbfounded. 

"Guru Dronacharya was saying that King Drupad had disrespected him when he went to claim half of his Kingdom," Yudhishthir muttered softly, a faint diabolism in his tone evident slightly, "And refused to cater to him. . . "

"What?" Kunti shook her head slightly, "No, this. . . this can't be true sons!" 

"But that's what Gurudev said! Why would he lie Maata?" Arjun cupped Kunti's hand, blinking confusedly at her mother's sudden change of demeanour at the mention of Drupad. Kunti narrowed her brows, breathing softly, "What did Guru Dronacharya exactly say Yudhishthir?"

"That him and King Drupad were childhood friends!" Yudhishthir breathed out, "And King Drupad in his childhood had promised him half of his Kingdom out of gratitude. But now since after so many years since Guru Dron had gone to his Kingdom, King Drupad refused him the share."

"And that's why he wants us to take revenge upon King Drupad!" Bheem concluded.

"WHAT?!" Kunti almost exclaimed, blinking in horror, "I. . . is this what Guru Dron said?" 

"Yes Maata, but what's wrong in it?" Arjun blinked innocently, looking at his brothers in perplex, "Paanchaal was always our enemy! How does it matter?" 

Kunti watched her kids dumbfounded, unable to understand. Though she was unaware of the entire episode, she somehow had a hunched that something was definitely wrong. 

King Drupad, refusing something he had promised?! 

She could never forget how Paandu used to fondly talk about Drupad with her. . . and the way everything turned out later was an absolute tragedy. And her sons, they were almost lost in the brainwash of Hastinapur somewhere. 

And she couldn't do anything about it. . . 

She had promised Paandu, never to reveal about this secret friendship to anyone. For the cost of peace of the elders of Hastinapur. 

"You, you aren't happy about it Maata?" Arjun gently nudged Kunti's shoulder, who looked slightly lost.

Arjun felt his lashes moisten, as he squeezed them hard enough to let a tear roll out. The dis-rest of his mother, the hesitation and her reluctance while bidding them off for the war was making sense now. What he felt as a mere concern of her had something else in it as well. . .