Kaampilya, Paanchaal

The palace seemed like a living enchantment of the coruscating heavens that day.

The courtyard rumbled with pristine laughter and mirth mingled with the strums of veena and the symphony of melodies. Dancers twirled in elegant circles, their feet alighting rhythmically with the tunes. Women giggled and chirruped like the larks of spring, their golden bangles tinkling in exuberance. 

The heavy fragrance of jasmines and rose was like an intoxicating ambrosia that floated along with each whiff of the wintry zephyrs.  

The statues studded around the courtyard, like living embodiments, cascaded waterfalls. The wide arches, bedecked with fresh flowers and lush greenery, hung low under the dappling sunlight.

Servants busily wound in and out, carrying massive cauldrons of scented milk-water and holy turmeric paste.

 The music and melody rhythmed with an upbeat crescendo as the royalties gathered, in proud regalia and lavish layout. There was a current of levity that hummed through like the choirs of joy echoing amidst the blistery winters. 

"Haye. . . such a boy like gold! God forbid an evil eye!" The old women laughed around, circling around Arjun, who's jaws were flushing like ripe apples. Since the morning, he was seen as a bull's eye for endless laughter and tease for the elderly women, that too mercilessly.

God knows what women found joy in teasing men who were about to be married.

"Evil eye? I bet evil eyes would be put to embarassment tonight!" The ladies laughed, looking at Arjun who snapped his eyes open wide at their unhinged words. 

"Exactly! Young man should pray that no evil eye should interrupt him at night!"

What the hell!

Arjun cleared his throat slightly, shifting a bit in edginess as he sat on a huge royal cauldron. The rays of sunlight glistened over his bare, lethally carved torso, like the earth kissed hue lavished by the amalgamation of gold. His loose curls bounced over his shoulders in thick, silky locks—tempting the winds to flirt with the tender ringlets.

But gone was his nonchalant utterly warrior confidence, making him indeed look like a teenager boy in adolescence getting classed for coaxing a girl.  The women, specially the older ones, were unhinged from left right and center on him, sparing no moment to coat him with digs of embarassment. 

"Prince, have you ever tried aphrodisiac before?" One of the girls giggled cupping her mouth, and the other girls laughed seeing Arjun's shocked expression, "W-what?!"

Seriously?!

"Don't lie hmmm, golden Prince!" 

"Of course, of course, he has! He is just lying for our sake!" The girls laughed, slapping their palms with each other and giggling loudly, "Say the truth Prince Arjun! Why so shy?"

"Say Prince! Say no!"

Arjun blinked his eyes rapidly at their shameless words, his cheeks dampening with red.

"Of course he has Maala, he is also a man after all! How long could he control himself?"

Oh oh goodness!

"No, no—it is nothing so. . ." Arjun looked away immediately, shutting his eyes hard. 

He wasn't even married yet, and they had already begun?

"Seriously? How do we know you haven't?" One of them wriggled her brows playfully, chuckling at his mortified face. "Arrey can't you see? He is blushing like a virgin girl! Do you think he could've?!" And there was a chorus of teasing laughter once again.

Vi-virgin girl?

VIRGIN GIRL?!

Twelve years of warrior hard-work to be celebrated as a ferocious archer led him to this?

Arjun wished the ground swallowed him six feet down then and there. 

"Oh don't worry dear Prince! If you haven't tried, so what? Tonight you can not only try but experience it as well!" 

OH GOD! NO WAY!

Arjun's eyes widened hard, his eyeballs seemed to gorge out of his sockets as he tried to deny, his jaws flushing further. 

"Don't worry! We shall mix just a little, little ounce of it in your wine. . ."  The maiden squinted her eye, narrowing her thumb and finger together, mimicking the quantity, making the other women erupt in unhinged laughter once again, "You won't realize it, until the night is wild!"

Oh God! Where the hell was he stuck?!

"Look, this. . . this is not right at all-" Arjun nervously fumbled with his words, shaking his head.  He wished for a better comeback, but he was too flustered to even open his mouth. 

God, he liked to tease! Not getting teased instead, that too by young women like this!

"Arrey who worries about right and wrong on first night!"

What the hell—

"Fine fine! If not in drink, we can definitely mix it in your betel leaf right?" 

Done. Arjun was just done for that day. 

There was a sudden beat of drum that alerted everyone, and the girls giggling softly, moved away. 

Arjun breathed a deep sigh of relief, closing his eyes. He tried not to look at the laughing maidens even by mistake. He cleared his throat, straightening himself up with a modest smile, fighting beneath to try hard to let the blush disappear. 

Damn! How was Draupadi so innocent even after having such a mischievous bunch of friends?

Or was she really?

A tiny, wolfish smirk spread on his lips as the thought crossed his mind. 

He clearly remembered how red her cheeks were, when he had given her flowers marked with his nails. 

The way she blushed hard, and wasn't even able to meet his eyes for a good, good long time. . . 

Innocent Princess.

Very innocent indeed. 

"So let us begin then? What are we waiting for?!" 

Arjun flinched slightly, coming out of his thoughts as he bit his lips hard to hide the smile that was threatening to erupt. The music suddenly touched the melodious high notes as the royalties lined up around him, all ready to smear him with the touch of holiness. 

