BUTTERFLY FROM THE FLAME (JOY AND GENTLENESS OF THE FLAME)

Chapter 3

The next day pandavas and their parents dressed as commoners left for Gokul. "Pitashree! This is so beautiful!" Karn said as they were walking being welcomed by many beautiful scenarios. They sat at a beautiful meadow and had their lunch.

"Food becomes even more tastier when you are with family and a beautiful scenario." Bheem said. "Just say that the food is great as usual, you don't need anything to enjoy food." Nakul said earning a glare from Bheem making the rest chuckle.

After eating they again continued their journey. "When will we reach?" Bheem asked. "We reached." Kunti said pointing at a medium sized green, beautiful and lively village. They were at a little raised platform from where they could see the children playing, elders doing their work and the teenagers some helping them and some playing. The houses weren't so big neither so small but were extremely beautiful.

"Let's go?" Pandu asked and they started walking towards the village. They didn't know how to interact and whom to interact with so they were quite lost so they just started to explore and roam around. They again came to a high plain where children were playing, giggles and laughter could be heard.

"Its so free and peaceful here." Arjun said. As they were walking they met the most beautiful child on earth. The pandavas were a little back from their parents, as Pandu and Kunti stopped they too stopped. Pandu and Kunti were awestruck by the beauty of the toddler, the pandavas were confused for why their parents stopped and they too looked at their direction to be awestruck by the child's beauty.

The toddler seemed to be two or three years younger than them. The child was just sitting below a mango tree and staring upwards. She felt somebody was looking at her so she turned towards that direction to meet Pandu and Kunti's awestruck eyes. Draupadi just smiled at them making their heart melt.

Draupadi quickly recognized them as royals as she herself is a royal and has been surrounded by royals ever since birth. Their posture already shouted noble she then went towards the couple and folded her hands to which they folded in return.

"Did your highnesses come here to tour Gokul as commoners?" Draupadi asked making them shock. "What are you talking about dear?" Kunti asked trying to cover their identity. "No need to hide it from me. I know that you are royals just by your speech and posture." Draupadi said.

"Okay but can you hide this? Its a secret." Kunti said making her nod. "Why were you staring up at the tree?" Pandu asked. "I wanted those mangoes but I can't reach." Draupadi said. "How many?" Pandu asked. "FIVE!" Draupadi said and Pandu quickly plucked them and handed them to her.

Draupadi took them in her pallo smiling widely melting the couple's heart. "You didn't pluck more?" Draupadi asked. "No, why?" Pandu asked. "For you all?" Draupadi asked making the couple smile sweetly. "Will you be able to eat this all?" Kunti asked.

"Main? main itni si choti jaan aur chotu pate itna kese kha paungi? Ye mere liye nai he." Draupadi said making them chuckle. "Then for whom?" Pandu asked. "For baba, yashodha maiya, rohini maiya, bhaiya and dau." Draupadi said. "You don't like mangoes?" Kunti asked. "I love it but these are for my family." Draupadi said making them smile at her care and love for her family.

"Ladoo!" nanda called. "There is my baba." Draupadi said and went towards nanda. nanda quickly picked her up in his arms. "Baba!" Draupadi said showing the mangoes making him smile. "How did you pluck them?" Nanda asked and Draupadi turned her head towards pandu making Nanda look at that direction.

"Thank you for helping her." Nanda thanked. "No need to." Pandu said. "You look new here." nanda said. "We are just travelling and heard about Gokul's beauty so and thought to visit here." Kunti said. "Then why don't you stay with us?" Yashodha said entering the conversation. "Is it okay?" Pandu asked. "More than okay." nanda said.

"Thank you." Pandu and Kunti said and started waking towards nanda's home while talking about their family. "So where are your two sons?" Kunti asked. "Th-" yashodha said but was cut off by Rohini. "Oh! mere dono bandaro! kidar gaye the?" Rohini asked holding their wrists softly preventing them from running away and kneeling on their level.

