ARJUN_SUBHADRA OS: ABDUCTION

written from the point of view of Gandivdhari Arjuna:

As planned, I had decided to abduct Subhadra.

My fair lady was exiting the temple doors, a plate full of Prasad in her hands. The strange sense of purpose which always courses through me whenever I go to war, had already started pervading my senses. Kanha smiled cheekily at me, and wandered away whistling a merry tune.

Rushing up the temple stairs three or four at a time, I lunged at Subhadra. She hardly noticed me at first, presumably taking me for a sentry come to give some news. Only when I grabbed her hand, trying to pull her away, did she make any protest.

"what are you doing?" an unholy shriek.

"abducting you!" of course, the sentence hardly came out as scarily as it should have, considering I did not mean to scare her at all.

"You are my brother's best friend. Why are you abducting me?" a very pertinent question.

"umm..because I have fallen in love with you and want to marry you?"

"and this is a proposal?" I had to admire the girl's guts; she certainly had not screamed at the top of her lungs or dropped her plate or even tried to run away.

"well yes. It is. Will you marry me, please?"

"What if I refuse?" Subhadra cocked her pretty jewel decked head at me, puckering up her chin, thoughtfully.

"Well then I can and am abducting you." I resumed my efforts to pull her to the waiting chariot nearby.

 And suddenly her words hit my brain."Wait a minute.. you are refusing me?" this had never happened before.

"Not yet, but I am considering it. Come on, let's go wherever you want to take me, and then we can talk. My herd of bodyguards will obviously not like you abducting me. " Subhadra held on to my hand and followed me obediently. A stranger kid never existed on the face of earth.

Both of us mounted the chariot. Her guard saw her with me, but they knew me of course. And Subhadra was hardly looking panic stricken enough to goad them into action. A few of them even performed respectful bows from afar.

Once in it, she rounded on me. " So, Kumar Arjun, what exactly are your qualifications?"

"Qualifications?" Nobody had ever asked me of my successes or prowess. I was certainly not going to recount them to this girl, and certainly not in this setting.

"Well, I am Subhadra, daughter of Vasudev and the beloved sister of the extremely powerful Shree Balaram and Shree Krishna. I am a Yadava princess whose Swayamvar was going to be arranged, and I believe I was meant to marry the crown prince of Hastinapur, Kumar Duryodhana. I am extremely conversant in the arts and crafts and the art of housekeeping, I have attended the best finishing school there is. So then now your turn." Expectant eyes bore into mine, narrowing slightly. Even Guru Drona never had looked like this during any of the examinations I had sat under his tutelage.

"Well, you know who I am..I am the third Pandava Arjun, son of Pritha and the Commander of forces of the kingdom of IndraPrastha. You most certainly know I am a pretty good archer, and have roamed the entire nation for twelve years. I also..."

"Thats really enough. I have heard all about your exploits and your valour. I kind of admire them. And you are really very handsome. Apparently you are also the world's greatest archer or so I have heard, ever since the Swayamvar in Panchaal."

"oh great. Thank you for your approval, maiden." I could not keep a sarcastic tone out of my words. "So, then do I have your yes?"

"Well why do you then want to marry me? Just because I am going to be a plasterer of the growing bond between Dwarka and IndraPrastha; or to cement the support of my state in case you ever decide to wage war against your enemy relations of Hastinapur?

"All of that, Subhadra." Earlier I had been happily engaged in a banter with a teenage lass, however, with this short three direct sentences, I felt I suddenly had found someone, who knew everything, saw everything, but accepted only what she supported.

"but one more thing. I have fallen in love with you, I think."

"Love, kumar? Or less than that? I have heard of your wife Chitrangada and your affair with Uloopi...and of course, your win and its consequences with the daughter of King Drupad. It certainly seems that you are a philanderer. You lose interest after some time is it?" I had never imagined Subhadra's soft gaze could turn so piercing.

"That's not true. I have never loved Uloopi, in the course of the one night I spent with her, which she forced me to by the way,but I have not. I have loved Chitrangada yes, but she will never be mine completely. I am debarred from her not just by distance and decree of her father, but mostly because both of us have reached an impasse, which will never let us get closer than that. I do not know Panchaali at all and she will never be mine completely either. If you still think of me as a philanderer...you need not marry me. You are free to go."

Subhadra looked down at her hands which I had just released and then up at me. I do not know what it was in that gaze. Perhaps it was pity.

"Do you need me?" her tone gentler than water falling softly on pebbles, enquired simply.

"I want..." and she cut me off.

"Not want Kumar. We want a lot of things, but I believe we get things which we truly need. God decrees it. Do you need me?"

I looked at her. I knew in that moment, that Kanha had done me the greatest favour in my life yet. He had given me exactly what I needed. Peace and Family.

"Yes. I need you, Subhadra. Please, be my home."

"Now, that Kumar, is a proposal I can accept wholeheartedly." She smiled into my eyes.

What Kanha had predicted, did indeed come to pass. I did find what I was searching for, for so many years in Somnath.

Link to my other work:- Karan-Arjun OS: Blood