Arjuna Draupadi SS: Lights, Camera, Action!!!(Part 12 up!) - Page 17

Originally posted by: Linsie

The air was still, and the surroundings were absolutely silent. Almost too silent. Today, he didn't seem to feel the weight of the finery clad on his muscular form, something that he had despised, but he was feeling a peculiar discomfort. He looked around, glancing at all the decorations around him, flowers covered the various stone pillars from top to bottom, while bright, colourful drapes added to the elegance. Torches were lit up at various corners of the stage, while two huge elephants made of pink flowers stood at the entrance. He glanced up at the clear sky, the rows of flowers stretched to form a colourful canopy blocking his view of the sun, which was shining brightly, a stark contrast to the grey clouds that had formed a shadow over his heart, when suddenly he heard a loud voice boom, alerting him.

"Sound? Camera rolling? Lights, Camera, Action!"

Arjun furrowed his eyebrows, and put on a solemn expression as he inhaled the sweet smell of the various flowers, but even that seemed agitating. He was standing with his four brothers, the Pandavas, on one side of the holy fire in the middle of the stage. His eyes were fixed on the fire, blazing in the middle of the bowl, the wood slightly visible as he noticed the candescent flame, the shimmering yellow enveloping the orange, which enclosed the blue in the centre. While he stood transfixed, a strong smell reached his nostrils, catching his attention. He knew that fragrance, it was so familiar, but it seemed stronger than usual that day, very strong in fact. Arjun's mind flew somewhere then, a place he hadn't been to, yet recognised so well. A strong sense of dj vu engulfed him, as he heard words, and then sentences that he knew so well.

She is a beauty, like no other. The flame defines her. Her long tresses, wonderfully curled, crawl like snakes, below her waist. The glow that emanates from her cannot be matched by any other in the whole of aryavrat. Her smell! Oh, her smell is that of blue lotuses, that spreads far and wide, wherever she goes, whenever she goes. Her dark eyes are like two lotuses in full bloom, floating in an otherwise empty pond, which accentuates their beauty. They glitter like that of another, who is divine. She is an epitome of grace, of elegance. Her aura is that of born royalty. She is a princess divine, the princess of Panchal.

His reverie broke as the smell became stronger -- the smell of blue lotuses -- and sound of numerous payals broke the initial silence and rang in his ears. It seemed like the sound was coordinated, and as he lifted his chin up, he was awestruck. Draupadi -- his Diya -- was walking towards him, behind the maidservants, and accompanied by Shikhandini and Krishna. She was adorned with gold jewellery, elaborate necklaces, embellished armlets, and heavy kangans. Her maroon velvet skirt, heavily embroidered with threads of gold and silver fell elegantly around her as she sauntered forward slowly, gracefully. The rare lavender coloured flower behind ear caught his attention, and his eyes moved towards her face, as his heart drummed in his chest. Draupadi's eyes were downcast, while her mouth was compressed in a straight line, and her face remained mostly devoid of any expression. It seemed as if she was moving on aimlessly, but what noted closely was that her sister and Krishna were walking closely behind, as if to support her.

Finally, as she came and stood still opposite to him, his heart constricted with pain. Her tear-filled gaze met his, and he finally realised their position. Arjun's eyes turned almost pleading, silently beckoning to her, while she studied his expression intently and then glanced away abruptly. He would have called out to her, but it dawned on him, that she was not his anymore, that he would have to share her. And just then, King Drupad called out something.

"Vivaah aarambh hone se pehle mein kuch prashno ka samadhaanchahta hu, Mahamuni Vyas."

Arjun's gaze remained steady on her, even as the sage announced the code of conduct, and the others listened carefully, even as her sister asked how she would forget the smaran after each year, as she announced that she would go and meditate in the midst of the pure agni, her mother, after the completion of each year, and as he finally declared on behalf of all the Pandavas, how they would go through with the same, year after year.

Kaisa bhanwar adhikaar ka
Sankalp hain sanmaan ka
Safal hota ab lage
Sangharsh jab jitna kathin ho
Banta wahin aadhaar ab
Yahi hain mera strii dharm
Rahega atal mera mann
Yagyaseni ka yeh vachan
Rahega atal mera mann
Iss janm ka ye kaaran

He closely observed how Krishna placed his hand on her shoulder, supporting her in her decision, transferring to her the strength she so wanted, needed. Draupadi turned her face towards the man in the saffron vastra, the mor pankha gently swaying on his crown, as he comforted her, and the two shared a long, earnest look before he gestured her to continue. And finally, as she looked towards Arjun, their gazes clashed, and time seemed to still.

