Chapter 1

He stood there, knee-deep in the waters of mother Ganga, offering prayers to the supreme god of life and energy as the latter was retiring for the day and she felt like a glance at him could last a lifetime. His face was dark, dark like the skies at night. Then there were his bottomless, shoreless eyes that could contain several deep, blue oceans in their entirety and she was desirous of tracing them with her fingertips. The marks of bowstrings on his chest left no room for him to boast of his expertise at warfare and she experienced an inescapable pull, leading her to him. 

For Uloopi it was love, just blameless, unfeigned love at the first sight. He was not of her world, a fact that didn't obstruct her from falling in love but surely evoked consciousness to the need of showing him through it; it was magical yet serene, enthralling yet peaceful. She needed to know his name to be able to engrave it on her heart, needed to hold his rough yet dauntless hands just once and word her feelings for him because she believed he had every right to know. Profoundly instilled was that very craving for a conversation with him and it soon took over her sense of reason as she commanded the currents to drag him along into the depths of the river, to the sprawling,flourishing kingdom of Kaurvaya, her home.

Astonished and bewildered yet not fearful, Arjuna tried to oppose the flow for a good few minutes before giving in to its unreasonable pursuits as it carried him underwater but what surprised him was, he could still breathe through his nose and no pressure dared to trouble his head. Contemplating yet cautious, he loosened himself and swam with the water and soon found himself on land under water! 

Unarmed, he looked around vigilantly until he spotted a sacrificial fire that seemed to be inviting him to resume the prayer he had left unfinished earlier that evening. Pouring oblations into the fire, he sat down with folded hands beside it, chanting a hymn in praise of Agnidev. Once he was done, he saw her walk towards him and shuddered to admit that her eyes made him feel astray. 

"O prince among men," She said as she stood face to face"I am Uloopi, the daughter of the ruler of this land. May I be as privileged as to know your good name?"

"I am Arjuna, Pandu's son and a brother of emperor Yudhisthira, Rajkumari." He retorted "However, your presuming the fact that I am a prince leaves me wondering."

"Only a prince can venture alone and unafraid into the dense forests, stand in the waters of a river with a prayer playing on his lips at sunset and still have no lines of stress adorning his forehead, only scars inflicted by swords and maces. If you weren't a prince by birth, I thought you would unarguably be one by action." She asserted, confidently.

Arjuna was speechless. He didn't know what more to say. The expressions she uttered were becoming of her royal descent and majestic bearing, he thought and then there was her face, her milky white face and the passion in her eyes that captivated him and he felt his heart thump louder for her. Was it even his anymore? 

"Is anything the matter, Rajkumar Arjuna?" Uloopi had to dismiss all of his thoughts that had thronged and when he looked in her eyes,he saw curiosity being overshadowed by concern and knew she felt something for him too. He wanted to look for more but he couldn't bear to see her worry. 

"Nothing Rajkumari," He exclaimed at once "Was once again contemplating on how our thoughts coincide. I too believe it is the deeds that make a man a kshatriya." 

"I thought as much, Rajkumar, I thought as much. And there is something more I have to say. I believe I am impressed by your being, shining like the resplendent sun, intrigued by the burning flames in your eyes, enticed by your words of pure wisdom and self-belief and under the spell of that smile that comes when you either bow down to your lord or roam around fearlessly in the deep woods, a bow in hand, so much so that I might just be in love with you." She spelled all of that in one breath and then sighed deeply, leaving him gaping at her impeccable boldness.

"I have a question, o tiger of the Kuru race that has robbed me off my equanimity." She continued "Would you take my hand into yours,take this sacred fire for a witness, take the seven vows as I repeat after you and take me for your wedded wife in this world and the next?"