Arjun laid the platter of food on the nightstand.  His eyes focused on his brother, and their wife, who lay deep in slumber, in Bheem's arms.

He probably should have been jealous,  or at least that's a reaction he had expected, but all he felt was a reassurance that she was safe with him.

That he took care of her, when Arjun couldn't.  He reached out, putting a loose curl behind her ear.

Twilight illuminated her face, his breath caught in his chest. Her sheer beauty still managed to knock his breath out.

"Took awhile to console her." Bheem's words were gruff, his eyes were focused on their wife,  while his hand continued to caress her hair.

"What did she say?" He asked, he wanted to know, so once he knew who had dared to hurt her in such a manner, he would make them pay.

"She said she felt dirty. Something about feeling their touch, and what if we hadn't reached on time." Arjun could hear the wrath behind his brother's words, he noticed how his grip tightened on their wife.

Arjun's eyes fell on his hand, and noticed, that he too, was clutching her hand too tightly.

They were protective by nature. Life had thought them the hard way to protect what was theirs.

In this huge world, there wasn't much that they could call theirs. What really mattered to them.

It was family.

Throne, money and power, never really appealed them. They never counted it as theirs.

In this huge world they had only a handful of people, they could really call family. Who really wished well for them.

And their enemies as well as fate had snatched away too many of those few people.

Which in turn made them all the more protective.  May it be their mata Madri or Pitashree Pandu.

Life had been too cruel. Attacks were made on them when they were young to break apart this family, Bheem was poisoned.

Their own cousins had planned to burn them all alive. 

Things like this had made them all the more protective of their family. Panchaali though a recent addition in their family, had been no less important.

Time and again, she had proven herself.  Her innocence and selflessness had made them protective towards her, and this attack had just arose a new level of protectiveness.

Tracing his thumb on her soft supple cheeks, Arjun gazed at her silently.

Draupadi. 

He didn't really know what to make of her, she was beautiful,  attractive,  caring, innocent, and most importantly his wife. 

She made him feel things he never once experienced in his life. "She didn't deserve this." His words were soft, but in the silence of the night his brother heard him.

"No one ever does." Came Bheem's reply, who too was gazing at his bride.

"At times I really fail to understand her." Arjun confessed, his voice taking a distant tone. "What do you mean?" Bheem asked, frowning in confusion.

"Had any other woman been in her place, would they have made the sacrifices that she did? For complete strangers without a personal benefit." He questioned, his thumb continuing its motions, while he enjoyed the feel of her skin.

Bheem smiled down at his sleeping wife. "We got lucky with the most precious one." He stated honestly,  "I don't know if any other woman would have made the sacrifices that she did. But, I do know one thing, that now she is ours."

Arjun nodded at his brothers words. "She is. The sacrifices that she has made, may have weaved the path of thorns for her. But we'll be there on every step."

"Of course we will, her protectors, her husbands, her friends, whatever she wishes." Bheem agreed with his brother's, his face a serious mask.

"The one who staked her life and dignity on line for us. Our life we'll now forever be us. Before everything, Panchaali would be priority." Arjun caressed her cheeks with the back of his hand, his hazel orbs softening while he gazed at his wife.

"And she has no idea. Now does she?" Bheem's voice bounced off with laughter. Arjun joined in shaking his head in amusement.

"No, she doesn't." He agreed on, humour bubbling in his chest. "Our first and only wife..." He began.

"For this life." Bheem concluded, beaming down at his bride, who lay unaware of all their conversations.

"Her every pain will be ours." Bheem began.

"Our every joy will be hers." Arjun continued.

"Her every failures will be ours." The elder of the two stated smiling. "Our every victory will be hers." The younger one added.

"Some vows are being made I see." Came a playful voice of Nakul, who was followed in by Yudhisthir and Sehdev.

"Do you all disagree?" Bheem raised a brow in challenge.

The three gazed at each other, and back down at Panchaali.  Adoration unfurled in their chest, a soft smile tracing their lips.

