Draupadi slowly opened her eyes, the dim evening light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.

Her mind felt heavy, as if it had been drifting in a distant place for a long time. She blinked, trying to gather her bearings, her vision still a little hazy.

The first sensation she became aware of was the warmth of the bed beneath her and the soft rustling of leaves from the trees outside.

It felt strange, peaceful yet unsettling. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt peace.

As her consciousness gradually returned, she shifted slightly, feeling the stiffness in her limbs from lying down for so long.

A soft groan escaped her lips, but it wasn't from pain.

It was more from the confusion of waking up in this moment-disoriented and unsure of how much time had passed.

She turned her head slightly, catching the sight of the faintly glowing evening sky outside.

Her thoughts felt fragmented, but memories slowly returned, and with them, a deep, lingering ache.

She instinctively reached for her neck, as if searching for something familiar, her fingers brushing against her skin, her pulse slow but steady.

Her heart began to pick up pace as her memories of the recent battle resurfaced.

Her husbands, the struggle, the darkness that had taken over her mind...

Draupadi's lips parted as if to speak, but the words got stuck. She wanted to call out, to ask if they were all safe. Were they nearby?

With great effort, Draupadi pushed herself up a little, her body still weak.

She leaned back on her elbows, her head swimming as the room came into focus.

The sounds of the outside world-the birds chirping, the distant laughter of children-felt distant, as though they belonged to another time, another life.

But one sound broke through the fog of her mind. The soft creak of the door opening.

Whoever it was, they were hesitant, as if they weren't sure if she would be awake.

Draupadi blinked, her vision slowly clearing. Would it be her husbands? Or perhaps... someone else?

Bheem entered the room quietly, his steps cautious yet heavy with emotion. Draupadi's breath hitched when she saw him, her heart lurching at the sight of his bandaged arm.

His broad chest was wrapped in cloth, stained red in patches where the wounds she had inflicted had bled through.

His face bore traces of bruises, and Draupadi's guilt surged like a tidal wave. Every injury on his body was like a mirror of her own heartbreak.

Her Arya-her Bheem-had suffered because of her, and the weight of that truth shattered her inside.

Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them.

She turned her face away, feeling unworthy to look at him. "Arya..." her voice was barely a whisper, broken. "I-I did this to you..."

"Drau..." His voice was soft, but there was a fierceness behind it, a protective tenderness that only Bheem could express. He moved towards her, kneeling by her side, his large hands gently cupping her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Don't do this to yourself."

The floodgates opened as Draupadi's tears spilled down her cheeks. "No... I can't... I hurt you. I hurt you..." Her fingers trembled as she reached for his chest, tracing the line of the bruises she had caused.

"Here... and here..." Her voice cracked as she recalled each blow, each wound that had torn through his skin. "How could I have...?"

Every tear that fell from her eyes felt like a blade cutting into Bheem's heart. His fierce, warrior spirit-so unyielding in battle-crumbled in the face of her pain. His thumb brushed away her tears, but they only seemed to fall faster, each drop carving deeper into his soul.

"Drau," he whispered, voice thick with emotion, "if I had to face this a thousand times over to see you alive, I would. Nothing-nothing matters more to me than you." He swallowed, his heart hammering in his chest. "Every scar, every wound, I bear it proudly if it means you're safe. Don't you understand? You're my world, Drau."

Her sobs grew louder, and she shook her head. "No, Arya, I can't-"

Before she could finish, his lips crushed against hers in a kiss so fierce, so raw, it was as if the world around them ceased to exist.

His hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. The intensity of his love poured into her, unspoken words of forgiveness, of devotion.

It wasn't gentle; it was passionate, desperate-a kiss that spoke of the torment they both had endured, of the fire that always burned between them.

Draupadi's hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, as if she could lose herself in him and forget the pain she had caused.

Her tears mingled with the kiss, and Bheem's heart broke a little more with each drop. She could feel the torment in him too, the fierce love he held for her battling with the sorrow of seeing her cry.

When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless, their foreheads pressed together. His thumb traced her jawline softly as if committing her to memory. "Never, Drau. Never blame yourself again. Not for this, not for anything."

Her voice was a whisper, shaky with emotion. "But the pain..."

"I'll take all the pain in the world if it means I can hold you," he murmured against her lips. "Nothing will ever be more important to me than you, Drau. I live for you. I breathe for you."

The weight of his words settled in her heart, but still, the guilt lingered. "I wish I could take it all back," she whispered. "I wish I could erase every mark I left on you."

He shook his head softly, lifting her hand to his chest, placing it right over his heart. "These marks don't matter. This..." He pressed her hand firmly against his heartbeat. "This is what matters. You're alive. You're here. That's all I'll ever need."

Draupadi's eyes glistened with fresh tears, but this time, they weren't tears of guilt.

They were tears of love, of gratitude for the man in front of her who would fight the world for her, who would bear any pain if it meant keeping her safe.

She leaned into him, her fingers brushing gently over his scars, and whispered, "I love you, Arya."

