The pandavas stood at the foot of Draupadi's bed, she lay there unconscious. Arjun couldn't believe his eyes, this was Malini, their childhood friend but seeing her condition he felt distressed.

This was not how he had expected to meet her, this is not at all what he had imagined. "What do we do?" Naked asked, his eyes set on his friend, he was afraid to look away. What if she disappeared again? He couldn't think he would be able to survive that. After years they were able to have her back, like hell would he let her go.

"We need to tell her the truth." Bheem said, his eyes taking in every little moment she made, from her breathing to the tear marks on her cheeks. The puffy eyes  didn't go unnoticed as well.

"We can't do that Bheem. That way we would be breaking our vow to Mata. We had promised her that we would let the world think that we are dead." Yudhisthir didn't want to remind them, he wanted nothing more than to ease her pain but he had to walk the path of dharm no matter how difficult it was.

"But bhraata we can't let her be in this condition. She will die if she continues this behavior. " Shades voiced his fear, he gazed worriedly at her. "No she won't. We may not be able to tell her but we can be with her. Give her strength and maybe in time she will realise it is us." Arjun suggested, his voice rang with determination. No way was he going to let her dwell in her grief, he would pull her out of it. "Yes Arjun is right. We would be her strength. " Nakul nodded, a hopeful smile on his face.

***

It had been two days since Draupadi had eaten, slept or drank something. She just sat on the bed, her eyes looking at nowhere. "Rajkumari you need to eat." Nakul pleaded, hoping to get a reaction out of her, she just stared at the doll in her hands. "Nakul... " She whispered looking at it, tears flowing silently. His heart ceased to beat as he looked at her, tears flowed down his cheeks.

"I am here. . . " He whispered, but not loud enough for her to hear. Seeing her this devastated made Nakul feel dead inside, he was dying every day. Every day felt worse than death, he just wanted to shake her and tell that he was fine and live. That he was right here, that he would never ever let her go.

"Did she eat something ?" Bheem asked as he moved in, Nakul shook his head as he sighed defeated. Bheem felt like crying, he never had felt this weak before, seeing her hurt gutted him more than he could have ever imagined. She was the one person he never wanted to see hurt than why her?

He hadn't eaten anything for past two days as well, just like his other four brothers. The laughter from their life had suddenly disappeared seeing her so sad, "Bhraata we need to tell her." Sahadev pleased, his heart couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't see her like that anymore, he just couldn't handle seeing her lifeless at all.

"Yes bhraatashree I can't see her like this anymore. " Arjun agreed, if Yudhisthir won't, he will tell her. He couldn't see her suffer anymore like this, all she ever did was cry and repeat the five names.

Yudhisthir said nothing he didn't know what to do. One side was his dharma on the other hand there was her life. He found himself in a tight position, he was ready to break his vow when the doors were pushed open roughly making all the five pandavas to go on high alert.

King Drupad walked in making the pandavas back off but their bodies remained taut with stress, ready to kill if he so much as tried to hurt her.
"Draupadi! I have had enough of her drama! " He thundered, as he walked in. The pandavas had to fist their hands in order to control the anger that was spreading through them like lava.

"Pitashree..." Shikhandini tried to protect her sister but was quietened by one glare from her father.

"Who are you grieving for?!" He shouted as he moved towards her, when she didn't reply the anger in him just increase with every passing second. She continued to look at the doll, that was the last straw for king Drupad as he pulled the doll from her hand and broke it into pieces and threw it on the ground.

Draupadi felt her soul break, she stood as she moved towards the doll. "I have had enough of your tantrum. I can no longer have you in my life. You are to get married as soon as possible and we will leave for Panchaal right now!" He shouted as he wrapped his hand around his wrist and pulled her out of the room.

"Please pitashree..." she couldn't say anymore, she looked at the shattered doll that reflected the broken life. Tears traced down the pandavas cheeks as they watched her being pulled out of the room, her eyes collided with each of the pandavas, they all took a step ahead but were stopped by Krishna who stood behind a pillar shaking his head.

