CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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"Aarya, next week onwards I will be Aarya Arjuna's wife. He is into exile and as a true wife, I will also observe panance. I plan to stay in a hut in a forest." Draupadi looked at Yushisthira and Bhima for permission. She completely ignored Nakul and Sahadeva who had no voice of their own.
The request was a welcome change for Pandavas who were eager to spend time with their other wives, away from watchful, possessive eyes of Draupadi and constant threat of line of fire erupting under their seat.
Yudhisthira and Bhima gave permission wholeheartedly.
"Draupadi, you have my permission too.Infact we were all thinking of sending you to forest." Sahadeva added unnecessarily without being asked, trying to show how much he cared.
"Really Aarya. You all wanted to get rid of me ? See me languish in the forest in a hut ? I am touched by your love.." Sarcasm was wasted on innocent Sahadev who accepeted it gratefully as a genuine complement. He was about to add more, but Bhima quickly whisked him outside.
Sagacious Maalini had suggested Draupadi to live in a hut to market herself as a great role model for sati like Sita/Ahilya. Alarmed with Sahadeva's reaction, Draupadi decided to live in the vicinity so she could closely monitor all her Aaryas.She called Vishwakarma to build a hut for her in the courtyard.
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Vishwakarma, like Leonardo da Vinci, was multi-talented. He was a renowned architect who built IP and Amravathi.
As a talented fashion designer, he helped Apasaras to cultivate extra oomph extra oomph, in countless Indra's projects, to allure and break severe penances of various sages.
An expert of houte couture, he famously designed signature piatmbaras and Vyaghracharmas for HariHara. His most famous work as a hair stylist was undoubtedly matted hair of Shiva adorned with crescent moon and flowing Ganga.
His Tilottama project was a marvel of genetic engineering and was highly appreciated by Shiva and Indra much to the chagrin of their wives.
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Vishwakarma showed Draupadi, avid fan of Sita, various expensive base models of Sita Vatika, Sita parnakuti and assured that all surrounding trees, animals, lakes, rakshasis, snakes, golden deers were highly customisable.
Although the hut was made of pure gold, Draupadi was very particular that it looked like grass. Afterall, she loved Arjuna and wanted to undergo similar hardships. She removed bed from the hut and preferred to sleep on the ground which was turned into silky soft cushion by Vishwakarma.
Plain saffron saris and rudraksha ornaments of Sita and sati Anasuya were horribly outdated and only after dogged persuasion by her own mind and with a heavy heart, Draupadi allowed herself fashionable,expensive jewellery and clothes similar to style icons Indrani and Menaka.
Draupadi was proud of her tough, austere life, aided by a cohort of personal maids. She was waiting for her dearest love.
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Arjuna was getting tired of Subhadra's continuous blabber about her bhrata Krishna. It was upsetting to learn that she loved him solely because of his impressive skill to hop around and find way through strewn saris at HP.
He wondered if he made a mistake by following Krishna's counsel. Subhadra was a potent weapon to easily drive anyone to insanity. He cursed himself on missing great opportunity to use it against Duryodhana.
He was reluctant to marry her to begin with and now he was stranded outside IP, threatened with line of fire. The very fire who blessed him with Gandiv had switched side like slick politician.
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Draupadi was upset with Krishna. How dare he arrange a nupital knot between Subhadra and Arjuna. She was slowly getting disenchanted with Krishna due to his crafty ways of explaining everything with help of 5 stones or shifting blame on innocent Shiva and previous birth.
Draupadi never believed in the cock and bull story of married to 5 husbands due to Lord Shiva's misjudgement and comprehension issues in her previous birth.
Her doubts were confirmed when she learnt similar story from Gandhari when Krishna explained away her 100 sons. Gandhari in her previous birth went to Kailasa for a child. She only asked for a son once but it echoed 100 times and Shiva, slow on uptake, blessed her with 100 sons.
No doubt, Krishna was secretly pursuing a hidden agenda to malign Lord Shiva's intelligence.
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Draupadi ignored Subhadra who was smiling sheepishly.
But Subhadra was well trained by Krishna. She pacified Draupadi with great show of humility, simplicity and even pretended to serve her as her maid. Draupadi mollified, hugged her.
"Subhadra, you are welcome to IP. You are not my maid but my sister. Hope, Aarya Arjuna is taking good care of you." Draupadi was now in good mood.
"Yes didi. It was romantic the way he kidnapped me. He loves me so much." Overjubilant, Subhadra had thrown caution to wind.
"Hmmm." Draupadi frowned. She remembered how Arjuna was arm-twisted by Krishna to win her hand and later how he begged her to spare him and marry Yudhisthir instead.
"He is so funny. Makes me laugh all the time." Truth be told, Arjuna was bored with Subhadra and was always trying new fumbling ways to stay away from her. Subhadra mistook it as his innate, naive shyness and found it endearingly funny.
Draupadi had only old, doddering Batuk for fun after marriage and he even charged her all her ornaments for the entertainment provided.
"Didi, He says I am the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He has written cute love poems for me. I will always cherish them." Krishna had handed over few of his popular love poems to Arjuna for the road.
Draupadi was fuming. She had asked each Pandava if she was the most beautiful girl. Yudhisthira avoided reply saying he could not lie. Nakul, Sahadeva were like scared rabbits and wanted to consult Jyeshtha bhrata before arriving at any decision. Only intelligent Bhima answered with with quick yes.
"Aarya Bhima loves me a lot. He makes laddoos for me and was even willing to share his secret recipe with me." Draupadi said with feeling. The inside story was quite different. The cost to build Draupadi's hut had gone through its high ceiling and Pandavas were forced to take on menial chores to save money and pay charges.
The kitchen staff was already let go and Bhima was now cooking for all. He was sending recipe everyday to Draupadi in hope that she would take interest in cooking and help him in kitchen. But Draupadi had exhibited dogged disinterest.
"Didi, I am already favorite of maata Kunti and how she wished all her daughter-in-laws were like me." Bhrata Krishna who was listening from Dwarka was so much perturbed with conversation that his careful aim at stones of Pitthu missed mark with a wide margin. His diplomacy skills never rubbed off on his sister.
That was the last straw for Draupadi. "Please ask Aarya Arjuna to meet me in the hut. I want to talk to him in private." Draupadi said coldly, clutching at the metallic, heavy Baasuri of Krishna.
Overwhelmed, Subhadra gave the happy news to Arjunaa that all issues had been resolved amiably and now Draupadi cant wait to see him. Subhadra felt proud of her role.
Excited Arjuna entered the hut with open arms, eager to embrace his dear wife. Rest is not known.. Thanks to Vishwakarma, the hut was sound proof.
Edited by Cotswolds - 11 years ago
