Flouting Our Destiny

Chapter 29

"Dad" Draupadi shrieked, her body shrivelled in shame, she dared to ponder over the feared outcomes.

Stonewalling himself, the head of Panchkul family strayed from the actuality of the situation, he washed away his irascible emotions while simultaneously enveloping his negative thoughts.
"Prashasti" he smiled decently, "Call for celebrations, your youngest daughter has brought a sense of satisfaction in our hearts!"
A sombre mockery capsuled within his words, slowly striking his palms together for a sarcastic appreciation, he stormed into his room.

Prashasti correctly self answered all the silent questions of her husband and thwarted her previously occurring scornful thoughts regarding her youngest child.
"Come" She mumbled, firmly dragging her daughter inside the house, leaving the new son in law of the family at the doorstep.

As the footsteps of the mother and daughter preceded, Vidyut garlanded himself with the title of a sensible heir of Panchkul dynasty. He hurriedly arched himself in front of his wife's cousin,
"How dare you?" He screamed, scaring Lakshana's fragile heart.

"Sometimes, we don't have answers to certain circumstances but trust me, my intention was not to derail the peace of this family or..." Arjun activated a tranquil side of his.

"Please explain to this man that I am not wanting to listen to philosophical excuses,
get him out of my house, Lakshana!" Vidyut lightly pushed his brother in law and glared at his wife before leaving the cousins alone.

"I am sorry to..." Arjun whimpered,

"Did you force her into this?" Lakshana stated her foremost query.

"Never" his voice synced with drops of narcissism.
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Drupad's wife calmed her gushing feelings, a serene twinkle in her eyes declared a peaceful approach to the whirlwind which troubled the family.
"Draupadi, do you remember my advice to you when I got a whiff of your relation with Arjun?"

Draupadi averted her eyes to recollect her mother's wise words, "He's a nice guy but please make rational decisions", she replayed a previous memory.

"Do you think this is a rational decision?" The middle-aged woman's balmy fingers caressed the other woman's head.
"We wouldn't have objected had you expressed your desire to marry Arjun, but you chose to keep us in the dark" a heavy sigh escalated from the experienced lady's lips, "then why did you agree for your alliance with Karan?"

"Mom, I...I can't tell you right now, but I assure you that I won't ever let you down" The daughter's laconic elucidation left her mother in a despondent battle.

"Will dad forgive me?" Her pupils dilated to hear an affirmative response from the dejected heart while circumscribing the strength of her decision, why can things not be undone?

"Don't you know your father?" Prashasti squeaked with chagrin pouring in her nectar-like voice.

The patent tension which generated in the past few minutes drained all energy out of the newly wedded woman, her eyes felt too heavy to be carrying the load of bitter salty pearls. The foremost one out of all the important men in her life was dominated by indignation while she proved to be the only reason for his agony.
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"Family tree, business facts, my company's history, my house's map, hobbies, favourite dishes, sports teams, political preferences and..ugh...even the brand of my shaving cream!" Arjun's shy laughter reverberated in Draupadi's ears, "your dad's strict persona transported me to an interview room of the civil services!"

"He did talk to you!?" The lady expressed her optimistic confoundment before chanting hushed prayer words to thank god for the apparent change of her father's heart.

"Well, well, I am so tired" Arjun faked wiping sweat beads from his forehead and leapt on the soft bed in Draupadi's room.

"Ahem.. the guest's room is upstairs, I'll ask a servant to guide you!" The shrillness in the bedroom owner's hateful tone irked the drowsy man.

"Aren't we? You know, man and wife?" Arjun's satire on the whole distraught situation cast another vote against the idea of condensing the lady's troubles.

"I repeat" she groaned, "the guest room is upstairs"

Lakshana crashed into her dozy cousin who held his forehead after striking it timidly at the doorframe, Vidyut and his wife waved a good night to the new member of their family as he shook his head in disguise seeing the indifference on Draupadi's face.

The tense temperature of the room quickly saw a vigorous low tide as soon as the two entered to greet the lady, Vidyut found himself in a sea of uncanny laughter from where he couldn't swim to the shore again, he narrated how composed and easy was Sarakshi's take on the whole scenario, the elder sister was laughing with her hand on her stomach when she heard about the indecency of her sibling.

"She says she had an intuition of something like this and after all, we had made this pact many years back that either one of us will have to elope unnecessarily" Vidyut patted his twin sister's head, who folded her arms in response to the remembrance of a foolish pact which the three siblings had made in their childhood days.

"And a news here" Lakshana clapped in the ears of the twins, "Karan has resigned from the job and has disappeared" she shrugged her shoulders while slyly observing the relieved expressions forming on her best friend's pretty face.

"So, Mrs Kuruvanshi! Now may I ask you to join all the pieces of this whole puzzle?" Lakshana raised her eyebrows.

"Err..I'll tell the truth to both of you" Gulping down her saliva, Arjun's lover sat down to unravel the tiny details of the one big picture.

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"Morning, Miss!" Draupadi smiled at the two house cooks who hurriedly rushed out of the main door, she looked at Vidyut with questioning eyes, the glowing happiness on the faces of the chefs was doubted severely by the twins.

"Have they been given an off today? Who's gonna make the breakfast" Draupadi growled and  caressed her rumbling abdomen.

"Good morning Vidyut, Good morning Drau!" Arjun flashed a weird lopsided grin as he continued to lay the finely carved glass cutlery on the dining table.

"Oh dear, you guys are so lethargic, look at Arjun, he has been up since so much time now, and what a fine young man, he accompanied your dad for his morning workout and then requested me to allow him to make the breakfast today" Prashasti dreamily blessed her son in law, she fluttered her eyelids in affection and motherly love.

"Seems like everyone is pleased with your husband and no one is happy with you, Drau" Lakshana yawned lowly while side hugging her husband, "My brother's the best!" She virtually passed a hi-five to the one who was winning the hearts of the previously anxious parents.