"With regards to Panchaali?" Asked Sehdev, with a teasing smile, "Never." The three said in unison, a chuckle passing through their lips.

How could they ever disagree? Loyalties meant everything to Pandavas, and she had shown hers, if anything they would just return it with ferociously.

After all who knew the value of true relationships more then them?

Them, who lived in a palace of illusions, where not every relative was a well wisher, where not every smile was joy,  where politics was in blood and backstabbing a normal day occurrence.

What one saw was never the reality.

"Pitahmah is back. He returned immediately on mata Kunti's request." Yudhisthir stated, his eyes looking around at his brothers.

"Well, that explains why we are still breathing freely." Bheem joked, making the others crack up a smile.  "How's Dhara?" Arjun asked, recalling Panchaali's best friend, who had fallen unconscious.

"She's fine. Just hit her head bad. Nothing that my medicines couldn't heal." Nakul replied easily.

"You need to get some of those for Panchi as well." Bheem reminded, the atmosphere  tensed, worry and fury zapped in the air as four worried gazes settled on the sleeping girl.

Nakul and Sehdev rushed on her other side of the bed. "She's hurt?" Yudhisthir's voice dropped to a sharp level, his expression grew cold.

"Bruises on her hands, where they held her." Bheem held her closer, pulling the duvet down he exposed her hands, growls filled the air.

Purplish green hand prints marred her pristine white skin.

"Bastards." Cursed Nakul, picking her hand delicately in his, he examined the bruise.

"If they were alive, I swear I would have peeled their skin off." Arjun growled, he knew the bruise were there,  but seeing them sparked a rage, that had him itching to kill every last of them.

"Trust me, I know. The amount of control over my anger I showed in front of her is marvelous. I didn't want to scare her." Bheem confessed, tightening his hold on her, pulling her closer to him.

"Good thing, she already has gone through too much." Sehdev agreed, tracing her bruise, though he wanted nothing more than to kill every last one of them,  he knew their fury would achieve them nothing.

Except scare her all the more. "I'll get the medicine." Nakul stated, before he rushed out. Yudhisthir took his place, sitting beside her, he gazed down at his bride.

"Did she eat something?" He asked, concern lacing his words. "No, she hasn't." Arjun replied.

"Pass me the glass of milk." He ordered, wrapping his one hand around her shoulder, making her sit up, Bheem helped him.

Bheem lay her head carefully on his brothers shoulder. While Arjun held out the glass of milk from the night stand.

"Bhraata add this in it. The medicine will burn a bit, this will keep her asleep." Sehdev held out a small packet.

"It'll burn?" Yudhisthir asked concern, the youngest of the pandav nodded guiltily. "Can't you apply something else?" Arjun asked.

"I wish I could. " He replied, making the others nod.

Taking the packet Bheem mixed it in the milk, gazing  Panchaali in concern. "Dear." Yudhisthir crooned, his voice was softest, than they had ever heard before.

Bringing the glass to her lips the second son of Kunti, ran his fingers through her hair.

"Drink dear." Arjun whispered softly,  "Hmm." Panchaali mumbled sleepingly, turning her head sideways, her lips brushed against Yudhisthir's  collarbone.

The feel of her soft petal lips, had him freezing. Sparks ignited his body, his hold tightened on her.

"Drink sweetie." Crooned Yudhisthir,  just as Bheem tipped back the glass, pressing in her lips.

She sipped on, before she could wake up completely,  the medicine had her eyes growing all the more heavy, and by the end she drank she was in a deeper slumber. 

The four smiled at her, she looked adorable while sleeping. Yudhisthir's heart thumped harder, warmth unfurled, as in her sleep she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled her face in the crook of his neck.

His body was taut with tension, sparks exploded wherever her soft skin touched his. 

Moments later he relaxed, wrapping his arm around her he pulled her in closer. His hand running up and down her waist. Bheem sat next to him, pulling the duvet over them, as the cool wind of the night filled the room.

