Arjun watched as his wife blinked her eyes open, after three weeks. He had been waiting to see her beautiful black eyes. He kept his hand on her head as he stood next to her, smiling down at her.

Draupadi looked up at her husband, who had his hand resting on her head, a sweet smile on her face. "Did my sleeping beauty finally decide to wake up?" He asked as his face glowed with happiness, tears of joy filled his eyes.

"I missed you so much my princess." He whispered as he looked in her eyes, after three long weeks she had woken up, finally after so long he felt his life return to him. After a very long time he felt like he was alive, like he was no longer dead.

Draupadi felt her bottom lip quiver as she looked at him, she could see the dark circles under his eyes, like he hasn't slept properly in awhile. Her heart melted when she noticed the joy on his face like he had finally gotten a reason to live.

He wrapped his arms around her, his heart finally at ease, she was safe and she was with him. He kissed her forehead as he breathed in her fruity scent.

For past three weeks all the pandavas had been sleeping on the floor of the vedhshala, just in case she needed something. To heal her body faster and in a better manner, Nakul and Sahadev had put under her coma, now after three weeks her condition was stable again.

For three weeks Arjun had felt like that there was no meaning to his life, he spent his days sitting next to her, talking to her, even though he knew she couldn't reply to him. His life for past three weeks had been on a stand by, everything meant nothing to him. The food no longer tasted good to him, he didn't feel like smiling or even talking to anyone; all he wanted to do was be with her.

"Good morning sleepy head." Nakul greeted her as he came in with lots of beautiful flowers in his hands. He had expected her to wake up somewhere around today. He moved to the side tables that were kept in the entire vedhshala, that had the beautiful vases, he put the flowers in all of the vases.

Arjun sat next to Panchaali, with his back resting on the headboard of the bed. His arm wrapped around her shoulders as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. He smiled satisfied, as she sighed content.

Nakul tried to appear nonchalant but his heart was hammering with happiness on seeing her finally awake. He sat in front of her, his hand enveloping hers that she had kept on her lap. "Can I have a hug my little flower?" He asked, his voice catching in his throat as he felt like he couldn't swallow.

Draupadi nodded as she wrapped her arms around him, he tightened his hold around her. He had missed her so much, "I missed you so much little flower." He whispered as he kissed her neck while pulling back making  her blush. "Ever so beautiful." He whispered as he rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "The most beautiful." Arjun agreed, with a smile on his face as he pulled her closer to him and kissed the side of her head.

"The gorgeous lady is awake I see." Yudhisthir's voice rang throughout the room, it had everyone turning around to look at him walk in. A calm smile on his face, he walked up to her and sat on her other side next to her and pressed a kiss on her face.

Yudhisthir's heart eased as he walked in, finally she was awake. Sahadev and Bheem followed him in, their eyes shined with joy as they saw her up. They each took a turn hugging her.  For a very long time the three had felt like they were walking dead, they were existing but not living because the person who made them feel alive was sleeping.

"Panchaali see what I made for you." Bheem said enthusiastically as he held out a bowl of laddoos. She smiled warmly at him as he brought a ladoo to her lip,"Open up little one." He said, she took a bite and gave him a soft smile.

***

A frown marred on Panchaali's face, tears glazing in her eyes as she looked at the mirror. The odhni was set on her bed as she stood there in lehnga and blouse, her eyes taking in all the injuries, they looked so ugly.

She bit her lip, would her husbands want her now? How could they ever look at her when she herself couldn't? She wondered as she looked at herself. Her husbands were all so perfect kind, strong and handsome, they deserved someone like them.

Her injuries were healed but the white ugly marks that they left behind made her feel like she was ruined forever. She felt like she was on autopilot as she got ready. The daasis tried to help her but she had refused everyone, she looked at all the ornaments, each pandav had chosen them with so much care.

Wore them all except for her finger ring, toe rings, her mangalsutr, her sindur, and her chudamani. Things that bound her to her aryas, making her theirs. Did she even deserved to wear them?

Her long hair were set free, like she was not married, she looked down at her hands. From today on her year with Yudhisthir would begin, but with this ugliness she really didn't want to make him run away. What if he hated her?