***

*A few days later*

Draupadi sat in her swayamvar staring blankly, mummers of compliments to her beauty rose from every corner. Everyone present were entrapped by her beauty, her glamour.

All the kings present looked happy, wanted her as their queen but all she felt was dead. Her siblings had tried their best to make her smile, to divert her attention. She knew she should try to be normal so that's what she did, she smiled as her heart cried each moment, she pretended to be happy when in reality she was dead inside.

The pandavas had been the source of her joy and love but now she had no reason to live, all her reasons had left her alone, lonely to deal with all the problems and pain. Her heart slowly cracked with every breath she took, the sharp pieces of her broken heart reminded her every moment that they were dead.

"Don't loose hope Sakhi, not every word that you hear is always a truth." Govind stated with his sweet smile as he looked at his Sakhi, her pain hurt him but today he was happy, all her pains would be forgotten once Arjun will win this swayamvar.

She just nodded, her eyes looking at the fish who would decide her future, not that it really mattered. What mattered the most is gone so who won the swayamvar,  who didn't, it made no difference to her.

The competition started after her brother narrated the rules. One after another the kings came and lost but when the name of Angraj Karn was announced she couldn't hold back, it was no mystery who had killed her pandavas and he was the friend of the one who killed them.

She didn't want to marry him but she didn't want to insult him either, if she kept quiet she would never be able to look at him in the eyes because they would always remind her of the murders of the pandavas. Her silence would spoil both their lives.

"I will not marry a sut putr." Her voice was clear as it rang around loudly, Karn froze her words piercing his heart. "King Drupad is this the manner you have taught your daughter!" Duryodhan shouted, as he heard the words leave her mouth. "She as the princess has the right to choose whom she wants to marry, if she doesn't wish to marry Angraj Karn no one can force her." King Drupad supported his daughter.

"If she has already decided whom she will marry and whom she wouldn't  than why call us to insult us?!" Karn shouted, his hurt converted into anger as he shouted at her father. "Angraj Karn my intentions were never to insult you. I just don't want to marry you is all, you're caste has nothing to do with it. If I am lying Lord Surya Narayan would burn me right this instance." Hearing her words made the mummers increase, they expected her to turn ash but nothing happened.

Angraj nodded, the sting of her words lowered as he walked back, Duryodhan on the other hand was not satisfied at all. "I too would like to see if there is a warrior who can achieve this task. Is there anyone?!" He shouted, when none replied he turned back to King Drupad, "what are you going to do now King Drupad?" He taunted, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Krishna's eyes met with Arjun's who stood amidst the Brahmins, dressed as one. His brothers surrounding him. His eyes moved to Draupadi who sat there motionless, if no one stepped up  Draupadi would be insulted.

On Krishna's advice King Drupad invited the Brahmins to join the swayamvar. Krishna nodded to Arjun who looked at Yudhisthir, who too nodded.

The people were stunned to see a brahmin walk up, they mocked and taunted him. Draupadi continued to gaze at her fingers, Arjun wrapped his hand around the dhanush  and aimed the arrow.

The arrow hit it's marks and flowers began to shower on Arjun. He didn't smile but the happiness he felt was all to much for him. Malini was forever now his what could be greater than this? A part of his family permanently, his soulmate, his wife.

His heart fluttered as he watched her walk down towards him, he felt as though nothing else mattered just her, his heart sped up with each step she took towards him, her eyes gazing at the floor, not once did she look at him.

He mentally willed her to look up at him but was sourly disappointed, when she kept gazing on the ground, there was a soft smile on her face but he could see that the glow of happiness was missing. Others could see her beauty but he could see her soul not just physical beauty and her soul was crying. The happiness he felt instantly diminished and guilt flooded his heart.

He blinked back tears as she put the mala around his neck, he just staring at her face, not one blemish on her face, she had all the beauty but what he loved the most was her soul, her soul was the most beautiful.

Her outer beauty just amplified her inner one. He watched mesmerized as he picked up the mala made of lotus flowers and put it around her neck. Flower petals were showered on them as the took blessings from king Drupad and Govind.