"Cut it!"

...

"Great shot, everyone. We'll take a break before moving on to the next one, in about fifteen", RV announced loudly as everyone scattered here and there, while the actors sat on the plastic chairs, getting their touch-ups done.

Arjun had assumed that Diya would rush to her vanity van yet again, but she took a seat on one of the plastic chairs, while Ananya and Shreeya chatted animatedly on either side of her, and she just smiled weakly. Then suddenly she shut her eyes tightly, the movement of her eyeballs visible from her shut eyelids. He thought he saw panic settle over her face, and almost - almost walked up to her, but just then Ananya placed a hand over her shoulder, asking her if everything was okay and as she opened her eyes, it seemed as if she had just woken up from a dreadful nightmare, she seemed completely shaken.

"Romeo lei the eyes rove on Juliet", RV feigned a cough, studying Arjun closely under his scrutinizing gaze, before he declared that the next shot was ready. Arjun had not been able to concentrate on anything after Rajveer had made the former statement; hence he was taken aback when Krish shook him by the shoulder, and repeated the latter.

Eventually, the whole crew became silent, as RV finished his last instruction.

"Sound? Camera rolling? Lights, Camera, Action!"

The holy fire in the mandap blazed fiercely, the flames violently dancing around the wood, as Arjun and Draupadi took their seats. The kanyadaan took place as they sat straight, looking blankly at the fire, and the purohit asked Draupadi to place her hand in Arjun's. Their hands were moulded together, stretched out as he continued his chants. Finally, as they threw the substance placed in their hands, into the holy fire, they turned towards each other. For the first time, after the uncharacteristic turn of events, their eyes met and something profound passed between the two. It seemed as if they were sharing their pain, the pieces of their shattered hearts, and their dreams of a happy future that would be prey to a sacrifice for dharma.

Arjun wanted to comfort her, to bring back the lost light in her eyes, but it seems impossible, especially after he felt the weight of the decisions which had decided their fate, when he comprehended that he had failed to prevent her from sacrificing her life, that he had not been able to stand up for the person he had fallen in love with at her first sight, and that he had failed to support her at the first sign of danger.

Sindoori sandhya paar hain
Ye dharm yudha vishaal hain
Shristi ke uss itihaas mein
Rahega atal mera mann
Yagyaseni ka yeh vachan
Rahega atal mera mann
Iss janm ka ye kaaran
Rahega atal mera mann
Yagyaseni ka yeh vachan
Rahega atal mera mann
Iss janm ka ye kaaran

But suddenly, everything changed. As the Purohit's words rang in his ears, asking him to extend their hands for the last time before the pheras, and he mechanically did what he was asked to do, he felt Draupadi's hands shake, and noticed the beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she started breathing heavily.

...

Her discomfort became evident to the others, and immediately RV cut the shot, following which, people frantically rushed here and there, fetching her water, while Ananya hurried up to her, asking her whether she was okay, while Diya absentmindedly nodded. Arjun too wasn't in the state of mind to react to anything, not being able to understand the peculiar feelings, his unfathomable emotions shaking him to the core, as his head seemed to spin and he started feeling giddy.

The process went on, shot after shot, and finally Krish took it upon himself to make her give the perfect take as she seemed to dangle on a thin rope between her own life and that of her character. It appeared that Draupadi's emotions were being voiced -- emotions she must have gone through during her wedding to the Pandavas -- through Diya, and Krish didn't want his cousin to be so affected by it. He had understood long ago that the emotions ran deep through, deeper than what Diya showed on the surface.

"Krishnaa..."

...

After that, throughout the day, every scene was shot one after the other, flawlessly and without much break. Diya shot the wedding scene with each of the Pandavas, while Arjun's was kept last. Their hearts fluttered in unison with every step they took, as the Purohit chanted the mantras, and as she finally, placed her hand in his, controlling her every emotion, with a strength, a composure that surprised him to a great extent. Unknowingly, they took the first three pheras, which RV wanted to be in the scene.

"Om esha ekapadi bhava iti prathaman

Dhana dhanyam pade vedat"

I will love, cherish and provide for my wife and our children. My wife will support me and offer me food.

I will honour my husband. I take upon myself the responsibilities of the house and children.

"Om oorje jara dastayaha

Kutumburn rakshayishyammi sa aravindharam"

I will support my wife forever. Together we will defend our family and home.

I will stand side by side with my husband in protecting our family and home.

"Om rayas Santu joradastayaha

Tava bhakti as vadedvachacha"

I promise to work for the prosperity of our family. I also promise to be faithful to my wife and lead a spiritual life.