Kunti was first, as she leaned with a happy grin on her knees. Coating her palms with the thick turmeric paste, she smeared it slowly on Arjun's cheeks, painting them a shade of ochre as the conches blew. He chuckled softly as Kunti warded off his evil eye with a tearful sigh.

He could see clearly in her eyes. The relief, the struggle, the happiness, all brimming at once in those warm, motherly gaze. The way she had endured every pain, every blow because their lives were in danger. . . He had seen her staying awake for nights, pretending to sleep, in worry for them. Eat less so that they could eat fully. Bear the thorns that pricked her delicate feet through the forest journeys, and how she bit her lip and walked through it till Bheem noticed. 

Not even a penance of thousand years would grant them a mother like Kunti.

Yudhishthir appeared next, with a warm smile on his face as he gently smeared Arjun with the turmeric paste, followed by the brothers. 

Some of the Paanchaalans looked at each other, in shock, perplex and slight discomfort. It was still way beyond their understanding that how these five brothers were this close—that they were happily applying Haldi on their brother who was apparently getting married to their already wife.

Didn't they feel even an ounce of jealousy or what?

What are they even made of? Reveling as in each other's marriage though they were marrying the same woman? 

But their King certainly had no problem in that, it was evident on his face. He was the one who had eagerly permitted the other Pandavas to apply turmeric on Yudhishthir on the first day, and made sure they carried it on.

What had happened to their King was way beyond their understanding.

Drupad came forward and bent over, his elderly fingers brushing over Arjun's jaws with turmeric. He stiffened slightly at his warm, fatherly touch; his breath tightening around his throat for a while. 

Why did it feel like if Paandu was alive, it would've felt the same? 

Arjun felt it was almost a ghostly echo of Paandu's touch that had lovingly tousled his hairs years ago. Those loving memories of his feels were now just a figment of flair that had stayed with him. He bit the side of his lower lip, sucking in a short, deep breath. 

Maybe someday soon. . . someday he would be the Arjun who could truly see beyond everything. 

Someday he would truly have the courage to accept what was true without any fear. 

The sons of Drupad smeared him with turmeric one by one, blessing him a prosperous union ahead. Dhrishtadyumn was the last one, as he knelt down with a wide smile.

"So you're finally trusting me with your sister isn't, Prince?" Arjun raised his brows and tilted his head teasingly, as Dhrishtadyumn besmeared his cheek with turmeric paste, with a flushed face, "How much more shall you pull my leg?"

"Arrey I am not pulling your leg, just confirming!" He shrugged, shaking his head with a titter, "What if tomorrow you appoint permanent spies to keep an eye on me?"

Dhrishtadyumn turned beetroot red, pinching the bridge of his nose to suppress his embarassment and laughter at same time, as everyone burst out chuckling.

"God, you'll have no idea about him. . . even by mistake if a spy gives him the news about Draupadi shedding a tear, he would install his entire Paanchaal army in front of me man!"

Arjun shrugged nonchalantly in a dramatic panache, looking at everyone who were in peals of laughter.

Dhrishtadyumn had his ears red by now as he chuckled covering his mouth, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Shikhandi laughed, putting an arm around his brother's embarrassed figure and pulling him close. 

The laughter echoed even further as little Kshatradev finally managed to break free from his caretaker's grip and wobble towards Shikhandi, jerking his dhoti with a pissed adorable face. 

"It's my turn now, you're all forgetting everytime!" He demandingly kept his small palms on his waist and crossed his brows, and Shikhandi picked his son up, cuddling him with a defeated sigh, "Okay okay fine! Time for keeping his promise for being a good boy today. . ."

"Don't mind him Arjun. . ." Shikhandi laughed, lowering the toddler near Arjun, who looked at the kid amusedly, "My, who can mind such an adorable sweetling?" He slightly pinched his plump, soft cheeks making him pout at him. Arjun almost melted into a puddle seeing the little one smother his tiny palms with turmeric paste next, giggling as the watery paste stuck in his fingers.

 "Come down!" Kshatradev waved his palm with a naughty grin, gesturing Arjun to bend down slightly. 

"He's so cute my God!" Arjun squinted his eyes in a  dramatic coo. He didn't know what always happened to his tough, manly side whenever he saw little children around. The urge to kiss and cuddle them brewed in him like anything. 

Kshatradev giggled mischievously as Arjun closed his eyes, waiting for the tiny, soft palms to rub on his jaws. 

But instead he felt a thick, wet smash of the turmeric plop on his cheek out of nowhere, making him flinch and squint his eyes hard for a moment at the sudden attack. His entire face was covered with the paste, drops of it toppling on the ground as he scrunched his brows, "Mmmphh hmm!"

"Deva!" Kshatradev's mother scolded, as a huge score of laughter erupted, "I told you not to do like that!" She immediately walked up and picked him up, glaring at him. The toddler only giggled shamelessly, hiding his face in her shoulder after all he did. 

"Goodness. . ." Arjun breathed, gasping as he tried to remove the blob of turmeric from his cheek, chuckling and shaking his head. 

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

I enjoyed a lot writing this chapter 🤣🤣🤣🤣💖💖💖

Signing off for today!

Nushkie