Her eyes looked at the five ornaments, what should she do? The door to her room opened, Yudhisthir stood there, their eyes met, he could see the hundred questions in her eyes, that she wanted to ask but could not, as she feared his answer.

He moved towards her, from today on they were meant to start a new life together but he could see the many questions and doubts that surrounded her. He moved behind her his hands resting on her shoulders, her eyes met his, through the mirror, Panchaali's eyes again moved downward, he sighed.

He didn't really need her words to understand her, he could always read what she was feeling through her eyes, they were the most beautiful dark orbs filled with all the innocence in the world.

He could see the doubts that were  building in her mind, her face was like an open book so it really didn't take a genius to understand what she was feeling.

He picked up the comb and began running it through her hair, his movements gentle and caring. He braided her hair, the silence around them was  calm, they didn't need words to fill it. He slowly began to put all the ornaments that were meant for her head, his eyes meeting hers everyone once in awhile.

The void of happiness on her face made him feel like a failure, it hurt him. Did she really think she was no longer beautiful? But to him she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was so much more than just beautiful, she was graceful, dazzling, and the only girl who had the capability to stop his breath.

Her eyes were staring at the five things that made her his, that showed the world that she was theirs. He loved it when she wore them, he squeezed her shoulder and pressed a kiss on the back of her head, silently reassuring her without words.

His fingers touched the chudamani that lay on the dressing table, her eyes looked up at his with the silent question. Are you sure? Her heart thundered in her chest as he gave her a smile and picked up the chudamani. The look on his face said things that words could never express, a person could never be complete without his other half and you are ours.

Though the words weren't said aloud, she understood them clearly.  He put the chudamani where it belonged, his hand moved towards the sindur, he took a pinch from it, he was about to move it to her maang when she turned her head, her eyes closed as tears traced down her cheeks.

Yudhisthir moved in front of her so he could directly look at her, she still had her head turned sideways as she cried, his heart hurt, he hated to see her cry. He put his fore finger under her chin and made her look at him, tears marred her beautiful face as she kept her eyes closed, he pressed a kiss on her forehead and more tears flowed down.

He moved back, his one hand moved aside the mangtika and put the sindur. He crouched down and laid her feet on his knee and put her toe rings before he kept them down delicately, he took her left hand, he picked up the wedding ring and put it in her fingers all the while her eyes remained shut.

He put his hand on the mangalsutr, Draupadi put her hand on his to stop him, her head shaking in a no motion. "You too know that my love for you is no need to go through this exam." His words were calm as his eyes looked at her, "You are the most beautiful woman and I love you with my whole heart. There is nothing that could change it, nothing." His words were laced with honesty, like always. Dharmraj never lied. Her heart froze, as she heard him confess his love, he took in her shocked expression as he looked at her and picked up the mangalsutr.

When he put it where it belonged Draupadi felt complete, like after years she was finally complete again. Yudhisthir saw her began to cry, he guided her to stand up and wrapped his arms around her.

Her heart was lit with joy, all her worries, her pain, her doubts flowed away with the tears. She hid her face in his neck as he rubbed her back in a soothing motion. "I love you so much my princess, so much. Nothing could ever change that." He promised her and she cried harder, every pain that she had kept in hidden came flowing out, he was here. She thought, he would hold me.

He let her cry for he knew this were no tears of pain, but of relief. The silly girl had thought that he would hate her but how could he? Can a person hate his soul? No. Than how could he ever hate her, she was his soul, the very base of his existence. She was his pride, his happiness, his hope and his universe.

Once she calmed down he pulled her back, his hands cupping her face as he rubbed away her tears tenderly. He turned her around so she was facing the mirror, he rested his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, "My dear Malini, meet the woman of my life, the one I love more than anything else, the without whom I can't imagine my life. My wife who holds my heart, the most beautiful woman in this world, Isn't she?" He asked, his voice filled with love as her cheeks warmed up.

He turned her around so she faced him, his arms wrapped around her back and pulled her hard against his chest as he looked down in her beautiful eyes. "I love you. Not your body." He whispered, the words had her heart beating violently.

"I love you too arya. " Her words were soft but were enough to make him smile broadly, like he had won the world. He lowered his head, their hearts hammering violently as their eyes closed. His lips met hers with a light caress, he put all the love he felt for her, marking not just her but her soul with this kiss. . .

*****

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