"Chapter One: The Introduction "
The princesses at their Gurkul now completed their education and were back!
The horses neighed, indicating their arrival!
They were here!!
They got off the Royal chariot intricately defined with beautiful colours.
The royal family welcomed Abhiarbhadra and Draujunika with genuine warmth and affection, eager to make up for lost time. Arjun's eyes shone with pride, Yudhishter's face beamed with joy, Draupadi's hands reached out with warmth, Subhadra's smile radiated love, and Nakul and Sahadev exchanged excited glances.
But Abhiarbhadra and Draujunika, once neglected and ignored, now stood before their relatives with a detached air, their faces masks of indifference. They accepted the hugs and words of affection with a cold politeness, their eyes betraying no emotion.
Arjun's attempts at conversation were met with brief, curt responses from Abhiarbhadra, while Draujunika's gaze drifted away, her mind seemingly elsewhere. The royal family's efforts to reconnect were rebuffed by the girls' icy demeanor, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.
Subhadra stepped forward, trying to break their icy demeanor, and said,
"How are you both? I've heard a lot about you in your absence in the kingdom. I feel pride in being called your mother." She smile was filled with a mix of love, pride, and sadness ; of unwantedly neglecting her child and Draujunika, who she considered no less than her own child.
Abhiarbhadra 'hmmed' in response, breaking Subhadra's tender and soft heart. She
never thought that being busy with the welfare of the kingdom and subjects would affect her relationships with her children this much. She practically missed their childhood.
Draujunika didn't even bother to respond as her wounds were old but the pain they gave her was no different than that pain of a freshly cut wound forcing the mind to think about the same things again and again.
Both of them closed their eyes with irritation, further breaking everyone's heart present there. Draupadi looked at the two with glossy eyes. She thought of herself as a demoness who had snatched her children ; from herself and everyone else too.
The awkwardness in the entrance of the kingdom increased by each passing second.
Arjun saw them in a state of almost crying. He was about to burst in tears seeing his little dolls ; all grew up. His feelings were at the moon seeing them after such a long time, and that too, completely educated and independent now.
Bheem was over the moon seeing them. He showed a tough persona to everyone else but his heart was as soft as cotton when it came to his brothers and his children and his brother's children too who, he considered his own children, which he loved and adored.
Bheen couldn't resist but touch Abhiarbhadra's cheeks and carees her head. Abhiarbhadra couldn't yank his hand away because this love was too much to handle, and she couldn't help but lightly melt at his actions.
Bheem then lifted Draurjunika up and twirled her around. Draurjunika couldn't help but smile a bit, and her eyes gleamed with happiness. Abhiarbhadra looked at him with admiration and the feeling of wanting to become like him.
Tough from the outside and soft from the inside. Cruel and cold with unknown pedestrians and soft as butter for favorite and important people. It is absolutely cute and lovely but scary and dangerous all at once. Wow! was she incredibly inspired!
Nakul and Sahadev were bursting with happiness. Seeing them after such a long time was like finally getting the lost and precious treasure after many years. Being quiet and observant from childhood, they weren't as expressive as many are.
All of them losing their children in the war and Abhiarbhadra and Draujunika being little babies at the time had a tremendous effect on them and were now irreversible.
Abhiarbhadra didn't care about herself and was purely and solely angered at the fact that Draujunika was heavily neglected, completely forgetting herself.
Both of the sisters were the same age, i.e... thirteen, but Abhiarbhadra was always like the knight and shining armor of Draujunika. Draujunika and Abhiarbhadra both shared the tender and soft heart bestowed upon them by their mother's respectively but Draujunika couldn't hide it, and Abhiarbhadra never showed it.
Draujunika was an emotional person. Small and tender things could affect her tremendously and harshly. Abhiarbhadra, knowing the fact, always protected her from everyone and everything. Draujunika loved her more than anything and vice versa. They could put their life at stake for each other and were inseparable no matter the circumstance.
Abhiarbhadra, on the other hand, was one of the most intelligent people in the entire of Aryavart dare say the most intelligent person. Her stratagic thinking, kindness, compassion, and kind heart and always fighting for her self -respect made her one of the most beautiful, perfect, and complete females of Aryavart.
