The first heat of the sun gradually travelled to Draupadi's little room touching her. She felt the curtains being sided ro one corner.
"Enough sleep, sleeping beauty! Now wake up!"
She heard her sister's ever melting voice. She stretched her arms and looked at the mirror beside her bed.
"Happy Birthday Draus! This day is going to be special!"
She winked to herself. She gave her sister an enduring smile and looked at her parent's picture in silent prayer.
"Well where is my gift!"
She stretched her smile.
"Here it is!"
She saw Shlok sliding in the room. He and Srinithi had been her roof for last 5 years. Shlok was also like them, orphan. So there was no complications in their relation. Srinithi and Shlok had met in one of their mate's wedding. It was the first time they discovered each other. One typical love story it is! The twins were super excited to have a new member with them, leave the disagreement. They garlanded each other in a local mandir about 5 years and 2 months ago. Their passion and belief in each other was the sole cause for which they could build up their sweet little home within such a short span of time. Their free life was the thing to explore. Being parent of no children till now, the twins were lo less than their kids.They had started to live like a happy happy, forgetting their bitter pasts.
Draupadi gladly took the wrapped gift from his hand. The couple smiled at each other looking at her. She opened the box and found a beautiful white dress with jhumkas. She clapped in merry.
"These are so cute! Who chose them!"
Her puppy eyes glittered.
"Me!"
"Me!"
Both of them chorused and bit their tongues sensing their mistake. She frowned with a grin.
"Fooling me! Well let me guess. I think Jeeju selected the dress and Di u chose the jhumka right? None can choose it except you!!"
"Yes you are! Now get up quickly Chitra had called just now. She will come to pick you up any moment."
"Oh shit! She had texted me to get ready quickly. Well don't worry. I can get ready with my super powers!"
She flaunted her lean muscles. Shlok ruffled her hair and both of them went from the room for much needed privacy. Draupadi remember Chitra's messege and stared at her new gift.
"Got to go, Drau!"
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The arrow shot; claps vibrated in the arena. Amongst the white dais, one red flame sparkled forward. It bumped to the white.
The red flame fell.
"My camera!" It screamed. The flame flipped it's heat. The heat melted the ice, and flame hold it.
The flame stopped. Water drops extinguished it. If left the cold. Melted the ice, none to hold now. The water flowed.The white struggled to grasp, to scream. It screamed.
"Bhai? Bhai? What happened?"
Arjun rubbed his eyes to clear the view in front of him. He lied still after his white and red dreams.
"No... nothing. Just a bad dream."
He came into senses and saw Sahadev standing with a glass of water. There would have been a bucket instead of glass if Nakul or bheem was present, he thought.
"You were not waking up at all. So had to use it."
He signalled the glass and kept it aside.
"Oh so thats why I saw water."
He murmured and wiped the water from his face.
"Well bhai, you remember na, Jeet bhai have invited us to dinner, i mean not him, his father."
"Yep yep I know,I know."
He stretched his arms rubbing his hands. When he looked at his father's picture, he sat still. Suddenly he shrugged and stood up from bed.
"Shit! How can I forget! Sahu tell Maa I won't have any breakfast."
"What? Why?"
Sahadev atood still anticipating his brother's activities and Arjun jeaded to get ready. He never understood his army brother. Nor his father.
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Draupadi wore the dress that was gifted to her recently. Just a single stroke of kajal and a bindi, that's what she was done for. She took her camera which was dearer than her life to her. Why? *Secrect*😉She gently wrapped it with a polybag and put it in her black-red backpack. The car beeping outside her home surprised her. Curves formed between her eyebrows and she looked below triumphing her curiosity.
"Who it must be?"
Her question was not unusual because usually she didn't had any friend who would come showing off their best collections. She ran down to the ground through the curves stairs from her room and saw Chitra and Srinithi gossiping. Her smiled widened seeing her.
"Hey my chubby baby! Happy birthday!"
Chitra gave her bone crushing hug.
"Thanks my Bong Beauty. But I am bot chubby for yoir kind information."
"Well, you were, Drau, and you can't deny it!"
Dhruv came with plate in one hand and pecking her cheeks with other. His chef hat shining on his head was a funny feast to see.
"Please don't start you chubby lectures again for God's sake."
"Leave it. See my birthday gift for you. Pav Bhaji!"
Dhruv inhaled it's aroma sitting beside Draupadi.
"Thank you bro. Pack it now! I will eat later. I don't have time at all!" She said.