Krishna gifted Draupadi five beautiful stones, it signifying the five pillars of dharm. "At times we need something to remind us of our dharm.  No matter how difficult or unusual the path of dharm maybe sakhi, you must always follow it." He said with his charming smile, for the first time she looked up her eyes meeting his, her heart was breaking and Kanha knew that.

"Sometimes the truth is right in front of us all we need to do is look up." He advised,  his eyes moving to Arjun and the remaining four pandavas. She was confused, but nodded. Govind's  words never had just one meaning but the agony of her heart didn't permit her to think much.

She followed Arjun who had told king Drupad that he wants to take Draupadi to seek the blessings of his mother. They were walking down the path when they were stopped by a king, he was pointing his sword towards them. Arjun's hackles rose as the muscles his in body became taut, he stood in front of his fiance like a shield, he had vowed to keep her safe and anyone who so much as threatened he had sworn to kill them.

"You a beggar can't have her!" The king shouted, "he has won the swayamvar King Ashwin." King Drupad tried to remind him, his voice was warning him. "So what?! I won't let him take away such a beautiful girl. She is mine." The king thundered, a menacing look on his face.

"Think before what you say! Or else I won't hold back, you maybe a king but threaten her once more and you're as good as dead." Arjun's voice rang with coldness that was enough to send chills of fear down the spines of everyone present.

"If she can't be mine, she won't be yours either." Before anyone could process what was happening, the king thrust his sword in Panchaali's stomach. Everyone screamed her name, as a shocked silence filled the air followed by fear that had everyone's heart quivering.

Panchaali gasped, shock paralysing her body, she had shut her eyes waiting for the impact to come along with pain. Her heart thundered in her chest as adrenaline pumped through her, tears leaked down her eyes.

She opened her eyes slowly when the pain never came, her eyes widened in shock as she saw her husband's hand wrapped around the sword, stopping it mid movement, just half an inch away from her stomach.

"Before harming her you need to go through me." Arjun's voice was deadly calm, his beautiful brown eyes had turned dark with the fury he felt. He could have lost her, the thought was enough to increase his fury ten times. He pulled the sword from the king's loose hand, king Ashwin was shocked and before he could process what was happening Arjun had already moved with precision, the blade cut off the head instantly making it roll and stop at the feet of a very shocked King Drupad.

Arjun wrapped his hand around Draupadi's wrist and pulled her out from the place, his brothers following him out. Leaving behind a stunned group of people.

***

"Mata see what bhraata Arjun has got." Nakul said excitedly, "Yes mata see he is so lucky to have received such a boon from the gods." Sahadev added, happiness lacing her words.

Draupadi stood in the hut with her husbands and her brothers, once she had finished bandaging her husband's hand. She so badly wanted to look at him but there was also a fear, she didn't know what she was afraid of.

Maybe living with him won't be so bad, maybe she would be happy with him. She may not love him but by saving her life today he had earned her respect towards him. Maybe he was a good man. Draupadi looked at her mother in law who sat facing away from them, praying to the shivling.
 
"From a very young age I have thought you to share everything. So it's my order that whatever Arjun has got, divide it equally among all you brothers." Kunti commanded and  continued to pray unaware of the chaos that she had unleashed.

Draupadi felt as though the ground under her was pulled away, she stared at the back of her mother in law, tears falling down her cheeks as pain sunk its ugly talons in the beating organ in her chest.

Her breath came out in short pants, she felt as though her heart was being squeezed tightly, she stumbled back and moved out of the hut. A new wave of pain taking over, why for once her life she can't be normal?! She mentally shouted. In this moment she missed her pandavas the most, she wondered what would they say if they were here.

Maybe than again if they were here than she wouldn't be in this mess. She missed Bheem's hugs, Yudhisthir caressing her hair, Arjun kissing her forehead, she missed laying her head in Nakul's lap and she missed Sahadev, their midnight talk, sitting alone in the night with him, her head resting on his shoulder while she shared everything with her that weighed on her heart. She missed the kisses and hugs of mata Kunti. Her advises and lessons on life. How would she live without them.

