I peeped from the heavy blinds of my carriage and found myself momentarily blinded. 

Indraprastha was just as ethereal as the bards had sung that day in court. My brother, a flamboyant rogue that he is, had praised the architectural marvel that the Capital city of the Pandavas is, to the high heavens. 

But I always take whatever, Vasudev Krishna says, with a healthy pinch of salt. 

Thus his over the top descriptions hadn't caught my fancy much. But now to my embarrassment and awe it seems like he wasn't too far off the mark. 

Indraprastha was truly an apt name for this Kingdom. Even Devendra himself, must be burning with envy at the sheer beauty that his son and his brothers had managed to make which could very well rival Amaravati. That also from the wastelands that this place used to be. 

So must be the Kauravas, my mind added mischievously. 

We had all heard how unjust the division of the Kururashtra had been. Maharaja Dhritarashtra, truly blinded with paternal love, had gone with whatever his wicked dolt of a son had asked of him. There was no sense of righteousness at all, in that devil and his rather massive entourage. 

I felt my chest loosen in relief at the thought of my rather narrow escape in that regard. 

Don't be mistaken, I love my Jyestha, Balaram, dearly. But my poor oldest brother is too straight an arrow. He could be duped by, just about anyone. The mere thought of being married to that fiend, for whatever purpose, still makes my skin crawl. 

As if realising the dark path my head had taken, I felt his hawk like silver and prussian eyes turn towards me. 

My husband who had been atop his horse, keeping a brisk pace with my carriage, raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow which immediately made blood rush to my cheeks. I reprimanded my treacherous emotions soundly, in my mind, and tried to slow down my racing heart. 

It has been, nearly an year. 

The novelty of new love should have been extinguished by now. But as I have come to know, with Arjun, every passing moment makes me feel like I am regressing in both my age and my maturity, still infatuated with my husband, like a flighty sixteen year old.

In my defence, my Parth was, quite the charmer. 

I could finally realise all the teetering and falling over themselves that my dear sisters in law would do, all over my brother Krishna. The idea of my mischief maker of a brother and my husband being such bosom friends, didn't seem too odd, now. 

 "This is obviously, no Dwarka, but it is not so bad. This will do."

I told him haughtily and felt my insides glow in delight at the deep bark of laughter which seemed to magically transform his already handsome features into something almost, otherworldly. With a smile like that, he would need no arrows to conquer kingdoms. 

"I am glad you find it to your liking my princess. I cannot guarantee whether it can compete with your brother's magical city but we have tried our best", he answered back playfully. 

I grinned unabashed and he reigned in his horse to get to my level, only to bend down slightly to reach me. I had to physically restrain myself from not grabbing those muscular shoulders or his luscious raven locks and plant a kiss on the wicked curve of those sultry lips. 

"Do not worry so much my darling. By the time I am done with you, you'll hardly have the strength to go exploring to compare my city with that of yours", he whispered salaciously in the air between us. 

I gasped and definitely turned scarlet at that insinuation. Had there not been the royal guards sandwiching both of us, I would have slapped his shoulder with feigned indignation. But Arjun had come to know me well enough to know that I for one, will never argue against that particular course of action. 

He is an excellent lover. 

But I had a front to maintain, after all. 

"Hush! Shame on you Arya. There are soldiers present. The men you train and who work under you. Such scandalous behaviour doesn't become you."

The rogue just winked at me, heightening my heartbeat yet again and galloped away, in front. 

I shook my head exasperated, even if a frisson of nervousness bellied my internal delight at finally reaching Arjun's kingdom. His home and now mine too. And I had come to know Parth, well enough to realise, that all this banter, was just a front for the definite unease swirling inside him. 

Because much happy that we have been living in our own bubble in Pushkara the past year, the thought of being surrounded by other people was now daunting. 

Also, there was the Queen. 

Panchali, the pulchritudinous princess who will always have a part of my husband, had occupied both of our thoughts since we began this journey. It is strange how envy at having to share the man we both love, was not the feeling I had felt, for even a second. 

Mostly it was just awe. I have heard stories of the fire born Queen of the Pandavas from both Satyabhama and Krishna. Both of them have nothing but the highest respect for the dusky Kulavadhu of Kuruvansh. But the way she is spoken of, makes her seem so untouchable that it is intimidating. 

I feel like I am about to meet a literal Goddess, whose husband has married me, obviously upsetting her immensely in the process. 

Will she burn me down to ashes the moment we meet? 

Both Parth and Krishna have repeatedly assured me that once appeased, my now co wife, my husband's first wife, will be the sweetest human being to have ever graced mother earth. I do believe in their consolation. 

But what men can never understand is, that even if Draupadi might forgive them both for this unseeming deception, I might be the only person who will have to face her unmitigated wrath for the rest of our lives. 

After all, it is impossible to stay mad at the Lord of the Universe and his closest friend for too long. I myself, have faced that insurmountable task many a times. 

I will face Yagyasaini when the time comes and accept whatever punishment she deems fit, when the time comes, for it is undisputable that it is technically me, who has eloped with her husband. Her anger will only be justified. My only hope when her hurt subsides, she realises that I have no desire for uprooting her from Arjun's heart or play favorites in any way. 

I will not, physically be able, to do that. 

For that will pain him greatly. 

And his pain will be nigh unbearable to me. 

But now, I kept taking in the breath-taking sights of the sprawling prosperous lands of Indraprastha and the jubilant subjects hailing their favourite Pandava Prince on his much awaited return. 