"By the way, why car today?"
She looked at the brand new Ford standing before her house.
"Today is my sister'a birthday! Aaj ki car tere naam behena!"
Chitra belong to a lavish family of senior bureacrats. None still didn't knew why she was working like a middle class girl inspite of being daughter of a millionire and well-known family.
"Shall we proceed now, my Lady?"
She forwarded her hands to Draupadi bowing. A chuckle escaped from her mouth. Dhruv quickly put his first ever cook-cum-gift in her backpack. She lecked his cheeks thanking and vanished in the car.
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Arjun almost ran from his room ruffling his wet hairs and buttoning his shirt. He heard his mother's voice restricting him to go further.
"Arjun, where are you going?"
Kunti peeped out from kitchen seeing Arjun running.
"Umm, Maa sorry but I won't have any breakfast today."
He looked at the roof saving himself from eye contact and continued his run towards the ravish gate of Ranawat Mansion.
"But at least tell where you are going and when you'll return? Can't you tell that to your mother?"
She came out wiping her hands and she wiped water drops from his face with her pallu.
"Something to worry about?"
Her eyes expressed her anxiousness.
"No mom nothing. Jeet called me and we both are going for shopping that's all!"
"So early?"
Kunti looked at the clock which rang specifying it was sharp 8 A.M.
"You know his marriage is coming up and all so..."
"No need to lie dear."
Kunti interrupted. Arjun wiped his sweat from his forehead.
"If it is not a thing don't tell me. I will not hold you on. But Beta, please don't lie. I won!t eat you up. Go wherever you want. Just remember don't suppress anything. You don't when you'll not be here it reveal it,okay!"
She carresed his cheeks and placed a kiss on his forehead. He nodded in agreement with a little smile. He waved his hands and a flying kiss and Kunti acted to hold it. It was a long going trend for them. Kunti sighed as his vision got far.
"Nothing is alright, Maa. Dad's sacrifice won't go in vain. I won't let it."
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The red colored Ford parked in the huge garage of KK channel studio. It was a 16 stories building, and well-renowned for it's rigid taste. Every adornment described taste of the owner, Mr. Kush Kaith. A marbeled stair led both of them to the 2nd floor of the building. Draupadi had been a very professional journalist, with being known to her collegue circle for her extraodinary creative mind, and her bubbly yet firm character. She couldn't be included among the introverts at all. The things she loved most was revealing the sweet little big plunders of the corrupts and writing. Her pieces could be seen among the editorial section every now and then and skill of words were enough to boil anyone's blood. In one word, she was amongst the rebels in the circle and her professional life was more than blissful.
Wishes of birthday immediately ramg when she entered her little boxed chamber. Her collegues fell on her wishing her happy birthday. Her faced beamed with smile realizing everyne had remember and her little corner was also decorated.
"Most belated happy birthday, my girl!"
Mr. Kaith came from his room spreading his arms. He hold a wrapped invelope.
"Puttar lakkh lakkh badhaiyan!"
He smiled widely wishing.
"I don't think any gift can be bigger than this one, puttar! Open it!"
Draupadi hesitated a bit and stood there still anticipating these sidden reactions. She looked at Chitra who gave her approval to accept it. A grin formed on Chitra's face. As she opened it, she realised he was abs**tely right. Nothing could be bigger than the gift of promotion for a job holder.she stood in awe with the invelope holding the promotion letter and a ticket to Manali.
"I can't tell you how much happy I am!"
Her jaw dropped and she noticed Chitra sheepishly looking at her. It was all a plot.
"I had this in mind long before. But Chitra suggested me to wait a little and gift you in your birthday. I would have danced if had got it! Now work your grey cells in this air conditioned room!"
He signalled a brand new glassed chamber for her.
"Thank you so much! You all made it so special!"
Her eyes filled with water. Mr. Kaith took her to the chamber and made her sit on the new chair.
"This is all yours."
She touched the new books regarding journalism and some newsletters. On one side piles of file and by a side a pen and a notepad was placed.
"Now take the ticket and fly to Manali. A bif defense meeting will take place there. You need to capture it. A big job it is you remember!"
Her heart pounded remembering Arjun. She jittered in anguise but managed to hide her irritation and tears. She remembered Dev's words.
"None knows the future!"
"You were right, Dev. None knows what will be with me next."
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Precap:
Arjun entered the dusted area far aside from central and busy Delhi. The place where his secrets hold that none knew.
"What do you want, Atif?"
TBC...
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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