She sat on the rock that was on the banks of river Ganga, she was now divided between five men. How was that possible? The society would insult her at every step she took, the people would now forever insult her. Her father and siblings would be ashamed of her and from above, in the heavens, Mata Kunti, Mata Madri, Pitashree Pandu, and all her pandavas would be disappointed in her. Forever.

Her hands fell on the stones that Krishna had given her making her remind his words, so was this what he meant? Was this what he said when he talked about the unusual way. Was she ready to make this sacrifice? Could she sacrifice herself and for life accept the bad words and insults of the society for dharm? Would she be able to sacrifice all this for people she hardly knew?

Time was taking her biggest exam. Asking her to make a big sacrifice, for a girl nothing is more important that her respect, not even her life. But was she ready to give that up, to give the world her names? All for dharm?

Her minds was in chaos, she shut her eyes and Govind's words came flashing in her mind. He had faith in her, he indirectly had said that this was her fate. She sighed, what games were the fates were playing with her she was not sure but she new that choosing this path would only lead to pain.

"Putri I am so sorry, but don't worry putri no injustice would be done to you. My sons have come up with the solution, you will marry my son while the other four would take sanyas." Kunti assured but Draupadi kept her eyes on the ground, not daring to look up.

"But sanyas is the path to bravery mata not cowardice." Her words had Kunti silenced, knowing that what her daughter in law had said was the truth. They walked back to the hut where rishi Vyaas sat with her sons.

Draupadi touched his feet and he blessed her, "So what is your decision putri?" He asked, a smile on his face. "I will abide to my fate. I will marry them all."  Her heart broke with each word, her soul crying. She would make the sacrifice. "But how is that possible. This is adharm." Yudhisthir opposed. "No putr in your situation it is not. It is the way to dharm, you brothers can't take sanyas because if you do the praja would have to suffer through the rule of Duryodhan. You can't be so selfish that to save your own self you would let so many people suffer. It is your dharm to protect them. It your right to be the king and not fighting for your rights is also a big adharm." Maharishi Vyaas' words had silenced them all. "Draupadi here is making the ultimate sacrifice. If she is ready to do this can't you all sacrifice too. If she is ready to make her life a tapasya, can't you all too?  Make some rules that would make her life a bit easy." Maharishi Vyaas' words made the pandavas think, they all looked at each other. A silent conversation going on between all the brothers, their eyes turned to Draupadi, who was looking at the ground. They all knew that she has not yet seen any of them, she hadn't recognised them yet she was ready to make such a big sacrifice. Today her respect in the eyes of the pandavas had just increased hundred times.

"But Mahaguru if we marry her, people would follow our example. And force innocent women. It would just give them a way reason to abuse them." Yudhisthir, the natural ruler questioned. "Some would but that would be sin but you need to follow your dharm and do your duty." Rishi Vyaas guided, they all nodded.

"Impossible! No daughter of mine shall marry five men. You ungrateful beings! How dare you even think about this?!" Drupad shouted as he looked at all of them, the brothers lowered their head. They knew he was a father and had every right to react in such a manner.

"Is it really them who had written this suffering in Draupadi's fate or was it your wish for your daughter when she was born through the yagn. A child always has to suffer the consequence to their parents deeds and wishes, now if they are good or bad it completely depends of the deed done by one's parent. Isn't it right Maharaj Drupad?" Krishna's stern words made the king realise that no one else but he is the one to blame for his daughter's suffering.  "It was fate Maharaj Drupad." Krishna assured as he looked at his Sakhi who smiled at him with watery eyes.

Guilt weighed heavy on his chest, making him choke. "The wedding will be held as decided, today evening." Krishna said. Sealing Draupadi's fate forever with the pandavas.

****

So what do you think?
How do you think Draupadi will react once she realised that the men she is marrying are none other than her childhood friends?
How do you think Draupadi will react when she gets to know that they were the eunuchs that she had befriended in Kashi? That they knew she was suffering yet they kept quiet.

Do comment to let me know your answers!
And please vote for the chapter if you liked it!
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