Her deep and keen observations and usage of the brain at useful and needed times made her one of the most knowledgeable, smart, and intelligent women of Aryavart, acknowledged by many over the land. Her knowledge never failed to astonish scholars and many saints and learned people.
She was often compared to Yadavshresht Vausdev Krishna. Her maternal uncle, the elder brother of Subhadra. Krishna, if explained in simple terms, as already known, is the human incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who came on earth to establish righteousness.
Abhiarbhadra knew about His divinity and also her mother's. She knew that her uncle was Lord Vishnu and that her mother was Eknamsha Yogmaaya.
The thing that was incomprehensible even for her was why she was she always adored by Krishna herself? Why was the Lord of the Cosmos, the Universe concerned for a mere mortal like her?
She often pondered upon this but in vain. Krishna's bias was crystal-clear. He preferred Abhiarbhadra over Draujunika, Late Abhimanyu, Late Shrutkarma, and every other child of the Pandava brothers.
Another thing that irked Abhiarbhadra was the number of marriages her father had done. Four marriages that too two of his wives weren't in the capital and were at their home kingdom. Why? She didn't know and care.
Finally the procedure of the entrance was completed and Abhiarbhadra was pulled out of her thoughts by Subhadra who brought her fists near her head and and drawed her hands in a circle and and pressed her knuckles against her head.
Abhiarbhadra's eyes showed only formality, the love they held died years ago. Subhadra noticed that clearly but ignored that and held Abhiarbhadra and Draujunika's hand and took them to the Royal Court, showing them around.
"I know the ways." Abhiarbhadra finally spoke, bringing dozens of heads of attention towards her, shocking her slightly. Subhadra and Draupadi's gaze held admiration and awe of her voice, and it was evident in their motherly smile,
Draujunika rolled her eyes and held Abhiarbhadra's hand, and went towards their rooms. Arjun finally let his tears flow, and so did the rest. They were tremendously happy at their arrival, and it could not be expressed in words.
The crowd of subjects slowly and steadily went to their respective places. It was all quiet and silent all of a sudden. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard. The noise scared everyone very much.
Where did that voice come from? Draupadi ran to the source of the sound and found nothing. She immediately called for Subhadra via a helper, and she too came running from her royal room frightened and a bit sweaty.
"What happened, JiJi?" Subhadra worriedly asked, and Draupadi told her about the incident. Subhadra innocently smiled and then proceeded to say,
"Jiji, it's the monsoon now, a tree or a roof of our subjects' house might have fell. There is nothing to worry about, according to me." She said and smiled cutely, earning a relieved sigh from Draupadi.
But no sooner than the first sound was heard, a sudden sound was heard this time even louder than the previous one sending goosebumps down Draupadi's body and shivers down Subhadra's.
Abhiarbhadra's protective instincts took charge, and she immediately raised from the dry grass in the cow shed on which she was lying on with Draurjunika, looking at her, followed her. Abhiarbhadra tracing the source of sound reached the entrance of the kingdom and was shocked to find nothing yet again.
Arjun came running as soon as she received the message from a helper and was as confused as everyone else was at the moment. What the hell was happening?! Everyone eventually reached the source of sound and were equally confused and frightened.
Arjun took his Gandiva bow and charged towrads the place from where the sound was coming from. His brows were tensed, and he was a bit sweaty.
Draupadi was tremendously frightened and was sweating profoundly. Subhadra was calming Draupadi down, and Nakul and Sahadev and Bheem looked at Yudhishter, who was looking at Arjun.
Abhiarbhadra, on the other hand, was rock still. Draujunika was hiding in her embrace while being frightened, and her breathing was tense.
The sound was heard again! Who was it? Why was the person trying to do? Where exactly and how? Was it a ghost or demon? Were the questions rising in everyone's mind at the time.
The subjects again gathered at one place, and as soon as they heard the sound again, they were frightened to death by it. What was it?
Arjun let down his guard and stepped back.
Seeing him Abhiarbhadra stepped ahead unguarded.
Arjun tried to stop her but was stopped by Subhadra, who then agreed.
Then,
(To be continued, guys.)
