Panchaali looked around the river bank, the sound of the crickets making her sigh. Things that she did in friendship! Were they even her friends? She wondered as she sat under the banyan tree, a sigh leaving her mouth as she waited for her five friends to come.

Friends? At least that's what she called them, they didn't really talk to her, nor did they share anything with her, she basically knew nothing of them, from where they came or where they go, she knew nothing, not even their names. She had once found one of them injured here, when she had sneaked out of the palace through the secret tunnel, no one really knew about it except Krishn, her childhood friend, the son of Mathura naresh, she sighed as she recalled how serious need of medical attention had this mysterious friend of hers had been. By chance she had met his four brothers.

The men never really talked and called each other bhraata, who even does that? Their ancient behavior and mysterious personalities should have scared her away but there was just something about this five that pulled her in like a moth, ever since their first meeting she couldn't stop herself from coming here.

They had never really decided to meet her, she just from the first time she met them, she came here and they too showed up. Every night, some time only one would show up other times two, sometimes three and if she was lucky some nights all five would come. Like her they too knew nothing about her, she always came here dressed as a commoner, this was what she loved the most. They knew nothing about each other, didn't talk much but shared moments in each others companionship, in silence or at times she would talk endlessly and they would just listen.

Her eyes fell on the red stained white bandage, her hand was still throbbing in pain from the huge cut that she had received while playing with the sword, so much blood had it been, she nearly fainted from the pain and by seeing the blood. The rustling of the leaves had her turning around.

"You guys are late again!" She said, her voice laced in mock sternness as she looked at the five figures standing in front of her. The pandavas just looked at the girl, they didn't know why like every night they were once again here, she who they didn't even know of pulled them in like the sun did to the earth. One meeting was all that it took, and now they followed in like the hypnotized men.

They knew they shouldn't be here, but there was just something about her that pulled them in, they really tried stay away, they did but all they were gifted was the unrelenting pain of being away from her.

Yudhisthir looked at her, her long dark hair were left loose in waves, as she wore a simple sky blue lehnga with a simple silver embroidered border, her long beautiful neck held a gold chain with a peacock feather pendent. Her eyes, the dark ebony orbs were lined with kajal, his heart  squeezed as he watched her bite her soft juicy lips.

Arjun stared her unblinking, his heart thudding in his chest as his gaze settled on her blushing cheeks, her soft skin, that he loved to feel under his finger touches, the simple zap of an unbelievable pleasure that he got from touching her was just too much. He had never seen a beauty like her.

"You guys are late again!" The twins watched as she swirled around, before they even revealed themselves. Where well trained men couldn't sense their presence like she and they were one. Their heart lightened as they thought of her as theirs, what could be more beautiful than her being theirs.

She raised a brow as she looked at them, "Ugh! You guys always do this!" She accused, the pandavas mentally smirked, they knew she was referring to them always staring her, it annoyed her to no end but was it their fault that they can't keep their eyes off her? No it wasn't she was just so beautiful. That even the deads would stare at her and they were no less than deads.

She rolled her eyes as she sighed annoyed, her shoulders slumped as she looked towards them. "Now if you all are done staring come here I have something for you guys!" She exclaimed excitedly, her face a mask of complete excitement as she looked at them, the five wanted to role their eyes, really she was like a child,one moment angry, the other moment she was excited as a kid.

They moved forward as she sat down, the twins sat on her either side, Bheem and Arjun sat behind her as Yudhisthir sat right in front of her, covering her from every direction, creating a human shield of sort. They knew she was in no real danger but this five were the most hated, if someone ever saw her with them, they knew she would instantly be killed.

She looked at them her heart thundering at their close proximity, she felt Arjun lay his head on her shoulder, hugging her body closer to his hard muscled ones, Bheem did the same on the other side, the twins laid their heads in her lap as Yudhisthir sat there staring at her, her breath hitched as she felt them all so close, her heart thundering wildly feeling them all so close. They always did this, hugging her, touching her, and she could never stop them, she craved their proximity, their touches, she didn't know why but it felt right, she sighed with contentment as she looked at them, her cheeks dusting with red.

"I br..brought fo..food, actually maasa said I should cook the dinner, so I did, and I wanted you all to have it. Would you? I prepared it for the first time, I am not really sure how good it will be, so sorry in advance." She whispered, her heart was galloping from all the zaps of pleasure that she was feeling from their touches.

"Could you pass me the bag." She whispered in Arjun's ear, who passed her the cloth back, the twins got up as she opened the bag and pulled out three tiffins and a glass bottle of water, she bit her lip, "Ops! I didn't bring the cutlery!" She whispered, she wanted to hit her head, how will they eat now? Real stupid of her.