"And I will love you for every moment of eternity," Bheem said, his voice filled with unshakable devotion.

They stayed like that for a long time, holding each other as if nothing else in the world mattered. Bheem kissed her again, softer this time, a kiss full of promise.

A promise that no matter the pain, no matter the struggles they faced, their love would always rise above it all.

In that moment, wrapped in each other's arms, they both knew that nothing could ever break them.

Not the scars, not the battles, not the guilt. They were bound by something far deeper, something eternal-a love that had been tested and had only grown stronger.

***

T

he moment Yudhisthir heard the news that Draupadi had woken, a wave of relief washed over him like a heavy burden lifting from his shoulders. For days, the silence of her still form had haunted him. He had watched helplessly as his brothers poured all their strength and prayers into reviving her, and now that she was awake, he couldn't wait a second longer.

Gathering his brothers, they rushed through the corridors of the palace, hearts pounding with both anticipation and a hint of trepidation. Bheem, still reeling from his intense reunion with Draupadi, led the way, his large strides purposeful, though the tenderness in his eyes hadn't left since he'd last seen her awake.

As they neared her chamber, the atmosphere shifted. The brothers grew quieter, their thoughts racing. What would she say? How would she feel? Each of them carried their own guilt, their own fears about the pain she had endured under Ayushman's dark influence.

When they entered the room, Draupadi was sitting up, her hair cascading down her back, the evening sun casting a soft glow around her. Her delicate frame seemed smaller, and yet, there was a fire in her eyes, a quiet strength that reassured them. She looked up as they entered, and for a moment, the room was still.

"Drau..." Yudhisthir was the first to speak, his voice heavy with emotion. He stepped forward, his eyes reflecting the anguish he had carried all this time. "Arya..." He hesitated, unsure of what to say, unsure of how to even begin. "I-"

Draupadi's eyes softened as she took in the sight of her husbands standing before her, their worry evident in every glance, every gesture. She had been through so much-controlled, manipulated, her will twisted against those she loved most. And yet, here they were, all of them standing in front of her, together, their bond unbroken.

"Arya..." she murmured, her gaze shifting to each of them, resting a little longer on Yudhisthir, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between them. "I am alive, thanks to you all."

Sahadev, always the quiet one, stepped forward, his usual calm exterior cracking just a little. "Drau, we... we didn't know if you'd... come back to us." His voice wavered slightly, the relief in his eyes unable to mask the fear he'd felt.

Bheem, already at her side, gently took her hand in his. His grip was tender, as though he feared she might slip away if he held her too tightly. "You scared us, Drau," he rumbled, his deep voice betraying the emotion he rarely showed. "I- I don't know what I would've done..."

Draupadi smiled weakly at him, her heart aching at the sight of her Arya, always the strong one, now looking at her with such vulnerability. "I'm sorry, Arya... I never meant to hurt you. Any of you."

Yudhisthir stepped closer, his heart heavy with guilt. He had always been the one to carry the weight of their collective burdens, and seeing Draupadi's guilt now tore at him.

"No, Drau," he said softly, kneeling beside her. "You have nothing to apologize for. We... we couldn't protect you. We let this happen. And for that, we are all at fault."

Arjun, who had been silent until now, his eyes dark with an internal storm, finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper.

"It was my arrows that failed to reach you in time. I..." He clenched his fists, unable to look at her. "I should have stopped him."

Draupadi shook her head, her tears threatening to spill once more.

"No, Arya. None of this was your fault. You all did everything you could." Her voice broke, the weight of her words hanging in the air. "I was the one who failed."

"You didn't fail," Nakul said quickly, his voice uncharacteristically fierce.

"Drau, you've been through more than any of us can imagine. You fought harder than any of us. Don't ever think you failed."

A silence fell over the room as her words hung in the air. Draupadi could feel their collective pain, their guilt, but she wanted to ease it.

She looked up at Yudhisthir, the man who carried the world on his shoulders, the leader who always sought to protect them all, and her heart clenched.

She reached out and touched his arm gently. "Arya, please... you cannot blame yourself. Not for this."

Yudhisthir's gaze met hers, and for a moment, he saw the depths of her forgiveness, the love that had never wavered, even in the face of the darkest trials.

His throat tightened, and he simply nodded, his emotions too raw to speak.

Bheem, ever the emotional one when it came to Draupadi, could no longer hold back.

He knelt at her side, pulling her into a fierce hug, careful not to hurt her but holding her close as if he'd never let her go again.
"We won't let this happen again, Drau. I swear it."

Draupadi let out a small, tired laugh, the sound weak but genuine. "I believe you, Arya."

She pulled back slightly, looking at each of them in turn. "But we have to move forward. Together."

The brothers nodded, their hearts full, the storm inside them slowly calming as they stood united once more.

The battle was far from over, but in this moment, as they stood by Draupadi's side, they knew that whatever came next, they would face it together.

Their bond-tested by fate and forged in fire-was unbreakable.

And Draupadi, the heart of their unity, was back with them. They were whole again.

***

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