I promise to be faithful to my husband and to support him.

Their heart beats became one, and the music of the merged sound reached both their ears as silently, they made the promises to each other.

...

As the last scene for the day was being shot, the actors who were playing the Pandavas started joking amongst themselves, while they stood in a particular position for a special shot. All of them had gotten extremely close, more like brothers than friends, having spent majority of their time together in the past months, but through the conversation, Arjun's gaze was fixed on Diya, who in turn was looking down seriously, at nothing in particular. It took everything in him to not take her in his arms and comfort her because even though she wasn't showing anything on the outside, he had realised that she was going through an emotional upheaval.

Diya had maintained a certain calm after her talk with Krish, whose face too held a grave expression, but as the five of them placed the blue-stone embellished chudamani on her head, her posture stiffened and the despair behind her facade came forth, but went unnoticed by most, because just as the shot ended, she proved herself a brilliant actress, and after accepting everyone's congratulations with a forced but genuine looking smile, she strode towards her vanity van, where her mask slipped, her control shattered and she cried her heart out.

...

Now, as evening set it, Diya was sauntering back and forth in her hotel suite, as she recalled the events of the day. Through the whole afternoon, she had felt her heart escalate to extreme levels of emotion. She had felt the urge to cry, to shout and scream, but the intensity of the whirlpool had consumed her, such that her torment only came forth when she had shivered. The flashes were clearer, more disturbing than ever and what affected her the most, was that they were not just limited to the mirror of her vanity van. Her head had felt heavy, and it had felt as if she was living two lives all at once. Her anxiety had been increasing by the second, and she had felt dizzy, not being able to perform the scenes perfectly, as she had been overcome by profound emotion. Had it not been for Krish, she was certain that she would never have been able to perform those scenes that day, she thought recalling their conversation earlier in the day.

"Krishnaa?"

"Govind...I mean bhai? Why are you..."

"...calling you Krishnaa? Well, I figured you were so lost in the past, you wouldn't notice that I am addressing you differently in the present."

"But bhai, it is just so difficult. I...I don't know how to explain, it is all just so muddled up."

"No, it isn't Diya. You just have to understand the difference. You cannot let something affect you so strongly."

"I can't help it, Bhai. I...I can't even share this."

"I know Diya, I understand. Some things are not to be shared, and even if they have to be, you have to do it with the right person. And in this case, I am not the right one. Listen to me; never let your inner mental peace be disturbed by external circumstances. You have to go out there, maintain the control you have been maintaining, and then give your best. Don't let Rajveer doubt his choice, because remember, those who can control their senses, can acquire the sovereignty of the whole world."

That conversation had given her the confidence to perform, to keep her feelings in check, her tears at bay. And now, she would follow Krish's advise, she would not let anything show on her face. She would have to be strong, and now, the night that was to follow wasn't about her, it was about two people who were very special, and who had been forming her support system since the past three years. She would not let herself break; she would not let herself shatter.

Just then her phone rang, and soon she got distracted from the confusion in her mind, thinking about someone else, trying to forget her indecipherable feelings, the sensation of heartbreak.

...

Drowsily, she closed her eyes, and leaned to another side. Slowly, very slowly, she leaned more and almost fell. Suddenly, she woke up with a jerk. But the lights were too bright; there was haze in front of her eyes. She blinked again, tried to widen her eyes, and finally another five minutes of blinking and unblinking later, she was asleep. It had been a tiring day for her, and after settling Diya in her room, she had waited and waited, but her wretched fianc hadn't bothered to call her, and now after two hours past her usual bed time, Ananya had fallen asleep on the sofa in her room.

"Chipkaale saiyaan faavicol se..."

The loud music buzzed suddenly and instantly, Ananya sat up straight, involuntarily pressing the green button, receiving the call.

"Ananya! Ananya! The set, help!" and the line went dead.

Ananya had just heard Diya shouting frantically and instantly became worried. All traces of sleep left her, as she stood up and ran out of her room, not caring that she was in her night gown. She was panting as she reached the set, and found the whole room dark, a single spotlight shining in the middle. Her voice echoed through the hall, as she shouted for Diya, her anxiety growing with the passage of every second.

Finally, she heard Diya's voice, slow and...amused, "Hey Annu! This one is for you, my bride to be."

Suddenly, all the lights came out, Diya entered wearing a hat and a pant suit, following which everyone entered, one by one, all dressed in blazers and pants, with moustaches on. A few moments later, the whole unit of the film, including the director was in front of her, grooving to a peppy, catchy item number, making her eyes widen and her jaw drop to the floor.