----------------------------------------

I sensed Arjun's nervousness increase the moment I climbed down the carriage. On a single glance, I could see my new family gathered at the front gates of the massive marble white Palace, but there was no sign of the Queen anywhere. 

The Pandavas as expected were overjoyed at being reunited with their sibling after so many years. The sight of their brotherly love overwhelmed me, a little. I had heard stories of the bond these five share, but hearing about it and seeing it with my own eyes was a completely different experience. 

I could not imagine being separated from my brothers for twelve years. The mere thought of them wandering in the dangerous forests of Aryavarta, like an ascetic, living such a frugal life while I enjoy the lavish luxuries of my palace, made me feel breathless with an innate suffocation. 

How had my brothers in law survived this long?

I saw Maharaja Yudhishtir's wise eyes blur with tears as we bent down to take his blessings. 

"Saubhagyavati bhava! You truly are a vision to behold my dear sister. Welcome to the family."

Yuvraja Bhim's hand which he had laid gently on my head had quavered just so gently. 

"May your husband prosper greatly! You remind me so much of Vasudeva, dear Subhadra."

The Madriputras almost fell over themselves trying to touch our feet. 

"Welcome to Indraprastha Bhabishree!"

And if seeing the mighty Pandavas, try to stifle their tears wasn't enough, seeing my oh so stoic husband, the very symbol of composure and utter calm, look like he was two seconds away from crying, made my heart break just a little. 

Why ever these brilliant, wonderful, loving men had to suffer so?

'What is written in our destiny would always come into play, Bhadrae, however unfair we feel, it is.'

Krishna's words floated in my mind as an unasked answer. My Godly brother's mysterious edicts which had once flown right over my head seemed to come back again and again, making perfect sense nowadays. 

Nakul and Sahadev seemed loathed to leave their older brother's embrace, both having pounced on him so enthusiastically that I had to steady the trio with a gentle hand of support on my husband's muscled back. 

"Let go of me you oafs! Before bhrata Bhim loses his patience completely and crushes us all with those two tree trunks, he calls arms", Arjun chuckled through his tears, having soothingly stroked the twins heads which were snuggled on either of his shoulders. 

Bhima's answering roar of laughter nearly startled me off my feet but then I had to clamp a hand on my mouth to muffle my own laugh as he roughly pulled off his youngest brothers from Arjun and literally lifted him off the ground in his own embrace. 

My husband was tall. Towering over almost all of his brothers. Bhima though was humongous and probably could dwarf near about everyone on this planet. 

"Oh Mahadev be praised! I missed you Phalgun. But you feel so light, brother. Hasn't anyone been feeding you at all? I will have to talk to Vasudev about it. I thought he would have shared at least a little of that butter he keeps eating all the time."

Arjun's laugh was muffled in his brother's gigantic shoulder as he tried wrapping his own leaner but muscled wiry arms around Vrikodhara's massive back. Bhima twirled him around once like he was but a child and swung him side to side, burying his wet face in Sabyasachi's obsidian curls. 

"Bhrata Krishna doesn't share his precious butter with even Rukmini bhabi, Yuvaraja. I don't think he will take too kindly to your suggestion", I answered, still delighted at seeing  the heart warming scene, in front. 

"Forgive him dear Subhadra, he has always been like this. Bhim put down Arjun and let him breathe. It has surely been a long travel from Dwarka", Yudhishtir spoke gently but the smile in his voice dampened any effect of strictness in his words. 

Bhim laughed uproariously yet again but acquiesced to his eldest's demands and finally put my husband down on his feet. Arjun grinned at the jovial Vayuputra and turned towards his eldest brother. He took Yudhishtir's hands and only then could I see the slight tremble in them, which had gone unnoticed in this joyous melee.

But Arjun knew. Of course he did. There was hardly anything which went unnoticed by Phalgun's eagle eye. It was what made him an excellent strategist but an even better archer. 

"Jyesht, I wanted to thank you with bestowing me with this opportunity. I have achieved such heights of prowess both spiritually and skilfully. It would not have been possible had I not traversed the entirety of Aryavarta, alone. And the penance just helped more. I believe, now I can fully concentrate on taking up my duties in Indraprastha and hopefully enrich the governance with my experiences."

I saw Yudhishtir's lips tremble and then his hands were cradling Arjun's face with such paternal affection and pride that it was humbling. Then he pressed his lips to my husband's forehead gently, smearing that endearing bow shaped tilak slightly. 

And I understood yet again why my brother could not stop with his beloved Parth's praises. With a few words my husband had effectively vanquished any misplaced guilt his oldest brother must have been harbouring in his heart, because of his part, in his exile. 

It must have truly hurt the King to have let his younger brother go in an exile for what had essentially been none of their faults. 

And that thought brought me back to earth and to the gaping absence of Maharani Panchali at the gates. 

She must have been desperate to reunite with her husband at the wake of a painful twelve year long separation. Yet she remained absent. A glaring evidence of her wrathful hurt over their actions.  

I felt my insides twist in apprehension. 

"Subhadra, Matashree is awaiting you and Phalgun in her chambers, eagerly. Go and take her blessings", Yudhishtir broke my dank musings gently, his eyes shining knowingly at my worries. I managed to form a smile and turned towards Arjun. 

He had been eagerly looking around for his first wife and at his brothers wise words, now seemed to share my agitation as his face paled a little. I swallowed my slowly rising fear and slipped my dainty hand into the much bigger and calloused ones of my Gandhivadhari and decided to brave this newest chapter of my life with as much courage as I could possibly muster. 

To be continued