Nakul walked in hastily, carrying a platter of medicines. He and Sehdev got to work, Arjun and Bheem occasionally helping when asked.

"Here, bhraata hold her hand." Sehdev directed, Bheem held her hand out, his heart hammering in his chest.

Being a warrior, he had seen and experienced countless injuries,  some fatal enough to kill. Than why the thought of Panchaali being hurt drove him nuts? He failed to understand.

Sehdev steeled his heart, scooping up the herbal paste he reached out and applied on her bruises.

Her whimpering had the pandavas' heart clutching in concern, it almost felt like someone was burning their heart.

Sehdev ignored the feeling while he applied the medicine on her one hand. "Aryaa." She whimpered in her sleepy daze.

"I am here, dear." Five voice chorused in a hurried manner, trying to assure her. "Shhh it's okay." Yudhisthir cooed in her ear, caressing her waist.

She blinked her eyes open, they were glassy and unfocused. "Arya hurts." Her words came out more dazed and incoherent.

"Arya no. Please."  She shook her head, her voice was barely above whisper, tears tracked from the corner of her eyes,  while she tried pulling her hand back.

"We are really sorry." Sehdev apologized guiltily, tears glazing in his eyes.  The fact that it was hurting her ate him from within.

"I can't do this." He stated, pushing the bowl in Nakul's hand. Who gulped, "Beautiful..." He began but was cut off by the shake of her head.

"No..please." She sobbed, whimpering, the five gazed at each other conflicted.  Yudhisthir pulled her harder in his chest, "Shh love. It's alright. Calm down, don't cry. No one will apply anything, if you don't want." He assured, crooning down at her softly.

"But Bhraata..."

"I said, no one will apply anything." Yudhisthir commanded, his voice yielding an authoritative tone, while he gazed at Nakul.

"It's just bruises, they'll fade. If curing them hurts her more, I don't see the point of making her go through the unnecessary pain." He commanded, his aura screaming dominance, his brothers nodded.

Her whimpering had him gazing down at her, "Easy love. No one's going to hurt you." He whispered, his voice softest, a complete contrast to his earlier self, laying her back down, he ran caressed her head.

Nakul was partly amused, the Yudhisthir who never showed any emotion was  today so hypersensitive for one person.

He mentally cheered, finally. Laying back the bowl, he gazed at his wife.  Than again,  his wife was indeed special,  she tugged at his heart in ways he never experienced with any woman.

Arjun helped Yudhisthir lay Panchaali down. He cautiously put the pillow under her head, Yudhisthir pulled on the duvet covering her.

"Good night dear." He whispered, pressing his lips on her forehead, Yudhisthir didn't want to leave, but they had to.

They didn't want anymore trouble with the family by going against the customs.

"We'll be leaving her alone?" Sehdev asked concerned. "When did I say that?" Yudhisthir stated with a millimeter smirk.

"What do you mean bhraata? We are leaving. " Nakul pointed out the obvious. "Only for the people to watch us leave. I am pretty sure you are good at sneaking right?" The eldest pandav hinted making the others smirk.

"Nakul will return and stay the night." He ordered, making the others nod.

Arjun kissed her forehead next, "Sleep tight gorgeous." He whispered, moving back, though he wanted nothing more than to lay down with her.

"I'll be right back princess. Wait up for your man." Nakul whispered in her ear, kissing the shell before he moved back.

"Good night." Sehdev gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, smiling at her sleeping form.

"Take care, little one." Bheem whispered, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. He pressed his lips on her forehead and held on, just feeling her skin, more than anyone, he had by nature been extra protective.

And with her that protectiveness reached to another level, not only her outer beauty attracted more attention, her innocence left her vulnerable too.

Where his brothers were warriors, his wife hadn't even been in this world for long. Being born of the yagn had its own merits and demerits.

He traced her cheek with the back of his hand, feeling the smooth skin under his rough, callous ones.

The feel of which gave him a satisfaction that he couldn't put in words.

With a last final glance, he moved back, turning around, and leaving with his brothers, before he decided to stay. . .

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