Paanchaal, Kaampilya

There was complete silence at the podium. 

Their heads turned around, and every breath was collectively held at once. Gossip and giggles halted. Basses and lutes lowered themselves, and every eye had stopped blinking, lest they miss even an ounce of what they beheld. 

Arjun had completely forgotten that he was on earth, for nothing in her seemed remotely earthly. His gaze swooped down abashedly, his breath hitching as his eyes vowed to coat itself with every inch of her beauty he could see. 

She was the art. . . and he was the beholder. 

Her dark yet soft, pinkish feet were painted deep red, artfully designed with a mixture of powdered rice, glittering with the bejeweled little ornaments that caught the spark of the glistening rays every now and then, walking through the aisle with gentle, bated steps. 

He exhaled softly, wishing he could inhale the scent of the floor she just walked on. . .his gaze swayed up almost as if with the flow of his trance.

The meticulously carved deep crimson angavastra was draped around her like an ode to a beauty; the rich gold glimmered, adhering to the magnificent reverie of her dusky allure, even the clouds would waver in envy. Heavy yet regal, it seemed to quintessentially garb her finesse frame with an enigmatic regality. The jewels hummed in it's own, softly swaying with it's conceit of adorning the Princess who could put to shun the beauty of even the heavens with her aura.

Her dark tresses were encompassed with fresh, thick jasmines and roses, and the curls left loose swayed across her ears bouncing. Diamond jewels studded over her tied hairs, fitting like a penchant lyric to her curls that danced like an enchantress to a dulcet tune. 

Those. . . those lashes that were dimmed till her softly hued cheeks and flitted like a feather, her velvety lips, glistening with the cast of crimson, parted with every breath she took. 

Arjun gulped slightly, visibly. His heart drummed in his chest almost betraying his nonchalant frame, his jaws coating up all the hue that it shouldn't with. 

His breath was still stuck in his dried throat, as he chewed on his lower lip a bit too hard; almost swirling his tongue with a tangerine taste of it, and that's when he was dragged to reality with a soft gasp, making him realize what he was doing.

He cleared his throat slightly, trying to cover himself up. 

O God. . .have mercy on him!

Her gaze slightly hovered towards him, her huge, dark eyes kohled like they were made to wound his heart with just a single stare. 

O God, have mercy on his breath, his soul!

A slight, almost a discreet curve laced her lips for a few moments, as she lowered her lashes again, very innocently. 

Damn, was he caught?  Because if she did, she knew what she was doing.

She can't be so innocent, so naive even after being the most beautiful woman to exist on earth, that she had no clue what she was doing to him.

And what she had already done to him.

Arjun had never dreamt in his life that the resilience he had worked hard to earn since years, the countless times he had abrased himself to achieve the unthinkable would wither away within moments. The perfection he had built, the hold over himself, shattered away like glasses when he heard of her. 

The Arjun who was victorious winning over his sleep, now had other reasons he couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning on his grass beds on the forest floor, when he could sleep when he wanted to once upon a time. Gritting his teeth randomly at the thought of other Kings participating at her Swayamvar, and seething with anger, jealousy and the momentary realization that they were not yet in Paanchaal. . . Arjun was never this unreasonable in his life.

Watching the Kings trying to lift the Kindhura while he was waiting, was like walking on burning charcoal. Though he had kept his arms folded on his chest, his brows slightly furrowed as if he was simply observing nonchalantly was otherwise of what was burning within him. 

He had never bothered much about Karn, but seeing him for a fraction of moment lift the Kindhura was traumatizing, and he never had the urge to thrash his head right on spot as much as before. 

He had managed to calm Bheem that time, but the angavastra clutched in his fist was ripping apart already.

It was so difficult to be the Arjun the world knew. . .

But there she was, so utterly innocent and naive, probably not knowing anything. 

And there his heart jolted with the thought of it, both exciting and pining him at the same time. 

There was truly something in that pining sort of want, something so achingly sweet in it. And now that he looked back, those days seemed so. . . so painfully romantic, like someone was pushing an arrow through his heart laced with nectar. The ache was like ambrosia, and he was drunk in it helplessly.

And now when he was going to cherish what he pined for, he would make sure she had every drop of the ambrosia that he was made to drink. 

She should know everything, everything he had dreamt of her. 

She should know what a madman he had become for her sake. . . and nothing could ever stop him from doing that.

Nothing. 

Till now, he had did whatever he had been told with utmost meticulousness. Never wavering until he fulfilled it so, his determination was something even Gods would fear.

And now he had fallen into this amalgamation of emotions he had no hold of, no control of. . .

She had dared him lovesick, and she shall know the very meaning of making Arjun lovesick. 

.

.

.

Her brothers surrounded her and walked behind, making sure that she was well-ushered by them.

"Arrey. . . go get her!" Kunti nudged Arjun for the third time with a discreet whisper, a bit harder at the end, causing him to blink twice and dragged into reality, "Oh. . . hmm, hmm!" He seemingly cleared his throat, inhaling a long, deep breath.

Oh goodness. . . 

He stepped forward slowly, his heart thumping against his chest wildly, as if it would jerk out if left free. 

She would be his finally. 

His.

And this time, it was no dream, no trick. Neither was she a smiling apparition nor a whiff of his delusion. 

He didn't even realize for a moment that his outstretched hand was clasped by her soft, warm one, and he released a long breath. 

Her hand in his, once again.

He couldn't help but brush his thumb over her knuckles like he caressed a flower petal, having a fierce urge to trace his lips over them, till he saw her cheeks fluster in apple red. Again.

And that was the most favorite part of it.

His lips curved up in a slight hidden mischievous smile as he leaned slightly closer to her ear, while walking towards the alter, "You're blushing so much now only? Spare something for the night atleast. . ." 

Draupadi's eyes widened for a brief moment, a small, inaudible gasp escaping her lips as she quickly spared a glance at him, "Y. . . you said something?" 

There.

Innocent as heck!

"Probably what you heard?" He shrugged with an innocent smile, blinking playfully at her. Her cheeks reddened once again as she returned his gaze with two flustered blinks, appearing unbearably adorable. She quickly averted her gaze, walking up the stairs towards the marriage podium, sitting near where the rituals shall begin.

And it seemed like teasing her to death would be a lifetime experience for him from now on.

He bit down the corner of his lower lip, trying to bite down his smile as he walked up too, and sat beside her with a deliberate, audible sigh, adjusting his angavastra and dhoti properly. 

She shifted slightly, taking a swift glance at him with those large, adorable eyes and immediately took the edge of her garment in between her fingers and started fidgeting with it as if she did not even look at him. 

And yet his eyes were glued to her, with that little half-smile on his lips, which made her fidgeting slightly slower, and slower to a halt, her cheeks burning red once again. She finally peered at him lowly, with those large eyes that looked even more innocent after being kohled deeply, "What?"

"Actually I have never seen heaven so close," His lips curving up in a teasing lilt as he leaned closer to her slightly, pressing his palm on the floor just beside her, "So. . ." 

And for a moment, she felt his eyes lash a brief, an almost discreet swoop on her soft, parted red lips catching her breath before he settled himself for the rituals.

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

Finally shaadi shuru! 🥺🥺😍😍😍😍

BTW, I have recently started a YouTube channel where I post stuff related to Mahabharata and Indian History :

https://www.youtube.com/@TheViralHistory-07-03

Do check out if ya want 🙈. I have also posted a short on ArDi over there 🥰

Signing out for today!

Nushkie