From Vague To Vivid

Chapter 2

Previously

Draupadi's eyes bored into his as he spoke,
"Every single time Draupadi when I look into your eyes I can see what you hold for me. And every time I think I don't deserve it."

Draupadi was in a state of daze until now. But listening to what Arjun said just now baffled her.

She pulled her hands from his and spoke in voice filled with doubt and shock.

"Really Arjun, you thought you didn't deserve me. Wow you thought you didn't deserve the princess born just for the sake of you. You kept me distant because you thought YOU DIDN'T DESERVE ME. Why didn't I come with this theory all the way along?"
Arjun tried to intervene where her thoughts were going but Draupadi shot her left palm up as an action for him to shut up.

"Every time..every time you married another princess all I thought was that you think I am not worthy enough for you but you know what, my four other husbands, they never made me feel like that.
I was always confused that after everything we have gone through what should be my feelings for you. I have always been skeptical about us. And you know what Arjun whenever you were away I didn't miss you.
Why should I?
After all YOU don't deserve me right?"

When the gravity of her words sank in his heart Arjun could feel tears forming in his eyes but he blinked them back.

His twelve years exile was a voluntarily one from his part. He deemed it to be necassary.....necassary for her to gel up with his brothers in his absence... necassary for him as he somewhere felt tired from all these domestic politics, but he surely didn't realise at that moment that those distances will only make them long for each other more. The longing whose's intensity never diminished even till now.

Those distances just became another evidence to prove the already known fact that their relationship was not a mere infatuation but much stronger, deeper and meaningful than that.

Arjun closed his eyes and sighed as if trying to put himself together.

He cupped her face and spoke,
"No Panchali.
No.
You did miss me.
You missed me as much as I missed you. You are not skeptical about your feelings towards me Panchali because you have always known them just the way I always knew that I love you, I will love you always and forever."

Panchali stared at him unblinkingly . This wasn't the first time Arjun was confessing his love for her but then why did it feel like one?
Was it because this time Arjun was open towards his feelings for her, Arjun was vul... vulnerable in front of her?

A comfortable silence swept its way between the two broken souls. But it was not new for her.

What's new? They were strong for the world, for their kingdom, for their families but broken only when with each other because she knew only he could fix her. He had that power or she herself gave him that power she was not sure.

And silences..... she hated silences when she was The Princess of Panchal. But with him silences have always been comfortable. Again he had that power or she herself gave him that power she was not sure.

They kept looking into each others eyes like they wanted to find something but all they found was love, immense love for each other. No one else existed in this moment, neither the other four husbands of Panchali nor the other three wives of Arjun.

Panchali's daze finally broke when Arjun spoke further,
"I was wrong. Wrong to distance myself from the person I love the most, from the person whom I know loves me.... I wa.."

"THE MOST".

Arjun was interuppted by his better half and it took him a second to realise what she meant. But as soon as he did his eyes sparkled, he wanted to smile and envelope her into a bone crashing hug but ...but he knew he wouldn't do that. They are married but their marriage includes 7 more people other than the two of them. Arjun has always known that Panchali loves him the most but again hearing from her own voice seemed heaven to him.

Panchali already knew Arjun will again not say anything about her confession similar to the numerous times before and chose to remain quiet to let him continue.

But it was not difficult for Arjun to sense what she felt at that moment. It never was. She was always an open book for him whether she wanted to be or not. Their state of connectedness was immeasureable and indestructible.

Arjun catched the tint of despair her eyes held which he had seen before too because of his lack of expression but this time it was unbearable.
Something like he can't see her in pain now for even a millisecond and so he gave up to his heart and in the spur of the moment confessed what he wanted to confess for years now,

"Trust me Draupadi when I say this, I know, I am aware of every single feeling that you withold for me and I want you to know that I reciprocate it, if not as much as you, then more than you."

This startled Draupadi. She was not used to Arjun's confessions. Yes she was aware about his feelings for her, he never made her love for him feel unrequited and that was the only thing that helped her move through every stony path of her life. But he never openly claimed either.

A small smile made its way on her lips as she kept her hand on Arjun's right one which was cupping her face.

But as soon as she did that Arjun withdrew his hands.

.....

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The next chapters are going to be more and more interesting. Keep tuned. :)