Draupadi - The Impregnable Queen

19

"Come Dushasan, test your strength." boomed Draupadi.

Dushasan grinned as if he wasn't necessarily waiting for the invitation. Just as he kneeled to grab the cloth attached, she placed her right foot on the cloth, focusing all the strength left in her. Dushasan pulled at it hard but Draupadi didn't budge. When she knew she couldn't hold it much longer, and the cloth would tear, she let it go. The amount of friction between the two resulted in a sight of Dushasan on the floor. She had used all the strength she had in her. Arjuna was lying unconscious. Her other four husbands were slaves to both Duryodhana and their incorrect interpretation of Dharma. As Dushasan advanced to towards her, she joined her hands, this was above anyone present in the court, it was above her. She felt a pull. Her conscience invoking two entities she could trust. One a god who she revered and the other she revered as a god.
A petite woman was walking briskly, clad in royal garments by far the fairest of anyone present in the palace. Her big eyes were filled with innocence. Her sky blue lehenga - choli and bright green angavastram added to her childlike persona. She was going to meet the Samragni she hadn't got a chance to meet her yet, her two-year-old son Laxman had chosen particularly today to throw a tantrum, none of the dasis could handle him, so she had to stay back. Now the troublemaker was finally put to sleep. She was passing the royal court when she caught on something unusual. The court was silent. Of all the years she had spent in the palace of Hastinapur she had never come across a day when the court was silent. She knew it wasn't her place but curiosity took better of her. The doorkeepers were too busy to notice, they were more interested in seeing the scene being unfolded before them. The woman moved a little to her right because of the college base blocking her vision. What was before her eyes left her numb.
A woman probably in her early thirties, stood in the center of the court, her black hair unbraided looked like locks of fire, her visage, though bloodstained left the woman in awe, she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her nath was barely attached to her nose, and her body had cuts that needed immediate tending. But something else took the viewer's interest, her devar was pulling at the cloth attached to the woman. If it could get any bizarre the cloth seemed unnaturally long. She sensed a movement to her right, she turned her head, her husband was being deprived of his blue embroidered angavastram by an invisible force. The pieces of cloth flew towards the cloth attached to the woman, with eyes wide open she saw the length of his angavastram join the woman's. For the next few moments, she kept turning her head right and left. She watched every man present in the court getting devoid of their angavastrams, crowns and jewelry until her eyes landed on three men who were sitting so close to the door she didn't even notice them. She focused her vision, it was her husband's cousins - the Pandavas! But what were they doing on the ground sitting like slaves? She heard the one nearest to her, the youngest whisper something. Her head snapped back to the woman. She noticed the chudamani in her hair she had missed earlier. Her eyes widened further if that were possible. She let out a whimper. The doorkeeper turned back but he was too late. The wife of the Crown Prince, Bhanumati was running as fast as her small legs could take her. She ran towards the chamber of her mothers-in-law. She knew she could do nothing. Maybe they could. Something had to be done. The Samragni had to be saved.

-

As soon as Arjuna recollected his senses, as a warrior, the first thing he sensed was the sword drawing a scant amount of blood. He dare not move, he opened his eyes wide enough to see the happenings but narrow enough to go unnoticed, anyway, the soldier was not particularly interested in the archer, he was curious to know what would happen next! What will the Samragni do, now?

Arjuna saw Dushasan dropping to the floor he looked exhausted, in his hands a cloth which led to a woman, Arjuna dared to look up a little, it was her. He lost control, he yanked the sword away from the soldier, and lodged his elbow right into the soldier's face, he fell unconscious. Arjuna looked around, nobody was interested in him. They were looking at her unblinking. Everyone terrified. Everyone. They were not to blame.