Elements of Fire

61. His Daughter, Her Daughter

Draupadi walked through the royal corridors of the palace at a relaxed pace, dinner was over and she had given the last instructions of the day to the domestic staff. The night was clear, the pace and its gardens were lit in the silvery moon light of the half moon.

She was nearing her bed chambers when she sensed a movement near one of the distant bushes. She watched carefully, trying hard to make out who could possibly be in the gardens at such an hour when the figure turned around and called out in a soft, strained voice,

"Putri (daughter)"

"Yes Pitahsri (father)" she answered as she walked down the steps towards him before she could think.

"It is a good night for a walk, so I thought to take a stroll" Drupad said to his daughter now standing beside him.

"Yes, Pitashri, it is" Draupadi answered, her mind racing through every possible reason he had asked her to join him...no she had joined him, he had merely called her name.

"This is your new home" he said more to himself than to her, "It is good...you have chosen it...you had to think—"

"Pitashri why don't you approve of my decision?" she asked, interrupting him. It was impulsive on her part and she knew it but she wanted so many answers.

"You could have returned to Panchal..." Drupad answered, "You had no faith in this father of yours?"

Draupadi stared at him for some time. There was a helplessness in his eyes this time without a trace of arrogance and ambition. Her mind fleeted to the day of her swayamvar or rather the evening after her swayamvar had been concluded.

He had taken her away from the forest, a confident and proud father, but later, he himself had made way for her rather unprecedented marriage once the true identities of the Brahman youths had been revealed to him.

"Faith and rational thinking differ from one another" she answered steadily, looking at the jasmine bush in front of them.

She knew very well that this covert reproduction of her father's own thoughts that he had expressed in the morning would hurt him, but she could not restrain herself. If she were to answer his question with honestly, he would be more hurt.

"Very well" Drupad replied, attempting to sound imperturbable, but Draupadi did notice the quivering at his throat, "You may not say it aloud but I know very well that you have found no true fulfillment here."

"Pitashri, how can you say that?" she questioned immediately, "I have told you befo—"

"What have you told me? That you are the Queen of Anga" Drupad replied "We all can see that. But what status do you have in Aryavart? Tell me?"

"I have what I think I should have" she answered, hoping he would not sense the shakiness in her voice, she had to acquiescence that there was some truth in what he said.

"Sure you know your worth well enough by now" Drupad said mirthlessly, "From Panchal Naresh Drupad's coveted daughter..."

...I have committed no crime in trying to kill two birds with one stone...But you, Angraaj, you have tricked my daughter into marrying you...snatching away my biggest assets...assets...

"...From Empress of Aryavart, you have been relegated to not even a Queen, just somebody's wife—"

"Stop!" Draupadi said as politely as she could, "Please stop, Pitashri. You cannot level those allegations against me. How can you say I am not a Queen, I am the Queen of Anga, and you are well aware that the country is progressing rapidly under me and my husband's reign."

"And I am the wife of the forward thinking and much admired King of Anga, Karna, the mighty archer of the land, the mere twang of whose bow string make enemies shudder in fear...not just somebody" she continued, "And Pitashri, I just don't sit and doll up, I partake in running the kingdom along with my husband—"

"What contacts have you outside Anga?" Drupad asked "Tell me have you any correspondence with the other queens of the land— you have no answer— do you even know that talk are going on about Suthanu's (Yudhistir and Draupadi's daughter) marriage—"

Draupadi gasped, not caring to conceal her shock as her father nodded. She took a few deep breathes as she attempted to control her trembling lips and watery eyes when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder—her father was looking at her sadly.

"Putri(daughter) I understand that the happenings of the dyut sabha(gambling match) was beyond what any of us could have imagined but—"

"Pitashri" she said firmly, pulling herself together again, "There are some things of the past which are unchangeable and not supposed to be brought up time and again in the present. And about my daughter, she is my concern, I am sure there are just inner discussions going on about her marriage and nothing has been finalized yet lest I should have heard, in fact I would have been informed of it—"

"Draupadi, don't you think you are being delusional—"

"Give your daughter your blessings Pitashri" she interjected quickly, bending down to touch his feet.

Draupadi waited for his hand to touch her head and the moment it did she lifted herself up, joining her palms respectfully and walking away without waiting to hear anything more.

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Hello everyone

Please let me know what you you like best from the chapter? What were your thoughts when reading it? What do you think of Drupad and Draupadi's relationship from the conversation? Where do you think things are headed to?

This will close the visit of Drupad and I intend to write some Draupadi and Karna moments in the upcoming chapters for awhile:) 

Do comment your thoughts generously! Hope you enjoyed the chapter:)❤❤

P.S. Also do you like the title? Do you think it suits the chapter... I am a bit unsure about it...So if you think it doesn't go well with the chapter, please suggest me some good titles:)❤