Lakshmana sighed as the crowd booed again. The situation had not gotten any better since the morning. She was getting testier by the hour as her much-awaited swayamvara was turning pretty much into a disaster. Countless kings and princes had come and gone and not one had succeeded. She looked around the grand hall that had been constructed for the occasion. On either side of her, sat the Kings Brihatsena and Shalya, her father and uncle. Beside them, on a lower dais sat her twin cousins- Nakula and Sahadeva. They were the ones taking turns announcing the Kings who came forward to try their luck at the challenge that had been set. Lakshmana was getting more and more annoyed with her father for setting such an odd task, that no one seemed to be able to even comprehend.
Agreeably, it was a fairly difficult task. A rotating fish had been hung from the ceiling, hidden from plain sight. Every contestant was allowed just one short glimpse of the fish in a bowl of water set on the ground before that too was removed. The challenge was to hit the rotating fish based on that first glimpse. A few years back the king of Panchala also had proposed a similar task at his daughter's swayamvara. This was just a bit more precise than the trap at Draupadi's. If Draupadi's life worked out that well, why wouldn't she find a worthy suitor?
Lakshmana, as an only child, had always had to come up with inventive ways to keep herself occupied. Hence, she had learnt to read lips on a whim a few years back. She was slightly amused that a casual hobby was now her only source of entertainment in this dire gathering, as she followed along to the hushed conversations that went around the bejewelled hall. Some of them were discussing her looks, some the challenge and some of them were busy discussing what had been there for lunch. Lakshmana had always been shy and introverted, otherwise, she felt she might've told off at least the lunch bunch. No wonder no one was being able to hit the fish, if the fish curry from earlier was the only thing on their mind! Instead, she focused her mind on smiling brightly while fixing her gaze on the fish, that was visible from her seat.
Right then, a tall, muscular man arose from his seat. The announcer identified him to be Duryodhana, the crown prince of Hastinapura. He was rumoured to be a real piece of work! Right as he took a step forward, another man arose, wearing shining armour bearing the markings of the sun, and pulled him back, pointing at the handsome man sitting at the very end of the sabha. Lakshmana wondered how she had missed him in the crowd. He was dark-skinned with a couple of peacock feathers adorning his curly hair. His garments were electric white.
The man with the armour was whispering to his friend, "Do you not see Krishna over there?!"
"So what, Karna?" The prince replied.
"So, my prince, have you not seen the twins up there?! There's no way anyone other than Krishna or Arjuna will take this girl! Also, have you seen the look on his face?" Karna shook his head, "Duryodhana, my friend, you do know how far you go with archery, don't you? Do you take any specific pleasure in humiliation?" Lakshmana laughed in spite of herself.
"Well, you could try, for me?" The prince huffed, almost as if she was a toy to be won at a carnival! Lakshmana gasped indignantly. That's cheating, she thought. She prayed to God so that Karna wouldn't try. The stories of his valour had reached Madra as well, mostly riding the waves of the complaints brought on by the twins. Thankfully he spoke, "Nah, friend. Believe me, let this one go. Arjuna and Bheema we can take on, but right now, if we escalate, then Krishna will definitely get involved, and you and I both know facing that's suicide!"
Meanwhile, the handsome man at the end of the hall, that Krishna, had leaned forward, "I can hear you two, you know?" He laughed cheerfully, "Glad to know you got the point, but maybe keep it down!" People often called her Charuhasini- the one with the beautiful smile, but she had never seen a smile more enticing than his. The way that he shook his head, at the same time shushing his cousins who looked just ready to add on. Duryodhana and Karna had both promptly shut up, their faces beet-red with embarrassment. They were now sitting quietly staring at the mirrors hanging on the walls straight in front of them. So he was sassy as well as confident. Lakshmana raised an eyebrow- why won't he try then? Was she not worth it to him?