"There they are!" Yashodha said and they went towards them. "Jiji? Who are they?" Rohini asked. Kunti quickly recognized her as Vasudev was her brother and Rohini was Vasudev's first wife. "Bhabhi?" Kunti called making them confused.

"Bhabhi! Its me Kunti! Bhaiya Vasudev's sister." Kunti said. "Kunti!" Rohini said. "Meaning.. Nanda bhaiya and Yashodha jiji?" Kunti said. "Kunti!" nanda and Yashodha said. Pandu and the children were totally confused by their relation.

"Are they talking about vasudev baba?" draupadi asked. "I don't know." Balram said. "You know vasudev?" Pandu asked making them nod. "He is my baba." Balram said. "Arya. Nanda bhaiya and yashodha jiji are my and bhaiya vasudev's cousins and Rohini bhabhi is bhaiya vasudev's wife." Kunti explained.

(According to few sources nanda is Vasudev's friend and by some sources Nanda is vasudev's cousin so I chose the cousin theory.)

"Let's go in and talk." yashodha said and they all went in. "This is my first born krishna and my youngest born Draupadi." yashodha said. "Draupadi?" Pandu asked. "Yes draupadi." nanda said. "Vasudev and Devaki's youngest born is also named Draupadi." Pandu said. "Yes as far as I remember she is the yuvrani of Mathura and called yagnaseni." Kunti added making nanda's breath hitch.

"They are born on the same day as well." Kunti and Pandu added. "Coincidence!" nanda said. Everybody agreed except for the intelligent one, Shahadev. "Why don't you three speak?" Rohini asked the trio who were awfully quite.

"Rohini maiya and Devaki maiya are vasudev baba's wife. Maharani is Nanda baba and vasudev baba's sister then.... who is maharani to us?" Draupadi asked. "Your bua." Kunti said and Draupadi went again quite. "No more questions?" Yashodha asked to which the trio shook their head.

"Now that's a huge surprise! the three most chatterbox children of Gokul together are this silent with no question?" Rohini said surprised. "Putra? You too have been awfully quite." Kunti said. "Does that mean they are our cousins and they are our bua?" Karn asked making Kunti nod. "Okay now its late night. Children go to sleep." Yashodha said and they all went to their room.

*****

Everybody woke up in the house and prepared to go to take bath. The pandavas were still half asleep. "If you are sleepy then you can go and sleep." Yashodha said. "Where are the rest children?" Kunti asked. "There they are!" Rohini said seeing Draupadi, Krishna and Balram running.

"Drau!" nanda said seeing them rushing down stairs. Draupadi came infront of them and did full Sastawak Dandavat Pranam. "Pranipat." Draupadi said making them chuckle. "Ayushman bhava." the elders said. Krishna and Balram to came and did Sastawak Dandavat Pranam making them chuckle more and they again ran away.

"How can somebody have this much freshness and energy early this morning?" arjun asked. "Don't mind them. They are weird." Rohini said. "That was a quite unique way of good morning." Pandu said. "This trend started from my weirdest youngest born." yashodha said.

*****

Kunti was drying Draupadi's hair as Kunti and Draupadi had finished bathing. "You have beautiful hair." Kunti said. "Thank you but shhh.." Draupadi said. "Why?" Kunti whispered. "Maiya will scold you. Last time when Sushma kaki complimented my hair both maiya told her not to. She said nazar lag zai gi." Draupadi said making Kunti chuckle.

"Bhabhi! I will go with Drau back." Kunti said. "Okay! Go carefully!" Yashodha said. Kunti and Draupadi were now walking back home. Kunti was just being entertained by her silly weird talks. 

"Ladoo? Where are your maiyas?" nanda asked. "They are coming." Draupadi said and went towards balram and Krishna. "Why are you not talking with them? Why are you being so shy?" Pandu asked. "We?" the pandavas asked. "Who else?" Pandu asked. "They are kids. They will take time." nanda said. "Later after breakfast and lunch they all can play." nanda said.

*****

After breakfast the children fled away in a jiffy. It was quite sunny so Draupadi was sitting near a pond with her legs dipped on the pond.

(Whom do you want her to bond with first?- Author)