The pandavas bit back a smile, typical her, clumsy and forgetful. Bheem's eyes narrowed as anger blazed through him as his eyes fell on her bandaged hand, he growled in an animalistic manner, who dared touch her? The four brothers followed Bheem's gaze and their eyes fell on her bandaged hand, fury bubbled through their chest as four animalistic roar filled the place making her jump as their face contorted in hard masks of anger, "Who?" Yudhisthir growled out the word, he just wanted the name, one name, and that person would regret ever being born, their over protectiveness as possessiveness came roaring out, they wanted blood, they wanted death, how dare someone touch her and now they will pay, the pandavas will make them pay.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she looked at the five very furious men, their faces were hard with anger, so much rage, if it had been someone else, she would have trembled with fear but this was them, her friends.

"No one. I hurt myself while playing." She whispered but it was like they didn't even listen their fury continued to built, her eyes focused on Bheem, the man was easy enough to rile up and had least self control, so she took a deep breath and hugged him first. "Please calm down." She begged in a very soft voice, her arms tightening around him. Bheem felt her little body wrap around him as she begged him, her touch and voice was filled with a soothing softness, no one, not even his brothers were able to hold him back when he was too furious but with her in his arms, he felt his anger calm a bit as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, her touch soothed him, calmed him and most of all anchored him to the reality.

She pulled back once she felt him relax, her eyes next focusing on Nakul, the man with a volatile temper,  Bheem's mind was on alert as he watched her move towards Nakul, he wasn't sure how his younger brother would react, he was thankful that the animal in him didn't react the way it usually did by snapping the neck of the person who dared touch him when they were angry. He didn't know how but this girl managed through slip through their high walls that they built around their heart.

She wrapped her hand around Nakul's neck, as she embraced him, "Please." She whispered in his ear making him sigh as he wrapped his arms around her, his head turning sideways as he nuzzled her neck breathing in her soothing scent, her warm embrace melting away all his anger as he kissed her temple.

Yudhisthir,Arjun and Sehdev couldn't stop themselves as they wrapped their arms around her and Nakul, they desired her scent, craved her close proximity as they pressed kisses and touched her soft heated supple skin, her touch soothed the monster in them as they breathed in her calming scent, they sat around her, now more closer, touching her and hugging her closer,she anchored them, keeping the beast of anger at bay. She sat quietly enjoying their touches, a relieved sigh leaving her mouth feeling all their hands and touch, she wanted to smile as Bheem, Arjun and Yudhisthir took the tiffins from her hand as she went to open them, the choley, puri and kheer were revealed.

She smiled as she began feeding them, the pandavas forgot everything, like they always did with her, with her they forget their vengeance, their anger, their tortured past, they forget the humiliation and insults by the society and just get lost in her care. She touched their tattered and broken soul, healing them with her caress, she made them feel alive, more than empty vessels of anger and hate that they always felt like they were.

Their taste buds were bombarded with various flavours, tears filled their eyes, since their mother, no one, not one person had shown them any kindness and here was she, they didn't know anything about them but she showed them so much kindness and love. She made them feel like they too were humans and not some animal that everyone hated and frowned. She smiled at them and they got lost in her touches and care.

Once they finished eating Sehdev moved to some nearby plant and took it's leaves crushing them and made a paste. The leaves were no medicine but his healing spells were, he can't just caste a spell on her hand and heal her instantly, she would surely doubt him so he pretended to apply the paste on her hand as he mumbled the healing spell to hasten the healing by tomorrow morning her hand would be as good as new.

Arjun strengthened the invisible shield that he and his brothers had created around her, a shield that let no person with evil intents to reach her, they could see her innocence, her purity, her nature to trust and help everyone,she believed the world was a good place but they knew what monsters this world held, and they were overprotective of her, they didn't feel ashamed to say that, so they had created this shield around her to protect her. Bheem caste another spell around her, one that would alert them when she was in danger. He hated that they couldn't be with her, that she had to go away, but it was for her safety, if she stayed with them she would more than likely be in danger all the time.

She sat near the tree, her back resting against the bark as she beckoned them all closer, her eyes shutting on their own accord as she felt their arms being wrapped around her, Bheem and Arjun on her either side, their heads resting on her shoulder as they nuzzled her closer, Nakul, Sehdev and Yudhisthir laid their heads in her lap as she ran her hands through their hairs. She sighed as she felt Arjun and Bheem wrap their arms around her making her sigh in content as the feeling of completion washed over her. Making her and the Pandavas slip in their dream world. . .

***

DO VOTE AND COMMENT!

***