...

It was late at night, past midnight, and Arjun was in his own hotel room, disinterestedly nodding as Saket filled him up on the gossip in the industry and his various schedules in future. As he took another sip of his red wine, he heard loud music somewhere. It had been an especially exhausting day, and the confusion, the uncertainty, the unfathomable feelings bubbling inside him, had taken a toll on him. He shut his eyes tightly, irritated, as the music boomed louder and louder, while Diya's face, her impassive expressions through the day, and finally, the immense pain in her eyes, flashed before him simultaneously.

The decibel level kept on increasing, and finally, Arjun stood up with a jerk, shouting at Saket to find out where the noise was coming from.

"ASK it is the bachelorette party that Diya ma'am has organised. It is going on downstairs, on the set. The whole team is..."

But Arjun wasn't listening anymore and his eyes shot to his assistant and he looked at him with a maddened haze in his eyes, as if the latter had confessed to murdering someone. Soon after, he stomped downstairs, while his assistant smirked, muttering something about an idiotic boss and the beautiful Diya ma'am.

As Arjun reached the set, that was a short walk away from the hotel; his heart was thudding against his chest. He was anxious, and didn't know how he would react to the sight he was anticipating. Suddenly, a thought struck his mind, and he halted.

'Was Diya thinking the same when she had found out I was at Chitrangada's?'

'Had she had these negative thoughts too?'

Now, he felt how she had, when she had found out three years ago that he was at Chitrangada's place. He could not even imagine what she must have gone through when she had witnessed him in that dishevelled state. He didn't even know what was going on inside the set except that the whole team was inside. He felt a sudden void inside of him, as he realised something.

'Had he been very wrong in coming to conclusions? Had that mistake resulted in him losing her now, forever?'

Taking in a deep breath, he walked into the set as the music became almost deafening. The first thing he came across was people, lots and lots of people. The hall was crowded with most faces he recognized as being part of the film unit, and everyone was dancing enthusiastically on a popular number he vaguely recalled hearing.

His eyes scanned the whole space, looking for someone in particular and finally rested on Diya. She was dancing zealously, swinging her hips from side to side, along with Krish and around Ananya, who seemed to be enjoying as well. In that moment, he saw a glimpse of his old Diya, the one he still loved immensely, although he did not how it, someone whose personality was not hidden behind layers of makeup, behind the burden of her disturbing past.

As he continued blinking his eyes, his gaze searing through her, he knew that she had felt his presence as she instinctively looked around, here and there, and then shaking her head, returned to dancing. A moment later, as the music stopped, everyone paused, breathless after all the dancing, and looked around in confusion, but so lost was Arjun in Diya, he missed out on the person who passed him, slightly brushing his shoulder against his.

Krish's wife, Rukmani had her arm wrapped around her husband's, as she waved at the man approaching them with a microphone in his hand. Arjun's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned as the same tall man blocked his view of Diya and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. His frown deepened, and he ground his teeth as Diya instantly hugged him, tighter than she would normally hug any stranger and curiously, Arjun looked on.

Diya snatched the microphone from the person's hand and immediately announced, "So, thank you everyone for coming here, and for those who have come for the free drinks, let me tell you the reason we are having this party. This is the not-so-bachelorette party of my two best friends, who are getting hitched very soon, Ananya Sinha and Karan Mathur! Annu, please don't be angry at this guy, he did not call you because I told him not to, and trust me; he was dying to talk to you. But since, he could not; we have another surprise for youuu!"

The audience cheered, as another performance started, and the boys took the centre-stage, all dancing out of sync, but in what seemed like a choreographed routine, while everyone else guffawed to their hearts content. All Dhruv, Krish and Karan, took their positions and started dancing, but soon their respective partners joined in, and Dhruv was paired with Shreeya, while Diya clapped cheerfully.

But no matter how hard she tried, her laugh could not hide her tears, as her voice choked. She felt certain emptiness. She felt lonely. She tried to avoid meeting her family's gaze, and in the process her eyes met a familiar, shocked pair of hazel orbs. Diya was completely taken back, having not expected something like that, and abruptly, she felt her heart hammer, her tears roll down her cheeks, as she took a step back, and then another. Arjun extended his hand, as if calling out to her, but she was already running out, and up the staircase, towards the secluded balcony, and this time, he followed her.

TBC

Hope you all like it!

P.S. - A very happy Diwali to all my readers! May Goddess Lakshmi, light up your lives like the Diyas that decorate your houses. Hope you have a day full of joy, laughter and love. Have a safe and fun-filled Diwali!🤗